Wow what a third quarter Bandits, I really thought Philly was going to win. *insert "they had us in the first half" gif*
Expansion's always exciting, is Cincy going to get shown any love?

Don't sweat it, school and stuff comes first and I can hope most people understand that. It's a bit of a shame Cincy may not get a team this time round, but it makes sense that another west coast team would get that spot instead. I'll be interested in seeing if Portland makes a bid, it's 3 years past the Blazers being founded irl, and were approaching the Timbers first season, so placing a team there would make sense. 
Finally, wow the Gatekeepers look is amazing! Big Barça vibes, was that what you were going for?

Happy to see the Walleye were able to stay in the playoff picture, time to do some damage!

I'm all for a potential Minnesota-Michigan rivalry, I just wish I could have seen the 30 minute brawl.

School's done for me, so to celebrate, here's the 1974 playoff post! Sorry if the length of the writeups vary, I wrote this in chunks over the last month.

A few things before I start:

First, here's the Crusaders sig that MyTeamIsDr.Pepper requested:


Second, I'd just like to know what you guys think of the write-ups. Should I make them shorter, go more in detail, or is it good the way it is now? Just want to get some feedback so this can be more fun for all of you reading this. As well, if there's any rules of the game you want explained, feel free to ask! I know fictional sports can be kinda hard to follow, so if you want something explained, I'll be happy to help!

Lastly, if anyone wants a sig of their own, just let me know, and I'll whip one up.

Now, onto the action!

1974 NAML Playoffs

ROUND 1

(W2) Los Angeles Guardians vs (W3) Minnesota Walleye
The LA Memorial Coliseum was just about packed as the two teams and umpires took the field. It was the first time that the Guardians were hosting a playoff game, so the building was practically shaking when the opening jump-ball was held.

Minnesota won the jump-ball, and made the building much quieter by scoring two points within the first minute. LA brought the ball back and got a point of their own, but just a minute later, Lennie O’Neal scored the first major of the game for Minnesota, LA responded with another point, but couldn’t get anything else past new goalkeeper Jack Harschen. Minnesota would continue pressing, and managed another goal and point from Syl Yonker. After another LA point, Minnesota would continue the beatdown, first with a lucky unintentional deflection off Yonker, then a slick close-range shot by Ron Rider. This made it 19-3 for the Walleye, a huge shock to the Guardians faithful. With under 6 minutes to go in the quarter, Oscar Madigan finally gave the home crowd something to cheer for, setting up Johnny Adeva for an easy tap-in. Unfortunately for LA, any momentum they had lasted for around a minute before Minnesota got back to work, as they scored twice to close out the quarter, off a penalty shot by Glenn Barr and another great shot by O’Neal. After 1, Minnesota led 27-7. 

To start the second, O’Neal kicked a point within the first minute, and Minnesota continued to pressure. However, great goalkeeping by Neil Atkinson prevented any further damage. 4 minutes into the quarter, the Guardians caught a huge break when a cross punched by Michael Wutrada deflected off Calvin Black and past Harschen. However, the Walleye once again extinguished any momentum LA had, and within two minutes, they had scored a goal and a point. The Guardians had a great chance to counter, but the shot by Madigan missed wide, something LA had done too much so far. Barr made them pay with a beautiful curling shot, increasing the lead to 25. The final minutes of the half saw LA dominate the ball, but they couldn’t convert. They had great chances once again, but only managed two points. Through 42 minutes of play, the Guardians had 8 scoring plays, but only 2 of those were goals. If they wanted to come back, that had to change.

To start the second half, the Guardians looked like a different team. Whatever coach ‘Goof’ O’Connor said to his team at halftime seemed to have worked. The first 5 minutes saw the Guardians dominate the ball and snuff any counter-attacks, but they only managed one point in that span. After that, there was a defensive stalemate, with neither team giving their opponent anything offensively. The scoring drought finally ended with 3 minutes to play in the quarter, as Madigan kicked an intentional point to send a message to his team. It worked, as LA held possession for the rest of the quarter. The Minnesota defense was bending, but not breaking. Eventually, with 11 seconds left in the quarter, a beautiful deceitful cross by Madigan left Wutrada all alone in front, and he easily converted, giving the LA faithful some hope heading into the fourth quarter. It wasn’t going to be easy, but the game wasn’t out of reach.

LA started the fourth just as they ended the fourth. Within the first 90 seconds, they had two scoring plays, but both were points. At the 5-minute mark, The Guardians got the goal they needed, off a beautiful free kick by Madigan. 8 minutes later, Wutrada converted a penalty, getting LA within 7 points. Unfortunately, the fun would end for LA at that point. With 5:27 to play, O’Neal kicked another goal, and 30 seconds later, Rider sealed the Guardians’ fate with a curling shot. LA tried furiously to get anything, but couldn’t get any good chances. Finally, with 41 seconds to play, Rider added more salt to the wound, scoring once again. In the end, the Walleye moved on to Chicago, winning 49-30.


(E2) Boston Wolfhounds vs (E3) New York Knights

Boston Shore Stadium was rocking and ready for a battle of surprise teams, the Boston Wolfhounds and New York Knights. Despite their close proximity, the stadium was almost entirely filled with Boston faithful.

The game started with a nasty pace, as both New York captain Philip Cook and forward Ben Jackson were injured by awkward tackles. Both players would eventually return. The scoring started 4 minutes in, as Boston’s Jack Hainalat punched in a cross. New York scored a point, then Hainalat kicked his second goal. As the quarter went on, the two teams traded great chances several times, but the goalies stood tall. Hainalat went for a quick hattrick, but Knights goalie Joe Watson cleverly knocked it out for a point. The knights countered with two quick points, then Boston went right back and had another great chance knocked away for a point. New York held possession for the remainder of the quarter, but couldn’t get a major, instead missing just wide both times. Boston led 10-5 after 1.

The Knights controlled the ball at the start of the second half, and finally got the goal they needed, from Kevin Dauphin. 4 minutes later, the Hounds would regain their 5-point lead, off a goal by Sully Jikey. The teams traded points over the next portion of play. Then, with 6 minutes to play in the half, the Boston offense went off. Hainalat converted a free kick, Brad Steinauer scored on the very next rush, then John Garb got in on the action soon after. In the span of 44 seconds, Boston had increased their lead from 6 to 18. The Boston defence did a great job of holding back the Knights offense, only allowing one more point for the rest of the half. After 42 minutes of play, Boston led 29-11.

The second half started out slowly, but the first shot of the quarter ended up being a goal, as Hainalat ended up squeezing a shot past Watson. New York pressed, and they eventually got a goal themselves, from Jackson. The defensive theme continued, but the shots the two teams got away continued to be very effective. Garb converted a penalty shot, but the Knights responded with a goal of their own, their first shot in 4 minutes. Off the bounce after the Knights goal, Boston almost scored again, but Watson made a great diving save and hit the ball past the pointline for a point. With 6 minutes to play, Cook made a great weaving play through several defenders before easily kicking one over Bernard Atwood. The rest of the quarter was relatively calm, as the two defences tightened up and didn’t let anything through. After 3, Boston still held a firm grasp on the game, leading 38-23.

The Knights came out fast and furious in the fourth, hoping to pull off a dream comeback. Cook scored 3 minutes in, and 90 seconds later, Ian Puig added his name to the scoresheet. All of a sudden the score was 38-31. Boston tried getting their offense moving, but to no avail. At the 8-minute mark, Strong play by Jackson in the arc ended up drawing a penalty, and he easily converted, now putting New York within 3. At the halfway mark of the quarter, A rolling ball found Cook with a wide-open net, but his shot missed just wide, a shocking miss from a usually picture perfect player. Boston ended up bringing the ball all the way back downfield, and scored a point of their own. 2 minutes later, Edward Pogaugh beat Watson, putting the Knights down by 7 with under 5 minutes to play. The Knights offense tried furiously to score, but only managed to get a point. In the end, the Wolfhounds almost blew a big lead, but they held on to move onto Philly.



SEMIFINALS

(W1) Chicago Crusaders vs (W3) Minnesota Walleye
For the first since 1969, Columbus Stadium was the site of a NAML semifinal game. The stadium was packed full of Crusader faithful, though there was a decent contingent of Walleye supporters as well.
The Walleye didn’t seem too fazed by the Chicago crowd, as Syl Yonker scored the game’s first goal 2 minutes in. 49 seconds later, they added a point to jump to a quick 5-0 lead. At 6:37, Jacob Olivus got the Crusaders on the board with a long shot that just got past Jack Harschen. The next 9 minutes was a huge defensive battle, with the only scoring between the two teams being 1 point by the Walleye and 2 by Chicago. Finally, with under 4 minutes to play, Jerry Walcott brought the Chicago crowd to their feet with a blistering shot out of nowhere, giving the Crusaders their first lead. Minnesota scored a late point, and they were down 3 as the first quarter came to a close.

Chicago started the second quarter off quick, getting a goal from Olivus and two points within the first 4 minutes. Minnesota would respond with a point of their own, then there would be another long, slow period of play. The only excitement was a poorly taken free kick by Olivus that struck a Minnesota defender in the face. With just over 5 minutes to go, play picked up again, and Gus Chase scored to increase Chicago’s lead to 12. Minnesota responded right back, with a goal of their own from Ron Rider. The action continued in the final minutes, but neither team could seem to get a goal or point. Olivus appeared to have scored just before the half ended, but the referee disallowed it as the kick was taken after time had expired. Chicago led 20-12 after 42 minutes of play.

The third quarter saw an offensive outbreak. Within the first minute, Chase and Rider had scored for their respective teams. Minnesota would take over possession for the next few minutes, and they made it count. Yonker and Lennie O’Neal both scored to tie the game, then Rider scored two quick points to make it 26-24 for Minnesota. Olivus had a great chance to retake the lead, but Harschen made a great save to give up a point. The pace died down for a few minutes, then it revved right back up. Yonker scored from a penalty, but two minutes later, Gabriel Sheen scored for Chicago, making it a 1-point game again. The Walleye came right back, but the shot by Rider missed for a point. Soon after, the back went back down the field again, and the Crusaders scored a great team goal to get their first lead since the early stages of the quarter. That was short-live however, and just over a minute later, Rider scored again, making it 35-33 Minnesota, which was how the score would stand through 3 quarters of play.

Chicago started the fourth quarter strong, getting a goal and a point from Olivus to gain a 3-point lead within the first 3 minutes. The Walleye would fight back however, and at the 6-minute mark, Yonker scored to give the Walleye the lead, the 6th lead change of the game. 2 minutes later, Rider drew a free kick and converted, making it a two-score game. The intensity ramped up, but the defense would stay strong in the middle portion of the quarter, with the only scoring being a point from each team. With 8 minutes to play, the Crusaders scored a huge goal, a Sheen deflection that just beat Harschen. The Crusaders fought hard to tie or take the lead, but couldn’t do it. Off a Minnesota counter-attack, Rider found himself all alone and buried the ball, giving the Walleye a 5-point lead with 5:09 to play. Chicago wasn’t giving up, and with 4:13 left, Steve Larson make a nice cut around a defender, and curled a shot home, putting the Crusaders within 1. Off the very next rush, Larson had the chance to become a hero, but his shot hit the post and went wide for a point. The final 4 minutes were intense, but no further scoring would be made, and the game ended in a 48-48 draw. For the 4th time in NAML history, there would be a playoff replay the following day.

(E1) Philadelphia Falcons vs (E2) Boston Wolfhounds
The Philly Markball Park was rocking as Falcons faithful hoped to see their team advance to the Urquhart Cup for the second straight year. Standing in their way were the Boston Wolfhounds, hoping to advance to their first championship game since 1962.

The first minute of play was slow, but the pace quickly picked up. Jack Hainalat scored the game’s first point, but on the very next rush, Philly brought the ball downfield and Mitchell Stephens finished, much to the delight of the home crowd. The Falcons used the crowd’s intimidation to their advantage, as just 15 seconds after the jump-ball, they had already gone back down the field and scored again. The pace died down a little, and the team’s defenses took over. The Falcons scored two more points, then Sully Jikey scored an intentional point, hoping to get the Hounds offense going. It seemed to work, as from that point on, Boston dominated possession of the ball. Edward Pogaugh and Hainalat scored in quick succession, then with just over 2 minutes to play, Boston bench forward Wayne Hart deflected a cross past George Sovine, giving Boston a 14-10 lead, which they would hold into the second quarter.

The second quarter was much slower in terms of pace and scoring. The first few minutes were slow, with the occasional chance, but those were easily turned aside by the goalies. The first score of the quarter came 4:31 in, a point by Hainalat. Play continued to be relatively slow and boring until the halfway point, when Philly started controlling possession. They had several good chances, but the Boston defense and goalie Bernard Atwood stood tall and didn’t let anything past. Robert Stephens had a beautiful chance to score, but Atwood made a crazy diving save to keep the ball out and not give up any points. Eventually, Chris Olsen managed to beat Atwood in tight, putting the P’s within 1. On the next rush, they tied the game with a point, then the pace died down once again. Both teams had good chances to close out, but couldn’t get any points. At the half, The two teams were tied 15-15.

Fans were hoping for more scoring in the third quarter, but the game continued to be slower-paced. The teams traded low-end chances, but couldn’t get anything going. Eventually, the first score of the quarter would be a tight-angle point from Olsen. The slow pace continued on, and there would be no scoring for the next 5 minutes, until Pogaugh kicked a point for Boston, tying the game once more. The two teams continued to battle on, and the defensive battle continued. Eventually, with under 4 minutes to play, Olsen completed his hattrick, kicking a laser beam past Atwood. This gave Philly some much-needed momentum, and closed out the quarter in dominant possession of the ball. Rudolph Lussier kicked a late point, and the Falcons were up 5 through 3 quarters.

Much to the delight of those watching, the game found offense in the final frame. The Hounds had two good chances to score early on, but both missed for points. To make things worse, Robert Stephens would score on a rush off the ensuing kickoff, giving Philly their biggest lead since the opening quarter. However, the Falcons offense wasn’t done yet, soon after, they added a point, and eventually Richard Harris got in on the action, with a nice chip shot. The P’s were now up 30-18. Boston would reply quickly, getting a goal of their own from Doug Hendrickson. After a small period defensive stalemate, Hainalat kicked a point, putting the Hounds within 7. Hainalat had another chance to score, but his shot hit the post and bounced right to Lussier, who charged back downfield and set up Olsen for an easy goal. This took the wind out of Boston’s sails, and pretty much sealed the deal. Harris added a goal and a point to put Philly up 16, and Pogaugh kicked a late consolation point. As the final whistle went, the stadium erupted, as the Falcons had beaten Boston 39-24, and advanced to their second straight Urquhart Cup Final.



SEMIFINAL REPLAY

(W1) Chicago Crusaders vs (W3) Minnesota Walleye
One week after the drawn match between Chicago and Minnesota, the two teams reconvened at Columbus Stadium for the game replay, the 4th in the NAML’s history, and first since the 1970 Urquhart Cup Replay. In each of the previous replays, the designated home team had won.

Chicago started the game off strong, getting goals from Jacob Olivus and Gus Chase within the first 4 minutes. Minnesota would respond with a goal from Ron Rider 4 minutes later, but under a minute later, the Crusaders restored their two goal lead thanks to a rare goal from rover Les Maines. Chicago added a point to increase their lead to 9, then Syl Yonker would draw a penalty, and easily converted, putting Minnesota within 5. The rest of the quarter saw a slow pace, with the only scoring in the final 7 minutes being a point from each team. After 1, the Crusaders led 14-9.
The Walleye started the second quarter strong, getting a few shots away, but no score until Max Lodesani scored with a nice chip shot over goalie Alex Davies. Minnesota continued dominating, getting several shots and deflections, but couldn’t get anything through the middle posts. However, they did manage to score three quick points, taking a 16-14 lead. At the 10-minute mark, Chicago finally got some chances of their own, and they capitalized, getting a goal off a nice team play, and another off a cross deflected by Gabriel Sheen 90 seconds later. Minnesota would fight back, and Rider scored a quick goal and point to cut the lead to 1. Just like the first quarter, the defense tightened up and the pace died down to end the quarter, with the only score being a Chicago point to put them up 23-21 heading into the second half. It was still anyone’s game.

The third quarter for the most part was dominated by the Walleye. They got good chances, and even though Davies was playing extremely well, Minnesota still managed to score 3 minutes in, and a long shot by Yonker just got through 4 minutes later to give the Walleye their largest lead of the game. Chicago responded with a goal of their own, but the Walleye would go right back down the field and retake their 6-point lead within a minute. The pace died down, and the teams’ defenses and goalies took over. Davies was acting visibly frustrated, as he had been having an amazing game, but the offense wasn’t bailing him out. Things got worse for the Crusaders with 3:29 to play, as the Walleye marched around the defense once again and Lennie O’Neal scored another easy goal. 47 seconds later, Minnesota scored a carbon copy of that goal, increasing their lead to 14 points. The Chicago faithful were starting to grow restless, and as the quarter came to a close, boos were heard echoing throughout the stadium. Minnesota led 41-27 heading into the final quarter.

Chicago won the opening jump-ball of the fourth, and Sheen scored off a beautiful volley 96 seconds in. The Crusaders got a few more shots off, but couldn’t find any scoring. Minnesota brought the ball down to the other end of the field for the first time in the quarter, and a Rider shot was deflected out for a point. Off the ensuing kickoff, Chicago continued pressuring, and Sheen drew a penalty, which he converted, cutting the deficit to 7. Unfortunately for the Crusaders, the Walleye would win the ensuing jump-ball, and eventually got a deflection goal from Rider to make it a 3-score game again. Chicago would hold the ball for the next chunk of time, but the Walleye defense did a good job of tightening up, and the Crusaders seemingly couldn’t get into the arc. They only managed two points over the next 6 minutes, which wasn’t close to enough. With 3:05 to play, O’Neal sealed the deal, scoring on a breakaway. As fans started flooding for the exits, Minnesota added more salt to the wound, getting a deflection punched in by Yonker. In the end, the Walleye won 54-37, becoming the first team in NAML history to win multiple replays, and more importantly, clinching the second spot in the Urquhart Cup, setting up a rematch of the 1971 battle.



URQUHART CUP PREVIEW:
Matchup: Philadelphia Falcons vs Minnesota Walleye
Previous Meetings: 1971
Result: Minnesota 33-33 Philadelphia, Minnesota 52-49 Philadelphia
Regular Season Meeting: Philadelphia 45-28 Minnesota
Analyst Prediction: The Philadelphia Falcon offense is no joke, and it’s certainly hard to root against them. However, I feel it’s personally harder to root against the Minnesota Walleye. Their determination this year has been among the best I’ve ever seen in all my years of covering the league. Losing 3 key parts of a team is hard, but they’ve fought through. Facing two higher seeds at their home stadiums has been hard, but they’ve fought through. I truly believe that this Minnesota team will pull off the upset of all upsets here. I say it’ll be close, but the Walleye will prevail 40-32.
Leonard Oliverson, New York Times

 

Come on you Walleye!