Nimble Jacks 128, Jet Sets 93
For four seasons now, the Nimble Jacks have used a balanced scoring attack and aggressive defense to rack up win after win in league play. The last thing a team on the rise like the Jet Sets needed was for the Jacks to catch a lucky break or two along the way. But that’s precisely what happened in the opening minutes of the game, as Dan Geiger tossed up a flex shot threw the rings for four in the act of being fouled. Geiger (team-high 27 points) then drained the ensuing penalty shot for a rare 7-point play and the rout was on.
With Jacks rangers Nick Caton and Matt Charleston shadowing Jeff Regensburg all over the field, the league’s leading scorer was held to just 7 points on the game, well below his 47 points the previous week. Early on, Zach Van Fossen (team-high 20 points) and Kevin Corbett kept the Jet Sets close, taking advantage of the extra open space on the field with Regensburg being manned up. The lone wedgeback stemming the tide of the Nimble Jacks’ attack was the Jet Sets’ Christian Rota. Rota saved an astounding 19 of 32 shots and threw his hat into the ring as a Vezina Trophy candidate with the number of kick saves he flashed throughout the game. The Jet Sets were still within striking distance after one period at 44-34.
However, the Nimble Jacks really pulled away in the second frame, spurred by a 12-0 run midway through the period to make it 72-51. Scott Kennedy (12 points and 16 assists) continued to play the vintage Steve Nash role, as time after time he found Jared O’Donnell (22 points), Ryan Coyne (22 points and 7 assists), and Shaun Stevens (18 points) on the perimeter. The Jacks quartet of wedgebacks also brought their ‘A’ game, as each recorded double digit saves, led by Sean Kennedy (15 of 25 shots saved) and Ben Hutchison (12 saves). The Jet Sets would only get as close as 15 points during the rest of the game, before the Jacks really put their foot on the gas down the stretch and cruised to an easy victory.
For the Jet Sets, teams will likely continue to shade over on Regensburg going forward given how effective that strategy was in this match. While it’s great that players like Van Fossen and Corbett provided offensive production, the guys that will really need to step up are Stephen Vandenberg and Matt Parsons. The two did combine for 15 assists in this contest, but shot just 8-30 for a total of 20 points. However, those guys have established themselves as proven scorers and chances are they’ll have much better efforts going forward. A return to the lineup by Nick DeLuca, who was not on the field against the Jacks, will also be beneficial. The Jet Sets still look to be a force to be reckoned with in league play.
As for the defending champions, the Jacks have picked up right where they left off in Season 3. The defense is as strong as ever, and Dan Geiger has admirably filled the Joe Petrino-role within the high-octane Jacks attack. Barring an injury, it looks like the Nimble Jacks are on the road toward securing another regular season title, but there’s still plenty of kronum yet to be played.
Evergreens 113, Throwbacks 103
In the most exciting game of the day, a raucous crowd cheered on as the Evergreens held off a late rally to deny the Throwbacks their first victory of the season. Coming out of their bye week, the Throwbacks initially looked to have corrected their early season offensive woes. The blue and gold utilized a more aggressive and diverse attack, making backdoor runs into the goal zone and playing the ball into the wedge area to keep the defense honest for their patented give-and-go action deep in the flex zone. Throwbacks ranger John Graham (26 points) was hot early on, connecting on an 8-point Kronum five minutes into the game. Then, with under a minute remaining in the first period, Graham again struck from the cross area, scoring a 4-point shot off a steal in transition. It looked like it might be the Throwbacks’ day, as they led 38-32 at the end of the first frame.
Unfortunately for the Throwbacks, Evergreens ranger Joe Petrino, coming off a 45-point offensive explosion the previous week against the Night Owls, kept his squad in the game early. Petrino (team-high 24 points) scorched the nets from the cross and flex zones, and even connected on a 4-point ring shot in the first period. Petrino’s offensive prowess kept the Evergreens within striking distance until the Throwbacks’ offense cooled off.
And cool off it did, as the second period settled into the type of defensive battle the Throwbacks have made their hallmark over the years. Both teams were determined to shut down scoring from the points and wedgebacks from both sides were making tremendous saves on shots from the flex area. The Throwbacks’ back-line defense played its usual strong game, led by wedgebacks Steve Botta (team-highs 28 points and 10 saves) and Kevin Marron (10 points and 9 saves). However, it was the Evergreens’ wedgebacks who once again opened up some eyes, showing that despite being largely a rookie contingent, they are not a unit to overlook. Wedgeback Ryan Maley was a rock this game, stopping 13 of 23 shots to go along with his 16 points. The Evergreens inched their way back into a 63-63 deadlock after two periods.
The defensive battle ended thereafter, as the Evergreens possess too powerful an offense to keep down for long. They started the third period on an 8-0 run to pull ahead 71-63, as Dom Petrino (17 points) and Dan Williams (13 points) really got things going from the flex area for the Greens. Then, with over 11 minutes left in the game, a 4-point cross zone goal was taken away from the Evergreens due to a questionable interference call. The play could have served as the turning point in the game as instead of the score sitting at 84-73, it moved to 80-75 after the Throwbacks scored on the ensuing possession. Instead, a minute later, Ryan Maley sank a 4-point ring shot, effectively killing any momentum for the Throwbacks.
With their momentum cut off, the Throwbacks began forcing tough shots, enabling the Evergreens to really stretch out their lead in the closing minutes. However, the Throwbacks made it interesting for the fans in attendance as Steve Botta hit an 8-point kronum with just over two minutes left to make it 107-95; then, with under a minute remaining, John Graham hit another kronum to pull within 7 at 110-103. That shot ended the late game heroics though, as the end of game penalty shot parade yielded a 113-103 final.
Just three games into their existence, the Evergreens have already established themselves as a top team within the league, moving to 2-1 with their lone loss by a single point. Their wedgebacks have performed better than anyone could have anticipated and a handful of secondary options have emerged offensively to supplement Joe Petrino’s efforts on that side of the ball. On the other end of the spectrum, the Throwbacks dropped to 0-3 with the loss and need to figure out things fast on the offensive end before they dig too big a hole for themselves and miss the playoffs altogether. Hopefully they can pull it together against their next opponent this Sunday. (Checks schedule.) Uh oh…
Urban Legends 116, Work Horses 101
(This article will also appear on the official Kronum League website. Be sure to check out the site for additional week 4 coverage and statistics).
Another week, another quicker opponent taking advantage of the Work Horses’ poor defensive rotations. It’s as though other teams in the league have purchased Model Ts but the Work Horses are still stuck hauling buggies around given the speed discrepancy out on the field. In this contest, the Horses came out focused on stopping the point, so the Urban Legends initially pounded the back of the nets with kicks from the wedge area. Then, as the defense shifted to the perimeter, Legends crosser Mike Ragan (team-highs 38 points and 10 assists) went wild from the cross zone. (Discussions are underway to rename the ‘Clark Zone’ to the ‘Ragan Zone’ but it doesn’t have the same ring to it.) Although the Legends are arguably the most versatile offensive team in the league, poor rotations defensively have been a persistant problem for the Horses throughout the season and will seriously hurt their 2013 playoff chances if not corrected.
Time after time, Mike Ragan punished the Horses from the middle of the field, with 32 of his 38 points coming from the cross zone. Teammate Kevin Clark (12 points and 8 saves) was back in net for the majority of the game and found some success scoring from the flex and wedge areas; still, it was a far cry offensively from ‘MVP Kevin Clark’ who opponents have become accustomed to dealing with in recent years. Besides Ragan, a couple other Legends stepped up in the scoring department. Wedgeback Kevin Glover (24 points and 7 saves on 13 attempts) had his second straight strong game following his return from injury and Dan Vignola dropped a double-double with 18 points and 11 saves.
The Work Horses welcomed back crosser Dave Slusser who made his presence known early, drilling a 4-pointer from the cross zone on the team’s first possession. Unfortunately for the team, those were his only points on the day shooting just 1-8, although he did a nice job orchestrating the Horses attack with 10 assists. Many of those passes found the powerful right arm of Luke Dougan (26 points), who had his best game of the young season.
Primarily though, it was captain Phil Cavalcante who did everything within his power to keep the Horses in the game on the offensive end, tallying a league-high 45 points on 15-28 shooting. A 4-point goal from the cross zone followed by a penalty shot conversion by Cavalcante got the Horses back into the game, cutting the lead to 73-63 at the end of the second period.
However, one final Ragan cross shot served as the straw to break the Horses’ back, extending the Legends’ lead to 93-73. The Horses had one last gasp as Matt Kump connected on an 8-point kronum with one minute left to shave the deficit to 112-101; however, in what was somewhat of a theme on the day, Kevin Glover immediately answered with a 4-point ring to seal the victory for the Urban Legends.
The Horses now sit in sixth place at 1-3 and sport the worst point differential in the league. Not only do they need to revamp their defensive strategy, but some other players need to alleviate some of the burden from the top 3 or 4 scorers who are doing everything they can to carry the offense right now. A couple guys on the perimeter scoring an efficient 10-12 points per game would go a long way toward helping Cavacante, Dougan, and Small find some open space in the middle of the field. The team is just too one-dimensional on offense right now, as the 2 points combined from the goal and wedge zones in this game will attest.
On the opposing sideline, the Urban Legends currently find themselves in second place at 3-1, with their lone defeat coming at the hands of the undefeated Nimble Jacks. Ragan’s emergence as one of the top scorers in the league has provided a welcome salve to Kevin Clark’s early offensive struggles. With other steady scoring options such as Glover, Brian Sperling, and a swarm of talented foot players, the Legends should continue to feature a consistent offensive game to pair with their always sound defensive principles. They have a bye week before facing the Evergreens in a match that could help them distance themselves from the middle of the pack.
Week 4 Leaders:
Points – Phil Cavalcante (45), Mike Ragan (38), Steve Botta (28)
Assists – Scott Kennedy (16), Dave Slusser (10), Mike Ragan (10), Matt Parsons (10)
Saves – Christian Rota (19), Sean Kennedy (15), Ryan Maley (13)
Blocks – Dan Geiger (6), Joe Petrino (4), 4 players tied with 2
Steals – Luke Pinto (3), John Graham (3), 7 players tied with 2
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