1970 NAML Playoffs:
First Round 

(W2) Chicago Crusaders vs (W3) Milwaukee Dragons
Columbus Stadium was loud and proud as the Crusaders took the field against their archrival Milwaukee Dragons. The Crusaders won all 3 games of the I-94 Series, and the Dragons were looking for revenge. The game started off slowly, with neither team getting a real chance until the 5 minute mark, when Dragons forward Hugh Pettas kicked a ball off the crossbar. However, 3 minutes later, Pettas opened the scoring by deflecting in a cross by Harry de Aguilar that evaded several players. Over the next 2 minutes, the Dragons added a major and minor score, making it 9-0 and silencing the Chicago Crowd. However, the Crusaders would score with 9 to play when an unmarked Bud Mahoney punched a ball past Ty Davidson. Milwaukee ended the quarter with a point to take a 10-4 lead after 1. In the second, Chicago started quickly by getting a goal from Lanny Weaver, and had another glorious chance, but the shot missed wide for a point. The Dragons would fight back, managing to get a goal and point of their own to make it a 6-point game again. Weaver scored again for Chicago, but the Dragons responded right back, getting a major of their own from Robert McNaughton. Pettas would kick a point, then the Crusaders would cut the lead to 3 with a sensational effort from Mahoney. However, the Dragons wouldn't led Chicago take the lead, and made it a 7-point game off a long-range shot from Karl Gorno. A late point from the Crusaders would make the score 24-18 for the Dragons at the half. Just two minutes into the second half, a blistering shot by Mahoney was saved by Davidson, and the rebound was just kicked wide for a point, The Dragons took advantage of the miss, coming back down the field where the ball was eventually deflected in by McNaughton. at the 7-minute mark, Mahoney would keep it close, kicking a shot that Davidson couldn't get enough of. However, the Dragons continued responding quickly, as Pettas kicked a curling shot into the top corner of the net. After that, the Dragons broke the back-and-forth tempo, winning the jump-ball and coming straight back at the Chicago defense. The ball eventually came to Pettas, who squeezed it under Tom Clark's arm to make 36-23. The two teams traded goals once again, and the quarter ended quietly, with no real chances, and a 16-point Dragons lead. In the final quarter, the Crusader fans were hoping their team could pull off the comeback, But just 15 seconds in, the Dragons scored off a long bomb, basically killing off any hope. 3 minutes later Mahoney would score, but the Dragons came right back. However, the Pettas shot was deflected past Clark for a point. Soon after, Doug Cregan would strike, making it a 13-point game. The Dragons would take over from there, effectively putting the game out of reach. First, Pettas would punch home a cross, then McNaughton would do the same 4 minutes later. Milwaukee then kicked a point, making it 54-32. As the fans starting heading for the exits, Chicago finally came to life, but luck wasn't on their side. Mahoney would hit both posts, and then miss on a breakaway. However, Cregan would score on a rebound with 7 minutes to go. Chicago continued pressing, but could only get two points in the remaining time, and the Dragons advanced to the Western Division Final for the second time in three years. 

Final Score: Chicago 38, Milwaukee 54

Milwaukee 54 (E2) Washington Warriors vs (E3) New York Knights
President's Park was loud and proud, as the hometown Warriors kicked off their postseason against the upstart New York Knights, who they split their season series with. The game started rough, with multiple tackles and shoves. Washington would strike first 5 minutes in, as Jim Gardenar kicked an absolutely beautiful shot into the top left corner. The Knights would come back for the next few minutes, but could only get minor scores past Evan Azarian. After a long period of slow play, Cliff Jegou kicked a bullet into the net, making it 8-2 Washington. On the very next rush however, the Knights came back, as a Mitch Coppola shot deflected off defender Alexander Powell and past Azarian. The latter stages of the quarter were dominated by the Warriors, as they managed to get a point, and then a late goal past Sid Belmont, giving Washington a 13-6 lead after 1. In the second quarter, Washington continued dominating, getting an early goal and point from Gardenar, then two goals from Clint Jarvis and Jegou to make it 26-6 Washington. After than period of domination, it was the Knights' turn to control the game, and they did just that, getting 3 goals from Coppola, Philip Cook, and Mark Schantz. to make it 26-19. However, the Knights couldn't continue their pace, and Washington would make it a 4-goal game with goals from Owen Calan and Gardenar, with Gardenar's off a free kick deflection with no time left. At the half, Washington led 34-19. Compared to the first two quarters, the third was slow. Despite this, the Knights would get a goal and point from Cook within the first 4 minutes, making it a 10-point game. After those scores, it was Washington who dominated play. After several missed rushes, They finally got one to work as Jarvis kicked his second. 5 minutes later, Gardenar got his name on the scoresheet again, this time off a great passing play. At the 13 minute mark, Jegou got taken down inside the arc, giving him a penalty that he nailed, making it 46-24 for the Warriors, much to the fans' delight. Gardenar kicked a late point, and the Warriors were up by 23 after 3 quarters. The fourth was completely different from the third, with a very fast pace, right from the start. In the first minute, there were 3 different scores, with 2 Washington points and a Knights goal from Coppola. over the next 2 minutes, the two teams traded goals, then Bruce Lorre scored for the Warriors, making it 57-32 for the Warriors. The Knights would have a period of success, getting a point and goal from Cook, showing that they still weren't out yet. After a Warriors point, Cook scored two more goals, but it was loo late for a comeback. Jegou scored a late goal to seal the deal, and the Warriors saluted the crowd as they walked off the field, having just played one of the craziest playoff games in their history.

Final Score: Washington 62, New York 45
Semifinals 

(W1) Minnesota Walleye vs (W3) Milwaukee Dragons
Alumni Field was ready for its second semifinal as the Walleye fans settled in, hoping their team could finally make it to the Urquhart Cup. In their way were the Milwaukee Dragons, who were also looking to make the big game for the first time. From the start however, the Walleye appeared to be the team that wanted it more, as they played one of the most dominating quarters in playoff history, both offensively and defensively. Two minutes in, Chris Garafalo deflected in a corner, and started the onslaught. Lawrence Pearson would score soon after, and on the very next rush, Pearson kicked another goal, making it 12-0 just 4 minutes in. The Walleye weren't done yet, as Syl Yonker joined in with a goal, then a point on the next rush. Bill Forcier would then kick a goal, and then Pearson had a great chance, but just missed wide. with 6 minutes to go, Forcier kicked his second, making it 26-0 for the Walleye. On the next rush, Hugh Pettas finally got Milwaukee on the board, but that would be all they could get past the Minnesota defense. Forcier kicked a point with 8 seconds to play, and the Walleye had their heads high after 1, as they lead 27-4. In the second, Milwaukee finally woke up, as Pettas kicked a goal and points within the first 6 minutes. After a period of slow play, Pettas would repeat what he did earlier, getting another goal and point to make it 27-18, and giving the Minnesota fans fear that they might blow their crazy lead. Minnesota would finally get their first chances of the quarter in the final three minutes, but they couldn't get any major scores, only two points from Yonker and Pearson. Robert McNaughton kicked a late goal to make it a 7-point game at the half. The third quarter was a defensive stalemate for most of the 21 minutes, with the first score happening 7 minutes in, a curling shot from Paul Bernier to put Milwaukee within a goal of taking the lead. The defense prevailed for the next 7 minutes, then Garafalo converted a penalty to put the Walleye back up by two scores. Minnesota continued to get chances, but Ty Davidson was doing everything he could to stop the shots from getting past him. All the Walleye managed for the rest of the quarter were two points, giving them a 9-point lead heading into the final quarter. 3 minutes into the final frame, bench forward Bobby Cook got the Dragons within 5 off a sneaky lob. Just a minute later, Forcier kicked his third of the game to make it a 9-point game again. at the 7-minute mark, defender Nolan Shearer tried to catch Belmont off guard from far out, but the shot missed wide for a point. After a period of slow play, Bernier kicked a shot just wide for a point. 5 minutes later, McNaughton let a shot go, but it was saved by Edouard Wallace. However, McNaughton converted the rebound, getting the Dragons back within 5. Milwaukee started to control the ball a lot more, and got more shots, but Wallace stood tall. Eventually, Pettas would score, putting the Dragons 1 point away from tying the game. Off the jump-ball, the Walleye would get their first offensive rush in a while, and they converted, as Yonker beat Davidson low. The Dragons, desperate to get something, sent even the goalie Davidson up on attack, and McNaughton would kick a roller past Wallace with under 2 minutes to go. However, that would be all Milwaukee could muster, as they put up a valiant effort after a terrible start, but fell short by 1 point. As the final whistle blew, Alumni Field erupted, as the Walleye had clinched their first ever Urquhart Cup appearance.

Final Score: Minnesota 44, Milwaukee 43 

(E1) Philadelphia Falcons vs (E2) Washington Warriors
Despite all the excitement of the other playoff matches, this was the one everyone was looking forward two, as the two fiercest rivals in the league faced off to see who would make the Urquhart Cup. Philadelphia Markball Park was literally shaking as the two teams took the field. Right off the jump-ball, Cliff Jegou and Mitchell Stephens got into a fight, leading to a brawl. Surprisingly, no players were ejected. The pace was back-on-forth off the bat. Stephens kicked the first point of the match, but the Warriors came right back, as Jegou kicked a point of his own. After a long defensive stalemate, Chris Olsen kicked a point, but just like before, the Warriors came back with a point of their own, this time from Gardenar. with 8 minutes to play, Jegou scored the game's first goal off a great feed from Gardenar. Jegou taunted Stephens after the goal, leading to a small skirmish. 1 minutes after the Washington Goal, Olsen scored, and Stephens came right back to Jegou and taunted him. Off all the back-and-forth play of the quarter, the Falcons got the last laugh as Casper Kilkenny buried a cross past Evan Azarian. After 1, the Falcons led 10-6. The second quarter had a slower start, but the pace was faster. 4 minutes in, Stephens scored a beauty, but the Warriors made it a 1-goal game off a Gardenar goal. After a Warriors point, Bruce Lorre got his name on the scoresheet, and gave the Warriors the lead. Olsen almost got the lead back, but his shot was deflected for a point by Azarian. With 8 minutes left in the half, Jegou scored from a very tight angle, making it 19-15 for the Warriors. 3 minutes later, Olsen had a deja vu moment as his shot was once again deflected for a point by Azarian. The quarter finished with the two teams exchanging points. As the players walked off the field after the whistle went, Jegou and Stephens were again yakking away at each other, but no physical contact was made.  In the third, the Warriors started to pull away on the scoresheet. First, Lorre scored a major, then Gardenar kicked a point, 2 minutes later, Washington repeated what they had just done, getting another goal and point, this time from Jegou and Tommy Martyn. Soon after, Gardenar made it 34-17, silencing the usually loud Falcons faithful. with 12 minutes left to play, Olsen gave the fans something to cheer about by chipping a shot over Azarian. The two teams exchanged points once again, and the Falcons started to dominate possession. However, they couldn't get anything except one point past the Warriors backline. In the final minute, Stephens completely missed a wide open net, and took his anger out on unsuspecting defender Paul Keele, leading to another brawl. Stephens, who had already been a pest all game, was ejected by referee John Hicks. Keele also left the game, due to injury. Despite losing one of their key players, the Falcons started the fourth quarter well, getting several great chances, but Azarian was in the zone, only letting points past him. At the 10 minute mark, Lorre kicked his third, making it 39-26. Washington kicked two more points past Philly, then a great goal by Gardenar increased their lead to 19 with 4 minutes to play. Off the jump-ball, the Falcons finally got a shot past Azarian as Olsen kicked one in the top left corner, and off the next rush, Harvey Farmer cut the lead to 11 with a goal of his own. However, the Warriors wouldn't let them get anything else. In the final two minutes of the game, Washington got two points and a goal from Jegou put the game way out of reach. As the final whistle sounded, pushing and shoving broke out once again, with almost every player involved in one way or another. Some Falcon fans tried to get on the field and join in, but security got to them before they could do anything. Once everything cleared up, the Warriors celebrated, as they clinched their second Urquhart Cup appearance in three years.

Final Score: Philadelphia 38, Washington 51

Last edited by NoE38 (10/26/2019 12:55 pm)

1970 Urquhart Cup
Date: September 26, 1970
Location: Bay Area Stadium, San Francisco, CA
Weather: 65°F (18°C)
Attendance: 48,646 

The NAML's 24th Championship Game was in a perfect setting in San Francisco, with the sun starting to set and the Golden Gate Bridge standing in the distance, just within sight of the Bay Area Stadium. This was the first ever playoff meeting between the Minnesota Walleye and Washington Warriors. In their only regular season meeting, the Warriors were victorious 45-35 over the Walleye, a rare home loss for Minnesota. The game started quickly, and both teams managed to get early shots, but for the first 5 minutes, Edouard Wallace and Evan Azarian were solid. The game's first point came 5:03 in, when a hot shot by superstar Jim Gardenar was deflected for a point by Wallace. Off the ensuing kick-off, the Walleye ran the ball upfield, and the quick counter-attack was topped off with a sneaky shot by Chris Garafalo that fooled Azarian, giving the Walleye the lead. Play slowed down after that, and the only scoring for the next 4 minutes were two points exchanged by the teams. With 9 minutes to play, Rover Ian Deger decided to run the ball upfield himself, and it worked, as he slotted a shot past Azarian to make it 9-3 Walleye. Just two minutes later, Garafalo kicked a shot that took a weird bounce off a defender and in for his second of the game. The last 7 minutes were dominated by Washington, as they tried to get back into the game. They had two great chances within a minute of each other, but both were deflected for points. However, with under 3 minutes to go, a Washington cross in was deflected away by Wallace, but the ball went right to Flank Peter Brown, who chipped it in, getting the Warriors within a goal. Washington had several more great chances to tie, but Wallace stayed strong to the end of the quarter, as the Walleye led by 4 after their first 21 minutes in an Urquhart Cup match.

After 1: Minnesota 13, Washington 9 

The Warriors were expected to continue their momentum into the second, but the Walleye came out firing. Just 15 seconds in, Andy Zais tipped a sensational cross by Deger in. On the next rush, a shot that deflected off the post came to Lawrence Pearson, who tapped it into the open net. The Walleye weren't done there, but couldn't get any real shots until the 4-minute mark, when another great cross by Deger was easily converted by Garafalo. Two minutes later, the Walleye made it four consecutive goals to start the quarter as Pearson deflected a punched shot by Garafalo. In just under 7 minutes, the Walleye had increased their lead from 4 to 20 points. On the next rush after the Walleye goal, Washington finally got some offensive action, and they converted, with a Gardenar shot rolling just inside the post. There was then the game's first period of slow play, with the only scoring over the 6 minutes being 3 points, 1 for the Walleye and 2 for Washington. At the 6-minute mark, Brown buried a shot past Wallace, putting Washington within 3 goals. After another Walleye point, Cliff Jegou chipped one over Wallace, making it now a 2-goal deficit. However, with 3 second left in the half, Syl Yonker tapped in a cross to restore the three-goal lead, and putting the Walleye in great position after 42 minutes.

At the Half: Minnesota 35, Washington 23 

Washington started the second half quickly, getting several chances. They managed to get a goal from Bruce Lorre following a mad scramble in front. Gardenar, near the bottom of a dog pile, passed the ball to Lorre, who beat Wallace between the legs to get the Warriors within 8 once again. Washington continued gaining momentum, but couldn't get anything else past the Walleye backline. 4 minutes in, Bill Forcier, who hadn't done too much in the game, scored his first by volleying home a corner kick. The two teams exchanged points again, then there was a long 10-minute period of defensive stalemate. Finally, with 5 minutes to play, Gardenar went on one of his signature weaving runs, before beating Wallace high. But just like before, they couldn't get within 4 as Garafalo kicked his fourth goal with 3 minutes to play. The final two minutes were dominated by Washington, but twice, Pearson, who was playing way back despite being a wing forward, broke up plays that very easily could have resulted in goals. In the final minute, Gardenar had a chance, but the shot went off the side of his foot and went fully out of play, a crazy rarity for him. After 3 quarters, the Walleye had maintained their three-goal lead from halftime, leading 44-32.

After 3: Minnesota 44, Washington 32 

The fourth quarter was definitely the slowest of the four, much to the surprise of the fans. Washington controlled the ball for the first half of the quarter, but the tightened-up Minnesota backline wasn't doing them any favours. Eventually, at the 5 minute mark, Brown decided to shoot from deep, and it worked. His curling shot took Wallace by surprised and put Washington within 8 once again. However, the game entered a defensive stalemate at that point. Gardenar had another great chance after finally breaking through, but his shot hit the post before coming back to Wallace. Eventually, with 8 minutes to go, Pearson, who was playing arguably his best game of his career, iced the game on a breakaway, beating Azarian high. Washington tried desperately once again to get something, but it wouldn't happen. Their last score of the game would be a point by Jegou. As the final whistle sounded, The Minnesota players and fans erupted, as they had become the 8th team in NAML history to win the Urquhart Cup, and the first team to win their inaugural trophy since St. Louis in '58.Final Score: Minnesota 49, Washington 37
 Playoff Bracket:


The Urquhart Cup MVP Award was given to Pearson, whose two defensive breakups to preserve Minnesota's lead were called "legendary" by Peter Merle. "You've got to give it your all when there's a championship on the line. Victory comes with sacrifice, and that's what I did." He said following the game. 

Peter Merle had a big announcement in the commissioner's post-game conference, saying that the league was already looking for two new teams to start play in 1972. This offseason, we will be scouting cities that are looking to gain expansion franchises. As North America is growing, our league will grow." he said.

Last edited by NoE38 (11/07/2019 4:06 pm)

NAML Announces 15th, 16th Franchises

For the 2nd time in 3 offseasons, NAML commissioner Peter Merle announced to the world the league's two newest cities, First off, he congratulated the top bid, from Cleveland. "Cleveland has shown unending, passionate support for the Foresters, and I'm sure that this will continue in the major leagues." Next up, he announced the second city, the group from Miami that finally became successful after two failed attempts to land a team in the Sunshine State. "Kudos to Mr. Bull and his group for never giving up in their quest to give the wonderful city of Miami a professional Markball team." Cleveland won the vote with 19 points, while Miami won a tiebreaker against Phoenix as they got more first-place votes, 3-1. Along with the introduction of the two new teams, Merle also announced another realignment for 1972, with the league breaking into 4 divisions, with an Eastern and Western Conference. Here's how they line up:

Western Conference:
Pacific Division:
California Quails
Houston Comet
Los Angeles Guardians
Minnesota Walleye

Central Division:
Chicago Crusaders
Michigan Bandits
MIlwaukee Dragons
St. Louis Gatekeepers

Eastern Conference:
Atlantic Division:
Cleveland
Miami
Philadelphia Falcons
Washington Warriors

Northeast Division:
Boston Wolfhounds
New York Knights
Montreal Évêques
Toronto Nationals

Cleveland, Miami select team names
Just like California and Houston had done two years earlier, The executives of the NAML's two newest franchises in Cleveland and Miami stepped up to the main podium at the NAML headquarters to announce their team names.

First up, Cleveland's Part-Owner George Leonidas stepped up to the podium. "Since 1952, Markball in our city has only been known by one name: The Foresters. We believe that a name change would be blasphemous to our fans, so I'm proud to announce that we will be retaining the name. We are the Cleveland Foresters! He said emphatically. Many people, specifically the fans in Cleveland, were big fans of keeping the name.

Next up was Miami's bid leader and inaugural general manager, Cliff Bull. "We like to think that a markball team in Miami will be extremely appealing to a whole new demographic in those of Hispanic descent, and we would like to draw them in with a name in their language. Ladies and Gentlemen, the North American Markball League's 16th team will be named the Miami Tortugas! Bull anticipated that there would be some backlash, but surprisingly, many people were big fans of the idea, although a vocal minority opposed it.

Peter Merle stepped up onto the podium next, saying that he looked forward to the two teams' inaugural season in 1972.

Gatekeepers unveil new, city-inspired logo
In a surprise announcement in the middle of the offseason, the St. Louis Gatekeepers unveiled a brand new logo for the 1971 season. Replacing their circle logo is a new shield-like shape containing the iconic Gateway Arch making most of the outline, and the wave pattern from the city flag at the bottom. In the middle is a white fleur-de-lys, just like their old logo.

The reaction was generally positive, but several people questioned the need for a new logo in the first place, as they had used the same design for their entire history.


Bandits, Walleye make blockbuster trade
With 3 weeks left in the offseason, Michigan and Minnesota pulled off one of the largest offseason trades in a long time, as they acquired young star midfielder and reigning Urquhart Cup MVP Award winner Lawrence Pearson in exchange for defender Larry Farrell and goalie Marc Andersson. The trade solves Michigan's biggest need, a bonafide star midfielder, while Minnesota's backend gets strengthened to one of the best in the league, on the heels of a season where they already led the NAML. Despite losing one of their best players,  Minnesota was called the winner of the trade by the media.

Bandits acquire depth in net
As Michigan had given up their next goalie, the search was on for a new one. They weren't able to get any younger players, but they managed to hook up the ageless Charles Jamison, who played his 14th season in 1970. Jamison promised to hold down the fort as Michigan resumed their search for their next franchise goalie.

1971 NAML Draft held in New York
Even though it wasn't the greatest draft class, the NAML Draft was an exciting time for the 14 teams, as they hoped they could find a diamond in the rough to be their next superstar.
The first round selections of the draft were:
1. Los Angeles - Oscar Madigan, R
2. Boston - Michael Grewell, C
3. Montreal -  Darryl Conner, R
4. California - Bradley Prier, R
5. Houston - Brandon Brzozogajski, W
6. St. Louis - Luke Schneider, GK
7. Michigan - Dixon Sargeant, FB
8. Toronto - Justin Nusbaum, FB
9. Milwaukee - Milton Loman, WF
10. New York - J.P. Walker, W
11. Chicago - Zack Ohno, WB
12. Washington - Sam Apiylic, F
13. Minnesota - Humphrey Whitehouse, R
14. Philadelphia - Gideon Suzuki, WB

Last edited by NoE38 (12/09/2019 2:18 pm)

[b]1971 NAML Season[/b]Week 1 Scores:
Boston 36-21 Houston
Philadelphia 51-25 St. Louis
Chicago 54-45 New York
Washington 49-57 Michigan
Toronto 22-35 Los Angeles
Milwaukee 58-43 Montreal
California 43-26 Minnesota

Western Division:

• Fresh off of their first Urquhart Cup victory, the Minnesota Walleye continued their dominance, finishing first overall in the league for the first time in their history, with a 16-8 record. A key part to their success was their defense, led by Calvin Black, who won the Chester Harland Award for league MVP. The Walleye's defense, helped by the offseason addition of Larry Farrell. set league records for average goals and points allowed, helping them win lots of low-scoring games.
• Coming in second were the Milwaukee Dragons, who despite an aging core, improved their play all year, including winning 2 games at Minnesota. Joe Lapoers showed huge improvements over his rookie year, and critics predict that he will be a top 10 player in the league. The Dragons finished the 1971 season 3 points back of Minnesota, at 15-9.
• In third, the Los Angeles Guardians continued their rollercoaster ride in the standings, finishing 3rd for the 2nd time in 3 years, but this was after finishing dead last in 1970. Daniel Thorn was the team's leader up front, kicking a career high 73 goals. As well, rookie rover and 1st Overall pick Oscar Madigan showed flashes of brilliance at times, giving the Guardians a hopeful future. LA finished at 13-11, just a few Point differential points higher than St. Louis.
• In fourth were the St. Louis Gatekeepers, who came oh so close to their first playoff appearance since 1962. Forward Sid Bragg led the team in goals, and a breakout year from defenseman Joshua Fultz helped the 'Keepers to their first winning season in 9 years. They had a huge chance to clinch in the final week, but they lost in heartbreaking fashion to Michigan, making their point differential 22 less than the third-place Guardians.
• Coming in fifth was a big surprise, as the Chicago Crusaders had an off year.  Bud Mahoney had his worst season statistically since his rookie year, only getting 30 goals. As well, the defense was awful at times, including allowing 70 points against in week 14. All this added up to an 11-13 finish by Chicago, their worst season since 1960.
• In sixth were the second-year Houston Comet, who finished at 9-15, their same record as in 1970. The Comet didn't have any standout players during the season, but their teamwork and passing, implemented by Coach Puck Jutton, was among the best in the league. This helped them win some games, but they still were too inexperienced to be a contender. However, analysts say that once they get one superstar player, they will be a force to be reckoned with.
• Finishing last in the Western conference were the California Quails, who started the year hot, getting victories over Minnesota and Milwaukee. However, star forward Gary Ayers suffered a fractured skull in a freak accident in week 3, sidelining him for the rest of the year. Fortunately, doctors said the injury wasn't career-threatening, and that he will be fine to play in 1972. The Quails struggled without him, going winless in the next 7 games, and finishing the year at 7-16-1.

Eastern Division:

• Coming in first in the East was a major shock, the Toronto Nationals. After they looked like they were finally going to be a mediocre team, they skyrocketed back into first in 1971, led by young 3rd-round pick Jimmy Bjarnathan, who scored 67 goals, a rookie record. James Jogi, despite aging quickly, also played a big part in the Stallions' success, and Andy Kappert was a brick wall in net when he had to be. Toronto finished at 15-8-1, 1 point safe from second place.
• In second place was the league's other Canadian team, the Montreal Évêques. Led by the ageless wonder Nicolas Bartosh, who set another league record in goal-scoring with 84 goals, the Paulies bounced back after a disappointing 1970 season where they finished 3rd-last in the league. Amateur signing Laurent Sluce made headlines for his blazing speed, and caught opposing defences off-guard countless times. Montreal finsihed at 15-9, a mirror of their record the year before.
• Coming in third were the previous regular season champions, the Philadelphia Falcons. Even though they underperformed and didn't meet their huge expectations, it was still a playoff year for the P's, led by their young goalkeeper George Sovine, who has been called one of the most athletics goalkeepers the game has ever seen. As well, veteran centre Rudolph Lussier had a career year, and led the league in passing accuracy. Philly finished at 13-10-1.
• In fourth were the Boston Wolfhounds, who finished 5 points out of the playoffs at 12-12. In what was called their last season in a while to be a playoff contender, they failed to make the cut, as defenseman Vinnie McClelland and forward Howard Tremble had both hinted at potential retirement prior to the season. The two veterans played well, but the rest of the young team couldn't do their job well enough.
• Another big surprise came in sixth, the Washington Warriors. After Jim Gardenar tore his achilles a week before the season started, the Warriors knew it would be a tough road without the game's best player. Despite many people predicting the Warriors still being able to make the playoffs without him, they struggled off the bat, and once they had managed to find their game, it was too late, as they finished at 9-13-2, good for 31 points.
• Bandits fans were probably breathing sighs of relief after the season ended, because they wouldn't have to play in the east anymore. In their two years after switching conferences, the playoff-contending team played to a dismal record of 21-26-1. Hugh Westbrook was showing signs of aging, but new addition Lawrence Pearson had his best season yet, getting career highs in goals and total points. Michigan finished at 10-14.
• In last was an expected surprise, the New York Knights. Philip Cook, despite playing amazingly, couldn't get the Knights anywhere, as they struggled all year. Even when they won, it was close, as they didn't win by more than a goal all 7 times they managed 3 points. The Knights finished at 7-17.

The 1971 NAML Awards were given to:
Chester Harland Award (League MVP):[b] [/b]Calvin Black, D, MIN
Len Garey Memorial Trophy (Top Goalkicker):[b] [/b]Nicolas Bartosh, FF, MTL (84 goals)
Benjamin Legrand Award (Best Goalkeeper): George Sovine, PHI

Rivalry Cup Winners:
Colonial Trophy: Philadelphia[b] (Beat Washington 2-1 in season series)
[b]St. Laurent Cup: [/b][b]Montreal[/b] (Beat Toronto 2-1 in season series)
[b]I-94 Series: [/b][b]Milwaukee[/b] (Swept season series with Chicago)[/b]

Notable Events:

• St. Louis forward Patrick Fink competed at the 1971 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, finishing 5th in the 100 yard dash, with a time of 10.53 seconds.
• The NAML bought and moved into a new, larger league headquarters, now in Downtown Washington, DC.
• In surprising moves, both Washington and Philadelphia fired their coaches during the year, due to poor performance. 

Been awhile since I’ve checked in, but it looks like  my most successful team of all fictions I follow (and that’s saying a lot) are finally among the league’s mediocre clubs. The Bandits give me such a weird feeling, I have grown up hating old traditional teams with tons of success, so I feel like my own traitor. To be fair, I have been with them from the start because of their identity, but I still feel on the level of a Wings, Lakers, Yankees fan.... ew. I guess Ill just embrace it by attacking younger teams who are currently more successful. Better get comfortable using “Yeah, (insert team here) is good, but talk to me when you have a cup, kid”.