Hey everyone, since I'm starting university just now, time between posts will probably be longer, as I adjust to this new stage of life. Don't be alarmed if I don't post for a bit.

Slapshot Kirby wrote:

Also, with the NERC having a new commissioner, I wonder if once the league has its image cleaned up after this gambling scandal, if there will be expansion? Maybe even beyond the New York Metropolitan area? Not that I am saying that you should, but I was just saying, especially since when all the suspended teams return, there would be an odd number of teams.

Bit of a spoiler, but there will be a 3-team expansion starting in 1960, and yes, one of those teams will indeed be outside of the NYC area. That should be fun.

1956 Champions Cup Semifinal

(2) Manhattan Archers vs (3) Brooklyn Devils [scoreworms]

Date: July 28, 1956
Location: Presidents Park, Manhattan, NY
Weather: 86℉ (30℃), Cloudy
Wind: Moderate Breeze from W

Presidents Park was buzzing on a hot July afternoon. They were hoping to see their heavily-favoured Manhattan Archers destroy their opponents, the playoff debutant Brooklyn Devils. Despite the Archers handily finishing ahead of Brooklyn, the Devils actually won their season series, 2-1. Nevertheless, it was going to be tough to play a playoff game in Manhattan, as the Archers were arguably the team with the most playoff experience in the league.

The first part of the quarter saw both teams try and get a feel for how their opponents were playing, so there weren’t any real chances. The game’s first score came 6:14 in, a point from Brooklyn’s Bertrand Fite. A couple minutes later, Peter Stan scored the game’s first goal for Brooklyn, putting them up 5-0. The game slowed down after, and despite some chances, there would be no scoring for the next 10 minutes. Eventually, with 5:21 to play, Van German got the Archers on the board with a dribbling goal. The Devils replied right back to retake their 5-point lead, but German would reply back 2 minutes later, putting the Archers within 1 again. Manhattan had a great chance to take the lead right after, but a punch from Leonard Jones just missed wide for a point. After 24 minutes of play, the two teams were all tied up at 9.

AFTER 1: Manhattan 9-9 Brooklyn

After the torrid pace to close out the first quarter, the second quarter seemed unbearably slow. The Archers kicked a point to take the lead 6 minutes in, but that was the only real chance of the first 18 minutes of the quarter. The quarter mainly consisted of rushes being broken up in the midfield, with excellent tackling from both sides. Eventually, with 4:21 to play in the half, the Devils kicked a point to tie the game back up. The pace picked up considerably after, as the Archers’ John Schmidt kicked a goal. Fite had a great chance to tie the game back up late, but his shot was excellently saved by James Ove, and the rebound went wide for a point. Through 48 minutes of play, the Archers held a slim 3-point lead. The game was far from over.

AT THE HALF: Manhattan 14-11 Brooklyn

Brooklyn came out firing in the second half, getting a point from Perseus Whitney and a goal from Manny Ramirez within the first three minutes. This gave them their first lead since the first quarter. The Archers replied with some rushes of their own, but all they could muster was one point, putting them within 1. Gil Littlewood made them pay for not capitalizing on their chances, as he drew a penalty and converted, making it a two-score game. The Archers controlled the ball for the remainder of the quarter, but the Devils did well to prevent any Grade-A chances. In the final 16 minutes of the third quarter, all the Archers managed to get was a point from Vern Chamne. While that did make it a one-score game again, They were disappointed that they couldn’t get anything more. After 3, the Devils surprisingly held on to a 1-goal lead.

AFTER 3: Manhattan 16-20 Brooklyn

The first 12 minutes of the final quarter were incredibly boring. The Devils successfully slowed the game down to almost a grinding halt, and there was little action. Eventually, Littlewood scored his second goal of the game, increasing the Devils’ lead to 8, the largest lead either team had had so far. Manhattan responded with a quick goal from Ove, but the Devils would follow that up with Whitney’s first goal of the game. With that, the Devils had a 2-goal lead with 9:13 to play. Manhattan would have two perfect chances to get right back on their next two rushes, but both of their efforts were routinely turned away by Brooklyn’s Leonard Perry, only getting points. The Devils would successfully run out the clock, getting a late point to win by 7. As the final whistle went, Presidents Park was left stunned. The Archers had once again lost to the Devils, who in turn had just won their first ever playoff game, and booked a date in the Champions Cup with the Buffalo Panthers.

FINAL SCORE: Manhattan 22-29 Brooklyn


Champions Cup Final Preview:
(1) Buffalo Panthers vs (3) Brooklyn Devils, at New York, NY

Regular Season Matchups: Buffalo 30-20 Brooklyn, Brooklyn 25-29 Buffalo, Brooklyn 27-35 Buffalo, Buffalo 36-33 Brooklyn
Previous Playoff Meeting: None
Playoff Record: Buffalo 0-0 Brooklyn

After their upset win over the Archers, the Devils find themselves up against a super-strong Panthers team that won all 4 games against them in the regular season. Paired with the fact that the Devils would have to win 2 consecutive games to claim the Champions Cup, there is virtually no chance that they’ll be able to pull it off. However, if they miraculously win, it’ll be a story talked about for years.

Analyst Prediction: Buffalo claims their second Champions Cup, winning Game 1 32-27.

Eh, I really hoped that will be another Archers' big season, but congrats to Devils.

1956 Champions Cup Final (Game 1) [scoreworm]
Date: August 4, 1956
Location: New York Runty Park, New York, NY
Weather: 83℉ (28℃), Cloudy
Wind: Gentle Breeze from W
Attendance: 30,000

It was a little on the warm side, but it was still a great day for runty, in the heart of New York City. New York Runty Park was packed as always, as spectators couldn’t wait to see how the 1956 edition of the game’s biggest stage would play out. On one side of the field were the #1 seed Buffalo Panthers, looking to claim their second league championship. On the other end were the Cinderella Brooklyn Devils, making their first ever appearance in the Champions Cup. Despite the Panthers being farther away, they actually had more official supporters at the game than Brooklyn, with Panthers fans taking up a third of the stadium compared to a quarter for Brooklyn. The remaining 40% fans were neutrals, though a majority of those were Archers supporters, cheering against their archrival Panthers.

Buffalo won the jump-ball, but couldn’t do anything with their first few rushes. It would be the Devils that opened up the scoring, getting a goal from Gil Littlewood, who was starting to become known as the league’s best playoff performer. However, Des Samuel would tie the game up soon after with a goal of his own. The Panthers added two points, and were up 6-4 at the midway point of the opening quarter. The pace would die down for the next few minutes, as both defense did a good job of stopping their opponent’s rushes. Eventually, with 4:05 to play, Brooklyn RU Theo Garbo drew a penalty shot, getting a defender to tackle him low. He converted, and Brooklyn took the lead again. Soon after, Manny Ramirez deflected a penalty shot past Buffalo’s Ross Stone, putting the Devils up by 6. This score held to the end of the quarter. After 24 minutes, Brooklyn was looking pretty impressive.

AFTER 1: Buffalo 6-12 Brooklyn

The start of the second quarter could’ve just been named the Gil Littlewood show. He was a machine in the midfield, barely letting any rushes on his side of the field get past him. He was also doing amazing in the transition game, getting his teammates into good position. At the 8:13 mark, he scored an amazing solo goal, one that commentator Scott Joseph dubbed “The finest goal I’ve ever seen”. He stopped Des Samuel outside Brooklyn’s penalty arc, then carried the ball himself down to Buffalo’s end, where he beat Stone with a picture-perfect shot. Some Buffalo fans even gave a standing ovation for that play. Brooklyn was now up by 10, and they held that margin until Peter Simon scored with 6:36 to play, putting the Panthers within 6. The rest of the quarter was pretty quiet, with the only other point being a shot from Peter Stan that just missed wide for a point. At the half, Brooklyn was surprisingly still ahead, and were going a great job at handling Buffalo’s potent offense.

AT THE HALF: Buffalo 10-17 Brooklyn

Just 33 seconds into the third quarter, Brooklyn almost scored another goal, but Ross Stone did very well to deflect the shot off the post and in, resulting in a point. Realising that they would likely have lost the game if that went in, the Panthers offense started picking up the pace. Des Samuel would kick a rocket of a shot for a goal, and the Panthers were now within 4. They kept up the pressure, and added two points, putting them within 2. A goal would give them the lead. However, the Brooklyn defense did very well to make sure this didn’t happen for the rest of the quarter. Samuel, who was usually very calm, started to get frustrated that neither he nor his teammates could get that valuable lead-taking goal. This frustration directly led to a Buffalo turnover, which Brooklyn brought upfield, and kicked a point. It looked like it would be a one-possession game heading into the fourth, but Brooklyn LB Albin Yonker made a great read, stole a pass, and kicked a goal. Brooklyn had restored the 7-point lead they entered the quarter with, and were 24 minutes away from forcing a winner-take-all second game.

AFTER 3: Buffalo 16-23 Brooklyn

The fourth quarter started slower than the others, but after an opening point from Buffalo, the pace ramped up quickly. Perseus Whitney kicked his first goal of the game, and the Devils’ lead was now 10. Artie Booth had a great chance to reply with a goal of his own, but his shot just missed wide, a wasted opportunity. Knowing that the game was pretty much in the bag, Brooklyn started slowing things down, and when they had chances, they intentionally kicked two points, to show Buffalo that they weren’t trying since they were so confident about their victory. It was an interesting strategy, but since they were up by 11 with 3 minutes to go, there was little chance Buffalo could actually come back. Samuel scored a consolation goal with 20 seconds to play. As the final whistle blew, the New York Runty Park was stunned. The 4-7 Brooklyn Devils had actually forced a winner-take-all second game of the Champions Cup, to be played one week later.

FINAL SCORE: Buffalo 22-29 Brooklyn



Next post will have the deciding second game of the Champions Cup!

Last edited by NoE38 (9/18/2021 9:32 am)

Rugrat wrote:

Uh, you have the Archers jersey and logo for the results

welp, not sure how that went by me. the site isn't letting me edit that post either. fun.

Hey everyone, long time no see! School's kept me busy so far like I said, so expect longer breaks between posts (like this one and the last one)
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1956 Champions Cup Final (Game 2) [scoreworm]
Date: August 11, 1956
Location: New York Runty Park, New York, NY
Weather: 85℉ (29℃), Partly Cloudy
Wind: Moderate Breeze from W
Attendance: 30,000

One week to the day of the first game, New York Runty Park was the site of the winner-take-all second game of the Champions Cup. On one end of the field were the Buffalo Panthers, looking to avenge their loss in the first game, and win their first title since 1949. On the other end were the Brooklyn Devils, who were looking to finish off their Cinderella run, and win their first Champions Cup in their history. The Stadium was pretty evenly blended between Panther fans, Devil fans, and neutrals, though it was estimated that there were more Brooklyn supporters than the other two.

The Panthers started off great, winning the jump-ball and getting a few shots on goal. It was team captain Artie Booth that opened the scoring, kicking a nice shot past the Brooklyn rover to give Buffalo a 4-0 lead. However, Brooklyn would tie it up 2 minutes later, thanks to a punch from Manny Ramirez. Buffalo would continue to hold the ball, and managed to get some good chances, including a couple of points from LF Alexander Pate and CB Slim Phillips, to take a 6-4 lead. Brooklyn would start to get more possession towards the end of the quarter. With just over 9 minutes to go, Devils CF Jim Tuzier kicked a point, putting them back within 1. However, just like they did before, the Panthers went and kicked a point of their own to go back up by 2. However, it would be the Devils that closed the quarter off strong, capping it off with an absolute blast from Perseus Whitney. The Devils held the lead through the first 24 minutes of play, but there was still plenty of time. 

AFTER 1: Buffalo 7-9 Brooklyn

The late goal from Whitney gave the Devils a boost, as they absolutely dominated the first part of the second quarter. The Buffalo defense was suffocating, but somehow staying alive. They miraculously didn’t allow any points for the first 8 minutes despite intense pressure from Brooklyn. The scoring started 8:29 in when Devils RU Theo Garbo kicked home a sloppy rebound given up by the Buffalo defense. 3 minutes later, Manny Ramirez deflected home another cross, giving Brooklyn a double digit lead. Artie Booth managed to get a point for the Panthers, but Brooklyn came right back and got another great chance, resulting in a point of their own. There would be another break in scoring, but Brooklyn was still controlling the ball as they had been all quarter. It was astonishing to see them play this well against the league’s #1 team. Eventually, with 2:26 to play, Perseus Whitney kicked a laser shot into the top of the net, increasing Brooklyn’s lead to 14. After 48 minutes, the Devils held a 22-8 lead, much to the shock of everyone at the New York Runty Park. 

AT THE HALF: Buffalo 8-22 Brooklyn

Brooklyn got off to a quick start again in the second, getting yet another goal, this time from Gil Littlewood. Their lead was now 18 points, and some fans were worried it would become a blowout. However, Buffalo responded quickly, getting their first goal in over 46 minutes courtesy of Jamie Chocip. This goal ignited the Panthers. They won the ensuing jump-ball, paraded the ball downfield, and Sonny Ferry fired a shot through Lee Rowe’s legs. All of a sudden, the lead was back down to 10 points. The rest of the quarter would be the opposite of the second, with Buffalo this time controlling the ball. They pushed hard to get some more goals, but the Brooklyn defense did well to limit their shots to tight angles. Booth and Ferry had the best chances of the latter part of the quarter, but both chances missed wide for points. Still, the Panthers were determined to come back, and it was looking like the fourth quarter would be a great finish to the game. After 3, Brooklyn’s lead was now 8. 

AFTER 3: Buffalo 18-26 Brooklyn

Brooklyn started the fourth with the goal of getting any type of score, so that their lead could feel a little more secure. They were successful in that, kicking two points in the first 8 minutes. Despite their lead being back to double digits, the Panthers started looking scary again. Ferry kicked a point, then RU Scott Hoffman kicked his first career playoff goal to cut the deficit to 5. 90 seconds later, Des Samuel finally got his name on the scoresheet, placing a shot home from close range. Since falling behind 26-8, the Panthers had outscored the Devils 19-2 to come within a point of tying the game. With the game now in the closing minutes, the Panthers desprrately tried to tie the game or even take the lead. However, on one of their attacks, the Devils intercepted and kicked a point. 2 minutes later, Ferry found himself in perfect position to score, but a heroic deflection by Rowe resulted in a point instead of an all-important goal. On the next rush, Brooklyn made the Panthers pay. Gil Littlewood had a brilliant run, and kicked the ball past Hoffman to make it a 2-score game. This was a gut punch to the Panthers, who couldn’t get anything going after. As the final whistle blew, the Devils joyfully celebrated. They had defied the odds, and won 3 consecutive playoff games to claim their first ever Champions Cup. Meanwhile, the Panthers were stunned. They had almost completed an all-time comeback, but couldn’t finish it off.

FINAL SCORE: Buffalo 28-33 Brooklyn

1955 Championship Flag:


Next post will be the 1956-57 offseason!