Early Game – Scotland vs Ireland

With 1st place Slovenia off this week, the early match winner would take sole possession of first place. With the two leading goalies (GAA) and some solid snipers on both squads, this one had the boys in Vegas scratching their heads.

Playmaker Scott Wilson found twine halfway through period 1 followed a minute later by Tim Randa to make it 2-0 for the Leprechauns.

Scotland’s Dave Vincelli scored in the dying minutes but Wilson preferred the 2-goal cushion and restored it with only 73 seconds left in the frame. Ireland 3, Scotland 1 after the first period.

And that’s when Irish netminder Tony Cioffi took out the trowel and bricks and walled up the Irish net for good. A-list D-man Brad Stoll rang the iron a couple of times but that’s as close as Team Scotland came for the last two periods.

Meanwhile, the Irish went to work. Sniper Paul Riopelle bagged the second period’s only goal (absolutely no flies on Scotland’s star keeper Henderson in this game either). Riopelle followed up with another single early in the third, and the life of the party, Joe Peacock, sealed this one at 6-1 for Team Ireland. A penalty-free game between two top teams. Nice!

Scotland definitely missing their leading scorer Chris Deware who went down last game with a knee injury. Good luck for a speedy recovery Chris.

With its 4th straight win, Ireland takes sole possession of first place after spending the first half of the season in the basement. Well done lads!

Scotland’s Player of the Game goes to their lone goal-scorer Dave Vincelli while — no surprise — goalkeeper Tony Cioffi almost perfect in this game, gets the Honours for Ireland.

Late Game – Italy vs Portugal

Italy faced off against Portugal in the late game. Italy had only a single win in 6 games going into this one, whereas Portugal has been steadily improving with a better record of late than Team Italy.

Both goalies holding their own through much of the first period until Dr. Joel May beat substitute goalie Mike Kvasni with 6 minutes to go. John Levac deked through tight traffic in front of Portugal’s net to slide a beauty past Kvasni with a minute to go but Portugal’s secret weapon Jodie Young broke Nieminen’s shutout with a dandy to finish the period 2-1 for the Italians.

League Veteran and past Rocket Richard Award winner John Annan drew his Portuguese squad even halfway through period 2 but the Italians went on a flurry in the final five minutes with Joel May scoring his second on a beauty roof shot over Kvasni’s shoulder and Robin Flumerfelt adding a pair to make it 5-2 for Italy after two frames.

Chris Johnson made it a two-goal game halfway through period three but it was not enough as Italy would hold on while adding two more goals by Dave Wodar and Greg Platt. This one ended Italy 7, Porgugal 3.

Italy POG goes to Robin Flumerfelt while the shining light of Team Portugal was their secret sauce, Jodie Young.

Next week’s games feature Portugal and Ireland in the early show while a rested Slovenian squad takes on Team Scotland.