Over 30 Hockey League

Rounding the Corner

Just a reminder… this is the last week of the 2^nd third of the season.  After Saturday’s games it’s a sprint to the finish line and those crucial seedings (or is it?) after what happened last season.

Regardless, if Vulcan Grip can’t upset the #1 undefeated team this week.., then everyone will get one last crack at the potential champs before we call their undefeated season a success.

Also; we have a few big announcements coming.., so stay tuned!

Ed Nigro Night

It was great to see everyone stick around and officially send Ed Nigro off into retirement with some nice parting gifts for his 27-years (58-seasons) of dedication to the league.

Special thanks to the Board of Directors and their gifts for Ed (who is still on retainer as a Board Member).., and you know it’s a big deal when Scotty Young hobbles his ass up and makes a special appearance.

Just in case you missed it… Ed enjoyed retirement so much he came back on Sunday for a curtain call.  Sorry Ed, we were only giving out gifts on Saturday.  We’ll let you know when the “Over-30 Hall of Fame” is finished with construction.

Bitchfest 2023

Ok, (that’s it).., the last of the doubleheader weekends are behind us. Between all the complaints on Saturday and Sunday.., we should have had Todd Bryson make tee-shirts and called the weekend “Bitchfest 2023”

Mike Luise started the weekend off bitching about having 11-guys… Hey Mike you guys were 0-4 in your previous 4-games.  The Over-30 Front Office got a call saying you were missing (2) defenseman so we assigned Patrick Spencer and Derek Donegan to fill the void.  The talent scouts wanted to see how Patrick played as a defenseman and Derek was an insurance policy just in case he sucked (which he didn’t).

There was a long list of players bitching about “Non-calls, Missed-calls, and calls that went straight to Voicemail”.., Paul Sequeira, Lee Nogler and Dominic DeFrancisco we’re Saturday’s MVB’s for the 4:30 game.  Surprisingly Ray Nickerson wasn’t on that list even though he only had 1-assist in a 13-goal game.

Trading 4-goals

Dave Giusti and Scotty Rosato threw their GAA out the window to start the doubleheader weekend as the opening game was a 13-goal battle royale.

After Justice League opened with 2-goals… the Devil’s Disciples scored the next 4-goals lead by a pair from Lee Nogler… but that was short lived once Rob Sheridan got serious and this happened;

With Rob’s hat spun backwards did he feel like a truck?  We’re pretty sure he continued to do nothing and play more like a SmartCar.., but when the hat finally came off both he and Paul Sequeira took turns scoring the next 4-goals.

With a 6-4 lead all the Justice League had to do was hold on for the last 1:30 of the game.., but like any good DC Comic Superhero.., the villains always have their moment in the spotlight and that’s exactly what happened.

With their goalie pulled… the Devil’s Disciples scored with 28-seconds left and then another timeless player (who flips a switch and plays like a machine) Mark Stickney popped in the tying goal with .02/10's seconds left to send the game into overtime.

As exciting as it was for the comeback… Justice League’s Paul Sequeira finished his hat trick in style as he scored just 16-seconds into overtime to get their 3^rd win of the season and 1^st in the last 5-weeks.  (Oh! and your welcome Mike Luise)

Nice Strategy

Welcome to the Over-30 League and our “Zero Tolerance Policy” for slamming sticks (including goalie sticks) Steve Taddonio.

For reasons unknown Steve unceremoniously slammed his stick against the boards between periods.  We were confused at first because Steve only gave up one goal in the 2^nd period.., but then we thought about it more once we saw who was assigned to serve his penalty.

Since a goalie can’t serve a penalty… Mike Naczas was sent to the “Sin Bin” to serve Steve’s 5-minute misconduct.  Then we put two and two together… Steve’s strategy was to remove Naz from the first 5-minutes (plus a whistle) in the 3^rd period.., which ended up being 5:50 seconds.

For 50-seconds we watched Naz beg his teammates for a whistle… but play continued until Joe Shannon pardoned him a goal from his own defensive zone.

So we tip our hat to you Steve… how to keep your biggest liability locked up for more than half of the 3^rd period and maintain and only have a 1 GAA.

Legendary Goal

When you’re a legend.., you make legendary shots for goals, but we’re not talking about Dan Broderick, he hasn’t scored since prohibition.

Last week runner up legend John Shannon spotted the smallest of 5-holes peeking out from between Sean Roach pads. It was so small that no one could see it except for Joe.., it was like a hawk spotting a field mouse in an open field.., but when you’re a gifted goal scorer that’s what you see on the floor.

Joe’s shot was so precise and timed perfectly that it reminded us of another great shot.

Looks like this spring were going to find out if Joe’s an XL Jacket (Oh and Todd) when you order them… check Joe’s arms, his right arm is just a little longer than his left too.

Feeling Shame

Steve Taddonio did it and didn’t serve a minute.., but Pedro Fontes, well that a different story.

Pedro let the frustration get to him last week vs Captain’s Mutiny and slammed his stick into the boards.., which is a huge “no-no” in this league.  The league’s Zero Tolerance Policy covers that act.., and when you do (do that).., we’ll then this happens:

So remember; if you get called for a penalty.., don’t slam you stick into the penalty box.., when you go off for a change after you just sucked for a minute or so, don’t slam your stick in your bench.., of if you didn’t get that pass when you were wide open because somebody didn’t pass to you and don't slam your stick into the boards in frustration… all those acts will lead to certain shame.

Blackout

Where not sure if Jim Barber sold his soul to the devil for hockey skills or if indeed HELL has frozen over.., because he finally scored on a breakaway.

Last Saturday Jim scored a meaningless 5th goal against Vulcan Grip.., but it was a thing of beauty according to those seated in Hecklers Row

We asked Jim to recount his goal.., “After I stick-handled past a diving defender I was heading in alone, nervous and scared.., I remember right before I blacked out I said “Jesus take the wheel”.., when I came to.., I was bowing to the crowd at Hecklers Row”. 

Some say it was an accident others thought it was Matty Iannello on the breakaway until they saw the #10.

Weekend Whiffer

A little too relaxed from his week off in Florida.., Goombah’s Ricky Cassano returned to doubleheader weekend with his timing a little off.  Ricky must have still been on Florida time (which is still EST, but just a little more relaxed)

We watched Roadrunners’ Steve Medeiros gift wrap a tape-to-tape pass to Ricky out front of Steve Taddonio and well… (he missed badly) with a giant whiff.

He did manage to put one past Dale McIssac on Sunday.., but then he whiffed a few more times.., we heard of returning “refreshed, relaxed and rejuvenated” but Ricky was a little too relaxed as his team went 0-2 over the weekend.

But someone needs to tell newly appointed Captain Angelo “Kato” De Luca that “C” is for “Captain” and not “Crying”.., because we all know there’s no crying in baseball and there is certainly no crying in the Over-30 League.

Now get your your team refocused on winning and start playing like the former #1 team.

IR Hat Trick

We’re crediting Lee Nogler with our first ever “IR Hat Trick” last weekend.., after missing weeks on the IR, Lee came back and brought his leadership, scoring touch and that frigging cannon he uses to score 3-goals last weekend.

Lee had two on Saturday and one on Sunday that should have been reported to Homeland Security because it was an absolute bomb.

Welcome back Lee.., can you please do something about Steve Taddonio and those Roadrunners.., their britches are getting a little too big.

20 or 30?

Hey Mike Duggan you have 6-games left and a big decision to make.

If you want to get your name into the Over-30 History Book.., you have a couple of options available for you to choose from.

Options 1: Join the 20/20 Club… Which has only been done 16-times but by only (8) players.

However; if you wanna be in the exclusive 20/20 Club club you have to be a giver.., you have to make those around you better.  Sure you have a goal scorers touch, but do you have soft passing Ray Nickerson hands?  Maybe ask Ray for some on advise on how to record 13-assist in only 6-games.  Ray once had a 39-assist season back in1997, which is still a record to this day.

Options 2: Join the 30-goal Club.., Which is very exclusive with only two members President Joe Shannon and Vice President Doug Sedille.  That might be a little easier for you.., Say “F’ it” and don’t pass and bury another 12-goals in 6-games.  That would make you the "Speaker of the House" if you join that swanky club.

Option 3: Forget the scoring clubs all together and be one of the leading procuring causes to an undefeated season and championship.., which has NEVER been done in the leagues history.

Whatever you choose… Good Luck!

Over-30 History

Last week Linus Ullmark made Bruins history with this beauty empty net goal.

If you were in attendance for Sunday’s weekend finale game of the Roadrunners vs Justice League.., you also saw Over-30 History being made as well by a Goalie.

Down 7-2 and tired of seeing his team not be able to score on Steve Taddonio… opposing Goalie Dave Giusti took a line right out of Risky Business;

We’ll Dave said to himself “What the Fu&K” and made his move… he took the ball and stick-handled over the goalie forbidden middle line and went one-on-one on Steve.  His initial breakaway attempt was stopped and swatted away to the corner.., but still not satisfied Dave retrieved the ball from the corner and then tucked a goal top corner on Steve.

Jobless

This season the league focused it’s efforts on scouting returning players and new talent for the 2023-2024 draft board.  We saw returning veterans Doug Sedille and Paul White play impactful fill-in roles.

Undrafted newbies Patrick Spencer and John Hines along with last minute fill-in Dave Norton are all making a case for their spots on the 2023-2024 draft board.

With the last third of the season upon us.., we will only use them very sparingly if a team is missing (4) or more players.  Otherwise it’s a play with what you have finish to the 2023 Spring Season.

Sorry Nick Romano, Jim Barber, John Kelleher and anyone else that used to get asked to fill in for other teams when teams were short.., these fill-ins took your jobs.

Over-30 Annual Spring Scoring/GAA Challenge

The New Year brings a league wide scoring challenge and here's how the challenge/contest works;

The Challenge;

During the Spring Season only.., your New Years Resolution (and challenge) is to beat your previous Winter Season points total and for the goalies they must beat their previous season GAA.

The Rules;

• Players must play a minimum of 6-games in the previous winter season to qualify
• Must beat your previous points total by "1-point"
• Goalies must be "under" their previous GAA total
• Ties do not qualify - you must beat the previous winter season

The Prize(s);

All players that beat their previous season total will qualify to be entered into random drawing for a $75 Gift Card for Amazon

Thank you to John Kelleher; CEO of Vulcan Industries as this year he has sweetened the pot (again this year) by adding a FREE Vulcan Stick to the prize package.

The Drawing;

The random drawing will take place between the first 2-games of the semi-finals playoff game of the Spring Season on Saturday, April 15.