NAHL Day 14 - Bears finally win, plus lucky 13 for Isca Town

Raiders d-man Troy Buchanan (left) battles Bears forward Darin Drake (right) for the puck, image credit to News Break

The Bears emphatically snapped their losing streak, Isca Town keeps winning, and Labrador and Londinium bounce back.

Aquae Sulis Bears 4, Mancunium Raiders 1: One Newfoundland and Labrador-based club snapped their five-game losing streak last game, another team did it this game. Unfortunately for the Raiders, instead of building on momentum after ending their streak, they ended the dry spell for the Bears. And what a win! The Bears put three past Heath Lindsay in the first period, getting goals from Darin Drake, Cal Malone, and Nick May to essentially salt the game away. Kip Maddox added his second goal of the season in the second period as the Bears took a 4-0 lead. Art Morrison was robbed of a shutout when Quinn Baird snapped a wrister past him at 9:22 of the third, but he would make 27 saves besides in a good game for him. The Bears have now scored eight goals in their past two games after scoring four in their previous four; they will look to keep the hot streak going as they host a Newfield team looking to snap their own five-game losing streak. They'll hope what goes around doesn't come around for them. The Raiders will host Pons Aelius next; the Steelers will be out for revenge after a shock shootout loss last time.

Newfield Rangers 0, Isca Town Captains 2: Lucky 13 wins in a row for the Captains! This winning streak is starting to look unstoppable, as they have shut out their last seven opponents (not counting shootout goals). They have not allowed a goal since their seventh game against Eboracum, a stretch of 428:44 that boggles the mind. Of course, this shutout wasn't as difficult as the last few, as the Rangers have now stumbled to five consecutive losses, scoring just a single goal in that stretch. They only forced Justin Smith to make 23 saves. Isca Town's Jonathan Barnes and Robbie Reid had the only goals, in the second and third periods, respectively. Newfield head coach Teddy Clegg said he'd be shaking up the lines a little bit to try to inject some energy into the club. He will have to hope that his line changes or Aquae Sulis' leaky defense are the cure for their woes, or the Rangers will quickly find themselves out of contention. Isca Town will go to DC next; that game will either tie the two teams or allow the Captains to pull even further ahead.

Labrador Caribou 5, Sept-Iles Whalers 4: Labrador head coach Graham Ashton made the decision to give Dave Francis a blow after three straight losses and an overtime game the last time out. "We really felt that Dave's been doing a great job, but he's started 12 of our 13 games, and it's important to get him more rest." Backup Pete Henderson didn't do a great job in net, conceding four goals on 30 shots, but the offense picked him up and the Caribou snapped their three-game losing streak. The Whalers took a 2-1 lead after one period on goals from Denis Babin and Rene Kelly, but the Caribou struck back with goals in the second from Victor Hall, Johnny Ramsey, and Philippe Laurent. Gaston Fortin closed the deficit to 4-3 early in the third, but Wade Hamilton restored the two-goal lead and Michel Picard's goal in the waning moments was too little, too late. Labrador is back in a tie for fourth with Londinium, while Sept-Iles is tied for ninth with Newfield. The Whalers will host Londinium next. 

Londinium Royals 2, Portus Abonae Privateers 1: One step forward, two steps back for the Privateers. Last season's fourth-place finisher and playoff team can't seem to get going with any sense of consistency. A game after gutting out a 3-2 OT win against playoff competitors Labrador, the Privateers fell 2-1 to the Royals, only scoring at 16:28 of the third period and failing to come back. Nico Nielsen opened the scoring for the Royals, and Ben Malone fired one home in the second period to put the home team up 2-0. The Royals earned their eighth win, snapped a two-game losing streak, and are back in a playoff position tie with Labrador. It is looking increasingly like a top three of Isca Town, DC, and Pons Aelius at the top, with most of the intrigue surrounding that last playoff spot, with Londinium, Labrador, and Eboracum all competing. We're only a fifth of the way through the season, so there's plenty of time for things to change, but it looks like lines are being drawn early.

Pons Aelius Steelers 1, Eboracum Sharpshooters 0: The last time these two teams met, Eboracum entered the game having scored six goals in their past two games. This time, the Sharpshooters had notched ten goals in their past two games. It didn't matter, because the result was the same both times: a 1-0 win for the Steelers. Eboracum can beat up on Aquae Sulis and Mancunium, but Pons Aelius is a different animal. The Sharpshooters made Brett McQueen make 32 saves, but he was up to the task and stopped them all. Meanwhile, Aaron Black scored the game's only goal at 13:56 of the first period; he was the open man as the Steelers whipped the puck around, looking for a hole. This is the fourth consecutive win for the Steelers as they try to keep pace with Isca Town and DC at the top. Eboracum needs to figure out a way to win against better teams; all eight of their wins have come against the teams currently ranked seventh through twelfth in the standings.

Vinovium Lumberjacks 3, DC Oilers 4: Lumberjacks interim head coach Dean Collins doesn't believe in moral victories. "We've got to score goals so we can win games, earn points, and rise up the standings. I told the guys I'm proud of them when they give their all, but wins are what matter in professional hockey." Collins might not be encouraged by the Lumberjacks' recent play, but Vinovium fans may see a glimmer of hope in a victory over Newfield and two one-goal losses to the two best teams in the league. If they can get more consistent play, especially from their defensemen, they are showing signs of competitiveness. The Oilers and Lumberjacks traded goals all night; the Lumberjacks never led, but they were feisty. Owen Jones, Reed Harrison, Malcolm Hogg, and Sammy Jensen were the goal-scorers for DC, who remain two points behind Isca Town, but have a golden opportunity to tie them when the Captains come to visit next. Parker Martindale, Max Getz, and Kevin Morgan had markers for Vinovium; they will host another inconsistent team, Portus Abonae, in their next game.

NAHL Day 13 - One streak snapped, two streaks live on

Raiders players celebrate, image credit to ABC News

Mancunium snapped their losing streak, while Aquae Sulis wasn't so lucky, and Isca Town's remarkable run continues.

Mancunium Raiders 2, Newfield Rangers 1: The five-game losing streak is no more! The Raiders got their first win since beating Vinovium 5-3 back in the seventh game of the season. This one came at the expense of a suddenly slumping Newfield team. It was a pretty straightforward affair, which should give heart to Raiders fans going forward. Quinn Baird had a goal and an assist, and Heath Lindsay made 31 saves, only conceding late in the third period on a rebound when the Rangers had six skaters out. Overall, the Raiders controlled most of the game, snapped their losing streak, and picked up some important points. They are still in eleventh place, however, and will be looking to get back into the thick of things when they travel to Aquae Sulis next. The Rangers have now lost four straight, and it doesn't get any easier, as Isca Town will pay them a visit next.

Eboracum Sharpshooters 6, Aquae Sulis Bears 4: Two games, two shootouts, two wins for the Sharpshooters. Last game, they beat the Raiders 4-3, this time they took down the Bears 6-4. They took a 2-1 lead into the first period break, then led 4-2 after two, took a 6-2 lead, and held on as Aquae Sulis ran out of time for a comeback. They got goals from Jan Becker, Tim Smith, Glen Gray, Will Richardson, Alec Loveless, and Christian Ball in a balanced attack. The Bears' goalscorers were Nick May, Martin Wong, Cal Malone, and Kip Maddox. This is the fifth straight win for the Sharpshooters, leapfrogging them over the Royals and Caribou into fourth place. They also took over the goals scored lead from DC with this performance, 34 to 33. The Bears lost their fifth straight despite doubling their goal output during their previous four outings. They will try to right the ship against Mancunium, who just snapped their own losing streak.

Isca Town Captains 1, Vinovium Lumberjacks 0: Strange as it may sound for a team that has now won twelve in a row, the Captains got scattered boos throughout the night at home in this one. Having a home game against the struggling (to put it mildly) Lumberjacks, the fans expected a strong win with goals, excellent skating, and overall control. They got some good skating, but only one goal, and it was much more competitive than the fans would have liked. Vinovium threatened to take the lead on a couple of occasions, but Justin Smith denied them more than once. He ended up making 29 saves and was named the game's first star. Isca Town's Zeke Moseley scored the only goal at 14:27 of the second period. The Captains will try to stretch their winning streak to thirteen against the struggling Newfield Rangers, while Vinovium will host DC in a tough matchup.

Sept-Iles Whalers 0, Pons Aelius Steelers 0 (0-1 OT): The last time these two teams met, Pons Aelius bullied Sept-Iles, waited them out, and took advantage of a penalty to secure a 1-0 win. It was much more difficult this time. The Whalers were this close to a three-game winning streak; Gaston Fortin's shot at 19:45 of the third period beat Steelers netminder Brett McQueen, but pinged off the pipes and ricocheted away, where the Steelers were able to clear it out of danger. In overtime, center Joe Strickland beat Clement Charbonneau two minutes in to deliver the win for the road team. For Pons Aelius, this win keeps them two behind DC for second place; the Whalers can be encouraged in playing this one mostly level until the disappointing end. The Steelers will look to put a stop to the Sharpshooters' hot streak in their next matchup; Eboracum's been quietly sneaking up on them for a few games now. For the Whalers, they'll tangle with another good defensive team next; the Caribou. 

DC Oilers 2, Londinium Royals 1: If you ask DC head coach Sherm Willis what the Oilers' focus has been during Isca Town's incredible winning streak, he'll tell you not much has changed. "Winning streaks come and go, and we're not really interested in how other teams are doing. All we can control is how we play, so day in and day out, our focus is the same: win our next game." But it's hard to deny that the Captains have put some pressure on the Oilers. DC had the early lead, then they were tied, and now they need to win every game just to stay two points behind the Captains. They might have been feeling it a little, as they fell behind 1-0 early on a first-period goal from the Royals' Nico Nielsen. They didn't strike back until the third period, when Reed Harrison and Owen Jones scored in quick succession, 53 seconds apart, to take the lead for good. The home fans were cheering in the end, but it wasn't easy. The Royals have lost two in a row and slipped into a tie for fifth place. They will have an opportunity to make things right at home against Portus Abonae.

Portus Abonae Privateers 2, Labrador Caribou 2 (3-2 OT): Well, Labrador found the net again after being shut out twice in a row, but the Privateers found the net more. The two teams traded goals all game; Portus Abonae's Cliff Holt found the net at 5:34 of the first period for the early lead, but Victor Hall answered back at 16:55 to tie the game at one-all. Portus struck back when Labrador's Johnny Ramsey was whistled for tripping early in the second period. On the subsequent power play, Jordon Upshaw rifled one past Dave Francis for a 2-1 lead. The Privateers would hold that lead for nearly 30 minutes, before Don Betts hit the back of the net at 14:18 of the third for the Caribou. The game would go into overtime, but wouldn't last long, as Tad Baines scored just 56 seconds into overtime, taking a hard slap shot from near the blue line that caught Francis just a bit off guard. This was the Privateers' fifth win; if they can get a little momentum going, they can break out of the bottom half of the league. For the Caribou, this was their third straight loss. They'll look to shake this bugaboo when Sept-Iles comes to visit next. 

NAHL Day 12 - Excitement in Mancunium

A view of the lovely Labrador coast, home province of the Mancunium Raiders, image credit to LiveMint Viewfinder

A mostly dull day, but Mancunium-Eboracum featured seven goals to liven things up a bit, plus Vinovium gets their second win.

Mancunium Raiders 3, Eboracum Sharpshooters 4: Where'd all the goals go today? Well, they got sucked into a vortex over Mancunium, apparently. Everywhere else saw a 1-0 scoreline, but in the province of Labrador, 8,673 fans were treated to a bit of 4-3 excitement. The Sharpshooters took a 2-0 first period lead, conceded three goals in the second to fall behind, and then came back with two goals in two minutes in the third to win the game. Glen Gray, Tim Smith, Jan Becker, and Gavin Kirkwood were the goal-scorers for Eboracum, with d-man Kirkwood's power play slap shot providing the final margin. Mancunium got goals from Quinn Baird, Jack Green, and Brandon Scanlon in the second to take a brief lead, but couldn't hold it. They have now lost five straight and have tumbled down the standings to eleventh place. The Raiders will host the Rangers next; they desperately need a win to stop this slide.

Newfield Rangers 0, Vinovium Lumberjacks 1: After their veteran netminder, Mel Pinson, had surrendered five goals on consecutive occasions, interim head coach Dean Collins made the decision to start second-string goalie Simon Barnett against the Rangers. He'd allowed four goals in his only appearance, but this time he stopped 25 shots and had a shutout. Is Barnett the answer in net? Maybe, but it might have something to do with the eight shots blocked by Lumberjacks players, including three by oft-injured center prospect Parker Martindale. When asked about it, Collins remarked, "We've had conversations with him about it. He's a really talented player and he wants to give his all for the team, but we've talked about the importance of staying healthy." Jake Roundtree scored the only goal of the game at 8:29 of the third period, and the Lumberjacks earned their second win of the year. For Newfield, this was a missed opportunity at home. If they expect to contend, then they will need to win games against bottom-feeders at home. Both they and Mancunium will be looking for a win in their next game.

Londinium Royals 0, Isca Town Captains 0 (0-1 OT): If revenge is sweet and best served cold, then does that mean revenge is ice cream? If so, then the Captains were enjoying a waffle cone full of revenge in Londinium tonight. The Royals defeated them 2-1 in Isca Dumnoniorum the last time they played, which remains the last time the Captains have lost this season. Their winning streak now has reached an astounding 11 games. It wasn't easy, but high-level NAHL hockey rarely is. Shaun Webster was the open man as the Captains passed it around the horn, and his one-timer beat Eli Boyd at 3:44 of overtime to end the game. The Royals at least picked up a point in this one, and are one point clear of Labrador and Eboracum for fourth place. But they will need to pick up the scoring pace to stay there; without their 5-3 win against Vinovium, they've only scored 13 goals in 11 games, a 1.2 average that is distinctly pedestrian.

Labrador Caribou 0, DC Oilers 1: It didn't take a shootout this time, but it wasn't any easier of a win for the Oilers. At home, the Caribou took the Durovernum Cantiacorum-based team to the waning minutes, and even outshot them 28-26. But they couldn't breach Ted Carpenter's wall in net, and Sammy Jensen skated by two Caribou players and snapped a wrister past Dave Francis at 17:32 to put the Oilers up late. Victor Hall, the Caribou's star center, said after the game, "Give a lot of credit to our d-men and Dave for holding up so well throughout the game. If our offense had been able to score, that late goal might not have mattered. We've got to score more consistently and more often and I take responsibility for that." The Caribou have now been shut out twice in a row after putting five goals past a woeful Vinovium team. If you eliminate that game, they've only scored 11 goals in 11 games, hardly a recipe for success unless you have the defensive prowess of Pons Aelius. The Oilers bounced back after losing to the Steelers in their last game and remain two behind the Captains.

Pons Aelius Steelers 1, Portus Abonae Privateers 0: It's two wins in a row for the Steelers, keeping them two points behind DC and four points behind Isca Town, both winners on the day. The last time the Steelers and Privateers tangled, in Portus Abonae, the game was played more at the Privateers' pace, with four goals scored. This time, in Pons Aelius, the Steelers played their game. They limited the Privateers to just twenty shots on goal and dispossessed them on numerous occasions. It's the mark of a good team that they can win in various ways, and that's what the Steelers have done in these two games against Portus Abonae. The Privateers lost a two-game winning streak; they had designs on stringing some wins together and vaulting into an outside shot at the playoffs, but the Steelers put a stop to that. They are five back of Londinium for fourth place and mired in eighth place. 

Aquae Sulis Bears 0, Sept-Iles Whalers 0 (0-1 OT): This was a marked change from these teams' first meeting, where nine goals were scored, but the result was the same. Sept-Iles got a goal from Rene Kelly, on an assist from Denis Babin, at 4:04 of overtime to triumph over the Bears. They have won two straight, both on the road, which augurs well for their future play. They sit in a three-way tie for eighth place with the Bears and Portus Abonae. They will host the Steelers next, looking to knock off those heavyweights after losing 1-0 last time. The Bears have now lost four in a row and have only scored four goals in those four games, being shut out twice. Through eight games, they were averaging nearly two goals a game and had a winning record; they will need to return to their goal-scoring ways if they expect to win again/

Learn more about Nova Anglicana - Demographics

Demographics of Nova Anglicana

Approx. Population: 9,000,000

Approx. Population Density: 14.8/km²

Official Language: English, Latin

National Languages: English, Latin, French, First Nations/Indigenous languages such as Innu, Mi'kmaq, Inuktitut or others

Provinces with other official languages: Quebec (French), New Brunswick (English/French/Mi'kmaq), Newfoundland and Labrador (English/First Nations/Indigenous languages), Nova Scotia (English, Mi'kmaq)

Official Religion: Anglicanism

Currency: Anglican Pound (AP or A£, approx. USD 0.86)

Life Expectancy: 81.1 years, 80 years (men), 82.2 (women)

Male/Female Ratio: 0.98/1

Age Distribution: 

0-17: 23.2%
18-44: 39.7%
45-64: 22.4%
65+: 14.7%

Primary Language:

English: 79.9%
French: 9.2%
Other: 9.9%
Any First Nations/Indigenous Language: 1%

Proficiency (self-described):

English: 85.4%
French: 15%
Other: 12%
Latin: 3%
Any First Nations/Indigenous Language: 1.4%

Religion:

Anglicanism (includes ECUSA and other Anglican churches): 66%
Catholic (mostly Roman and Eastern Catholic): 14%
United Church of Nova Anglicana (successor to United Church of Canada): 10%
No particular preference: 3.3%
Other Protestant (including Mormons/Jehovah's Witnesses): 2.2%
Atheist/Agnostic: 2%
Orthodox Christianity (various branches): 0.9%
Judaism (various branches): 0.7%
Islam: 0.3%
Indigenous religions: 0.2%
Spiritual: 0.2%
Buddhism: 0.1%
Hinduism: 0.1%
Other religions (including but not limited to Sikhism, Jainism, Vodou, Ba'hai, Wicca/Druidism/Neopaganism): <0.1%

Racial/Ethnic Background:

Caucasian: 80.2%
Black: 5.4%
Multiracial: 4.9%
Asian (includes India): 4.6%
Middle East/North African: 2.2%
First Nations/Indigenous: 1.5%
Hispanic/Latino: 1.3%

Median Household Income: AP/A£ 58,000

Largest Metropolitan Areas:

Londinium (Newfoundland and Labrador): approx. 1,000,000
Eboracum (Nova Scotia): approx. 970,000
Noviomagus (New Brunswick): approx. 700,000
Pons Aelius (Nova Scotia): approx. 540,000
Durovernum Cantiacorum (New Brunswick): approx. 500,000
Vinovium (New Brunswick): approx. 385,000
Portus Abonae (Newfoundland and Labrador): approx. 360,000
Aquae Sulis (Newfoundland and Labrador): approx. 330,000
Isca Dumnoniorum (Prince Edward Island): approx. 320,000
Mancunium (Newfoundland and Labrador): approx. 290,000
Sept-Iles (Quebec): approx. 260,000

Population by Province:

Nova Scotia: approx. 2,700,000
Newfoundland and Labrador: approx. 2,600,000
New Brunswick: approx. 2,200,000
Quebec: approx. 900,000
Prince Edward Island: approx. 600,000

NAHL Day 11 - A New Leader

The Steelers' home arena in Pons Aelius, image credit to Centre 200

After a few games of a tie at the top, one team has broken away. Plus, the Royals, Sharpshooters, Whalers, and Privateers end their first round-robin on a good note.

Pons Aelius Steelers 2, DC Oilers 1: We've been waiting for this one for a while. These two talented teams are always in the playoff conversation and their head-to-head matchups go a long way towards determining a regular-season victor. The Oilers were hotter and on a serious goal-scoring streak (21 goals in five games), but the Steelers had the home crowd behind them and Brett McQueen in net. He made 33 saves, only allowing a single goal, a shot from Julian Stephens that he was being heavily screened on, courtesy of Shane Manning. It was a good goal, but it came at 17:34 of the third period and the Oilers just didn't have enough time to break through for a second goal. The Steelers got a heavy slap shot from Hank Gross and a sharp one-timer from Aaron Black in the first to build a 2-0 lead, and then they just sat on it from there. When the Steelers go up 2-0, it's a good bet they'll win. They don't make a habit of conceding multi-goal leads. It's a big win for them, as it snaps their two-game losing streak and keeps them in third place so far. DC will travel to Labrador next and Pons Aelius will host Portus Abonae.

Labrador Caribou 0, Isca Town Captains 3: Ten in a row. It is officially a double-digit win streak for the Captains, and what a way to do it. The Captains outshot the Caribou 32-21, controlled nearly 60% of the possession, and shut them out. Jason Gross, Robbie Reid, and Jonathan Barnes all scored, one in each period for a methodical victory. They've outscored their opponents 17-8 during this streak and with DC's loss, now are alone atop the league. Labrador has been competitive in the first round-robin, but they were just outplayed tonight. Six wins from eleven games is good for them, and they are sitting on 15 points and in fourth place. The challenge for them is sustaining this level of play across the whole season.

Londinium Royals 5, Vinovium Lumberjacks 3: For Vinovium, it's "meet the new loss, same as the old loss." One game after firing head coach Robert Petrie, the Lumberjacks succumbed 5-3 on the road to a surging Royals team. Winners of two straight coming into the game, Londinium took a 2-0 first period lead on their home ice, courtesy of Daniel Roberts at 8:02 and Thomas Bailey at 15:37. They stretched it to 4-0 early in the second when Eric Benson scored on a power play at 2:39 and Sheldon Cook beat Mel Pinson on a rebound attempt three minutes later. But despite the loss, give Vinovium some credit. After falling behind 4-0, they got goals from Max Getz and Roman Massey to close the deficit to 4-2 by the end of the period. But they couldn't complete the rally in the third, and fall to 1-9-1. There are still many games to go, but it already feels like a lost season for the Lumberjacks. The Royals have won three straight and are tied with Labrador for the final playoff spot.

Eboracum Sharpshooters 0, Newfield Rangers 0 (1-0 OT): It feels like every time the Rangers lose, we remark on how tough it is to beat them. They have seven losses, but four of them came in overtime or via the shootout, and two of their three regulation losses have come by a single goal. But as tough as it is to beat them, four wins against seven losses means they have been all too beatable. They're hanging tough in seventh place, but they need wins if they're going to be competitive. They also have multiple shootout wins, and all this extra hockey is going to catch up to them at some point. As for the Sharpshooters, they've now won three in a row and clawed their way back into sixth place, two points out of a playoff spot. It hasn't always been pretty hockey, but some have criticized the team for lacking fortitude in prior seasons, so grinding it out may not be the worst thing for this club. Will Richardson ended the game at 3:22 of overtime, snapping a wrister past Augustin Gauthier.

Mancunium Raiders 0, Sept-Iles Whalers 1: The Whalers finally cured their road woes with a 1-0 victory over Mancunium. They had previously been winless, going 0-4-0 without as much as a single point from their road games. But Gaston Fortin's goal at 13:51 of the first period put them up, and they never looked back. This snaps a three-game losing streak for the Whalers. 4-6-1 and on 9 points (10th place) isn't exactly where they'd like to be after the first round robin, but they're only four points back of sixth, and this is a young team that has time to improve. As for the Raiders, Markus Lehmann played well in net in relief of Heath Lindsay, making 28 saves, but he couldn't stop them from losing their fourth straight game. Their -5 goal differential suggests they haven't played awfully, but they will need better play all around. This isn't what they spent money in the offseason for.

Aquae Sulis Bears 1, Portus Abonae Privateers 2: Archie Cole and Jordon Upshaw scored within 45 seconds of each other in the third period, shocking a Bears team that had held a lead for almost 39 minutes. Nick May had scored at 11:15 of the first, and Art Morrison had made it stand up, stopping 22 shots to that point. But at 9:34 of the third and then again at 10:16, the Privateers found the back of the net, tying and then taking the lead. The Privateers have now won two straight and are four points back of Londinium and Labrador for the last playoff spot. They'll hope their momentum continues and they return to their usual competitive form. As for the Bears, they've lost three in a row, and with it, their chance at a winning record through the first eleven games. They will host Sept-Iles in their next game and try to bounce back.

NAHL Day 10 - Caribou whacking leads to Lumberjacks sacking

Vinovium ex-head coach Robert Petrie looks on as the Lumberjacks lose 5-1 to the Labrador Caribou at home, image credit to CBC

Vinovium fires their head coach, Isca Town and DC keep pace at the top, and Eboracum and Londinium build a little momentum.

Vinovium Lumberjacks 1, Labrador Caribou 5: There was hope in the Lumberjacks locker room after the Pons Aelius win; hope that they might turn things around, might save head coach Robert Petrie's job. That hope was dashed at home in spectacular fashion as the Labrador Caribou nearly doubled their goal-scoring output for the season, routing Vinovium 5-1. General manager Winston Pierce announced Petrie's firing in the post-game press conference and confirmed that assistant coach Dean Collins would take over as interim while the Lumberjacks started the search for a new head man. The Lumberjacks managed a single goal from Kevin Morgan, his fourth of the season, but it came at 14:24 of the second, when the Lumberjacks were already trailing 4-0. Labrador's goal scorers were Victor Hall, Johnny Ramsey (2), Wade Hamilton, and Philippe Laurent; they now have sole possession of third place in the league.

Isca Town Captains 0, Pons Aelius Steelers 0 (2-1 SO): Defense, defense, defense. That's what this one was all about. The Captains' control style of play against the Steelers' deny, deny, deny, then counterstrike strategy. It wasn't dull, though, as both teams racked up more than 30 shots and each goalie made several nice saves. But in the shootout, Jason Gross and Robbie Reid beat Brett McQueen, while Justin Smith bested him with four saves. After allowing an opening goal to Hank Gross, Smith denied Aaron Black, Brooks Worrell, Nate Fuller, and Dirk Ziegler in succession to finish off the win for the Captains. Isca Town won their ninth straight and will travel to Labrador next, while Pons Aelius are losers of their last two and three of their last five. They will try to snap their losing streak against the Oilers.

DC Oilers 4, Aquae Sulis Bears 3: DC wins again, getting a goal and an assist from both Julian Stephens and Sammy Jensen to lead the team to victory. They built a 3-0 first period lead and held on, as the Bears rumbled back to close the deficit to 3-2 on a goal from Martin Wong, and again made it a one-goal game in the third when Darin Drake snapped one by Ted Carpenter. But Carpenter stopped Nick May late and DC got the win. The Oilers have now won three straight and four out of five; in this most recent five-game stretch, they've scored 21 goals, which is more than any other team has scored all season. They will travel to Pons Aelius in what should be a titanic clash with the Steelers. As for the Bears, they have now lost two straight; their next game against the Privateers will determine whether they finish the first round-robin with a winning record or a losing one. 

Newfield Rangers 0, Londinium Royals 0 (0-2 SO): The Royals didn't play spectacularly, but they did play well enough to win. Their d-men blocked six shots and goalie Eli Boyd made 25 saves to get the Royals the win. In the shootout, Rangers goalie Augustin Gauthier stopped Eric Benson, Sheldon Cook, and Daniel Roberts in the first three shots before Thomas Bailey and Ben Malone scored to clinch the shootout. This is the second consecutive shutout for Londinium, and clamping down on defense has helped them climb back into contention. With the win, the Royals are now one point back on Pons Aelius for the final playoff spot. They will try to end their first round-robin on a good note when they host the woeful Lumberjacks next. Newfield continues to be tough to beat, but this is their sixth loss in ten games. Nobody really expected them to be competitive, but with eleven points from ten games, they are in the mix. They just need to start turning some of those overtime and shootout losses into wins. They will travel to Eboracum next.

Sept-Iles Whalers 1, Eboracum Sharpshooters 2: Oof. This is the third loss in a row for the Whalers, and it wasn't an easy one. A late turnover by Denis Babin gave the puck back to Eboracum, and Sharpshooters forward Alec Loveless scooped up the puck and fired it past Clement Charbonneau for the winning goal with fewer than two minutes to go in the game. Rene Kelly and Gaston Fortin could be seen consoling a sobbing Babin after the game. Marc Levesque, the leader of Sept-Iles' blue line, said after the game, "Denis' turnover was unfortunate, but it is our job as defensemen to be prepared for things like that. So it is truly my fault we lost, and not Denis'." The Sharpshooters now have a two-game winning streak and will look to extend it against Newfield at home. As for the Whalers, they will travel to Mancunium. Both teams will try to break their three-game losing streak and start to climb out of the cellar.

Portus Abonae Privateers 5, Mancunium Raiders 3: Both teams broke out their goal-scoring sticks, with eight combined goals in this one. The Privateers took a 2-0 first period lead on goals from Tony Boykin and Jamie Atwood. They extended it to 3-0 on Jordon Upshaw's sixth of the year in the second, but Quinn Baird and Matt Harmon pulled Mancunium to within 3-2 by the end of the period. Cliff Holt scored for Portus Abonae and Brandon Scanlon answered for the Raiders in the third. The game wasn't truly put away until Jesse Brock scored an empty-netter at 19:22 to make it 5-3. For the Privateers, their last four games have gone loss-win-loss-win. They will try to end the first round-robin on a good note as they travel to Aquae Sulis. For the Raiders, this is the second consecutive game in which they have scored three goals, and it's their second consecutive multi-goal loss. Head coach Cary Hodges confirmed that Heath Lindsay will take a seat to backup netminder Markus Lehmann for a game. "We want to get him a break, clear his head a bit after these two games," said the Raiders man in charge. This is the third consecutive loss for the Raiders; they are now just one point ahead of Sept-Iles and in danger of slipping into second-to-last place.

NAHL Day 9 - Lumberjacks finally break through

Lumberjacks players celebrate their first win of the season, image credit to Grand Forks Herald

Yes, the story of the day is Vinovium's first win, but we also have a shootout, a six-goal effort, two teams snap losing streaks, and one team loses a significant winning streak.

Pons Aelius Steelers 1, Vinovium Lumberjacks 2: What a way to win your first game! On the road at Pons Aelius is never an easy task, and yet the Lumberjacks, winless in their first eight games, took down the mighty Steelers in regulation. Kevin Morgan rifled one home after just 4:45, which seemed to put the Steelers on the back foot. They played more tentatively than they usually do, looking more confused on defense as the Lumberjacks grew in confidence. Jake Roundtree finished off a rebound from backup goalie Christophe Collier at 18:32 of the first period to put Vinovium up 2-0. Although they weren't as skillful in either the second or third, they made the lead stand up. Head coach Robert Petrie was doused with Gatorade after the victory, but his job still isn't safe. The Lumberjacks, after all, are still 1-7-1. For Pons Aelius, this was a blow to their efforts to keep pace with league leaders DC and Isca Town. Furthermore, their three losses have now come to traditional non-contenders. Newfield is currently sixth, but they typically are far below that and neither Mancunium nor Vinovium have finished in a playoff spot in recent history. If they can't take care of business against the weaker teams, they won't return to the playoffs.

Sept-Iles Whalers 3, Newfield Rangers 3 (1-3 SO): Two scrappy underdogs enter "Le Navire", one leaves. And the scrappy underdog that won this game, and has been more successful thus far, is the Newfield Rangers. This is their second shootout win, and the third period play we said had been lacking showed up. The Whalers got goals from Gaston Fortin, Rene Kelly, and James McDaniel to take a 3-2 lead into the third period. But at 14:44, Toby Swan, scorer of the game-winner against Pons Aelius, winded his way through the defense and flipped a nifty wrister past Whalers goaltender Clement Charbonneau to tie the score. Bradley Gibbs, the Rangers backup goalkeeper, made three saves in the shootout to hold down the Whalers and preserve the victory.

Mancunium Raiders 3, DC Oilers 6: What a four-game stretch it has been for the DC Oilers. In the last four games (3-0-1), the boys from Durovernum Cantiacorum have scored 17 goals, which is more than all but two other teams in the NAHL have scored all season. This was a back-and-forth affair between the Raiders and Oilers. In the first, Julian Stephens, Owen Jones, and Sammy Jensen all scored to give the Oilers a 3-0 lead. Then, the defense collapsed, allowing two power play goals and a full-strength goal (Todd Hagan, Quinn Baird, Brandon Scanlon) to tie the game at 3 after the end of two periods. But in the third, it was the Raiders' turn to lose all momentum. Reed Harrison, Wally McMillan, and Stephens on an empty net found the back of the net to provide the final score. The Raiders lost their second straight and now sit in ninth place. 

Eboracum Sharpshooters 2, Portus Abonae Privateers 1: Two teams that most observers have pegged as underachieving so far met in the HeartBank Centre in Eboracum. The Sharpshooters and the Privateers were tied entering the night, with both teams feeling like their offense was a little lacking. Well, there weren't any great offensive fireworks, but Eboracum got goals from Glen Gray and Christian Ball, enough to put them over the top. Archie Cole scored the only goal for Portus Abonae. The Sharpshooters snapped a two-game losing streak and took sole possession of eighth place. The Privateers failed to build any momentum from their 2-0 win over Sept-Iles the other day; they now have seven losses, more than any team except Vinovium, and are tied for 10th in the league.

Labrador Caribou 0, Londinium Royals 1: There was a little soul-searching in the Royals locker room prior to this game, as they'd lost three in a row. "Sometimes, with a young team, coming back from adversity is a little harder," said Royals head coach Paul Bowman, "But we really worked hard with the boys and they showed us the resilience and fortitude we're going to need to compete for a title." The offense they'd like to have wasn't there tonight, but they did manage to put one goal past Dave Francis, and Eric Benson's fourth of the years at 8:33 of the third, after grinding for two periods, proved to be enough. For the Caribou, it was their first regulation loss, but their third loss overall in their last four games.

Aquae Sulis Bears 0, Isca Town Captains 1: Two teams with impressive winning streaks went head to head, but only one came out with their streak intact. Isca Town's now eight-game winning streak is secure, while the Bears saw their three-game streak snapped. After scoring seven goals in their two most recent matches, Aquae Sulis could not breach the iron-clad defense of the Louis Tremblay-Jason Gross blue line, nor the sturdy Justin Smith in net. Smith made 26 saves and Captains defenders blocked a further five shots. Robbie Reid had the winning goal at 12:09 of the second period. Isca Town stays tied with DC for the league lead, while the Bears have fallen back into a tie with the Rangers for sixth place.