NAHL Day 40/41 - Whalers closing in

One of the many islands in the St. Lawrence near Sept-Iles, image credit to Pinterest

Steelers stay on top, Isca Town bounces back, Sept-Iles gains ground on Londinium, and a little good news for Vinovium

NAHL Day 40

Labrador Caribou 0, Pons Aelius Steelers 0 (1-2 SO)

Isca Town Captains 3, Eboracum Sharpshooters 3 (3-2 SO)

DC Oilers 1, Sept-Iles Whalers 2

Londinium Royals 1, Aquae Sulis Bears 0

Newfield Rangers 0, Portus Abonae Privateers 4

Vinovium Lumberjacks 0, Mancunium Raiders 0 (3-2 SO)

NAHL Day 41

Pons Aelius Steelers 2, Londinium Royals 0

Mancunium Raiders 0, Isca Town Captains 1

Eboracum Sharpshooters 1, DC Oilers 1 (1-2 SO)

Sept-Iles Whalers 4, Portus Abonae Privateers 1

Labrador Caribou 0, Newfield Rangers 1

Aquae Sulis Bears 1, Vinovium Lumberjacks 2

The Steelers are still our leaders, still three points up on Isca Town. They needed a shootout to dispatch Dave Francis and the Caribou, but their 2-0 win over Londinium was pretty dominating. Meanwhile, Isca Town bounces back from their poor run of play to defeat Eboracum and Mancunium; that and DC's loss to Sept-Iles means Isca Town is back alone in second place. Finally, Sept-Iles won both of their games, picking up two points on Londinium in the playoff race. 

Who's hot: Four and a half teams

-Pons Aelius is back to their winning ways. After losing to Newfield in a shootout, they took down a tough Caribou team in a shootout, then returned home to hold Londinium to just 22 shots in a 2-0 win. They are playing their best hockey at the right time, and lead the league with 30 wins, tied with Isca Town. They are on pace to finish with over 100 points for the season. And did we mention they now have 26 shutouts, or 63.4% of their total games?

-The Londinium Royals had their three game winning streak snapped as they were dominated in Nova Scotia by the Steelers. But they're still 8-2-0 in their last ten games, a strong stretch that is keeping them in a playoff spot for now. They didn't look pretty against Aquae Sulis, but Sheldon Cook found the net against Art Morrison to eke out a 1-0 win. The Royals will get the Caribou next. Every point is crucial when Sept-Iles is breathing down their necks.

-The Sept-Iles Whalers are hitting their stride. A 2-1 road win over the DC Oilers (remember their road woes from earlier in the season?) and then a 4-1 home blasting of Portus Abonae show just how far they've come. Their five-game winning streak has put them four points out of a playoff spot, something that seemed inconceivable given they finished dead last just a season ago. But their young core of Gaston Fortin, Rene Kelly, Denis Babin and others have made great strides, and Kris Howell is making an impact right away as well. The Whalers will face the Rangers next. It could be a trap game for the surging Sept-Iles team, as Newfield has been sneaky good in the second half.

-Yeah, the DC Oilers lost a game, but it was to Sept-Iles, another hot team, and they've won six out of eight. Their three goals allowed to Sept-Iles and Eboracum is below their season average, and their defense has been good since the beginning of the second half. Their offense continues to do well, and they could very well break 100 goals in their next couple of games. They'll take on Mancunium next in a bid to keep pace with the Steelers and Captains.

-The Vinovium Lumberjacks earn the designation of "half" a team in the hot column this update. Why, you might say? Well, they won two in a row this update. That doesn't happen very often for a team with just twelve wins on the year, and so we salute them with this designation. Jacques LaFlamme, their first-round pick, hasn't been the "instant offense"impact pick some thought he might be, but he did score in the shootout victory over Mancunium and had the opening goal against Aquae Sulis. He'll be fine in this league.

Who's not: Three teams

-The Aquae Sulis Bears are back to their old tricks, losing two games this update by a goal each. Art Morrison made 27 saves, but one missed save was enough for Londinium to take the win. Continuing the goalie rotation, Jermaine Roy made 30 saves against Vinovium, but it was the two he didn't make that made the difference. Bears head coach Reuben Cannady said he'd continue the rotation for the time being, unless one goalie impressed him far more than the other. But, he added, the offense is the biggest concern. That six-goal explosion against Labrador was nowhere to be found as the Bears scored one goal against Londinium and Vinovium combined. Aquae Sulis gets Isca Town next; that's a toughie.

-The Mancunium Raiders took two more close losses this update, failing to score a goal against Mel Pinson and Vinovium before falling in a shootout, then getting shut out in regulation by an Isca Town team that could only manage one goal. Cam Ferguson has, without a doubt, improved the defense for this squad, but they have failed to score a goal in four of their last five games. It's wearing on them, and it doesn't get any easier, facing the DC Oilers next.

-The Eboracum Sharpshooters are a somewhat respectable 3-2-3 in the second half, but they've lost five of their last six games and look a bit adrift. They have allowed Sept-Iles to get the jump on them for fifth place, and are now eight points out of a playoff spot. Even more frustrating, they are 1-3-5 against the top three teams in the standings, not to mention their 0-2-2 record against Londinium. That's a 1-5-7 record against the principal playoff teams, which isn't going to get you anywhere near a playoff spot unless you're borderline perfect against non-playoff teams. Eboracum faces Portus Abonae next in what is a crucial game for two teams looking to get back on track. 

Surprise of the update: Just one this time

The surprise? Vinovium has gone 3-3-2 in the second half! Yes, that's still an under-.500 record, and yes, they're still in last place, and yes, their three wins have come over the three teams directly above them in the standings, but forget all that. Eight points from eight games is about as good as they've played all year. They're still on pace for a horrific season, but let them have their moment. They deserve it.

NAHL Day 38/39 - Top teams jockey for position

Nova Anglican fishing boats on the Bay of Fundy in autumn, image credit to The Telegraph

Pons Aelius loses, but stays on top, while DC catches Isca Town as the slide continues for the Captains; meanwhile, Londinium and Sept-Iles try to be the only two contenders for fourth

NAHL Day 38

Pons Aelius Steelers 0, Aquae Sulis Bears 0 (1-0 OT)

Isca Town Captains 1, Portus Abonae Privateers 0

Newfield Rangers 0, DC Oilers 0 (0-1 OT)

Londinium Royals 2, Eboracum Sharpshooters 1

Vinovium Lumberjacks 3, Sept-Iles Whalers 4

Labrador Caribou 0, Mancunium Raiders 0 (2-1 SO)

NAHL Day 39

Pons Aelius Steelers 1, Newfield Rangers 1 (0-2 SO)

Portus Abonae Privateers 0, DC Oilers 1

Sept-Iles Whalers 3, Isca Town Captains 0

Mancunium Raiders 3, Londinium Royals 5

Aquae Sulis Bears 6, Labrador Caribou 3

Eboracum Sharpshooters 2, Vinovium Lumberjacks 2 (2-1 SO)

Pons Aelius doesn't hang on to their winning streak, but they do maintain their grip on first place. Meanwhile, Isca Town's split and DC's pair of 1-0 wins means the two teams are now tied for second. Londinium wins both their games to stay up in fourth place, though third place is looking increasingly like a dream. Sept-Iles wins both, and with Labrador's and Eboracum's split and Portus' dual losses, the Whalers are trying to pull away. Finally, is Newfield on the move?

Who's hot: Five teams

-Pons Aelius won nine in a row before having it snapped in a shootout by Newfield, so they're still hot. I'm sure they would have loved to win ten in a row and continue to challenge Isca Town's thirteen-game streak from earlier this year, but nine is plenty fine. They still have a three-point lead over Isca Town and DC for first place, and their defense is just outstanding. 19 goals in 39 goals is a 32-goal pace for the entire season, which would be an NAHL record.

-The Londinium Royals are 7-1-0 in their last eight, defeating the Sharpshooters for the fourth time in four games, and then pulling away from the Raiders in the third period to win that one 5-3. Eric Benson, Sheldon Cook, Nico Nielsen, Ben Malone, Thomas Bailey, and Daniel Roberts all had goals across the two games. They now sit on 50 points, eight behind DC and Isca Town. Incidentally, their four wins over Eboracum make up the bulk of the eight-point differential between them and the Sharpshooters.

-The offense is clicking for the Sept-Iles Whalers right now. They've won nine of their past thirteen and three in a row, scoring 12 goals in those three games. Perhaps most impressive was their 3-0 blanking of Isca Town. The Captains are really down right now, but they rarely lose by three goals. Kris Howell, Denis Babin, and James McDaniel had goals in that win, which had "Le Navire" rocking and roaring from start to finish. They've started to create a little separation between them and the rest of the would-be playoff crowd, but they still have work to do to catch the Royals.

-The Newfield Rangers couldn't extend their winning streak against the Oilers, but an overtime loss is a good achievement, and the shootout win over the Steelers is even better. They have won four of six since the start of the second half, and have nine points in those six games. Their bounce-back effort has been good enough to drag them within two points of playoff hopeful Portus Abonae. Of course, they're still seven points out of fifth, and thirteen out of fourth, but if they ended up in seventh, it would be a good season for them and a good psychological rebound after their disastrous losing streak.

-The DC Oilers are well and truly hot, having won five of their six games since the All-Star break. Their only loss? A 1-0 OT defeat against playoff team Londinium. They've even improved their defense, allowing just five goals in those six games, with three shutouts. This update, they needed overtime to defeat Newfield and could only put one past Portus Abonae, but they won both games. They're tied with Isca Town and only three points behind Pons Aelius. If they can keep up their hot streak, they will threaten for first place.

Who's not: Three teams

-The Aquae Sulis Bears snapped their five game losing streak in emphatic fashion, pouring six past Labrador backup netminder Pete Henderson. Nick May, Cal Malone, Kip Maddox, Darin Drake, Martin Wong, and David Richter all had goals in the win. Unfortunately, the Bears have still lost six of their last nine and are flip-flopping with Mancunium for 10th/11th place. Jermaine Roy let in three goals against Labrador, so he's still getting used to the NAHL versus university play. 

-The Mancunium Raiders took a couple of tough losses this update, losing in a shootout to Labrador in their rivalry game, and hanging with the Royals for the first two periods until they pulled away in the third for the 5-3 win. They've lost seven out of eight, and it is looking increasingly unlikely that they will finish any higher than 10th this year. Cam Ferguson, however, seems to be adapting just fine to the rigors of the NAHL. Head coach Cary Hodges says he's "got a great motor and is a great teammate. From what [Hodges has] already seen, he's going to be a franchise player for us."

-Isca Town has three wins and seven losses in their past ten games, an almost inconceivable run of play for a team that won thirteen consecutive games earlier this season. Portus Abonae isn't a bad team, and the Captains looked like they still knew how to defend against them. But then they traveled to Sept-Iles and got wiped out. They are reportedly taking a mental health day to clear their heads before traveling to Eboracum. They need to recover quickly, or their dreams of first might just slip away.

Surprise of the update: Just one this time

The surprise? Newfield defeating Pons Aelius for the second time this year. The Steelers looked unstoppable, conceding just one goal in their nine-game winning streak. But the Rangers got a goal from Brady Dowell in regulation, and Dowell and Elliott Parrish scored in the shootout, while Augustin Gauthier made four stops to defeat the Steelers. Big win for the Rangers.

NAHL Day 36/37 - A new leader

Citadel Hill Historic Site in Pons Aelius, image credit to RCR Hospitality Group

The NAHL has a new leader for the first time since Day 11, Newfield is suddenly hot, and the group behind Londinium is as jammed up as ever

NAHL Day 36

Newfield Rangers 1, Isca Town Captains 0

Pons Aelius Steelers 0, Eboracum Sharpshooters 0 (2-0 SO)

Vinovium Lumberjacks 2, DC Oilers 2 (0-1 SO)

Londinium Royals 1, Portus Abonae Privateers 0

Labrador Caribou 1, Sept-Iles Whalers 0

Aquae Sulis Bears 2, Mancunium Raiders 4

NAHL Day 37

DC Oilers 3, Isca Town Captains 0

Mancunium Raiders 0, Pons Aelius Steelers 1

Sept-Iles Whalers 5, Londinium Royals 4

Eboracum Sharpshooters 3, Labrador Caribou 5

Portus Abonae Privateers 4, Vinovium Lumberjacks 3

Aquae Sulis Bears 2, Newfield Rangers 3

The big news of this update is that we have a new leader! For the first time since Day 11, the Isca Town Captains are not in first place. Instead, the Pons Aelius Steelers have overtaken them and now lead by two points. DC also won both of their games and are now just two back of Isca Town for second and four back of Pons Aelius for first. Could the Captains slide all the way to third? Meanwhile, the Royals, Whalers, and Privateers split their two games, while Labrador wins both and Eboracum loses both. Londinium's still six up on anyone else, and Sept-Iles, Eboracum, and Labrador are all tied with Portus Abonae lurking one behind.

Who's hot: Four and a half teams

-Pons Aelius has run their winning streak to eight games now. This winning streak has vaulted them into first place, rarefied air for a team that's been chasing DC and now Isca Town for the bulk of the year. They have outscored opponents 8-1 during the streak, twice winning in a shootout and once in overtime. And it hasn't been against patsies, either. They've defeated Londinium, Isca Town, DC, Portus Abonae, Labrador, and Eboracum during their streak, all playoff teams or playoff hopefuls. Aquae Sulis doesn't look likely to stop their streak, either.

-The Londinium Royals had their five-game winning streak snapped in Sept-Iles, but they're still hot and still a playoff team. Sheldon Cook had the only goal in their 1-0 win over Portus Abonae, and Thomas Bailey, Eric Benson, Brendan Ellis and Gabe Chambers weren't enough to defeat the Whalers on the road. They remain hot and in a good position going into their rivalry game against the Sharpshooters.

-Despite their loss to Labrador, the Sept-Iles Whalers are still victors in seven of their last eleven games, earning them a "hot" designation this update. Kris Howell had a goal and an assist, as did Rene Kelly and Gaston Fortin in their 5-4 win over Londinium. It was a back-and-forth affair, but the Whalers triumphed on a Denis Babin goal in the final minutes of the third period. The Whalers are still six points out of fourth place, but they're playing well and sure to pounce if the Royals stumble.

-The Newfield Rangers have won three in a row! Wins over Mancunium and Aqaue Sulis are not that impressive, but they upset Isca Town 1-0 on a brilliant goal from rookie center Will Flowers. The three wins have given them sole possession of 9th place, not much to brag about, but with such a crowd competing for fourth/fifth place, ninth is where the solid non-contenders end up. They continue to scrap along; learning and growing is most important. 

-Labrador gets to be our half a team this week, as they bounced back with two wins over direct rivals for the playoffs. Marc Curtis scored the only goal in their win over Sept-Iles, and Victor Hall and Johnny Ramsey both had two in an uncharacteristic offensive explosion against Eboracum. The Caribou have been up and down all year, but two wins against would-be playoff teams helps them a lot. They have a rivalry game against slumping Mancunium next.

Who's not: Three teams

-Da Bears. The Aquae Sulis Bears have lost four in a row, and only have wins in two of their last seven games. They've sunk all the way to eleventh place, above only Vinovium, who look likely to stick in last place for the entire season. They were competitive against Mancunium until the third, and new goalie Jermaine Roy, after a poor first-period performance against Newfield, played quite well, making a number of good saves in the second and third periods. It wasn't enough to avoid the loss, however. The Bears will get Pons Aelius next, a daunting task.

-The Mancunium Raiders snapped their four-game losing streak, defeating Aquae Sulis 4-2 behind goals from Brandon Scanlon and Quinn Baird in the third period. But their 1-0 loss to Pons Aelius means that they have still lost five out of their last six. They're not in eleventh place, which is about all we can say for them. They get Labrador next; a rivalry win might add a little color to this season.

-Isca Town is in a deep depression, losing to lowly Newfield 1-0 and then getting waxed by DC 3-0. They did not look up for the Oilers game, and Robbie Reid said after the game, "I think we were all in a state of shock after the Newfield game, that bled into the DC game, which you cannot do in this league. We have to take it one game at a time." Sammy Jensen and Owen Jones had a goal each for the Oilers, who are now just two back of the Captains for third. 

Surprise of the update: Just one this time

The surprise is that Isca Town has now won just two of their last eight games, a horrific stretch for them that has seen them fall out of first place and hit double-digit losses overall for the first time this year. If they don't turn things around soon, figure out what ails them, it will be a bumpy second-half ride.

NAHL Day 34/35 - Londinium beats the leaders

Londinium at night, photo credit to the Weather Network

The Royals start the second half with a bang, Pons Aelius gains ground on Isca Town, and Eboracum leapfrogs Sept-Iles

NAHL Day 34

Londinium Royals 1, Isca Town Captains 0

Pons Aelius Steelers 2, Portus Abonae Privateers 1

Mancunium Raiders 2, Eboracum Sharpshooters 3

Labrador Caribou 2, DC Oilers 3

Aquae Sulis Bears 0, Sept-Iles Whalers 3

Newfield Rangers 0, Vinovium Lumberjacks 1

NAHL Day 35

DC Oilers 0, Londinium Royals 0 (0-1 OT)

Sept-Iles Whalers 0, Pons Aelius Steelers 2

Eboracum Sharpshooters 1, Aquae Sulis Bears 0

Isca Town Captains 2, Vinovium Lumberjacks 1

Portus Abonae Privateers 2, Labrador Caribou 1

Mancunium Raiders 3, Newfield Rangers 3 (1-3 SO)

The big news of this update is that Londinium has pulled two big upsets! Yes, they're the fourth place team, but they're significantly behind both DC and Isca Town, whom they defeated. The win gets them some breathing room from the pack behind them, while putting them a not-insurmountable six points behind DC. 3rd place for Londinium would be a coup, as it would mean avoiding Isca Town in the semifinals. Meanwhile, Pons Aelius won two in a row, scoring twice in each game and defeating two would-be playoff contenders in Portus Abonae and Sept-Iles. Brendan Bryan, their 1st round pick, scored his first NAHL goal to put them up 2-0 on Sept-Iles late in the third. In the battle for the right to be the team just behind Londinium, Eboracum won both their games, Labrador lost both their games, and Sept-Iles and Portus Abonae split their games.

Who's hot: Three and a half teams

-Portus Abonae lost their five-game winning streak, falling to Pons Aelius, but they bounced back to defeat Labrador and have won six of their past seven games. Their strong run still puts them seven points out of the playoffs, though. They were encouraged, however, by their first round pick Alexandre Boulanger's play in their victory over Labrador. He scrapped hard on defense, won pucks to keep possessions alive, and even assisted on the winning goal. They have high hopes for him.

-Pons Aelius is a machine, now winning five in a row and eight of their last ten. They took down Portus Abonae 2-1 and Sept-Iles 2-0. More consistent scoring from them can only be a good thing, as they had the league's worst offense in the first half. They still sport the league's best defense as well, with the victory over Sept-Iles being their 21st shutout of the year, tying them with Isca Town for msot in the league. They have also closed to within two of the Captains, and have designs on being the first team in a while to be in first besides the Captains.

-The Londinium Royals have won four in a row, and these past two wins have been big. Victories over DC and Isca Town solidified their grip on fourth place and clawed them back to within six of DC. Their first round pick, Gabe Chambers, didn't come away with any points from his first two games, but he gave them good energy and work rate from the third line and they hope he'll continue to buoy the lower end of the team. The Royals get the Privateers next; a win would keep the momentum going and stifle a potential challenger, while a loss might herald another run of poor play like the one the Royals recently ended.

-The Eboracum Sharpshooters are our half a team this week, as they've won two in a row, but still lost seven of their last eleven games. But their two wins, over Mancunium and Aquae Sulis, have jumped them back into sole possession of fifth place. Tim Smith, Glen Gray, Christian Ball, and Archie Cole were the goal-scorers in their two wins, a balanced attack that delivered them the victory and snapped a five-game losing streak. They will need to keep up that success against teams higher than them in the standings, something they've struggled mightily with, going just 1-7-4 against the four teams currently in playoff position. They will get Pons Aelius next in a key test for them.

Who's not: Three teams

-Perhaps not on a big losing streak, but the DC Oilers are just 3-2-2 in their last seven games, dropping games against Sept-Iles, Mancunium, Pons Aelius, and Londinium. Three of those four teams are decent, but the Oilers have now fallen four back of Pons Aelius and six back of Isca Town. Their once-larger lead over Londinium has also shrunk and they are in some danger of falling too far behind the leaders.

-The Mancunium Raiders have now lost four games in a row: a shootout with Portus Abonae, a 5-2 whipping by Sept-Iles, and a pair of tough losses to Eboracum (3-2) and Newfield (shootout). Their first round pick Cam Ferguson played well in his limited ice time, but they couldn't stop Eboracum and Heath Lindsay was outplayed by Augustin Gauthier in the shootout against Newfield. They're still respectably ahead of Vinovium, but their game against Aquae Sulis next will be crucial.

-Isca Town had lost four of their last five before their 2-1 victory over Vinovium, a remarkably poor stretch of play for this elite team. But their selection of Zach Gill in the first round of the NAHL draft showed they weren't panicking or concerned about the trajectory of the season. The Captains have reached a deal to send Gill on loan to a team in the Alps Hockey League, where he will gain valuable experience while not being overpowered by the level of play.

Surprise of the update: Just one this time

The surprise is Londinium defeating Isca Town and DC in back-to-back games. Those two teams have twenty losses combined, better than five teams on their own. Sheldon Cook scored the only goal in their defeat of Isca Town, while Daniel Roberts found the net in overtime, beating Ted Carpenter to give the Royals the win. They are now 3-3-2 against those two teams, a respectable record that is the difference between them and Eboracum, who are just 1-3-2 against them.

NAHL All-Star Game - Team McQueen defeats Team Smith

NAHL All-Star Game

National Arena in Londinium

Londinium, Nova Anglicana - The annual NAHL All-Star game took place at the National Arena in Londinium last night, where Team McQueen claimed a 4-3 victory over Team Smith. Unlike a regular season game, the All-Star Game consisted of three periods of ten minutes each, rather than the usual twenty. This was to lighten the load on the players, since it was only an exhibition. Before the game, goalkeepers Brett McQueen of Pons Aelius and Justin Smith of Isca Town were named as captains, and proceeded to pick their squads, schoolyard style, until each had an eighteen-man team.

The puck dropped, and play was noticeably different. Most teams in the NAHL favor patient build-up or a modest attacking style, but in this exhibition, play flowed freely and attack was the order of the day. Smith and McQueen are two of the best NAHL goalkeepers, and they played well, but they weren't about to overexert themselves, not with first place still up for grabs in the second half. Four minutes into the first period, Owen Jones, playing on a line with his DC teammate Julian Stephens and dynamic Aquae Sulis right winger Nick May, snapped a shot past Smith to put Team McQueen up 1-0. Two minutes later, Brady Dowell of the Newfield Rangers had a breakaway; he dodged Newfield teammate Graham Drummond and beat McQueen to his glove side high to tie the score. Asked after the game if he went easy on Dowell, Drummond said with a chuckle, "Heck no. I was trying to take his head off, 'cause you know he'll be bragging about that one in practice for days."

The first period ended with no further scoring, but the second period started with a bang. Team McQueen's Gaston Fortin, of Sept-Iles, executed a terrific give-and-go with his Whalers teammate Rene Kelly, that ended with Fortin beating Smith to give his team a 2-1 lead barely forty seconds into the second period. Five minutes later, Tim Smith, of the Eboracum Sharpshooters, took a nifty pass from his linemate and regular teammate Glen Gray and rifled a snap shot into the net past McQueen to tie the score at two. Smith is typically the passer and Gray the goalscorer for Eboracum, but the reverse was true to great effect for Team Smith. McQueen and Smith both made nice saves later in the period to keep the score level at 2-all. They were replaced by Labrador's Dave Francis and Londinium's Eli Boyd, respectively, after making 15 saves apiece.

In the third period, play loosened up even more. Nearing the end of the game, even the d-men were aggressively attacking and defense thrown to the winds. This made it more difficult for Francis and Boyd, but they played admirably, if often with too little support. At 4:38, Kevin Morgan of Vinovium was the open man when Team McQueen whipped the puck around the offensive zone, hoping to expose a weakness in the Team Smith defense. A quick wrister was all it took to beat a sliding Boyd and put Team McQueen up 3-2. It was a great moment for Morgan, and for Vinovium fans, who have seen a lot of losing and tough games this season. But at 7:21, Team Smith answered back. Sammy Jensen, the other DC Oilers' first-line All-Star, received an outlet pass from Quinn Baird, skated and dodged past the Isca Town defensive pairing of Jason Gross and Louis Tremblay, then, one on one with Francis, faked left, went right, and buried the puck in the back of the net to tie the score. If no team scored a winner in the next 2:39, the game would go to a five-minute overtime, then a shootout. But that wasn't necessary, as Philippe Laurent's heavy slap shot rebounded off Boyd, and Mancunium's Brandon Scanlon was there to finish the job, shoving the puck home at 9:14 to provide the final margin. Team McQueen held off the six attackers of Team Smith in the final 47 seconds and took the 4-3 victory.

After the game, players hugged amiably and fans cheered an exciting game. The NAHL draft is up next, and then the second half of the season begins. It's anyone's game, as the excellent All-Star play demonstrated today.

NAHL All-Star Game Roster

NAHL All-Star Game Selections

Forwards

Julian Stephens (C), DC

Victor Hall (C), Labrador

Rene Kelly (C), Sept-Iles
Jordon Upshaw (C), Portus Abonae
Quinn Baird (C), Mancunium
Aaron Black (C), Pons Aelius

Gaston Fortin (RW), Sept-Iles

Sammy Jensen (RW), DC

Ben Malone (RW), Londinium

Nick May (RW), Aquae Sulis

Brady Dowell (RW), Newfield

Tim Smith (RW), Eboracum

Glen Gray (LW), Eboracum

Owen Jones (LW), DC

Kevin Morgan (LW), Vinovium

Darin Drake (LW), Aquae Sulis

Robbie Reid (LW), Isca Town

Brandon Scanlon (LW), Mancunium

Defensemen

Dirk Ziegler, Pons Aelius

Louis Tremblay, Isca Town

Jason Gross, Isca Town

Marc Levesque, Sept-Iles

Graham Drummond, Newfield

Jack Green, Mancunium

Shane Manning, DC

Philippe Laurent, Labrador

Goalies

Brett McQueen, Pons Aelius

Justin Smith, Isca Town

Eli Boyd, Londinium

Dave Francis, Labrador

Team McQueen

G Brett McQueen, Pons Aelius

G Dave Francis, Labrador

C Julian Stephens, DC

C Rene Kelly, Sept-Iles

C Jordon Upshaw, Portus Abonae

RW Gaston Fortin, Sept-Iles
RW Nick May, Aquae Sulis
RW Ben Malone, Londinium

LW Owen Jones, DC
LW Brandon Scanlon, Mancunium
LW Kevin Morgan, Vinovium

D Jason Gross, Isca Town

D Louis Tremblay, Isca Town

D Graham Drummond, Newfield

D Philippe Laurent, Labrador

Team Smith

G Justin Smith, Isca Town

G Eli Boyd, Londinium

C Quinn Baird, Mancunium

C Victor Hall, Labrador

C Aaron Black, Pons Aelius

RW Sammy Jensen, DC
RW Brady Dowell, Newfield
RW Tim Smith, Eboracum

LW Glen Gray, Eboracum
LW Darin Drake, Aquae Sulis
LW Robbie Reid, Isca Town

D Dirk Ziegler, Pons Aelius
D Marc Levesque, Sept-Iles
D Shane Manning, DC
D Jack Green, Mancunium

Team: Number of Players

Aquae Sulis: 2

DC: 4

Eboracum: 2

Isca Town: 4

Labrador: 3

Londinium: 2

Mancunium: 3

Newfield: 2

Pons Aelius: 3

Portus Abonae: 1

Sept-Iles: 3

Vinovium: 1

NAHL Midseason Update

Midseason Update

Please read below for statistical information on the 12 NAHL clubs here at the All-Star break. Please note that recorded goalscorers do not account for all goals scored by a team.

Team: Aquae Sulis Bears

Goals For/Game, Rank: 2.03, 4th

Goals Against/Game, Rank: 2.30, 10th

Shutouts, Rank: 2, 11th

Recorded Goalscorers: Nick May (12), Cal Malone (6), Darin Drake (11), Martin Wong (8), Kip Maddox (4), David Richter (3), Mike Morrill (1)

Team: DC Oilers

Goals For/Game, Rank: 2.55, 2nd

Goals Against/Game, Rank: 1.97, 6th

Shutouts, Rank: 4, 10th

Recorded Goalscorers: Owen Jones (12), Julian Stephens (15), Shane Manning (2), Greg Ford (1), Reed Harrison (8), Wally McMillan (4), Malcolm Hogg (6), Sammy Jensen (13), Jeff Sutton (2),


Team: Eboracum Sharpshooters

Goals For/Game, Rank: 2.58, 1st

Goals Against/Game, Rank: 2.67, 12th

Shutouts, Rank: 5, 8th (tie)

Recorded Goalscorers: Glen Gray (13), Tim Smith (7), Jan Becker (3), Josh Jensen (1), Will Richardson (6), Christian Ball (6), Alec Loveless (2), Gavin Kirkwood (3)


Team: Isca Town Captains

Goals For/Game, Rank: 1.48, 10th

Goals Against/Game, Rank: 0.73, 2nd

Shutouts, Rank: 21, 1st

Recorded Goalscorers: Jason Gross (8), Jonathan Barnes (8), Robbie Reid (11), Louis Tremblay (4), Shaun Webster (8), Zeke Moseley (3)


Team: Labrador Caribou

Goals For/Game, Rank: 1.58, 9th

Goals Against/Game, Rank: 1.64, 4th

Shutouts, Rank: 9

Recorded Goalscorers: Victor Hall (12), Philippe Laurent (4), Wade Hamilton (8), Johnny Ramsey (8), Don Betts (2), Stan Colvin (2)


Team: Londinium Royals

Goals For/Game, Rank: 1.64, 7th (tie)

Goals Against/Game, Rank: 1.55, 3rd

Shutouts, Rank: 6, 6th (tie)

Recorded Goalscorers: Eric Benson (7), Sheldon Cook (7), Daniel Roberts (4), Thomas Bailey (4), Ben Malone (8), Brendan Ellis (1), Nico Nielsen (7),


Team: Mancunium Raiders

Goals For/Game, Rank: 1.70, 6th

Goals Against/Game, Rank: 2.12, 8th

Shutouts, Rank: 6, 6th (tie)

Recorded Goalscorers: Quinn Baird (13), Brandon Scanlon (11), Todd Hagan (8), Matt Harmon (7), Jack Green (2)


Team: Newfield Rangers

Goals For/Game, Rank: 1.64, 7th (tie)

Goals Against/Game, Rank: 2.09, 7th

Shutouts, Rank: 5, 8th (tie)

Recorded Goalscorers: Brady Dowell (11), Earl Switzer (4), Elliott Parrish (6), Toby Swan (7), Seth Sharp (2)


Team: Pons Aelius Steelers

Goals For/Game, Rank: 1.27, 12th

Goals Against/Game, Rank: 0.52, 1st

Shutouts, Rank: 20, 2nd

Recorded Goalscorers: Dirk Ziegler (3), Eric Ferguson (1), Hank Gross (4), Joe Strickland (4), Aaron Black (10), Brooks Worrell (5), Nate Fuller (3)


Team: Portus Abonae Privateers

Goals For/Game, Rank: 2.36, 3rd

Goals Against/Game, Rank: 2.45, 11th

Shutouts, Rank: 1, 12th

Recorded Goalscorers: Jordon Upshaw (11), Jesse Brock (5), Doug Dixon (1), Tony Boykin (2), Jamie Atwood (5), Archie Cole (6), Cliff Holt (7), Tad Baines (3), Mike Henry (4), Scottie Richards (1)


Team: Sept-Iles Whalers

Goals For/Game, Rank: 1.85, 5th

Goals Against/Game, Rank: 1.82, 5th

Shutouts, Rank: 8, 3rd

Recorded Goalscorers: Gaston Fortin (14), Rene Kelly (10), Marc Levesque (1), Denis Babin (7), James McDaniel (6), Michel Picard (4), Jean-Luc Broussard (4)


Team: Vinovium Lumberjacks

Goals For/Game, Rank: 1.42, 10th

Goals Against/Game, Rank: 2.18, 9th

Shutouts, Rank: 7, 4th

Recorded Goalscorers: Parker Martindale (7), Kevin Morgan (9), Roman Massey (4), Max Getz (6), Jake Roundtree (4), Tyler Foster (1)

Leading Recorded Goalscorers

1. Julian Stephens, DC, 15
2. Gaston Fortin, Sept-Iles, 14
3. Glen Gray, Eboracum/Quinn Baird, Mancunium/Sammy Jensen, DC, 13
6. Nick May, Aquae Sulis/Owen Jones, DC/Victor Hall, Labrador 12
9. Darin Drake, Aquae Sulis/Robbie Reid, Isca Town/Brandon Scanlon, Mancunium/Brady Dowell, Newfield/Jordon Upshaw, Portus Abonae, 11
14. Aaron Black, Pons Aelius/Rene Kelly, Sept-Iles, 10

NAHL Day 33 - Newfield finally breaks streak, so does Portus Abonae

Rangers players celebrate ending their eight-game losing streak, image credit to Sportsnet Canada

Newfield ends their losing streak, while Portus Abonae ends their winning streak, plus Pons Aelius and DC clash

Eboracum Sharpshooters 1, Newfield Rangers 3: It's over, it's over, it's finally over! An eight-game losing streak for the Newfield Rangers came to a cathartic end in Eboracum last night. Brady Dowell, Elliott Parrish, and Toby Swan scored, one in each of the periods, to lead the Rangers to victory over a slumping Sharpshooters squad. When the game ended, the team swarmed together to celebrate, several players yelling exuberantly, glad to finally have a win. With the win, Newfield still only sits in 10th place, but they couldn't be happier to be there. Any win, any points feel good after so much misery. In the second half, they'll look to play the same scrappy hockey they played in the first round-robin, and perhaps insert themselves into the mid-table conversation. As for Eboracum, they have discovered the perfect way not to end the first half: losing five in a row. The Sharpshooters lead the league in offense, averaging nearly 2.6 goals/game, but they allow nearly 2.7. If they can't get  handle on their defense, their playoff hopes will melt away. Even allowing two goals per game would represent a significant improvement, and would likely lead to a lot more success.

Aquae Sulis Bears 4, Portus Abonae Privateers 2: As the Rangers were snapping their eight-game losing streak, Aquae Sulis was putting an end to Portus' Abonae's five-game winning streak. This west Newfoundland rivalry saw David Richter and Kip Maddox score in the first period to make it 2-0, Cliff Holt cut the deficit to 2-1 in the second, and Martin Wong answer back, restoring the two-goal lead going into the third. But Tad Baines' goal at 11:24 cut the lead down to one goal again, and the two teams battled furiously for the remaining eight and a half minutes. Portus Abonae finally brought out a sixth attacker with just over a minute to go, and at 19:41, Cal Malone's shot, more of a clearance really, whizzed down the ice and found the empty net to seal the deal. The Privateers saw their momentum halted, but they have played a lot better since sinking into the bottom third of the league early on. Their 35 points isn't close to their pace from last year, and they'll have to pick it up if they expect to make it back to the playoffs. They seem to have rediscovered their offense, but can they improve their defense enough to get some stops and get some wins? Aquae Sulis isn't relevant in the playoff chase, but they can still play spoiler and chase as many points as they can, or they can sell some of their talented attackers to a higher-up club and turn to developing youth as their main priority.

Pons Aelius Steelers 0, DC Oilers 0 (1-0 OT): The first-half rubber match between these two teams ended in a way only Steelers fans could love: a 1-0 victory for Pons Aelius in overtime. Aaron Black had the winning goal at 3:17 of overtime, flipping a shot past Ted Carpenter to put the Steelers over the top. Pons Aelius' defense, led by goalkeeper Brett McQueen and defensemen Eric Ferguson and Dirk Ziegler, has yielded just 17 goals in 33 games, just over 0.5 goals/game. That is an astounding figure which more than makes up for their league-worst offense, which is averaging just under 1.3 goals/game. They have fought DC back and forth for second (or first) place all season, and now appear to be the hotter team at the moment. They are on pace for 100 points and surely harbor hopes of challenging Isca Town for first place. As for the Oilers, they are struggling through a 3-3-1 stretch to end the second half. Where once they were hot on Isca Town's heels, now they find themselves behind Pons Aelius and several points behind the Captains. They're largely safe from falling out of the playoffs, but they led the league for a little while in the early going, and a matchup against Londinium or any of the teams below them definitely sounds easier than Pons Aelius. They may look to add a piece or two to make a second-half charge.

Mancunium Raiders 2, Sept-Iles Whalers 5: Blow me down! Three consecutive multi-goal wins as part of a 5-2-0 stretch is a heck of a way to end the first half for the Whalers. On the heels of a 4-1 rout of Eboracum, and not terribly far removed from a 4-0 dismantling of DC, Sept-Iles blasted Mancunium 5-2 in their final game before the All-Star break. Gaston Fortin scored twice in the first period to put the Whalers ahead, and Rene Kelly and Denis Babin pushed the lead to 4-0 by the end of the second period. Matt Harmon and Brandon Scanlon broke the shutout for Mancunium in the third period, but the result was already determined at that point. Jean-Luc Broussard's goal at 17:43 capped the scoring, causing the fairly significant Whalers contingent in the stands to roar with approval. The Whalers have now leaped into a three-way tie for fifth place, and are certainly the hottest team of the three, if not the entire league. Are they peaking at the right time or is this a brief run of brilliance that will fade in the second half? Only time will tell. With Aquae Sulis' and Newfield's wins, the Raiders are back in 11th place. Their 27 points from 33 games is pretty much on pace with last year, which is not at all what ownership wanted. Their second half will either be a fight for respectability or a fire sale.

Londinium Royals 4, Vinovium Lumberjacks 2: Two games to end the first half against cellar-dwelling teams, two chances to end the Royals' four-game losing streak, four points on the line. Break the losing streak? Check. Two wins? Check. Four points? Check. Inspire confidence going into the second half? Umm...mostly check? It's true that the Royals defeated Newfield 1-0 to break the streak, and finished off the first half with a win at home over Vinovium, 4-2. But a 1-0 win over a team on a serious losing streak, falling behind 1-0, and conceding a tying goal to make it 2-2 against the last-place team in the league before rallying for the win isn't exactly the performance you want to see. Ben Malone and Nico Nielsen had the go-ahead and game-sealing goals in the third period for Londinium in this last game. The good news is, they got the four points and are firmly in fourth place. They're four and five points clear of the gaggle of teams jostling behind them, but they will need to play more consistently, or they'll be eclipsed. As for the Lumberjacks, Kevin Morgan and Parker Martindale had their goals in a spirited two-period effort. Under interim head coach Dean Collins, the team has gone 8-14-1 in 23 games for 17 points. That's not an impressive full-season pace (49 points), but it represents a serious improvement from their 1-8-1 start. Development is the name of the game at this point, but they might unload some veterans if teams higher up in the standings show interest.

Labrador Caribou 0, Isca Town Captains 1: The Captains broke their own three-game losing streak, getting a second-period goal from Zeke Moseley to down Labrador on the road and claim their 26th win going into the All-Star break. Coming in, they'd lost three straight to the likes of Mancunium, Aquae Sulis, and Pons Aelius, so getting back on track was key. For the Caribou, this was a missed opportunity to pick up points at home against a suddenly vulnerable Isca Town team. Two points could have gotten that much closer to Londinium and therefore the playoffs. Instead, they were shut down by the Captains. It was their closest loss yet, but they still have not managed to score a single goal against Isca Town in their three meetings. They now find themselves at 15-12-6, 36 points, four out of the playoffs, battling three other teams for the right to be the team right behind Londinium, which still isn't in the playoffs. A strong second-half performance is imperative for this club, or they could find themselves fading into irrelevance. As for Isca Town, they're behind last year's pace, but still comfortably in the playoffs (14 points ahead of 4th place Londinium) and in first (four points up on Pons Aelius), but the Steelers appear to be gunning for first as well, so strap in for a second-half battle.

NAHL Day 31/32 - Isca Town loses two in a row?

Sunset at Peggy's Cove, west of Eboracum, image credit to novascotia.com

Isca Town loses twice(!), Sept-Iles and Portus Abonae are surging, and Vinovium finally hits 20 points

NAHL Day 31

Sept-Iles Whalers 2, Newfield Rangers 0

Eboracum Sharpshooters 2, Portus Abonae Privateers 5

Mancunium Raiders 1, DC Oilers 0

Aquae Sulis Bears 3, Isca Town Captains 1

Pons Aelius Steelers 1, Vinovium Lumberjacks 0

Labrador Caribou 2, Londinium Royals 1

NAHL Day 32

Newfield Rangers 0, Londinium Royals 1

Vinovium Lumberjacks 0, Labrador Caribou 0 (1-0 OT)

Isca Town Captains 0, Pons Aelius Steelers 0 (0-1 SO)

DC Oilers 2, Aquae Sulis Bears 0

Portus Abonae Privateers 5, Mancunium Raiders 4

Sept-Iles Whalers 4, Eboracum Sharpshooters 1

The big news of this update is that Isca Town lost two in a row! The team that had seemed completely invulnerable is now stumbling, especially a loss to low-ranking Aquae Sulis. They are still four points up on Pons Aelius, however, and six up on DC, who lost to Mancunium in a surprising result themselves. Those three teams have firmly entrenched themselves at the top of the standings, with third-place DC a full eight points clear of the fourth-place team. Those three teams (and Londinium at +1) are the only teams in the league to maintain a positive goal differential. Much of the drama of the second half, it looks like, will center on the race for the final playoff spot. The Londinium Royals currently hold that position, but four teams (Eboracum, Labrador, Portus Abonae, Sept-Iles) are within four points of them at the moment. Londinium's struggles have prevented them from pulling away, while hard-charging teams like Portus Abonae and Sept-Iles are forcing themselves into the playoff picture.

Who's hot: Four and a half teams

-Portus Abonae stays hot, having won five in a row. Their latest victims? A 5-2 thrashing of the Eboracum Sharpshooters and then a back-and-forth battle with Mancunium that only ended when Jordon Upshaw beat Heath Lindsay at 18:27 of the third period. With their much-vaunted offense now rounding into form (3rd in the league, 13 more than the fourth-place team), they are just three points back of the playoffs and looking to make a strong second-half run.

-Pons Aelius keeps chugging along, winning three in a row and six of their last eight. But the biggest one was their 1-0 shootout win over Isca Town, with Brooks Worrell scoring the only goal in the shootout and Brett McQueen making 36 saves not counting the shootout. They are still four points back of first, but they're shaving down the lead. If they can finish first, they'll likely get to play one of the gaggle of weaker teams vying for fourth and can save dangerous Isca Town or DC for the finals.

-The Mancunium Raiders' winning streak is no more since losing to Portus Abonae, but they have won four of their last five and six of their last eight, including defeating the DC Oilers on a goal from Quinn Baird to complete their recent run of victories over the top four teams. They're still only tied for ninth and well under .500, but they've been playing well.

-The Sept-Iles Whalers have won three in a row, and four of their last six to leap into the "hot" category. This includes a workmanlike 2-0 win over Newfield where James McDaniel scored both goals, and a 4-1 victory over Eboracum, sending the Sharpshooters home chastened, with their tail between their legs. Michel Picard, Gaston Fortin, and Rene Kelly had a goal and an assist in that game, with the final, empty-net, goal being scored by Jean-Luc Broussard. They appear to have found some consistency and, despite their middling offense, are now just four points out of playoff position.

-Labrador has won four out of six, so despite their loss to Vinovium, they remain the "half" team in the "hot" category. They remain a strong contender for the playoffs, just two points behind Londinium, who they defeated 2-1 in Labrador to briefly pull within one point. Since dropping out of playoff position early on, Labrador has hovered in the middle of the standings, sometimes nearer, sometimes farther away from the playoffs. They'll need a big second half to make it (and maybe a big second half roster move?)

Who's not: Four teams

-The Londinium Royals have good news and bad news. The good news is that they snapped their four game losing streak, beating Newfield 1-0. The bad news is that they're still just 3-7-0 in their last ten games. They haven't played like a team that wants to stay in playoff position, but they've been rescued by Labrador and now Eboracum's struggles and failures to take their spot away from them. But with Portus Abonae and Sept-Iles heating up, they'd better shape up, or the playoffs will be a forlorn hope come game 66. 

-The Eboracum Sharpshooters have lost four in a row and six of their last eight games. And while previously, they had lost close games to good teams, they got whipped by mediocre but rising teams in Portus Abonae and Sept-Iles in this stretch. Two three-goal losses are going to do a number on the old morale for the Sharpshooters. Instead of taking advantage of Londinium's recent struggles, they've played poorly themselves and allowed what could have been a two-team race for fourth place develop into a five-team free-for-all. They will play Newfield in their last game before the All-Star break; perhaps the Rangers and the break will help them into a better second half.

-The Newfield Rangers continue to lose. They are now 0-7-1 in their last eight. They have been shut out in their last three games, and five times in their losing streak. They've allowed 19 goals, nearly 2.5 per game, while scoring just nine, just over 1.1 per game. This run of poor play has caused them to drop all the way to 11th place. They are still six clear of Vinovium for last place, but this was a team that had hopes of finishing mid-table, not "staying out of last by default" hopes.

-The dirty secret of this update is that the Isca Town Captains have actually lost three in a row now. Two in a row in this update, but three in a row overall. And they have lost to Mancunium and Aquae Sulis, two teams that are currently tied for ninth place in the standings. Definitely qualifies as a cold streak. Seems so long ago that they won thirteen straight games. The good news is they are still in first place and get Labrador to finish out the first half. The Caribou have played well recently, but the Captains are 2-0-0 and +5 in goal differential in their two meetings, and in both games, Isca Town was clearly the better team.

Surprise of the update: Two surprises again!

Both involve game 31. First, Mancunium upset DC 1-0. The Oilers are not a poor road team, but they got shut out and turned around in this game in Labrador. It's a rough loss that set them back in their competition with Pons Aelius for second, and certainly set them back in their waning hopes for first. Second, Aquae Sulis beat Isca Town, and they didn't just beat the Captains, they easily beat them. It was 2-0 by the end of the first period and 3-1 by the end of the second, with Nick May and Darin Drake scoring the Bears' three goals. Yeah, they lost to DC the next game 2-0, but it was a really nice win.

NAHL Day 29/30 - Three pulling away at the top

Mancunium Raiders goalie Heath Lindsay in net against the Captains, image credit to Mile High Hockey

In this two-game round-up, Isca Town loses, but stays well clear of second, and DC and Pons Aelius open up a big lead over fourth place.

NAHL Day 29

Portus Abonae Privateers 3, Newfield Rangers 2

Sept-Iles Whalers 4, DC Oilers 0

Eboracum Sharpshooters 1, Isca Town Captains 2

Mancunium Raiders 1, Vinovium Lumberjacks 0

Aquae Sulis Bears 2, Londinium Royals 1

Pons Aelius Steelers 1, Labrador Caribou 1 (0-1 SO)

NAHL Day 30

Newfield Rangers 0, Labrador Caribou 1

Londinium Royals 0, Pons Aelius Steelers 1

Vinovium Lumberjacks 4, Aquae Sulis Bears 2

Isca Town Captains 0, Mancunium Raiders 1

DC Oilers 4, Eboracum Sharpshooters 4 (3-2 SO)

Portus Abonae Privateers 4, Sept-Iles Whalers 3

The big news of this update is that three teams at the top of the league have started to pull away from the others. Isca Town, at 51 points, is six clear of second place and a whopping 15(!) points clear of fourth place. Meanwhile, Pons Aelius has leapfrogged DC for second and is nine points ahead of fourth, while the Oilers are eight points up. With this clique solidifying at the top, it looks like the battle in the league will be for fourth place and the final playoff spot. Currently, Londinium and Eboracum are tied for fourth with 36 points, but Londinium has won all three matchups so far. If they are tied at the end of the season, head-to-head record will be the principal tiebreaker. Also in the hunt are Labrador, who's bounced back from their poor run of form, Portus Abonae, who are starting to hit their stride after struggling for long periods of time, and Sept-Iles, who just need some consistency.

Who's hot: Three and a half teams

-Portus Abonae, who has won three in a row, and seven of their last ten, including taking down the Oilers, Royals, and Whalers, while losing in overtime to Isca Town. It's helped them to within five points of playoff position.

-Pons Aelius has won three of their last four, and four of their last six, with both their losses coming in shootout fashion, including a shootout against Labrador that went down to the final shot before the Caribou converted and Dave Francis shut the door on Nate Fuller. They're now in second place and are the only team to have allowed fewer than 20 goals.

-The Mancunium Raiders, who have suddenly won three in a row and five of their last six, including taking down the Captains, Steelers, and Royals. Their run of good form hasn't moved the needle on the standings much, as they are still tied for 10th, but they are well clear of last place at this point. This is what ownership envisioned when they opened up the checkbook this offseason. Err, the winning streak, not finding themselves in 10th place.

-Labrador is on a semi-hot streak, having won three of their last four (after losing six in a row). Their wins over Newfield and Pons Aelius lifted them to 33 points, just three back of Londinium and Eboracum. They will play Londinium next, looking to take advantage of the Royals' cold stretch and put themselves in a better position going into the All-Star break.

Who's not: Three teams

-The Londinium Royals, who have lost their last three games and six of their last eight. The losses to bottom-feeding Mancunium and Aquae Sulis have especially stung. The cold streak has wasted their not inconsiderable lead for the final playoff spot and tied them with Eboracum. They've been outscored 21-14 in their last eight, bringing their already thin goal differential down to almost zero. Is this reversion to the mean or just a run of bad luck? Whichever it turns out to be will determine how their season goes.

-The Eboracum Sharpshooters have lost three of their last four and four of their last six. The effect of that has been their inability to take over the final playoff position from Londinium. They haven't been outplayed, necessarily, with their four losses coming by one goal or by shootout, and they haven't been giving up points against bad teams either. They've lost to Pons Aelius, Londinium, Isca Town, and DC, the current top four teams. But their struggles against better opponents have really been holding them back. They're one goal behind DC for the best offense in the league, but their defense is league-worst. Some small improvements on D could go a long way.

-The Newfield Rangers have lost six in a row, seriously cramping their style. If they lose their next game, and Aquae Sulis and Mancunium both win, they would be in eleventh place. It's the wrong direction to be going in for head coach Teddy Clegg: "Losing streaks are tough. It kills your momentum and saps your ability to come back. You start hanging your head when you go behind early. But I believe in this team, and I believe we'll bounce back." The Rangers will get Sept-Iles next, a tough game where both sides will be looking to pick up points, the Rangers to stop their losing streak, and the Whalers to make themselves competitive for the playoffs.

Surprise of the update: Two surprises, actually

First, in game 29, Sept-Iles absolutely wiping the floor with DC. We know Sept-Iles has been improving this season, but to crush the second-place team in the league by four goals while shutting them out is truly an achievement. Gaston Fortin, who had a goal and two assists, was quoted as saying, "This is our true potential. When we play as a team, we can do anything. Allez les Balinieres!" Conversely, Oilers head coach Sherm Willis downplayed the loss. "We had a bad game. They're a good team, and it shows that in this league, you can't ever take a day off or not play your best, or you're gonna get your butts whupped. But this isn't us. We had a bad game."

Second, Isca Town losing for just the fifth time this season. Well, it's not so much the loss as who it was to. Few expected bottom-feeding Mancunium to knock off the top-ranked team, but they have defeated three playoff-position teams in their last six games. It was a scrappy, well-played game on both sides, but Quinn Baird beat Justin Smith in the third period to give the Raiders the win.

NAHL Day 27/28 - Isca Town opens seven-point lead

Colorful houses in Summerside, a PEI vacation town, image credit to Pinterest

Over two games, Isca Town stretches their lead, Pons Aelius ties DC, and Londinium and Eboracum are scrapping for fourth.

Day 27

DC Oilers 5, Newfield Rangers 4

Portus Abonae Privateers 0, Isca Town Captains 0 (0-1 OT)

Sept Iles Whalers 1, Vinovium Lumberjacks 0

Eboracum Sharpshooters 4, Londinium Royals 4 (4-5 OT)

Mancunium Raiders 0, Labrador Caribou 2

Aquae Sulis Bears 0, Pons Aelius Steelers 0 (0-1 OT)

Day 28

Newfield Rangers 0, Pons Aelius Steelers 0 (0-1 OT)

Labrador Caribou 3, Aquae Sulis Bears 5

Londinium Royals 1, Mancunium Raiders 4

Vinovium Lumberjacks 3, Eboracum Sharpshooters 4

Isca Town Captains 1, Sept-Iles Whalers 0

DC Oilers 3, Portus Abonae Privateers 4

Two-day summary

Isca Town maintains its spot in first through an overtime win over Portus Abonae, then getting revenge for Sept-Iles' defeat of them last time out, both 1-0 victories. Shaun Webster scored in overtime, while Robbie Reid was the lone goal-scorer in the Captains' defeat of the Whalers. They now have a seven point lead over DC and Pons Aelius and will face Eboracum next.

Pons Aelius faced two teams in the middle and lower portions of the standings, and came away with two wins, albeit much more difficult than expected. Both Aquae Sulis and Newfield took the Steelers to overtime before Nate Fuller and Brooks Worrell scored to lift the Steelers to victory. The Steelers and Captains' defensive records are impressive; both have allowed fewer than twenty goals, while the next best defensive team, Londinium, has allowed 44. The Oilers escaped Newfield thanks in no small part to four goals from Owen Jones, Sammy Jensen, and Julian Stephens. However, they fell to Portus Abonae on a late goal from Mike Henry; this loss, with the Steelers' win, tied the two teams at 42 points. DC continues to lead the league in offense, but their defense has slipped to sixth in the league.

Londinium and Eboracum are battling it out for the final playoff spot at the moment. The Royals beat the Sharpshooters for the third time (previous wins of 2-1 and 4-4 (3-0 SO)), this time 5-4 in OT. Ben Malone scored the winning goal for Londinium, and that win represents the one-point difference between the two teams right now. Eboracum will have to beat Londinium sometime if they expect to make the playoffs. But in the other game, Eboracum took care of business against a tougher than expected Lumberjacks team, getting two points on the road, while the Royals got walloped at home by a Raiders team that had, in fairness, just knocked off Pons Aelius two games ago. Royals head coach Paul Bowman attributed the loss to "poor preparation" and said they'd be more than ready for Aquae Sulis next.

Speaking of the Bears, they knocked off the sixth-place Labrador Caribou 5-3 after succumbing to Pons Aelius in overtime. The Caribou had polished off Mancunium 2-0 in the Labrador rivalry, breaking their six-game losing streak and winning for just the second time in ten games. But Darin Drake and Nick May scored twice each in Labrador to give the Bears the win. They're still languishing in tenth place, but three points in two games is a good result for them. As for Labrador, they'll take any points they can get as they try to stay in the playoff race and ahead of surging Sept-Iles and Portus Abonae, who sit one and two points behind them, respectively. The Whalers shut out the Lumberjacks before falling to the Captains. They've gone 3-3-0 in the third round-robin and will be looking for more consistency as they face DC next. The Privateers went 1-0-1 against Isca Town and DC, which is a pretty good result for them. Their 3-2-1 third round-robin record includes wins over DC and Londinium, but a loss to Vinovium that severely hampered them. 

As for the Newfield Rangers, they played two competitive, close games, but came away with just one point for their troubles. Head coach Teddy Clegg isn't looking for success just yet, though; a scrappy and competitive team is good enough for this year. There isn't a lot separating ninth from sixth, so a good run to end the first half could see the Rangers in a surprising position. Meanwhile, Vinovium takes two close losses; their third round-robin record is 1-5-0, as they look to be reverting to old bad habits. They'll take on Mancunium next, with both teams looking to finish the first half strong.

Learn more about Nova Anglicana - Cuisine

Jiggs dinner, a traditional Newfoundland dish

Food in Nova Anglicana

So when you get to Nova Anglicana and you want to go for a drink and meal, what can you expect? Lots of fish, b'y. Londinium is located in the province of Newfoundland, which has a very strong fishing industry. Fish and chips, cod every way you can think of (tongues are a favorite), flounder, halibut, salmon, and lobster are some of the typical seafood one can expect, though if you're lucky, you might be able to find seal flipper pie, a real treat. For land fare, try caribou, deer, rabbit, or the famous "jiggs dinner", salted beef with boiled vegetables, as well as pickles and beets. For dessert, think figgy duff, a sweet raisin pudding, or one of our many baked goods flavored with molasses. 

Eboracum is also a maritime city, so look for a lot of seafood, but lobster especially (and eel is surprisingly popular). Rappie pie is an Acadian tradition, made from grated potatoes with meat broth dripped over it, and various types of sausage can also be found just about anywhere. Eboracum also offers wonderful apples, blueberries, and wine, for those of you looking for something other than meat. Blueberry grunt is a local dessert favorite that consists of blueberry dumplings with nutmeg, cinnamon and sugar mixed in; tourists consistently rave about it.

In Durovernum Cantiacorum, or DC for short, seafood is the prime entree, with a special focus on shellfish. Lobster, oysters, scallops, crab, clams, mussels, you name it, they've got it. For the adventurous, try fiddleheads or dulse. And for dessert, pecan pie with maple sugar is sure to please even the pickiest eater. Or venture a little further out to Kings County, where the local sheep farming means you can enjoy incredibly tasty grilled lamb. 

In Aquae Sulis or Portus Abonae, food is much the same as in Londinium and other parts of Newfoundland, but with a heavier focus on game and local produce.

If you should find yourself in Isca Dumnoniorum or anywhere in Prince Edward Island, keep an eye out for lobster, available almost year round, or delicious Malpeque oysters. What else is PEI famous for? Well, the beef on the island is delicious, but the other PEI specialty is potatoes. Mash 'em, boil 'em, stick 'em in a stew, but that's not all you can do with them. Fish and chips on PEI will taste better than in the UK because of PEI potatoes, or try garlic fries made with lovely local garlic. There are over 100 varieties of potato cultivated on PEI and they taste better because of the sustainable and land-friendly methods used to grow them.

In Sept-Iles, seafood is again the order of the day. Enjoy scallops, softshell or razor clams, whelk, and snow crabs, or try fish like salmon, cod, halibut, or trout. Or hop over to the Purmer sea farm on Grosse Boule Island for mussels, scallops, and instructive information on aquaculture. Finally, try cloudberries, a local specialty, in a dessert or in chicoutai, a local liqueur. 

Drink in Nova Anglicana

Wine in Nova Anglicana is primarily grown in Nova Scotia. Nova Scotia is primarily known for its sparkling wine and white wine, especially the Tidal Bay appellation. New Brunswick has wine production, but also boasts cider, mead, and fruit wine, such as strawberry or blueberry. Prince Edward Island also features cider and mead as well as grape wine. Newfoundland is more known for its fruit wines than its grape wines.

But what you really want to know about is the beer, right? Pubs in Londinium and other major cities are open from noon to midnight, usually, and later on the weekends, and local breweries usually hold the same hours, give or take an hour or two. Expect to see plenty of traditional lagers and ales, though local microbreweries are turning out more complex beers, including a popular blueberry ale made with local blueberries. The most popular in the country is Lion, but other popular beers include Moosehead, Picaroons in Vinovium, and several historical Newfoundland beers that are now brewed by Molson or Labatt. Lion is the most prominent and you can find the wide variety they serve below.

IPAs/ESBs: Corner Pub ESB, 5% - Lion goes back to Nova Anglicana's English roots with this Extra Strong Bitter that delicately balances hops and malts; served a little warmer than normal for that real English pub experience

Grizzled IPA, 7.0% - Orange in color, this crisp beer has a citrusy taste up front, but that gradually fades to allow pine and floral aromas to come to the fore. 

Pale Ales: Hunter's Pale Ale, 5.9% - Dark gold and full-bodied, with a hoppy nose and assertive-but-balanced flavors of pale malts and citrusy floral hops from start to finish.

Alpha Male Strong Golden Ale, 8.5% - combines pilsner malts and spicy hops to produce a golden-colored, drinkable ale with a complex mouthfeel. 

Ambers/Reds/Ryes: Autumn Amber Ale, 4.6% - Crisp and malty, with subdued hops flavor, perfect for an autumn afternoon

Belgians/Farm Ales/Saisons: Mayflower Saison, 6.5% - As you drink, you should detect just a hint of mayflower aroma, Erickson and Co. are proud of that little feat of beer engineering, tastes of spice and slightly bitter and earthy

Fruit/Shandys/Lambics: High Ridge Framboise Lambic, 4.1% - A fruity lambic beer made with raspberries picked directly from Nova Scotia, High Ridge balances the sweetness of a lambic with the tartness of raspberries for an excellent drinking experience

Sunrise Grapefruit Beer, 5.2% - Deliciously pink and tart but not too tart, this fruit beer is refreshing enough to drink anytime

Pilsners/lights/kolsch: Löwe Kolsch, 4.5% - Lion's take on this interesting style from Köln, Löwe is extra gold, extra cold, and perfect for a warm summer's day. Slightly fruity and slightly dry.

Stouts: Lion Stout, 8.8% - The dark caramel, large dense headed brew, with its 8.8% alcoholic content, is unique due to its sweet notes of chocolate and coffee interspersed into a foundation of dark roasted barley

Porters/Scotchs/Browns: High Tide Scotch Ale, 8.0% - named for the tides in Nova Scotia's Bay of Fundy, High Tide packs a wallop at 8% ABV. Sweet enough, but not as much as the stout or the fruit beers. Caramel and malt are the stars here.

Wheat/Weisse: Harvest White Ale, 5.1% - Made from local wheat and spices, Lion's interpretation of a Belgian witbier is more complex than Lion Lager, but just as drinkable, with fruit undertones.

Lagers: Lion Lager, 4.8% - Golden roasted malt in colour with a hint of fruit and caramel flavouring, it is very slightly sweet with less hop notes, good for thirsty workers at the end of a long day, the flagship beer of the brewery

Elder Statesman Rye, 6.3% - this beer is a nod to outgoing Prime Minister Allen Mumford, who was fond of rye beers. Some might call it a bit strong, while others will say the sour rye is just how a beer ought to taste.

Octoberfest Märzen, 5.5% - This is a new offering from Lion, a dark, coppery beer with a full-bodied taste and hints of hops, always served in the traditional Octoberfest Maßkrug

Rampant Red Ale (American style), 6.1% - Malty and filling at first, with a hint of fruitiness, but finishes crisp, light, and hoppy

Treacherous Brown Ale, 6.3% - Dark brown in color, mixes roasted malts with sweet taste of chocolate and nuts and adds a slight hoppy finish.

Windfall Cyser, 12.5% - A new offering from Lion, Windfall combines delicious Nova Anglican apples with Newfoundland honey for a twist on a traditional hard cider. Sweet but spicy, with floral notes, honey, and apple throughout, it works very well on its own or paired with hearty, savory fare to balance the sweetness.

Good Old Hooch, 25% - Good Old Hooch is Liqueur de la Mures de la Marais in French, or chicoutai in First Nations parlance, a sweet liqueur made from cloudberries, a type of wild raspberry.