Post by JG on Apr 20, 2011 18:28:16 GMT -5
Here is a link to the njbubblehockey.org article about the tournament in NJ April 16, won by JG (hooray me!):
www.njbubblehockey.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=100:bubble-hockey-tournament-in-nj-saturday-april-16-2011&catid=3:newsflash
Pictures from the event will be posted soon...
How will this event shake up the current Chexxfan Top 10? Look for another post soon on this topic. Until then, enjoy the article and BUBBLE ON!!!
JG
#1 seed - Jeremy Davis (CT) - 7-1 - Jeremy excelled as always, suffering only a lone defeat to Jimmy Schwartz, and captured the top seed based on the tiebreaker of fewest goals allowed, a sparkling 13 over 8 games. Jeremy entered the tournament as the #1 ranked player in the world - would he finish high enough in this event to keep that ranking???
#2 - JG (NJ) - 7-1 - a tough 4-3 loss to Dan Pettit kept host JG from a perfect record and the top seed. JG had never won his own tournament before today, but the bubble gods were smiling on this date...
#3 - Bill Brooks (NJ) - 7-1, but lost the goals allowed tiebreaker to Jeremy and JG. Bill's lone loss was to nemesis Jimmy "thefuture" Schwartz, but Bill was still sitting pretty in a 3 seed in a loaded field.
#4 - Jimmy Schwartz (NJ) - 6-2, but with the head-to-head tiebreaker on Larry Jefford and Scott Storck based on wins over both. Jimmy's only 2 losses were to JG and a surprising Matt Meinzer, and his wins included the aforementioned Scott, Bill, and Jeremy. Impressive.
#5 - Larry Jefford (NJ) - 6-2 - WOW! and WOW again! Larry allowed a ridiculous 13 goals in 8 games, and 2 of those games were losses!?! His defense was out of this world, and the offense was not too shabby either. This was by far Larry's best showing in a tournament and to do it against the caliber of player present was impressive to say the least. Way to go Larry!
#6 - Scott Storck (PA) - 6-2, but lost goals allowed tiebreaker to Larry (by 1 goal!). Another incredibly impressive performance, but Scott is a world class player for sure - he would tell you he was disappointed to finish as a #6 seed, no matter the talent of the field!
#7 - Lib Spector (NJ) - 5-3 - here's another guy who took his play up a notch (or several notches, for that matter!) in this event. LIb was expecting a C flight trophy, hoping for a chance at a B flight trophy, and ended up playing his way squarely into A flight - great job by Lib!
#8 - Matt Meinzer (NY) - 5-3, lost tiebreaker to Lib. Matt is another guy who has gotten better and better in every event he has entered. He had some impressive wins in the pool play, and made some noise in both A and B flight before the day was done...
#9 - Brian Nelson 9PA) - 4-4 - uneven performance from Brian. He had a tough draw, and he did give Jeremy a great battle in a 6-5 loss, but Brian is a great player who had tough luck in the pool play. How would he fare come tournament time as a dangerous #9 seed???
#10 - Dan Pettit (PA) - 3-5, with the tiebreakers to finish 10th. Dan had the same tough draw as Brian, but he had a big win over JG and this is one guy that no one wants to face in a series or even in one game. And he showed why in the tournament play...
#11 - John DelVacchio (NJ) - 2-6 - though the record might not show it, John clearly had his best day under the dome, playing great defense (only 25 goals allowed in 8 games) and just enough "O" to get some "w's." But John did suffer ignomious defeat in the headliner game in the pool play! Locked in a tight battle with the lovely Ashley, making her tournament play debut, John had the puck on his long-stick-man, ready to throw a shot on goal. The crowd all chanted "Ashley, Ashley, Ashley," and John clearly was rattled by the lack of home-town support. He flung a hard heave that missed the goal, clattered off a sideboard, and landed squarely in the back of his own net for a devastating 3-2 defeat! Poor John...but he handled it with the good grace and humor that is his trademark...
#12 - Chris "Monkey" Bleistine (NJ) - 2-6 - Chris, too, had the tough draw (anyone seeing a pattern here in the seedings??? The tough draw players got hosed!) but he played some great bubble hockey, suffering close loss after close loss as he just couldn't get the "Monkey Shot" going. But "Monkey" would be a tough out come tournament time...
#13 - Marc Krasner (NJ) - 2-6 - Krasner was Krasner - slows the game to a crawl, maximizes possessions, plays stingy defense, and stays in nearly every game. Krasner's offense had trouble getting untracked or his record would have been much improved. But he's another guy to watch out for in a one game scenario...
#14 - Anthony Rossi (NY) - 2-6 - Anthony made his tournament play debut, traveling down from NY to get a piece of some of the best players on the east coast. He, too, ended up on the wrong side of the bracket and had to play Jeremy, JG, Bill, Scott, Larry, Lib, Matt, etc, so 2-6 ain't all that bad considering. He would later find his way to B flight...
#15 - Ashley (NY) - 1-7 - Nope, the guys did not take it easy on her! The jerks! But the boys were playing for keeps. To her credit, Ashley played some terrific defense, really great goal-tending and not shabby with the defensemen either. She couldn't get any kind of offense going, and that was her undoing. But - hello - she only played bubble hockey like 3 times before entering the tournament, and she did win a pool game, so hats off to Ashley for giving it a whirl. You go girl!
#16 - Stephen Doherty (NJ) - 0-8 - Stephen was a late entry to the event and the hand of fate was unkind, as he, too, got the short end of the stick in the pool draw. But he learned a lot and here's hoping he comes back for another event and takes it to us!!!
With pool play completed, it was on the tournament...
#1 seeded Jeremy, #2 JG, #3 Bill, and #4 Jimmy had little trouble in their opening rounds, sweeping both games in their respective series vs #16 Stephen, #15 Ashley, #14 Anthony, and #13 Krasner (though Krasner made Jimmy work - 5-3 and 4-3 were the scores). #5 Larry survived a scare from #12 Monkey, winning a hard-fought 3 game battle (6-1, 2-4, 4-2). #6 Scott romped in a 2 game sweep over #11 John. But then things got interesting. #10 Dan upended #7 Lib in a convincing 2 game sweep, and #8 Matt ousted #9 Brian in 2 close games despite Brian's advanced pedigree and familiarity with the dome.
#1 Jeremy took on #8 Matt, and this was a great series. Though it only went 2 games, both Jeremy wins (6-5 and 8-5), Matt showed that he has game indeed - he had a chance to win both games late in the 3rd period. #2 JG drew a tough #10 Dan, and in a bit of a surprise JG had a relatively easy time with his long-time foil - 7-1 and 3-1. #3 Bill got to face his mentor and good friend #6 Scott, and what a series this was! Each game was an overtime dogfight, and game 3 went deep into overtime, with both players having ample opportunites to seal a win with no success. Ultimately, Scott had the puck one last time and he delivered, winning the 3 game series 5-3, 3-4, 3-2. #4 Jimmy had a tussle with a resilient Larry before winning out in 2 close games (3-0, 4-2).
That left #1 Jeremy vs #4 Jimmy in one A flight Winner's Bracket semi-final. Jimmy has long aspired to knock Jeremy from his perch as the #1 player in the world, and here was his chance. And you know what? The kid delivered! It was a battle for 3 games, but in the end Jimmy advanced with a 2-1, 3-7, 5-2 series win. That made a second series win in as many chances for the youngster against the world #1 in the last 2 events where they met each other. Perhaps this would single a changing of the guard??? #2 JG and #6 Scott waged a serious defensive war, with JG escaping in 2 games, both O/T (3-1 ands 3-2). That left #2 JG vs #4 Jimmy in the Winner's bracket finals...
It was a great 3 game series, JG cruising in game 1 by a 4-1 count, Jimmy pouncing right back in game 2 with a sound 4-2 beatdown, setting up game #3. But JG's defense was a little too strong, and the offense was just good enough - JG 5-2 to advance to the Finals...
down in the A flight Loser's Bracket...
Brian beat Stephen (3-1, 3-1), Lib beat Ashley (4-0, 6-2), Anthony survived John (5-4, 4-3), and Krasner prevailed over Monkey in a stirring 3 gamer (3-1, 1-3, 2-0). That dropped Stephen, Ashley, John, and Monkey to C flight, with the other 4 players continuing on...
Brian drew the always dangerous Dan, and Dan gave him his lumps in 2 games to advance on in A flight - 4-2, 4-2. Krasner got the misfortune of facing an angry Bill, and Bill easily won in 2 quick games. Anthony and Larry had quite a battle indeed, going the distance before Larry pulled out a series win (6-1, 2-4, 8-2). And Matt's run in A flight was ended by Lib in 2 tight games (3-0, 5-3). That dropped Brian, Krasner, Anthony, and Matt to B flight, with the other 4 continuing on in A with thoughts of a chance at the title...
Bill and Dan faced off, and Bill found out what everyone always knew and never wanted to find out - Dan can be a d**n tough opponent. 3 intense games ensued, and Dan came out on top in the end (3-2, 2-4, 3-2). His reward for beating one of the top players in the world? A series against THE top player in the world, Jeremy. Dan's run ended there - 7-2, 4-1 Jeremy. On the other side of the bracket, familiar foes Larry and Lib dropped puck and slugged it out for 3 games before Larry advanced in - 4-1, 4-5, 3-1. But to show how deep this event was, who does he get in the Loser's bracket next? Scott Storck, another of the world's top bubblers. And Scott had his way with Larry - 5-1, 4-2. That set up an epic showdown between Jeremy and Scott, 2 old and familiar foes, each looking to impose his will and style of play on the other. When it was done, Jeremy moved on in a surprising sweep - 7-3, 6-2. That left a Loser's Bracket finals of Jeremy vs Jimmy, with the winner getting the right to face JG in the FINALS. But first...
Down in B flight, Brian stepped up his game and knocked out Krasner 4-2, and Matt showed that his play on this day was no fluke - 5-1 over Anthony. But it was Brian who gained revenge for the earlier series loss in A flight with a dominating 7-1 victory to claim the B Flight title. Congrats to B champion Brian Nelson!
In C flight, Monkey ramped up some offense and played shutdown defense in besting Stephen 3-0. John got his chance at revenge on Ashley, and he made the most of it by winning a tough game 3-1. Monkey was too tough in the finals - 4-1 - Congrats to C flight champion Chris "Monkey" Bleistine!
Now the drama...
Jeremy vs Jimmy, present vs "future," experience and skill vs speed and enthusiasm (and skill). Each traded decisive wins in the first 2 games, setting up a game 3 showdown. Shot after shot and goal after goal mounted, reaching 6-6 deep into O/T. Who would win - the champion Jeremy, or his recent nemesis, Jimmy? Jimmy 7-6!!! That made an astounding 3 straight series that Jimmy has defeated the world's #1 - would it cost Jeremy his #1 ranking? Only time will tell. For now, on the A flight FINALS - JG vs Jimmy...
In the double elimination format, the Loser's Bracket winner needs to defeat the Winner's Bracker winner in back to back 3 game series, commonly called a "double dip." This is more common than you might think, as the survivor of the Loser's Bracket ofter is the hot player, having just played in a series or 2 right before the FINALS while the Winner's Bracket winner sits and gets cold. And that's sure what looked like was going to happen, as Jimmy stormed JG in a stunning 6-2 thrashing in game #1. The youngster had everything working, and JG looked like maybe it was not to be, again (remember, JG had never won his own tournament in 6 years - ever). But somewhere, the bubble gods were smiling on JG this day. Despite being thoroughly outplayed by Jimmy for basically the entire game 2, JG's goalie saved the day with clutch stop after clutch stop, eventually keeping JG in the game long enough to steal a 2-1 win deep into O/T. Jimmy seemed to sense that this could be a turning point in the series, and indeed it was. JG lives and dies by the offense, so when he steals games with defense he can be tough to take a series from (see Buffalo 2010). JG clearly did not want any parts of a 2nd series, and he cranked up the offense enough to pull out a 5-3 win in game #3 and take home the 1st Place A flight Trophy of the 2011 IceHouse Invitational.
Congrats to JG, and to everyone who took home a trophy - 2nd place A flight Jimmy Schwartz, 1st and 2nd B flight winners Brian Nelson and Matt Meinzer, and C flight winner "Monkey." And thanks to everyone who came out and made it another great day of bubble hockey in Burlington, NJ. The next tournament will be in October 2011 - check back here at njbubblehockey.org often for all the details, and look for a "mini" event over the summer!
www.njbubblehockey.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=100:bubble-hockey-tournament-in-nj-saturday-april-16-2011&catid=3:newsflash
Pictures from the event will be posted soon...
How will this event shake up the current Chexxfan Top 10? Look for another post soon on this topic. Until then, enjoy the article and BUBBLE ON!!!
JG
#1 seed - Jeremy Davis (CT) - 7-1 - Jeremy excelled as always, suffering only a lone defeat to Jimmy Schwartz, and captured the top seed based on the tiebreaker of fewest goals allowed, a sparkling 13 over 8 games. Jeremy entered the tournament as the #1 ranked player in the world - would he finish high enough in this event to keep that ranking???
#2 - JG (NJ) - 7-1 - a tough 4-3 loss to Dan Pettit kept host JG from a perfect record and the top seed. JG had never won his own tournament before today, but the bubble gods were smiling on this date...
#3 - Bill Brooks (NJ) - 7-1, but lost the goals allowed tiebreaker to Jeremy and JG. Bill's lone loss was to nemesis Jimmy "thefuture" Schwartz, but Bill was still sitting pretty in a 3 seed in a loaded field.
#4 - Jimmy Schwartz (NJ) - 6-2, but with the head-to-head tiebreaker on Larry Jefford and Scott Storck based on wins over both. Jimmy's only 2 losses were to JG and a surprising Matt Meinzer, and his wins included the aforementioned Scott, Bill, and Jeremy. Impressive.
#5 - Larry Jefford (NJ) - 6-2 - WOW! and WOW again! Larry allowed a ridiculous 13 goals in 8 games, and 2 of those games were losses!?! His defense was out of this world, and the offense was not too shabby either. This was by far Larry's best showing in a tournament and to do it against the caliber of player present was impressive to say the least. Way to go Larry!
#6 - Scott Storck (PA) - 6-2, but lost goals allowed tiebreaker to Larry (by 1 goal!). Another incredibly impressive performance, but Scott is a world class player for sure - he would tell you he was disappointed to finish as a #6 seed, no matter the talent of the field!
#7 - Lib Spector (NJ) - 5-3 - here's another guy who took his play up a notch (or several notches, for that matter!) in this event. LIb was expecting a C flight trophy, hoping for a chance at a B flight trophy, and ended up playing his way squarely into A flight - great job by Lib!
#8 - Matt Meinzer (NY) - 5-3, lost tiebreaker to Lib. Matt is another guy who has gotten better and better in every event he has entered. He had some impressive wins in the pool play, and made some noise in both A and B flight before the day was done...
#9 - Brian Nelson 9PA) - 4-4 - uneven performance from Brian. He had a tough draw, and he did give Jeremy a great battle in a 6-5 loss, but Brian is a great player who had tough luck in the pool play. How would he fare come tournament time as a dangerous #9 seed???
#10 - Dan Pettit (PA) - 3-5, with the tiebreakers to finish 10th. Dan had the same tough draw as Brian, but he had a big win over JG and this is one guy that no one wants to face in a series or even in one game. And he showed why in the tournament play...
#11 - John DelVacchio (NJ) - 2-6 - though the record might not show it, John clearly had his best day under the dome, playing great defense (only 25 goals allowed in 8 games) and just enough "O" to get some "w's." But John did suffer ignomious defeat in the headliner game in the pool play! Locked in a tight battle with the lovely Ashley, making her tournament play debut, John had the puck on his long-stick-man, ready to throw a shot on goal. The crowd all chanted "Ashley, Ashley, Ashley," and John clearly was rattled by the lack of home-town support. He flung a hard heave that missed the goal, clattered off a sideboard, and landed squarely in the back of his own net for a devastating 3-2 defeat! Poor John...but he handled it with the good grace and humor that is his trademark...
#12 - Chris "Monkey" Bleistine (NJ) - 2-6 - Chris, too, had the tough draw (anyone seeing a pattern here in the seedings??? The tough draw players got hosed!) but he played some great bubble hockey, suffering close loss after close loss as he just couldn't get the "Monkey Shot" going. But "Monkey" would be a tough out come tournament time...
#13 - Marc Krasner (NJ) - 2-6 - Krasner was Krasner - slows the game to a crawl, maximizes possessions, plays stingy defense, and stays in nearly every game. Krasner's offense had trouble getting untracked or his record would have been much improved. But he's another guy to watch out for in a one game scenario...
#14 - Anthony Rossi (NY) - 2-6 - Anthony made his tournament play debut, traveling down from NY to get a piece of some of the best players on the east coast. He, too, ended up on the wrong side of the bracket and had to play Jeremy, JG, Bill, Scott, Larry, Lib, Matt, etc, so 2-6 ain't all that bad considering. He would later find his way to B flight...
#15 - Ashley (NY) - 1-7 - Nope, the guys did not take it easy on her! The jerks! But the boys were playing for keeps. To her credit, Ashley played some terrific defense, really great goal-tending and not shabby with the defensemen either. She couldn't get any kind of offense going, and that was her undoing. But - hello - she only played bubble hockey like 3 times before entering the tournament, and she did win a pool game, so hats off to Ashley for giving it a whirl. You go girl!
#16 - Stephen Doherty (NJ) - 0-8 - Stephen was a late entry to the event and the hand of fate was unkind, as he, too, got the short end of the stick in the pool draw. But he learned a lot and here's hoping he comes back for another event and takes it to us!!!
With pool play completed, it was on the tournament...
#1 seeded Jeremy, #2 JG, #3 Bill, and #4 Jimmy had little trouble in their opening rounds, sweeping both games in their respective series vs #16 Stephen, #15 Ashley, #14 Anthony, and #13 Krasner (though Krasner made Jimmy work - 5-3 and 4-3 were the scores). #5 Larry survived a scare from #12 Monkey, winning a hard-fought 3 game battle (6-1, 2-4, 4-2). #6 Scott romped in a 2 game sweep over #11 John. But then things got interesting. #10 Dan upended #7 Lib in a convincing 2 game sweep, and #8 Matt ousted #9 Brian in 2 close games despite Brian's advanced pedigree and familiarity with the dome.
#1 Jeremy took on #8 Matt, and this was a great series. Though it only went 2 games, both Jeremy wins (6-5 and 8-5), Matt showed that he has game indeed - he had a chance to win both games late in the 3rd period. #2 JG drew a tough #10 Dan, and in a bit of a surprise JG had a relatively easy time with his long-time foil - 7-1 and 3-1. #3 Bill got to face his mentor and good friend #6 Scott, and what a series this was! Each game was an overtime dogfight, and game 3 went deep into overtime, with both players having ample opportunites to seal a win with no success. Ultimately, Scott had the puck one last time and he delivered, winning the 3 game series 5-3, 3-4, 3-2. #4 Jimmy had a tussle with a resilient Larry before winning out in 2 close games (3-0, 4-2).
That left #1 Jeremy vs #4 Jimmy in one A flight Winner's Bracket semi-final. Jimmy has long aspired to knock Jeremy from his perch as the #1 player in the world, and here was his chance. And you know what? The kid delivered! It was a battle for 3 games, but in the end Jimmy advanced with a 2-1, 3-7, 5-2 series win. That made a second series win in as many chances for the youngster against the world #1 in the last 2 events where they met each other. Perhaps this would single a changing of the guard??? #2 JG and #6 Scott waged a serious defensive war, with JG escaping in 2 games, both O/T (3-1 ands 3-2). That left #2 JG vs #4 Jimmy in the Winner's bracket finals...
It was a great 3 game series, JG cruising in game 1 by a 4-1 count, Jimmy pouncing right back in game 2 with a sound 4-2 beatdown, setting up game #3. But JG's defense was a little too strong, and the offense was just good enough - JG 5-2 to advance to the Finals...
down in the A flight Loser's Bracket...
Brian beat Stephen (3-1, 3-1), Lib beat Ashley (4-0, 6-2), Anthony survived John (5-4, 4-3), and Krasner prevailed over Monkey in a stirring 3 gamer (3-1, 1-3, 2-0). That dropped Stephen, Ashley, John, and Monkey to C flight, with the other 4 players continuing on...
Brian drew the always dangerous Dan, and Dan gave him his lumps in 2 games to advance on in A flight - 4-2, 4-2. Krasner got the misfortune of facing an angry Bill, and Bill easily won in 2 quick games. Anthony and Larry had quite a battle indeed, going the distance before Larry pulled out a series win (6-1, 2-4, 8-2). And Matt's run in A flight was ended by Lib in 2 tight games (3-0, 5-3). That dropped Brian, Krasner, Anthony, and Matt to B flight, with the other 4 continuing on in A with thoughts of a chance at the title...
Bill and Dan faced off, and Bill found out what everyone always knew and never wanted to find out - Dan can be a d**n tough opponent. 3 intense games ensued, and Dan came out on top in the end (3-2, 2-4, 3-2). His reward for beating one of the top players in the world? A series against THE top player in the world, Jeremy. Dan's run ended there - 7-2, 4-1 Jeremy. On the other side of the bracket, familiar foes Larry and Lib dropped puck and slugged it out for 3 games before Larry advanced in - 4-1, 4-5, 3-1. But to show how deep this event was, who does he get in the Loser's bracket next? Scott Storck, another of the world's top bubblers. And Scott had his way with Larry - 5-1, 4-2. That set up an epic showdown between Jeremy and Scott, 2 old and familiar foes, each looking to impose his will and style of play on the other. When it was done, Jeremy moved on in a surprising sweep - 7-3, 6-2. That left a Loser's Bracket finals of Jeremy vs Jimmy, with the winner getting the right to face JG in the FINALS. But first...
Down in B flight, Brian stepped up his game and knocked out Krasner 4-2, and Matt showed that his play on this day was no fluke - 5-1 over Anthony. But it was Brian who gained revenge for the earlier series loss in A flight with a dominating 7-1 victory to claim the B Flight title. Congrats to B champion Brian Nelson!
In C flight, Monkey ramped up some offense and played shutdown defense in besting Stephen 3-0. John got his chance at revenge on Ashley, and he made the most of it by winning a tough game 3-1. Monkey was too tough in the finals - 4-1 - Congrats to C flight champion Chris "Monkey" Bleistine!
Now the drama...
Jeremy vs Jimmy, present vs "future," experience and skill vs speed and enthusiasm (and skill). Each traded decisive wins in the first 2 games, setting up a game 3 showdown. Shot after shot and goal after goal mounted, reaching 6-6 deep into O/T. Who would win - the champion Jeremy, or his recent nemesis, Jimmy? Jimmy 7-6!!! That made an astounding 3 straight series that Jimmy has defeated the world's #1 - would it cost Jeremy his #1 ranking? Only time will tell. For now, on the A flight FINALS - JG vs Jimmy...
In the double elimination format, the Loser's Bracket winner needs to defeat the Winner's Bracker winner in back to back 3 game series, commonly called a "double dip." This is more common than you might think, as the survivor of the Loser's Bracket ofter is the hot player, having just played in a series or 2 right before the FINALS while the Winner's Bracket winner sits and gets cold. And that's sure what looked like was going to happen, as Jimmy stormed JG in a stunning 6-2 thrashing in game #1. The youngster had everything working, and JG looked like maybe it was not to be, again (remember, JG had never won his own tournament in 6 years - ever). But somewhere, the bubble gods were smiling on JG this day. Despite being thoroughly outplayed by Jimmy for basically the entire game 2, JG's goalie saved the day with clutch stop after clutch stop, eventually keeping JG in the game long enough to steal a 2-1 win deep into O/T. Jimmy seemed to sense that this could be a turning point in the series, and indeed it was. JG lives and dies by the offense, so when he steals games with defense he can be tough to take a series from (see Buffalo 2010). JG clearly did not want any parts of a 2nd series, and he cranked up the offense enough to pull out a 5-3 win in game #3 and take home the 1st Place A flight Trophy of the 2011 IceHouse Invitational.
Congrats to JG, and to everyone who took home a trophy - 2nd place A flight Jimmy Schwartz, 1st and 2nd B flight winners Brian Nelson and Matt Meinzer, and C flight winner "Monkey." And thanks to everyone who came out and made it another great day of bubble hockey in Burlington, NJ. The next tournament will be in October 2011 - check back here at njbubblehockey.org often for all the details, and look for a "mini" event over the summer!