One Game To Rule Them All

Both the first and second games in this final series were one goal games, with the first going to the Osprey 30 seconds into overtime, and the second going to the Eurekas with just 30 seconds left in the game.  These games were nothing if not close, so there was a good chance the deciding game would also be close, but when the Osprey showed up with only 9 skaters, the Eurekas had thoughts of running the Osprey ragged.

Very early into the first period, Matt Ryder had the puck in the Osprey zone and he took a shot towards the net but Dave Matthews got in front of it.  The puck went off Matthews' stick, then his helmet and out of the zone.  Garrett Murray picked up the puck and took it all the way down the ice with Matt Ryder in pursuit.  Just before a pass could be made in front to an open Michael Lawless, Ryder completed the backcheck, and you knew right there that this game was going to be a battle.

With the Osprey entering the Eurekas zone a bit later, Jonny Bamford knocked the puck away and the Eurekas got it to Alex Bethune who flew up the ice, cutting across the goal mouth with Colin Appleby doing his best to disrupt him.  Bethune went to the backhand but couldn't beat Theueurkauf in goal. Max Dewey immediately took the puck back up ice and made a nice pass across the ice to linemate Keaton Hicks.  Hicks made a good move and went to pull the puck from his backhand to his forehand to shoot.  He fanned on the shot but the puck went to Nathan Bessey in front.  Bessey fired the puck, looking for the open blocker side, but he missed just high, throwing his head back in disbelief.  There weren't any first minute goals on this night.

Garrett Murray had the next scoring chance as he found himself on a breakaway, just him and JK MacAdam.  Garrett shot and MacAdam got the corner of his blocker on the puck to deny the goal.  It was looking like a goaltenders duel.

Matt Ryder took the first penalty of the game as he was called for goaltender interference.  The Osprey's terrible power-play went to work and as per usual, they were not scoring, and the Eurekas were clearing the zone.  Then Jamie Richard got the puck on the boards by the hash marks and took a stride towards the net, shooting a low shot.  The shot went of JK's stick and into the net.  A bit of a weak one for JK who had made some great saves on players in a scoring position prior to that.  The power-play goal would give a little jump to the Osprey at 10:42 of the first.

Matt Peters tried to tied the game but was struggling to get a good shot off with an Osprey stick or body getting in the way at every turn.  Then Kyle Ervin took an interference penalty for the Eurekas as he knocked down Michael Lawless as they were exiting the zone and he probably would have had a breakaway, so maybe not a bad penalty to take.  The Osprey, inspired by their previous power-play success, were working the puck around on the man advantage, looking like they'd practiced it, but this time, they wouldn't be able to covert, and the game remained 1-0.

After two power-plays, the Osprey's captain took a roughing penalty and the Eurekas' eyes opened wide as they brought their league beat puck possession game to the power play.  Matt Ryder found Bobby Sacre sneaking in off the point, and made the pass through traffic to the front of the net.  Sacre was unable to reach the puck with his tied up stick but almost got a foot on it, but not quite.

Sacre would end up with the puck however, and he tried his own little sauce pass to Matt Peters at the side of the net, but that didn't connect either, and the penalty concluded without a goal.  Keaton Hicks almost scored just after the penalty ended as he took a shot which went just inches wide of the net.  Then Chris Ryder took a pass from Matt, shooting the puck just over the net as Joey Richard got his stick in the way.  There were 4 good scoring chances in a 90 second span but no goals to show for it.

With just under 2 minutes left in the first, Bobby Sacre finally reached a season long goal, as he made a beauty of a pass all the way up ice to Brock Bethune who was behind the Osprey D.  Sacre had struggled to make a good pass to Brock all season, and had said he was going to make one to him before the season ended, so this one was well timed.  Bethune went in alone on Theueurkauf and shot.  The puck went five-hole and slowly rolled across the line before anyone could come help out.

Period 1 would end with the game tied at 1 and no-one having any clue how this one would end.  One thing was certain though, Matt Ryder high sticking the goaltender was not going to be very helpful to the Eurekas.  Garrett Murray skated the puck from the left wing side of the Eurekas zone, across towards the net.  Deking and moving to the backhand, Murray would beat MacAdam for the Osprey's 2nd power play goal of the game, and restored the one goal lead.

After a couple scoring chances for the Osprey where they couldn't hit the net, Bobby Sacre would clear the zone.  Dave Matthews reached to keep it in, but just couldn't quite get there, but he did however slow the puck down.  Matt Ryder jumped on the puck, now in a better position than it would have been untouched.  Matthews busted his ass to get back.  Joey Richard did too, and with both Osprey D draped all over him, Ryder got a shot on goal.  The puck slowly slid through the legs of Theueurkauf and ended up just crossing the line, nullifying the delayed penalty being called, and tying the score with 11:30 to go in the second.

The next stretch of the game was very entertaining as the sides traded chances.  Joey Richard and Nathan Bessey both got their second penalties of the game at various times and the Eurekas power play was ineffective as the score remained tied, golden opportunities squandered by the Eurekas.

No-one would be able to break the deadlock as the goaltending was superb, so off to overtime we were going.  The overtime begins with players facing off 4 on 4 for 5 minutes and with the second round reducing to 3 on 3 until it ends, so while it could have been a long one, predictions were that this was going to end quickly.

Early into overtime, Brock Bethune, having a very good game to this point, grabbed the puck and cut in towards the net.  He shot the puck up and over the shoulder of Dan Theueurkauf but it went off the bar and over the glass, so the game went on.  There were a couple of scoring chances, but nothing too dangerous, so onto double overtime we went.

In Double OT, Garrett Murray drove the Osprey offense again as he broke in past Sacre and on to JK, shooting a rolling puck that went under the glove arm of MacAdam.  The rink fell silent as many expected to see the refs point to the goal.  MacAdam turned his head one way, then the other as he searched for the puck.  JK may have been looking around everywhere for the puck, but it turned out that he had it squeezed between his arm and body. Still 2-2 as the exhausted players made line changes.

3 on 3 is such a different game and it favours to puck possession.  Early on, that was the Eurekas.  Matt Ryder had a breakaway and he made a tiny move left and his shot struck the outstretched pad of the Osprey's Dan Theueurkauf.  Clearing the crease. Bessey tried to air mail a pass out to Garrett Murray but Bobby Sacre dropped to his knees to field the puck like a ground ball, otherwise Murray was off to the races.  Matt Ryder was all over the play in overtime.  Taking a pass from Peters, he went to one-time the puck hard enough to go through the boards but he didn't get all of it and sent an off speed pitch towards the net.  Theueurkauf knocked the mid air knuckle puck away from the net with his stick

With only a couple minutes gone in the second OT, Brock Bethune would get the puck in the corner, Brock passed it in front to Game 2's hero Chris Ryder.  Chris took a wrister and put it just over the pad and under the glove of the Osprey netminder, popping his water bottle a foot into the air, Eureka!!! The Eurekas won!!!

The win marks the first Nomad Cup for rookie captain Jonny Bamford, but back to back championships for his goaltender JK MacAdam.  JK made some killer saves to keep his team alive at many times last night, eventually leading to the win.  

Congratulations to Jonny Bamford and the Eurekas on becoming Nomad Cup Champions!

A lot can be said about the season, but in reflection, the biggest thing we can see is that through parity, when each team showed up to the rink, players from both teams felt like they had a chance to win.

Keep your eyes open for a year end exit interview in your email as we look to get your feedback from this season so we can grow and make things better.  Thanks for playing another fun year in the Nomad Hockey League!