1994 Pacino Cup Finals
Battlefield Braves vs. Bentley Stars

The championship laden Stars look for their third title against Battlefield who are back in the finals and looking for a title before moving to the West next season. Game 1 was a close game into the second, tied 2-2 when Lorenzo Ross buried a wrister from the dot to take a 3-2 lead. Bentley would add two more and take a 5-2 lead to the third. The Braves scored mid-way through the period but Bentley would add an empty netter to take a 1-0 series lead.

In Game 2, the Braves scored in the first minute when Benjamin Lowe put home a rebound to go up 1-0. It stayed that way until the third, when Efrain Little scored on a one-timer from the wing and beat Braves goalie Ravel Grönblom. The Braves would take a high sticking penalty mid-way through the third and Little would score from the same spot on a similar play to take a 2-1 lead. Jayden Baxter added an empty netter and the Stars took a 2-0 series lead.

Back at the Element Air Centre, the Stars faithful could feel their team pulling ahead with all the momentum, but the Stars came out flat and the Braves jumped all over them, taking a 3-0 lead in the first and forcing the Stars to pull Toby Barker. The Braves would add 3 more in the second and then shut the Stars down in the third for a dominant 6-0 win to get back into the series. 

A pivotal Game 4 saw Bentley scored early and often, leading 3-0 just 8 minutes into the game. Coach Warner would call a time out and pull Ravel for Stephen Rogers. The Braves rallied immediately, scoring twice to make it 3-2. In the second period, the Braves came out flying and forced the Stars to take a tripping call. Ellis Cooper blasted home a slap shot to tie the game at 3 and stun the EAC. The Braves would add a fourth in the second and then not look back in the third, adding 2 more early to win 6-3 and tie the series.

Back in Battlefield for Game 5 and the Renaissance Bowl was shaking. The Braves had an early push but goals from Jionni Boyer and Roman Gordon had the Stars up 2-0. The Braves would get 1 back to start the second but then it was all Bentley, cruising the rest of the game and ended up dominating 7-1. With the series on the line, things shifted back to Bentley.

The Stars were looking for their third title in Game 6 with the home town Bentley fans ready to party. Bentley went up 2-0 before Battlefield stormed back off goals from Patrick Wells and Andrew Chapman tied it at 2. Efrain Little would give the Stars the lead in the second and Louie Perry would make it 4-2 early in the third. Battlefield would get 1 back and then get a powerplay mid-way through the period, where Luke Dawson floated one through the crowd in front to tie the game. Just 2:02 later, Tommy Mitchell would come down the wing and put a wrister on net that somehow beat Toby Barker for the 5-4 lead. With the EAC stunned and only 1:34 left, Brooks Bondar called a time out and drew up a play. Right off the faceoff the puck was won to the point and Fernando Russell hit Efrain Little with a pass in the slot for a one-timer to tie the game. The EAC exploded as it appeared overtime was looming, but just 25 seconds later Tucker West would break their hearts scoring another soft goal on Toby Barker to win the game for the Braves and send it back to Battlefield for Game 7.

Game 7 had all the drama you could imagine going into it, especially after Barker struggled in Game 6, but Bondar stuck with him man. The Stars got on the board first by, who else, Efrain Little who scored on a disgusting wrist shot from along the goal line to go up 1-0. The Braves battled back and Tucker West scored on a 2 on 1 to tie it at 1. The teams traded goals twice in the second period to send us tied 3-3 into the third. With time ticking down, it looked like we may be headed to overtime, but a bouncing puck got past Chace Pennington and Wyatt Hill and Ellis Cooper broke free on a 2 on 1. As they rushed down the ice with 2:22 left the crowd rose to their feet as they broke across the blue line. The defense took the pass away forcing Hill to shoot and he buried it short side on Barker for the 4-3 lead as the roof came off the Bowl. Brooks Bondar pulled Barker off the face-off to try and tie it, but Phillip Lopez would score an empty netter to win the game 5-3 and give Battlefield their first Pacino Cup!



Following the season, the league announced it’s award winners:

League MVP - Solomon Rollins, Dawn Mills Devil Rays
Forward Of The Year - Arian Fisher, Dawn Mills Devil Rays
Defenseman of the Year - Luke Dawson, Battlefield Braves
Goalie of the Year - Solomon Rollins, Dawn Mills Devil Rays
Scoring Champion - Nathaniel Byers, Dawn Mills Devil Rays
Playoff MVP - Stephen Rogers, Battlefield Braves
Prime Minister’s Trophy Winner - Dawn Mills Devil Rays
Pacino Cup Champions - Battlefield Braves



The league announced adjustments moving into 1995 with the addition of teams in South Beach and Bayleigh:
- Battlefield will be moving to the Western Conference
- The league is expanding to 6 playoff teams
- The Conference winners will get a first round bye directly into the Conference Finals
- Seeds 2 and 3 will meet in a Best of 5 series. The series will be played 2-2-1 and the series will be played with back to backs before an off day for travel and another back to back. This will allow the series to end in a maximum 7 days.
- South Beach and Bayleigh will announce their identities and jerseys before the draft on August 1st.
- The expansion draft will be held on July 30th.

Up next, the 1994-1995 off-season, team reveals, expansion draft and entry draft! A busy off-season in the Yorkland Hockey League!

1994-1995 Off-Season

Expansion Team 1 - Bayleigh Peach Kings
Owner - Killian Clark
Head Coach - Ryder Parker


He’s back! The rumours are true and Clark returns to the YHL after 1 year away. Clark has brought his lifelong friend Ryder Parker back in as his head coach and promised his fanbase that the Peach Kings will win a Pacino Cup before Brooklynn does. Thankfully, these 2 teams are playing in different conferences because this is a natural rivalry already that could get out of control in the future. The team is named the Peach Kings as Bayleigh is known as the biggest peach producer in the country, naturally.

Expansion Team 2 - South Beach Seminoles
Owner - McNally Dominion Bank of Yorkland
Coach - Owen Phillips

Our second expansion is the Seminoles, playing out of the MDBY Arena. The team is named after the group of settlers who controlled the land before they were taken over by the United Provinces of Amirah. The Seminoles are seen as a source of strength and faith. Owen Phillips, who won 2 Pacino Cups with Fort Theory, retired after the 1994 season and immediately got the call to take over behind the bench. It is unknown whether his success as a player will translate behind the bench, but the new ownership group is banking on it… no pun intended.

The results of the Expansion draft were as follows; each team had to give up 2 players to both Bayleigh and South Beach:

Bayleigh Peach Kings:
Eden George - Defence - Lake Hope Lions
Remington Forbes - Defence - Mount Faith Eruption
Alfred Gamble - Defence - Dawn Mills Devil Rays
Easton Ellison - Defence - Brooklynn Blackhawks
Phoenix Osborn - Forward - Battlefield Braves
Maximus Marquez - Forward - Battlefield Braves
Stanley Lee - Forward - Cayuga Saints
Kody Odom - Forward - Cayuga Saints
Nicolas Ellison - Forward - Kelly City Lakers
Lucas Hart - Forward - Kelly City Lakers
Zain Graves - Forward - Mount Faith Eruption
Sean Clarke - Forward - Dawn Mills Devil Rays
Kingsley Robinson - Forward - Fort Theory Generals
Jack Hubbard - Forward - Bentley Stars
Bentlee Hutchinson - Forward - Bentley Stars
Ryan Read - Forward - Anchor City Sharks
Finn Kemp - Forward - Anchor City Sharks
Nelson Dodas - Forward - Brooklynn Blackhawks
Reece Mccarthy - Goalie - Lake Hope Lions
Arthuer Dean - Goalie - Fort Theory Generals

South Beach Seminoles:
Christian Spears - Defence - Battlefield Braves
Kieran Wilson - Defence - Lake Hope Lions
Filip Howard - Defence - Anchor City Sharks
Foster Cohen - Defence - Cayuga Saints
Alf Egnell - Defence - Kelly City Lakers
John Davidson - Defence - Lake Hope Lions
Billy Bennett - Defence - Dawn Mills Devil Rays
Kristian Carter - Forward - Cayuga Saints
Billy Gibson - Forward - Kelly City Lakers
Luca Kelly - Forward - Mount Faith Eruption
Edward Oak - Forward - Dawn Mills Devil Rays
Charles Hill - Forward - Fort Theory Generals
Cesar Sparks - Forward - Brooklynn Blackhawks
Evan Khan - Forward - Battlefield Braves
Aadam Wilson - Forward - Mount Faith Eruption
Quentin Dalton - Forward - Fort Theory Generals
Zayn Bear - Forward - Bentley Stars
Colt Timbrell - Forward - Anchor City Sharks
Jeffery Sanchez - Forward - Brooklynn Blackhawks
Sawyer Cohen - Goalie - Bentley Stars

Following the expansion draft, the league held the 1995 Entry Draft:

Before the season got underway, there were 2 trades announced and both were rather big:

Fort Theory traded goalie Jaylin Bright to Dawn Mills for goalie Solomon Rollins. The two are considered in the top 5 of the league, so the trade was to try and shake up both teams. The Generals are hoping adding Rollins to the team will spark them back into playoff contention, while Dawn mills is hoping the playoff experience of Bright will get them over the hump and into the playoffs.

The other trade saw Anchor City acquire Lake Hope captain Oakley Kim in exchange for Charlie Woods. Woods is a goalie scoring machine who should take over the lead in Lake Hope, but it is another risky off-season move by the Lions who failed to make it back to the playoffs in 1994. Anchor City is acquiring a true leader in Kim who should change the mindset of the franchise moving forward. Kim was given the ‘C’ upon his arrival on Anchor City as former captain Jacob Andrews gave it up as he felt the team needed a new voice. A very classy move from Andrews.

With 2 extra teams making the playoffs in 1995, the door is wide open for fresh faces to go on a run. In the East, Mount Faith will be the favourite to lead the East yet again but Lake Hope and Cayuga are expected to make a push. Kelly City added Isa Harvey in free agency and could make some noise is everything falls into place.

The West gets tougher now, as Battlefield joins the ranks. Bentley and Battlefield should fight for the top seed but Dawn Mills has all the pieces to come back from an off year. Fort Theory will look to push back into the playoffs meanwhile Brooklynn is hoping to stay relevant. Another last place finish may spell the end of Felix David as a head coach in the league forever.

Up next, the 1995 regular season!

1995 Pacino Cup Playoffs

Eastern Conference Semi-Finals
Lake Hope Lions vs. Kelly City Lakers

Game 1 was a wild back and forth barn burner as both teams looked to make a mark in the playoffs for the first time. Lake Hope would go down 2-0 early but storm back with 4 unanswered. Heading to the third with the Lions up 4-2, Kelly City would score 2 goals in 1:18 to tie it. The Lions would call a timeout to settle things down before coming back with a goal of their own to make it 5-4. The Lakers would push back and finally break through with 1:09 left in the third when Stanley Riley tied the game on a 3 on 2 rush. In overtime, the teams traded chances back and forth but Yael Trujillo would make an incredible glove save for the Lions to keep the game alive. Minutes later, Archie Stone would feed Charlie Woods with a cross crease pass and he would tap it in to give the Lions the 1-0 series lead.

Game 2 on back to back nights, and both teams didn’t look sharp, as the offense continued to fly. The Lakers held on to a 5-2 lead in the second before the Lions erased in just 4:02. Headed to the third tied 5-5, Woods would score on a breakaway to put the Lions up 6-5. The Lakers would tie it before Freddie Martin would put the Lions up 7-6. The Lakers looked done for, but Nelson Kim, brother of former Lions captain Oakley Kim, would tie the game with 3:22 remaining on a blast from the point. It looked like another overtime game, but Lions back-up goalie Zane Lester would fumble a pass behind his net and Connor Jordan would put it in on a wraparound to tie the series 1-1 on a wild 8-7 win.

Game 3 after an off day and the teams buckled down. The defense was superb in this one and the goaltending finally lived up to the hype. Tied 2-2 in the third, Luca Rees would bury a wrister from the top of the faceoff circle blocker side to take a 3-2 lead. The Lions would add an empty netter and push the Lakers to the brink.

Game 4 was another defensive gem. With the Lakers up 1-0 late, the Lions pulled their goalie and the extra attacker Ralphie Duncan would have the puck bounce off his shin and in as the Lions bench erupted. The Lakers looked crushed as we headed to overtime, but just 3:09 in, the Lakers broke out on a 4 on 2 and Cyrus Morales buried the one timer pass as the Lakers held on 2-1 to tie the series and force a Game 5.

After an incredible series, the Lions had nothing left in the tank and the young gun Lakers just destroyed them, burying the Lions 8-0 in the process. The Lakers advance to the conference finals against the Eruption while the Lions come up short again. Lake Hope is on the cusp but need to figure out what’s missing.



Western Conference Semi-Finals
Bentley Stars vs. Battlefield Braves

The heavyweight showdown kicked off in Bentley for Game 1 as the Stars took a 5-2 lead into the third period. The Braves would score twice to start the period off goals from Andrew Chapman and Phillip Lopez, but the Stars responded immediately with a pair from rookie Tom Armstrong. The Braves fought back but it wasn’t enough as the Stars take it 7-6.

Game 2 was much tighter, tied 1-1 in the third when Jionni Boyer took a high sticking call, sending the Braves to the powerplay. They didn’t falter, as Tucker West put a slapshot past the glove of Toby Barker for the 2-1 lead. The Stars would rally however, and Boyer would make good, tying the game 2-2 with just under 6 minutes to play on a backhand short side over the shoulder of Braves goalie Ravel Gronblom. With just 2:45 to play, the Braves would take a penalty sending the Stars to the powerplay. Gromblom would rob Boyer on the side of the net, but the rebound ended up on the stick of Kaiden Nevin who tapped it in and gave the Stars the 2-0 series lead.

Game 3 was all Bentley from the hope, going up 6-0 heading into the mid-way point of the second. The Braves fought back valiantly scoring a pair but the Stars would not be denied, ultimately taking the game 8-6 and the series 3-0. 



The Braves had another great showing but ultimately failed to come out of the much tougher Western Conference. The Stars will head to Anchor City to kick off the Western Final, looking for that their Pacino Cup while the Sharks fans will be looking to feast on a finals run.

Up next, the 1995 Conference Finals!

1995 Pacino Cup Finals
Anchor City Sharks vs. Mount Faith Eruption

Is this the year the Eruption get over the hump? After dropping Game 1 7-6, the Phantom Grounds were tense for Game 2 as the Sharks looked to put the Eruption in a big hole. After going up 2-0, it was all Eruption after that, firing back with 2 quick goals to tie it and then running away with a 6-2 win to tie the series.

Game 3 at the Gilded Centre had the fans fired up, but it was the Eruption who crushed their spirits, stealing it 7-6 off a game winner from Joshua Elliott. Game 4 played out in the same fashion, back and forth and all offense, but Oakley Kim saved the day yet again in the playoffs, potting home a rebound to take the game 7-6 and tie the series 2-2.

Back in Mount Faith for Game 5, and the Eruption faithful have seen this play out too many times before. After going up 3-2, the Sharks stormed back and stunned the Eruption with four unanswered goals to take a 6-3 lead. The Eruption would score 1 late but it wasn’t enough as the Sharks headed home with a 3-2 series lead and the Cup in the building.

Game 6 started great for the home town Sharks, scoring in the first minute to take the lead. The Eruption fought back to take a 2-1 lead and Oakley Kim would tie it 2-2. Headed to the midway point of the third, it was looking like next goal wins and luckily for the Eruption it came off the stick of King Hall. The Eruption added an empty netter to take it 4-2 and head home for Game 7.

With the Phantom Grounds shaking, the teams hit the ice and left it all on the line. A scoreless first was broken with a Lorenzo Franks backhand in the second for a 1-0 Sharks lead. But just 24 seconds later, Boston Morrison would break in down the wing and score a soft one short side on Joseph Walker to tie the game. Ethan Brown gave the Eruption a 2-1 lead to end the second period and the fans could taste it. But late in the third, the Eruption took a too many men penalty which resulted in Sam Carter scoring on a one timer with 6:21 left to tie the game and send the Eruption faithful into a stunned silence. Sensing his team panicking, Ezra Day called a timeout to calm his troops and remind them it was tied. Off the faceoff, the Sharks came storming back in, but Orion Stevenson made one of the all time great glove saves to save the series. As the crown chanted his name, Stevenson gave it to his team. It pushed the right buttons, as Joshua Elliott won the draw and broke out down the wing. He came across the blue line with 48 seconds left, fed a pass across the ice to Lewis Watts who just got enough on the pass to chip it over the glove of Joseph Walker and send the Phantom Grounds into a frenzy. The clock ran down and the Eruption FINALLY got their names on the Pacino Cup with an epic 3-2 win in Game 7.



Following the season, the league announced it’s award winners:
League MVP - Raven Gronblom, Battlefield Braves
Forward of the Year - Roberto Ratliff, Mount Faith Eruption
Defenseman of the Year - Ethan Brown, Mount Faith Eruption
Goalie of the Year - Ravel Gronblom, Battlefield Braves
Scoring Champions - Boston Morrison, Mount Faith Eruption
Playoff MVP - Orion Stevenson, Mount Faith Eruption
Prime Minister’s Trophy - Mount Faith Eruption
Pacino Cup Champions - Mount Fath Eruption



Up next, the 1995-1996 off-season and entry draft!

Rugrat wrote:

Wow congrats to the eruption for finally getting over the hump

Not having to get through Bentley or Fort Theory proved to be the magically formula for them.