Merry Christmas to all the lads of the PCOHL. Santa has made a list of who’s been naughty and who’s been nice and, well let’s just say there’s room for improvement. Just ask your wives.

Okay, week 14 games!

Early game – Scotland vs Slovenia

HUGE first game, the winner of this one GUARANTEED sole possession of first place. Despite the season, Scotland comes with a nearly full team while the Slovenians replaced their sniper Stephen Davis with last year’s Art Ross winner Greg Platt.

Lots of pressure on Scotland’s goalie Stuart Henderson and Slovenia’s goalie Art Senkowski and neither goalie shrunk from the task. Furious action in the opening period but only sub Platt dented the scoreboard with 7 minutes to go. 1-0 Slovenia after the first.

Mike “Maybe This Year” Rukavina put the lads from Ljubljana up 2-0 halfway through the second period and it looked like that’s how the period would end, but a quick pair in the trailing moments from Scotland’s Dave Vincelli and Slovenia’s Robert King made it 3-1 after two.

More goalie heroics in the third with both of these strong offences trying in vain to bulge the twine. Finally Slovenia’s Robert King picked up his 2nd of the game with 7 minutes to go to put Slovenia up 4-1. But the kilts weren’t giving up yet. Jeff Boulton scored a minute later to make it 4-2 and then Jim Maguire scored with a minute to go to bring Scotland within a goal.

Frantic action followed but it was too little too late for the bagpipers who fell short by a goal. Final score Slovenia 4, Scotland 3. Slovenia takes sole possession of first place as the second half of the regular season gets underway. But with the parity this year, things could change at any time.

Scotland Player of the Game goes to veteran Jim Maguire while Bryce Lewis brought his many gifts to Team Slovenia.

Game 2 – Ireland vs Portugal

The late show featured two teams towards the bottom of the standings, both looking to turn things around in the second half of the campaign. Portugal’s Rispoli the Goalie nursing an undisclosed injury, so sub Jim Slack between the pipes for the Portugaysh.

Senior statesman Bruce Freeman broke the ice halfway through the first period to put the Irish ahead by a goal but MVP Leo Brideau tied it up for Portugal with a deuce to go in the first. Ireland’s Scott Wilson then put one in the Portuguese net with a mere 45 seconds to go to give Ireland a shot in the arm and a 2-1 lead after one period.

And that’s when Ireland backstop Tony Cioffi and his crew of quality D-men said, “Th-th-th-th-th-that’s alllll folks!” The guns jammed for all the Portuguese snipers. Brideau, Sharp, Russo — BLANKED.

Credit to the Irish for a fine defensive effort as they completely shut down the Portuguese in periods two and three.

Meanwhile, the Irish offence got to work. Three goals in the second off the blades of veteran Pat McCormick, Peter Freeman and Joe Peacock. Two more in the third including McCormick’s second and another from Paul Riopelle.

Final score: Ireland 7 – Portugal 1.

Ireland’s Player of the Game goes to veteran Steve Sparrow while Tony Deluca takes the Honours for the Lisbonites.

NOTE: Games resume over the holiday break with Scotland vs Portugal and Slovenia vs Italy on December 27.

Until then, the PCOHL Exec wishes a very Merry Christmas (or whatever your festivity of choice might be) to all our members and their families.