2. Written, up to 4 TPE - Grab Bag: Pick up to 4 Challenge Cup related topics to write about! Each topic is worth 1 TPE. Each answer must be 50+ words.

a. Manhattan comes into this series with a much more balanced attack than their previous playoff run carried by a scorching hot Lev Lebedev. This time around they have nearly seven players chugging along at a PPG clip. Is this a different beast than last season's Rage? Why or why not?

If we are talking about different beasts then yes, it should be quite obvious. Last season, the Rage were carried by Lebedev, and no one wants to be on a one man team. It sets you up for failure, because the other team just has to cover one dude. It's different now with the Rage carrying a much more balanced scoring attack into the playoffs this season. With all those players on a tear and scoring around a point per game, it makes it harder for the other team to cover them; with so many players on a heater you have to diversify your defense which makes it harder to stay on just one guy.

b. Seattle returns to the finals with a roster that's very similar to last season's champions. So why would they lose this time around? This squad has proven they can do it, so what's changed? Do you think this team can do it again?

Of course they can do it again, are you kidding me? This is a team that has the playoff experience, they won a cup last year, and keeping the squad intact was smart on Seattle's part, as they already have the chemistry. There's no doubt in my mind that the Argonauts can do it again because they've done it before.


c. The play of Max Manning for Seattle and Thomas Lind for Manhattan has been a key factor in their respective teams' playoff runs. Do you think they're both able to continue performing at the spectacular pace they have thus far, or do you think someone is able to figure out how to shut them down? Is that the key to this series?

The key to this series is always going to be shutting down the other team's star player, so I would totally say that shutting down Manning (for Manhattan) and Lind (for Seattle) would be the key. If they're shut down, it'll be easier for the opponents to shut down the rest of the team, and harder for them to score.

d. With all that being said it's round two of SEA vs. MAN. Who wins this time? Regardless of any other stat in this series-- who do you think wins it and why? Last season Manhattan was the upstart without any experience, but here they are again to face the same behemoth Seattle team. Make your pick.

It's Seattle. Of course it's going to be Seattle. Manhattan may have gotten some finals experience last season, but this is a Seattle team rolling into the finals that has the same makeup as last year. They have chemistry, winning experience, and are just loaded. So the Argonauts are going to win the finals.

+2 TPE - Milestones/Task 7

3. Written, 3 TPE, New Year New Me (150 words min.)
What is your player's New Years resolution? What aspect of their game do they want to work on in S69 to help them reach the finals next season? If they did make the finals this season, is it because of something they resolved to work on last season? If so, then what's next?

Sebastien Regazzoni has a simple resolution for the new year. It is to shoot more. Regazzoni made his name last season as a goal scorer, shooting at an impressive 16.9% clip and scoring 25 goals, which is a very good total for a SMJHL rookie. But this season his shot took a major step back. Regazzoni grew too cocky, thinking that his shot could beat anyone simply because he was the one who shot it. He took less shots because he was sure that he'd score no matter how many he took. Instead, he scored 20 goals (5 fewer isn't a lot, but when you're trying to be a goalscorer, it hurts a lot), and his shooting percentage slumped to 11.1%, meaning he was less efficient with his shots. Anchorage lost in the second round, and a lack of goalscoring was part of the reason why. So Seb is working on his shooting to help boost his beloved Armada to a Four Star Cup.

Code:
4. Written, 3 TPE, Dream Series (150 words min.)
Many teams have rivals they'd love to trounce in a playoff series. Maybe you as a player have another specific player you'd love to beat to win the cup and lord it over them for the rest of their lives. Tell me who you'd love to play in a playoff series and why! Why would you love to beat this team or player? What would it mean to you or your team? Keep it friendly.

Sebastien Regazzoni doesn't really have any rivals. There are no players that he holds specific disdain for, and if he did, he sure wouldn't be saying it publicly. But he does hate one specific team, as does the entirety of his team, the Anchorage Armada. That would be their historic rivals, the Vancouver Whalers. Sure, the boats hate Maine because they can never seem to beat them in the playoffs, but Vancouver has always been the team Armada players and fans hate the most. Regazzoni would love nothing more than to play a pivotal role in a sweep of the stinky Whalers, who smell awful and have no nice people on their team whatsoever. Vancouver sucks and that is why I would love to beat them because they suck. They always smell like whale guts, they kill peaceful whales for no reason, and their rink is a fucking pigsty. It would mean a lot to beat the Whalers because we hate them so much.

23. Written, 2 TPE, Acrostic Poem
An acrostic poem is when you create a poem using every letter of a given word. For example:

Big
Ugly
Raving
Lunatic
Of
Kindness

This is my acrostic poem for Burlok. Write me an acrostic poem using your player's name!

Some
Eagles
Buy
Amazing
Shirts
To
Indulge
Egos
Now

8. Written, 2 TPE - The Procrastinator Special! (100 words min.)
Congratulations, procrastinator! Through your terrible time management skills, you’ve unlocked a special task! [TEAM] has won it all! Were the playoffs as you expected this year, or were there some surprises? Did anything stand out to you about this season’s results? How do you feel about a repeat finals series?

Repeat finals can be seen as boring (as a member of the Steelhawks when we played the Renegades in the finals quite a few times, I understand the feeling), but the best teams will always find their way to the finals. It just so happened that the Argonauts and Rage were the best teams. What surprised me the most was Philadelphia not winning a series. I always think the Forge can finally win a series, and this year looked like it would be their year. So I was sad when I saw them lose to the Rage, because I truly felt the Forge were Challenge Cup contenders.

Total TPE: 16/16