Two more teams turned out to be playoff turkeys, and were promptly stuffed and cooked as an early Thanksgiving Day treat. Burgundy continues to thrust from the bottom, while Black and Green have finally reached the point at which it’s time to whip it out and measure. Six teams remain in the mix, and only one will be satisfied when the mid-December climax comes.
Purple were seraching for their first win since October 14th…they did not find in the second week of playoff play. A Steve Jones sighting (2 and 0) provided most of the punch, and Gary Peters notched the game-winner as Red reeled off a revenge win, and removed Purple from the playoffs in the process, 3-1. Jim LaGrossa had the only answer for Purple, who backed into the playoffs, and quickly backed out. Marc Devoe was sharp in nets, stopping 19/20 to keep the seven seeds alive in the hunt for the ultimate prize. Red move on to face Navy in another elimination match this Sunday.
On the heels of a narrow OT escape from bottom-seeded Burgundy, Black was surely primed to flex their might against Navy. Instead, the game might well have flexed the wrong way for the top seeds, who once again found a way to prevail, this time via the shootout, 2-1. Tom Darlington slipped just the tip in to provide a lead for Black, but that tip was snipped by Andy Strathman with less than a minute to play. Sources reported that the equalizer was somewhat controversial (possible kick), but Jon Salt’s two shootout tallies sealed the deal for real. Steve Testen was a bad man once again, stopping 24/25 to earn POTW honors. Black move on to face Green with a ticket to the Final on the line, while Navy look to stay alive in the Loser’s Bracket against Red.
Another week, another thriller for Captain Brett Cohen and Burgundy. Fortunately for Cohen and his crew, they came out on the right end this time, shooting out past Pink, 2-1. Josh Wirt put the favorites on top early in the thrid, but Glenn Pinto answered minutes later, and Burgundy’s shooters put on a winning show in the shootout. Pink join Purple as the latest additions to the scrap heap, while Burgundy look to continue their Cinderella season in a knockout match with Orange.
The final contest of the night really wasn’t much of a contest at all, as Green stormed past Orange, 4-1. Anthony Cerasuolo netted the first two goals, including the game-winner, and Steve Goncalo’s equal effort put the game out of reach for a shell-shocked Orange side. Sean Kelly was Sean Kelly, stopping all but one of the thirteen shots he faced (Mark DeGraffenreid). Green hope to keep the offense warm and toasty as they turn to a showdown with Black’s comparitively cold front. One more win, and they are in the catbird seat for the Final. Orange will need to regoup and bring their A game against a suddenly dangerous Burgundy side.