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. 

NAHL Day 26 - Vinovium stops Portus Abonae, Mancunium snatches road win

Sugar Island Nature Preserve, near Vinovium, image credit to New Brunswick Nature Trust

Vinovium Lumberjacks 1, Portus Abonae Privateers 0: If you were a betting sort of person, you probably wouldn't have taken last-place Vinovium over a Portus Abonae team that has won four of its last five and just knocked off Londinium. And yet that's exactly what happened in New Brunswick last night. Max Getz scored at 17:38 of the first and Mel Pinson made 30 saves to make the lone goal stand up as the Lumberjacks claimed just their seventh win of the season. Privateers head coach Ken Keller acknowledged the Lumberjacks' play after the game: "Give credit to Vinovium. I felt like we were playing really well and starting to round into form, getting back into contention. But they stopped us tonight. It's a long road to the playoffs, so we've still got time, but you have to fight for every point you can get in this league." The Lumberjacks remain in last place, three points behind Mancunium, but any win is a good win.

Pons Aelius Steelers 0, Mancunium Raiders 0 (2-3 SO): When you go to a shootout, anything can happen. Yes, even the eleventh place team beating the third place team. This is where the Steelers’ offensive struggles can come back to bite them. Give a team like the Raiders five shots at the net from point-blank range, and they’re going to score at least a couple. Quinn Baird, Brandon Scanlon, and Jack Green beat backup goaltender Christophe Collier to take home the shootout victory for Mancunium. This isn’t the first time the Raiders have defeated the Steelers in a shootout; they won 3-1 in their first meeting as well. Mancunium has now put together two straight wins, which could be the start of something for this team. As for Pons Aelius, they’re glad they picked up a point, but they are still two behind DC and by losing, they failed to take true advantage of DC’s loss to Isca Town.

Isca Town Captains 1, DC Oilers 0: Once more, the titans at the top of the standings clash. Each had won one game this season, but Isca Town takes a 2-1-0 lead in the season series after Jason Gross' third-period goal gave the Captains the lead. The real MVP of this game was Captains netminder Justin Smith, who made 33 saves to shut out the Oilers and preserve the win. Owen Jones, Sammy Jensen, Julian Stephens, no matter who took the shot, Smith was always there to make the stop. Gross put back a rebound midway through the third, the only one of 30 shots Ted Carpenter didn't stop. The Captains now have a five point edge at the top of the standings and look likely to enter the All-Star break as the league leaders. The Oilers' offense is still tops in the league and the main reason they are contending, but it was shut down tonight. They will look to get back on track against Newfield.

Londinium Royals 3, Sept-Iles Whalers 2: This was a much-needed win for the Royals. They had struggled over their past several games, seemingly stuck on 32 points for quite a while. Meanwhile, the Whalers were coming off a big win against Pons Aelius. They may have experienced a bit of an emotional letdown after such a big win. Whether it was Londinium’s need for a win, a young Sept-Iles team’s emotions, or something else entirely, the Royals came away with the win in the capital city. Nico Nielsen, Sheldon Cook, and Thomas Bailey scored for the Royals, with Bailey’s goal at 13:44 of the third representing the winning goal. Jean-Luc Broussard and Rene Kelly scored for the Whalers, whose furious efforts in the waning minutes couldn’t break Eli Boyd’s defenses. The Royals remain two points up on the Sharpshooters for fourth place. The Whalers had their momentum interrupted, but they should be able to get it back when they host Vinovium; of course, that’s what Portus Abonae thought too.

Labrador Caribou 1, Eboracum Sharpshooters 2: This was a big road win for Eboracum. It comes after a gut-wrenching 3-2 defeat to Pons Aelius and keeps them in the playoff hunt. After drawing within two points of Londinium, but failing to take advantage of their loss and tie them in the last game, this win keeps them in contention after Londinium's victory over Sept-Iles. Glen Gray and Christian Ball scored in the first and second periods, respectively, giving the Sharpshooters a 2-0 lead going into the third period. When Wade Hamilton scored at 11:34, it cut the deficit in half and made for a tense final 8:26, but the Sharpshooters hung on behind several key saves from Wes Singleton. The Caribou, meanwhile, have lost six in a row and are just 1-7-1 in their last nine games. Only the mediocrity of the teams below them have kept them from falling out of sixth place. As it is, they are seven back of Londinium for the playoffs, and three up on Portus Abonae, who currently occupy ninth place. Labrador will play rivals Mancunium next. 

Newfield Rangers 3, Aquae Sulis Bears 5: The goals were flying fast and furious in Noviomagus between the Rangers and the Bears. A tight first two periods saw the two teams tied 3-3, but Martin Wong and Darin Drake scored in the third to give the Bears the eventual win. Brady Dowell scored twice, one in each of the first two periods, to lead the Rangers. The home fans saw a competitive game, but Newfield could not give them the win against a team lower down in the standings. For the Bears, this was a good rebound effort after a lackluster showing against Mancunium. They are still moored in tenth place, but improvement is the name of the game. The Rangers are going in the wrong direction; after having won their first two games of the third round-robin, they have lost two in a row. The Rangers will play DC next as they try to separate themselves from the middle of the pack. 

NAHL Day 25 - Surging Privateers take down slumping Royals

Gros Morne Park, in western Newfoundland, near Portus Abonae, image credit to WestJet

Portus Abonae surges, the three top teams win, and Eboracum misses a chance to tie Londinium

Portus Abonae Privateers 4, Londinium Royals 3: All of a sudden, Portus Abonae look like their old selves again. They've won four of their last five and are just three points out of sixth place. And they showed that they're not just good against bottom feeders like Mancunium and Aquae Sulis; they can take on playoff-position teams and come out ahead. Portus' Mike Henry scored the first goal at 12:08 of the first period, and Cliff Holt added another at 18:28. Londinium was thoroughly outplayed in the first period, but Nico Nielsen and Eric Benson scored in the second to tie the score before Tad Baines gave the Privateers the lead again at 19:25. In the third, Archie Cole scored on a wicked slap shot to put the Privateers up 4-2, and Daniel Roberts' late goal wasn't enough to keep the Royals from losing. The Royals have lost three straight and have largely squandered opportunities to move up in the standings and make their playoff position more secure. This young team had better shape up against Sept-Iles, or they might be on the outside looking in before long.

Eboracum Sharpshooters 2, Pons Aelius Steelers 3: Pons Aelius gave up three goals for the first time this season when they played Sept-Iles in their last game. They almost did it again. Tied at 2-2 late in the third period, a shot by Eboracum's Glen Gray pinged the post of the net and ricocheted off. The Steelers came so close to giving up a third goal and potentially losing the game. Instead, the shot ricocheted off the pipes and came right to Brooks Worrell. He immediately went on the attack, catching Eboracum cheating forward, and his pass found Nate Fuller, who slotted it into the net, beating Wes Singleton high. It's fortuitous, but that's Pons Aelius-style counterattacking hockey. The fact that they scored three goals in the game is almost as impressive, as they rarely do that. Pons Aelius stopped the Sharpshooters' four-game winning streak and rebounded from their tough loss to Sept-Iles. They're five points clear of fourth-place Londinium and three behind DC. As for Eboracum, they squandered a chance to tie Londinium for the final playoff spot. They will be ruing their bad luck, but also their inability to get back on defense quickly enough. Can they make it right against a slumping Labrador team? 

Isca Town Captains 1, Newfield Rangers 0: Make it five in a row for Isca Town, as they muscled their way by the Rangers at home. This wasn't a finesse type of game, as some had expected. The Captains like to play a control style not terribly reliant on checking, while the Rangers aren't exactly known for their physicality. But for whatever reason, the two teams mixed it up a little, with more boardside scrums for the puck and checks than usual. The Captains came out on the other side with a goal from Louis Tremblay and a 1-0 win. Tremblay deflected a Robbie Reid shot past goalie Augustin Gauthier in the second period to put the Captains ahead. Isca Town will put their five-game winning streak on the line against DC, while Newfield will try to break out of the logjam in the middle of the standings by defeating Aquae Sulis.

DC Oilers 2, Vinovium Lumberjacks 1: DC Oilers captain and center Julian Stephens wasn't fazed when their regional rivals, the Vinovium Lumberjacks, took a 1-0 lead in the first period. "I know Ted [Carpenter] and I know our team. I know Ted doesn't like to put the team behind and I know we don't like to lose. So I knew we would come back." And come back they did, as Sammy Jensen and Owen Jones scored in the second period to put the Oilers on top 2-1, a lead that held for the rest of the game. Kevin Morgan scored for Vinovium to put them up, but the Oilers held him in check the rest of the game, and the Lumberjacks rarely threatened after the first period. DC remains three points out of first place, and the Lumberjacks stay in last. What else is new? The Oilers will have a chance to draw closer when they take on Isca Town next; the two teams have split their first two meetings 1-1.

Sept-Iles Whalers 0, Labrador Caribou 0 (1-0 OT): "Le Navire" was quiet for most of the game, as the Whalers and Caribou played out a lackluster affair. But the dam broke at 1:24 of overtime with Michel Picard's game-winning goal. All the pent-up energy and frustration suppressed during the game came flooding out and the noise was ear-splitting. Picard said after the game, through a translator, "The reaction of the crowd to our win was sublime. To know that you can make people that happy, that is when you are doing a good job as a professional athlete." The Whalers have now won three of their last four, and are just one point out of sixth place. If this run of good play continues, the Whalers could sneak into the playoff conversation by the All-Star break. As for the Caribou, they have lost five in a row and seven of their last eight games. Their three points in their last eight games has put a halt to dreams of playoff contention, and if they had lost in regulation, they'd be tied with Sept-Iles. They will get an Eboracum team that has won four of their last five next.

Mancunium Raiders 3, Aquae Sulis Bears 0: Aquae Sulis came into Mancunium hoping the Raiders would be the cure for their recent ills. Instead, they left with a 3-0 spanking and more questions than ever. The Bears were outshot and outpossessed, committing three penalties in the game as well. The Raiders only converted on one of those (Quinn Baird), but they got goals from Todd Hagan and Brandon Scanlon at full strength to bury Aquae Sulis. Raiders head coach Cary Hodges was happy after the game: "I think we really played a complete game. It's always good to get a win in front of the home fans and I'm proud of the guys. We just need to put together a complete game more often. Mancunium gets Pons Aelius next; they'll definitely need to play a complete game in order to beat the Steelers. Aquae Sulis draws an easier assignment at Newfield, but the Rangers are a scrappy club and it ought to be a close game.