TYHDA National Festival
 
The energy was high and the nerves grew as time drew closer to the opening faceoff of the youth hockey national championship. To start the event, a parade was held through Portarra that led to the ice surface of Honey Whale Athletic Complex. It was there where teams and players were announced to a crowd packed with family, friends and scouts who were eager to see what the new league had to offer. Following the ceremony, the fans and teams who stayed around got to see the main event of the round robin stage where the Yubay Drillers went up against the Certonrack Reapers in a match that ended in a wild 3-3 draw. This was followed by another draw from the two second place teams who finished 1-1. The next day of round robin was one that belonged to Tamokeva, with a 2-0 Hyletville win over Certonrack in the morning and a 1-0 Driller win against HWHC later in the day.

Going into the third day it was the Tamokeva teams in the driver’s seat, and it would come down to goal differential for anyone who wanted to find themselves in the second spot for the finals. In the first game, HWHC got their revenge against the defending Galapetra champs with a 1-0 win on a goal that came late in the game, sending Certonrack back up north, falling short of their ultimate goal. Honey Whale was not able to celebrate for long though, being the next team sent home when a hard fought game between the Tamokeva teams was settled in the final minutes by an inspiring comeback from the Penguins. Down 2-0, and in a position to not advance, Hyletville went into a frenzied desperation that sent the puck to the back of the net three times in the third period, giving them the win and both teams a spot in the finals. HWHC was heartbroken, they had the same record and goal difference as Yubay, but would be left out of the finals based on a head-to-head game that the Drillers won.

It was an all Tamokeva affair in Galapetra, and the region was a bit shocked by it, some parents even saying that Honey Whale should have the right to represent the region to claim the prize. But, per the league rules, those parents were wrong, and the best of three series was set to take place the next day. 


1972 TYHDA National Finals

Game 1

The first game started quick and set the tempo for the series going forward. It was the fourth time the two teams had played each other within the last couple weeks, and the goalies were not a mystery to the shooters anymore. The first goal was scored 6 minutes into the game by Vince Swift, the same player who ended the previous tournament between these two teams. The goal was an easy tap in on a rebound chance created by a three on two drive down the ice where the initial shot was placed off the goalie’s far pad, landing right on Swift’s stick.

The game continued to be high paced following the goal, but took a stall through the second when both teams had trouble finding the net. The third came around with more action, but the cheers came from the other bench when a Hyletville forward tipped in a shot from the point at the period’s halfway mark. The following 10 minutes went fast with plenty more chances, but both teams would have nothing to show for their work. Again, these two found themselves level at the end of regulation, needing more time to decide the winner. Much like the prior meeting, Yubay had their game plan hammered out for the overtime period, doing a professional job of line matching and keeping possession. On Hyletville’s side it seemed to be the opposite, the team showing nerves and lack of discipline, having the recent overtime breakdown fresh in their memory. This would be the Penguin’s downfall, letting in another faceoff goal 8 minutes into overtime when a Penguins faceoff win turned into a Drillers opportunity. Yubay’s goal came easy, taking advantage of a lackluster clear attempt that hit a point defender’s shins, setting him up for a quick shot that caught the unsettled Everett standing straight up, letting the puck in under his blocker.

Game 2

In game two of the best of three series, both teams came out playing their defensive minded game while they got settled in. Not many attempts were made, and the ones that happened usually came from less than ideal areas of the ice, making it easy for both goalies to handle.  

When the second period started it seemed like a whole new game broke out. Instead of sitting back and playing safer, Hyletville decided to take fate into their own hands, knowing well that they did not want to find themselves in an overtime period playing tactical mind games with a team known for their strategy. The offensive risk proved to pay off for the Penguins as they proceeded to net 2 goals by the end of the period. 

The roles changed for the teams in the third period, with the Drillers showing some desperation for a goal while the Penguins switched to a heavy defensive game. Although the offensive push by the Drillers had some promise, the team was not built around a high scoring mentality and ran out of time making their push. By the end of the game Yubay had found themselves a goal, but fell short in another close battle that ended 2-1.

Game 3

The first period was highlighted by sloppy play and plenty of chances by both sides, but only one goal would be allowed. With 5 minutes remaining, Yubay’s new star, Vince Swift, displayed his skill by going around a defenseman wide on a 1 v 1 attack and continued through the crease with his speed, beating Everett to the far post to slide the puck in. This would hold through the period and all the way to the end of the second as play tightened up following the goal.

Entering the third frame, the Drillers had a large advantage being ahead in a series that stressed the importance of defense. Knowing this, Hyletville once again kicked into their desperation mode, and the two teams would put together another exciting period that was uncharacteristic of them. Out the gate, Hyletville cut down to two lines, playing their top players full time despite their fatigue. Although a risky move, it showed to be the right one halfway through the period when Ollie McClellan rung one of the cross bar and into the net, marking his 4th of the tournament. McClellan would strike again only 32 seconds later in an awkward 2 v 1 rush that included both of Hyletville’s defenseman making a break that ended with McClellan scoring on the back door, leaving the goalie with no option but to watch the puck go by him.

The push back from the Drillers was strong in the final minutes, with the team coming as close to a goal as possible when the puck was pulled off Hyletville’s goal line in a desperate scramble in front of the net, but that would be as far as the puck would go the remainder of the game. The minutes turned to seconds and those seconds ran down to a buzzer that would send the Hyletville Penguins into celebration, completing their revenge tour by beating the team that cut them short of a regional trophy. Ollie McClellan would receive the honor of national MVP as Hyletville finally put to rest who the better team was in the year of Tamokeva. 
  

Those Hyletville kids are a plucky bunch!

Big fan of the memorial patches for players who won the championship.

The Ambassadors new clash looks sharp as well.

GYHDA 1973 Season

 
Things were a lot tighter out of Galapetra this season with a less significant spread between the teams. The lowest point differential was found at the top of the table, where the defending champions in Certonrack fought back and forth the whole season with HWHC for the number one spot. The season was not enough, and although the Reapers had less wins, the champion was determined by goal differential. GD is where Certonrack excelled, having a +26 compared to HWHC’s +8. This difference was driven by Certonrack’s first line’s scoring ability that included Jerry Little (17), Chuck Ellington (17) and Rod Dallas (17), who combined for 43 of the team’s 58 goals over 21 games. These three paired with high intensity defenseman, Mitch Hoover (16), proved to be the most feared combination in the region, covering for lack of depth in their young roster. 

Unlike last year, Honey Whale had a season where many would argue they hurtled over expectations. With a very young team led by star forward, Alex Graff (17), HWHC was able to leap two spots in the standings and the performance could have easily ended with a regular season title if early growing pains did not stand in the way. Honey Whale looks to be the most dangerous team going into the regional tournament, having plenty of momentum and a solid goalie in Rickie Furman, a long time backup for Brian Mahaffey who has flourished in his senior year. 

Holding their ground in third was the Vorackberg Herd, who showed plenty of progress, even though their ranking would suggest otherwise. In this quiet, hard working town there was some noise being made by a player that was going against the norms. While the Herd developed their patented rough and intense game, Jonathan Walker (16) saw a dramatic growth spurt that further elevated his flashy game to a level that earned him the Mr. Galapetra title. In his 1973 campaign, Walker topped scoring with 28 goals and added 8 more assists to play a part in more goals than the total scored by a very good Portarra Harps team that finished just behind the Herd. 

In the final spot for the regional tournament was the previously mentioned Portarra Harps. With a season that started where they left off the previous year, there was not much hope for the beaten up Portarra team that began the year 1-5-5. This miserable start had a lot of the players looking for answers from the organization going into their winter break, and with no response given by the club the kids decided to answer for themselves. They did this  by returning with a 4-2 win that shocked HWHC, who was first in the league at the time. This game was then followed by what would be known as “The Run of the Rink”, where the Orange and Cream made the Honey Whale facility their own by beating the Travelers, Blur and HWHC in their remaining matchups the rest of the year. Because of this run the Harps were able to sneak past Cooley Bay into a regional berth, slamming the door behind them.

The two stories that stood out from the bottom four would be Rosran’s inability to live up to their roster, and frustration out of the Travelers organization. 

While Rosran could claim the best defenseman in the region in Nolan Kaminski (17) and follow that by saying they also have a draft hopeful in Garrett Guillian (17), there still was not enough support to let them show their talents. Rosran was a team of vast differences between players on the roster, having a team split between 15 and 17 year olds with not one 16 in age. This caused a disconnect that mixed with fresh faces in net that just weren’t ready and resulted in a painful fall down the ladder that has management considering their development opportunities in the future.

No one had it worse than the Portarra Travelers. Although small, there was progression to be proud of, but the wheels were taken off the wagon when the team saw a 16 year old goalie quit hockey because of his inability to win a game in his year and a half in the league. This left the team stranded with Sal Kidd, a 15 year old with no prior games played. The Kidd ended up having a stellar rookie season by team standards, leading the Travelers to 5 total wins on the year. The young guy could make a difference in the future, but the Travelers must be cautious about other teams potentially getting him to switch clubs.

Damn, Sallee! Showing that fiery family personality.

I did not expect the Triangles to have that kind of success at all. Loving that storyline.