PHL Season 1 Week 1 Pro Division Recap
Week 1 Pro Division Recap
Hello! Let me first explain who I am and what this is. My name is Wren and I will be running a weekly column for the PHL covering the Pro Division. This is a one-stop-shop for all things Pro Division including game recaps, quotes from the division 1 captains and trends forming within the division itself. Without Further Adieu, Week 1 of the Pro Division.
Tuesday April 29th 2025
Bloomington Wild v.s Philadelphia Liberty
Action begins as the Wild and the Liberty get the honour of kicking off the first official season of the Puck Hockey League.
The very first game of Season 1 gave us a close match with captain Lumalee and the Wild managing to beat out Kapanen and the Liberty with a score of 2-1.
Everybody was involved on the scoresheet with Mat (1g, 1a) and Owen (2a) leading the way with 2 points each, DickiePecker (1g) and Lumalee (1a) each picking up a point of their own. Assistant captain Sleepi took the mantle in net for her first start of the season and was only beaten once.
Kapanen (1g) notched the first goal of the Liberties season assisted by assistant captain Tony Flow (1A) and Rezi (1A) with Toaster unable to grab his first point of the season. Zebra Got the start but has to wait until he can claim his first win of the season.
Game two of the two game series saw another close bout resulting in a lengthy overtime bout. The Liberty were able to secure this one with a score of 1-0 grabbing their first win of the season.
Another one goal game and the same trio from their previous bout connecting for the game winner. Rezy (1g) assisted by Kapanen (1a) and Tony Flow(1a) got the job done and Zebra was able to shut the door, picking up his first win, and shut out of the season.
Red Deer Caribous v.s Albany Beavers
Both the Caribous and the Beavers are looking to start their respective seasons on the right foot as they kick off season 1.
Game one saw Captain Meatsale and his Beavers best captain Carl and his Caribous In yet another very close bout with a 2-1 scoreline.
Meatsale (2g) led his team with a 2 goal performance with everybody joining in with every player (Chad, Dabz, Hijinx) each earning an assist. Even goaltender Yeesh got in on the action picking up an assist of his own and snagging the first win of the season for the Beavers.
Notably Hijinx drafted as a substitute in the 5th round cracked the opening night roster as 2nd round pick Car did not play.
The Caribou didn’t go down easy as Kiwi (1g) pot the first and only goal assisted by Karl (1a) and PK (1a). Style was held off of the score sheet and 8th round pick TheGoldTrader got the start in net but is still looking for his first win of the season.
Different game, same score as the Caribous fall just short of the Beavers once again.
Continuing with the similarities from the previous match Meatsale (2g) pots another 2 goals bringing his season total to 4 goals and still the only player for the Beavers to get their first goal of the season. Hijinx (2a) & Chad (2a) both help set up the goals.
Hijinx created quite the wave being drafted as a sub in the 5th round now sitting with three assists after the first two games as Car was not present for the second game as well.
The Caribous iced a couple of new players for game 2 giving 6th round pick Jackk and 7th round pick Oihwef their first game of the season. PK and Style sitting this one out in their place. Despite the new lineups The Caribou were unable to budge from their one goal plateau as Carl (1g) slipped in his first goal of the season assisted by Kiwi (1a). New additions Jackk and Oihwef were pointless in their debut. TheGoldTrader gets the second start of the season once again falls short of capturing his first win.
Halifax Hooks v.s Bloomington Wild
Season opener for the Hooks as they face off against the Wild playing their third game of the season.
Something must have been in the water this evening because we have our 4th 2-1 scoreline with the Wild grabbing their second win of the season, this one in overtime.
No line changes for Captain Lumalee (2a) as his pair of assists lead the team in points with Owen (1g) and Mat (1g) each grabbing a goal. Sleepi gets her third start and second win of the season and DickiePecker was held off the scoreboard.
First look at the Hooks didn’t go as they had hoped but they grabbed a point from the overtime loss. Captain TheLittleOwl (1g) scores his team's first goal of the season assisted by assistant captain Dalfan (1a) and Bojarzin (1a). Bubba was held off of the scoreboard and Crowbar got the start in net but wasn’t able to secure his first win.
Final game of the week for Bloomington and second for Halifax and for the first time this season we have more than 3 total goals scored. Bloomington caps off a successful week with another win collecting 9 of 12 available points with a 3-2 win over Halifax.
Owen (2g, 1a) takes charge with a dominant 3 point performance and Lumalee (2a) gets a pair of assists. DickiePecker (1a) and Mat (1g) each pick up a single point. Goalie Sleepi gets her 3rd win out of 4 games as she plays her fourth straight game.
TheLittleOwl (2a) and his Hooks pick up 2 goals but it’s not enough to win as they lose in regulation. Dalfan (1g) & Bojarzin (1g) picked up the two goals while TheLittleOwl (2a) and Bubba (1a) picked up the helpers. Crowbar (1a) although doesn't get his first win, he does enter the scoresheet as he picks up an assist.
Wednesday April 30th 2025
Halifax Hooks v.s Calabasas Camel Crushers
Regrouping from their back to back losses the Hooks finish their weekly matches against the Camel Crushers who are making their season debut.
A low scoring affair sees the Hooks pick up their first win of the season against the Camel Crushers in a stalwart 1-0 game.
The lone goal for the Hooks was scored by Maus (1g) assisted by TheLittleOwl (1a) and Dalfan (1a).
Maus picks up his first goal of the season in his first game of the season as the 5th round pick draws into the lineup in favor of Bubba who sat this one out. Crowbar gets his first win and shutout of the season as he gets his 3rd start of the year.
The Camel Crushers were unable to give starting goalie John any run support leading to a disappointing start to the season. Captain MikeThrowdano, assistant captain Trev, Jabba and Glensky all started and finished the game to no surprise seeing as they were all drafted as starters.
Same old song and dance in game two as the Hooks are able to squeak out a second 1-0 victory against the Camel Crushers.
Crowbar earns his now league leading second shutout of the season and now sits with 2 wins and 2 shutouts. Substitute player Maus (1g) pots his second goal in as many games, this one coming unassisted. TheLittleOwl, Dalfan and Bojarzin all played as the Hooks ice, the same team that saw them win the first match with Bubba still out of the lineup.
The second game also did not go as MikeThrowdano and his Camel Crushers had hoped as they still wait to score their first goal of the season. Opting to go with the same lineup from the last match as MikeThrowdano, Trev, Jabba, and Glensky failed to connect for the season game in a row despite goaltender John holding the Hooks to just one goal again.
Thursday May 1st 2025
Calabasas Camel Crushers v.s Albany Beavers
Week 1’s penultimate match-up brings us the Camel Crushers, who seek to bounce back after being shut out 1-0 in 2 straight games, versus the Beavers who look to build upon their perfect record.
Game 1 is exactly what the Camel Crushers were hoping for as they take the win 2-1 against the Beavers.
Only change in the roster for the Camel Crushers sees backup goalie Grip draws into the lineup for his first appearance. Captain MikeThrowdano (1g,1a) and Jabba (1g,1a) lead the crushers offensively to their first win while Trev (1a) and Glensky (1a) each pick up a helper along the way.
Meanwhile the Beavers seemingly addicted to 2-1 score lines find themselves on the bad end of it this time around. The only lineup change saw starting player Car (1a) find the ice for the first time this season in favor of Dabz. Meatsale (1g) continues his goal scoring rampage with his 5th in three games assisted by Chad (1a) and Car (1a). Hijinx Continues to see playing time but was held off the scoresheet this time around and Yeesh unfortunately takes his first loss of the season in his third start.
Game two was a welcomed change of pace as the offense exploded. The Beavers bounce back in a big way capturing their third win of the season in a 4-2 offensive game.
Offense was in abundance in this game as we see our first hat-trick of the PHL season 1. Meatsale (3g, 1a) has a field day with a massive 4 point night, Chad (3a) picks up a trio of helpers while Car (1g,1a) and Hijinx (2a) each find the scoresheet. Yeesh (1a) picks up his 3rd win of the season and his second assist of the season.
Despite the efforts from MikeThrowdano (2a) and Trev (2g) the leadership couldn’t keep up with the blistering offense from the Beavers. Glensky (1a) picks up a helper on one goal while goaltender Grip (1a) couldn’t let Yeesh be the only goalie with a point as he grabs his first helper of the season.
Philadelphia Liberty v.s Red Deer Caribous
The final matchup of the week sees both teams still seeking their first regulation time win of the season with the Liberty finding their only previous win in overtime.
Game 1 was settled in regulation with the Liberty taking the game 2-0 with a stalwart defensive showing.
No changes in the lineup once again for the Liberty as every starter plays their third game and everybody gets in on the scoring. Led by Toaster (2g) who scored both games, Kapanen (1a), Tony Flow (1a), Rezy (1a) all picked up assists while Zebra (1a) got his first regulation win, first shutout in regulation and first assist all in his third start.
The Caribous have had a hard time finding the net so far this season as they fail to solve Zebra. Canada Karl, Kiwi, pk, and Style were all unable to find the back of the net to support TheGoldTrader in net who played his 3rd game still looking for his first win.
Game 2 was another lockdown defensive showing from the Liberty as they shut out the Caribous for a second game in a row while pouring on the offense exploding for the most dominant scoreline seen this season 4-0
Captain Kapanen (4a) couldn’t have asked for a better end to the week as he leads the way with 4 assists. Tony Flow(1g, 2a) and Rezy (3g) each got 3 points with Rezy getting his first hat-trick of the season, second hat-trick by any player league wide. Toaster (2a) grabs another pair of points while Zebra gets his third straight shutout ensuring a dominating victory from the Liberty.
Another goal starved game from the Caribous and another unique lineup as Oihwef finds his second game of the season in favor of Style. Canada Karl, Kiwi, pk and Oihwef were unable to reach the back of the net for the second game in a row managing to pot just 2 goals in their first 4 games.
Quotes From The Captains
Each captain was asked the following questions and here are the responses from those who chose to answer.
What was the most surprising thing for you in the first week of PHL season 1 action?
Lumalee “CCC stealing a game from ALB. the 6 seed defeating the 1 seed. It shows there is no easy team to beat in this division.”
MikeThrowdano “I'm incredibly impressed with how defensively talented Owl (TheLittleOwl) and Dalf (Dalfan) are as a defensive pair. We've had to change all of our positions around, and play a different style of hockey based on the lineups of these teams. But loving every minute of every game with the way we're currently playing, and really looking forward to seeing what the future holds.”
TheLittleOwl “Not having more G-Int calls having to be made”
What is your early season prediction on who will lead the league in goals and how many will they get?
Lumalee “it will definitely be Meatsale, I'd say between 30-40. let's go with 35.”
MikeThrowdano “I think it's pretty much agreed upon, Meatsale is insanely offensively talented and it's not a surprise he has most of the goals. And his team is incredibly good at getting him the puck.”
TheLittleOwl “D1, Meatsale D2, Echo”
What is one aspect of your own game you plan to bolster, and how do you plan to do it?
Lumalee “As a defender I am always looking for ways to shut down top opponents. I would like to gain more poise with the puck and alleviate pressure when the other team is cycling. A way to do this is to train myself to be brave and hold onto the puck a little longer, until the perfect pass opens up.”
MikeThrowdano “I think it's pretty apparent that I am one of the lower end players that start in Division 1. Fortunately, I have an insanely talented team around me that makes me look much better at the game than I actually am. Being the singular PUCK only player captain, I'm years behind on mechanics, but I've always been willing to spend the hours it takes to get there. I spend as much time in the practice lobby as possible so that I don't feel like a burden on the ice with the level these players are playing at, and luckily the time is starting to pay off. I really think in the next coming weeks we will come into form and be a contending team for the playoffs.”
TheLittleOwl “1 on 1 defense and shot. Playing lots and ripping shots”
League Trends
Zebra is the only goaltender with a GAA <1 currently sporting a 0.5 GAA
Zebra also leads all goalies with 3 shutouts. All of them coming back to back.
Meatsale is currently riding a 4 game goal streak with a league leading 8 goals over those 4 games, double the total of Rezy who sits second in goals for the league.
Hijinx currently leads the league in Points by a player drafted as a substitute with 5 assists over his 4 games played
Kapanen and Meatsale currently share the record for most points in a game with 4
The Red Deer Caribous have currently ice the most unique players with 8 players playing in at least one of their 4 games played.
Yeesh leads the league in goaltender points having 2 assists over his 4 games played
Team Standings
This has been the weekly Wrenport for week 1. For any comments, questions or ideas about how to improve this weekly column please reach out to me on discord. You’ll find me as Wren in the PHL official discord server.
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