The St Louis Scarecrows seemed to have a stranglehold on first place in the East, until a late season push by the red hot Detroit Falcons started to threaten their position. With the Scarecrows goaltender Sergei Kozar being called up to the Toronto North Stars, the Scarecrows were forced to put rookie goaltender Nikita Nevzorov into the net. He seemed to struggle in his first few starts, especially against the Falcons, whose offense exposed Nevzorov’s weaknesses. However, they regained their form for the last few games of the season, which made for a very tight race for first amongst the two teams. The Falcons dynamic power forward duo of Kappo Kekkonen and Ray Pejonis were lighting it up out on the ice for Detroit after being reunited on the teams second line. Below is a summary of each team’s struggle to claim first place in the East, and a first round bye in the Four Star Cup playoffs over the last week of the regular season.

STANDINGS GOING INTO JULY 9th
1st Place: 39 GP, 24-13-2, 50 Points
2nd Place: 39 GP, 20-13-6, 46 Points

July 9th

Game #118, 7, 3
This game was a make or break for the Falcons push for first place in the East. If they lost, they would be 6 points behind the Scarecrows with only 12 games to play, which would be a difficult difference to overcome. This made the Falcons come out absolutely flying, with 3 goals in the first period from Pejonis, Tuzis, and Salabanzi. After scoring another early second period goal by Kaapo Kekkonen, the Falcons finally faltered as the Scarecrows responded only 20 seconds later with a goal from Nick Leier to cut down the lead to 3. Damien Wert picked up another goal for the Crows to further reduce this lead going into the third period. Not wanting to give St Louis any momentum in the third, Michael Burch nets one for the Falcons only a minute and a half into the period. Pejonis and Martushev put up two more for the Falcons to really put the game out of reach. St Louis scores one more goal with 2 and a half minutes left in the third, but it isn’t enough as the Falcons pick up a big win to move closer to St Louis in the standings.

Game #121: 4, :impact: 2
After being blown out by the Falcons, the Scarecrows came into this game looking to regain some momentum for themselves. However, the Impact got on the board early with a goal by Roman Morenov 5 minutes into the first. Midway through the period, the Crows were given a power play opportunity and took advantage of it, with Nick Leier picking up the tying goal. Anton Federov scored another one for St Louis before the end of the first, giving them the lead going into the intermission. The second period was closely contested, with Montreal picking up a Vladimir Lidstrom power play goal with 5 minutes left in the period. However, St Louis quickly responded to this only 11 seconds later with a goal from Anton Federov. The Scarecrows gave themselves an insurance marker 6 minutes into the first, courtesy of Damien Wert. The Impact had no answer for the Crows for the rest of the game as St Louis picked up the win.

Game #122: 5, 4 (OT)
The Falcons seemed to struggle against the last placed team in the SMJHL all season, and this game was no different. The Falcons got out to an early lead in the game, with a goal in the first minute by Bjorn Knusten. The Whalers quickly tied it up on the power play less than a minute later, with a goal by Fife Gibbs. Less than 2 minutes later on another Whalers powerplay, Alex Mack found himself on a breakaway, scoring a short handed goal. Kaapo Kekkonen added another goal on the power play for the Falcons to give them the lead leaving the first. The Whalers came out strong in the second, picking up 3 goals, 2 of which were power play goals by Jordan Uptuck and another goal on top of that by Vlad McZehrl. Kaapo Kekkonen scored to even up the game for the Falcons heading into the third. Neither Lemieux or No Nerves could be solved by the opposing teams, which brought the game into overtime. Only 41 seconds in, Rostislav Pirozhkov scored to give the Whalers the win.

UPDATED STANDINGS
1st Place: 41 GP, 25-14-2, 52 Points
2nd Place: 41 GP, 21-13-7, 49 Points

The Falcons inched closer to the Scarecrows with a big win against them, but still stood 3 points behind going into July 10th.

July 10th

Game #124 6, 2
The two top teams in each of their conferences met hoping to further solidify their positions. Kelowna seemed to be the stronger team in the first, with Randy Randleman picking up his 20th of the year to give the Knights the lead. Randleman picked up another goal in the second to make the Knight’s lead even bigger, however the Crows responded with Nick Leier scoring to cut down the lead to one. Kelowna responded with 2 quick goals by Reginald Howard and Ivan Koroviev to make their lead even larger. Koroviev scored again early in the third to give the Knights a 4 goal lead. Anton Federov picked up a goal to put the Crows closer to tying it, but it was for naught as Adam Abodobe scored to solidify the Knights lead, and ensuring their win.

Game #125 4, 2
With a recent string of losses against Vancouver, the Falcons came out very strong in the first hoping to change this trend. The Whalers had no answer for the Falcons, with 4 first period goals coming from Bartenberry, Mack, and Kekkonen to give Detroit an early four goal lead. The tide changed in the second, with Beau Ballard and Jack Durden scoring for Vancouver. However, the Falcons were able to hold their lead, giving them another big win after a Scarecrows loss.

Game #126 4, :impact: 2
The Scarecrows looked to continue their good fortune against the Impact this season, with Anton Federov picking up an early first period goal to give the Scarecrows lead. Adam Falk responded for Montreal, picking up his 16th goal on the season. However, the Scarecrows went into the second period with the lead after a goal by Nick Leier. Derek Underscore scored 5 minutes into the second to give the Scarecrows a 2 goal lead. The Impact responded again on the power play, with a goal from Klaus Wagner to cut down the lead to one. With the Impact looking to tie it late in the third, Alexander Wolff took an untimely penalty to put the Crows on the powerplay with an opportunity to put the game out of reach. Pal Vikingstod did just this, scoring to further dash the Impact’s hope of tying the game. The Impact couldn’t score to make the game closer, with Nevzorov standing stall, and winning the game for the Scarecrows.

Game #129 4, 2
This was another big game between the two teams battling for first in the East. The Falcons looked to keep their undefeated record against the Scarecrows for the season, and get even closer to being first in the east. However, the Scarecrows were the stronger team in the first, with Damien Wert picking up his 22th goal of the year for the only goal of the period. The Falcons came out stronger in the second, capitalizing on an early power play chance with a goal by Bjorn Knusten to tie the game. The Scarecrows were sent to the power play after a penalty by Andre Martushev, and Anton Federov scored to give St Louis the lead again. The Falcons were given another power play chanced, and took advantage of this, with Brandon Girard scoring to tie the game going into the second intermission. The Falcons came out strong again in the third, with Barney Tuzis scoring only a minute and a half into the third to give Detroit another power play goal, and the lead in the game. Bjorn Knusten added another goal a minute and a half later to give Detroit a lead which they were able to hold for the rest of the period, giving the Falcons the win.

UPDATED STANDINGS
1st Place: 43 GP, 26-15-2 54 Points
2nd Place: 43 GP, 23-13-7, 53 Points

After this update, the Falcons only sat 1 point behind the Scarecrows after beating them yet again. With another game between the two teams coming up, the Falcons had a chance to finally move in front of the Scarecrows for first in the East.

July 11th

Game #131 6, 2
This was a huge game for both teams. A Falcon win would put them first in the East, taking the Scarecrows current spot. The Scarecrows were the first team to respond, with a power play goal scored by The Carl Mountain 4 and a half minutes into the first. The Falcons responded to this with a goal from Kaapo Kekkonen, which was then followed by a power play goal by Brandon Girard to give Detroit the lead. The Falcons came out very strong in the second, looking to further increase their lead. Ray Pejonis scored a power play goal 6 minutes into the period to give the Falcons a two goal lead. Detroit added onto this lead with Yorgen Bartenberry netting one. The Scarecrows came out into the third trying to make the game’s momentum tilt in their favour, with Winston Windsor scoring 15 seconds into the period, reducing the deficit to two. However, the Scarecrows couldn’t build off of this, as Libra and Salabanzi picked up goals to put St Louis out of the game, and to give the Falcons the win.

Game #133 3, :impact: 2
The Falcons have struggled against the Impact this season, with their offense seeming to be shut down by the defensive nature of Montreal’s game. This seemed to be evident in the first period as Montreal picked up two goals only separated by 30 seconds, scored by Devon Mack and Lord Pretty Flacko. However, the Falcons were able to put up a goal before the end of the first, with Barney Tuzis beating John Hirschman to make the score 2-1. The second period was a defensive clinic by both teams, as neither could get a goal by each other. However, the Falcons finally broke through in the third after Bjorn Knusten picked up 2 goals to give Detroit the lead, and allowing them to win the game.

Game #136 5, :impact: 1
The Scarecrows looked to rebound off their loss to the Falcons, and they showed this drive to win out on the ice in the first period. Only 6 seconds into the game, Damien Wert scored to give the Scarecrows the lead. Wert picked up another one 5 minutes later on the power play, and McLaren Nasher scored with 30 seconds left in the first to give the Scarecrows a 3 goal lead heading into the second. The second period was tightly contested, with no goals being scored by either team. In the third, Wert finished up his hat trick by scoring yet again. Johnny Cahill picked up his first goal of the season to give the Scarecrows a 5-0 lead. Evandrus Jesster scored for the Impact with 2 minutes left in the third, but it was for naught as the Scarecrows held their lead to pick up a win.

UPDATED STANDINGS:
1st Place: 45 GP, 25-13-7, 57 Points
2nd Place: 45 GP, 28, 27-16-2, 56 Points

After two big wins, and with one against the Scarecrows, the Falcons finally moved into the first spot in the East, with an one point edge against St Louis.

July 12th

Game #137 3, 2
The Falcons looked to add to their newly acquired first spot in the East against the Firebirds. However, Prince George got out to the better start with a power play goal from Mirko Antonio Scuderi 8 minutes into the first period. This was the only goal of the period, and the Falcons came out in the second pushing for the tying goal. 7 minutes in, Bjorn Knusten scored his 28th goal of the season to tie the game. However, less than two minutes later, the Firebirds responded with Sum Ting Wong netting one to give Prince George the lead. The Falcons came out strong again in the third period, but their momentum was crushed after a goal from Leon Webb to add to the Firebird’s lead. Alex Mack scored for the Falcons to drop the lead to one, but Detroit was not able to add onto this, with Prince George claiming the win.

Game #139 4, 3
After the Falcons loss, the Scarecrows had an opportunity to move back into first place in the East. The played appropriately in the first period, with two goals only two minutes apart by Mitchell Dambach and Anton Federov to give St Louis the early lead. Vancouver responded with a goal by Julie-Anne Marshall to cut down the lead to one. However, the Scarecrows picked up another goal before the end of the first to give them the 2 goal lead, with Nick Leier scoring his 13th. The Whalers took advantage of a power play opportunity in the second, with a goal by Jordan Uptuck to cut down the lead to one. Winston Windsor scored for the Scarecrows to add to their lead, and the Whalers responded 4 minutes later with a goal by Thomas Jandl to put the score at 4-3 in favour of St Louis. The Whalers pushed to tie the game in the third, but the Scarecrows defense shut down them down to ensure their win.

Game #140 7, 3
The two teams met yet again for another huge meeting, with the Scarecrows in first place in the East by one point. The Falcons came out extremely strong in the first, with 3 goals being scored by Tuzis, Knusten, and Bartenberry. The Scarecrows had no response for this in the first period, but came out much stronger in the second period. Anton Federov picked up a power play goal with 7 minutes left in the period, and Naeem Chamas scored a short handed goal to reduce Detroit’s lead to only one. The third period was a high scoring affair, with players on both teams looking to give their team the edge. This seemed to be captured by the Falcons after scoring 3 goals in less than 3 minutes, with 2 coming from untimely penalties by the Scarecrows. Damien Wert scored to put the Scarecrows back in the game, but Elvis Libra scored to dash any hopes of a St Louis comeback. The Falcons moved back into first in the East with this win, and maintained their undefeated streak against the Crows.

Game #142 4, 1
The Scarecrows looked to rebound after yet another loss to the Falcons, and take back first place in the East. The first period was very tight, with both teams having 6 shots, but not being able to score any goals. In the second period, the Whalers finally got on the board after a goal by Fife Gibbs, giving Vancouver the lead. This was the only goal of the period, as the game remained very tight going into the third period. However, the Whalers blew the game open in this period, with 3 goals from Zack Hoover, Fife Gibbs, and Geoffrey Allen. The Scarecrows showed signs of life with just over a minute left in the third with a goal from William Hendrickson. However, this was all they were able to muster as the Whalers picked up the win.

UPDATED STANDINGS:
1st Place: , 47 GP, 27-13-7, 61 Points
2nd Place: 48 GP, 28-18-2, 58 Points

The Falcons added to their lead after this updated, picking up two wins, while the Scarecrows went 1-2. This gave the Falcons a 3 point lead, with a 1 game edge in games played over St Louis.

July 13th

Game #143 :impact: 5, 4
The Falcons looked to add to their lead for first in the East against the Impact, who have been giving Detroit fits all season long. The scoring for Montreal started out very quick, with Evandrus Jesster scoring 37 seconds into the first. 2 minute later, Alexander Wolff added onto this on the power play to give the Impact a very early 2 goal lead. It took the Falcons until 4 minutes left in the period to respond, with Bjorn Knusten scoring on the power play. Only 30 seconds later, Yorgen Bartenberry netted one to even up the game. The Impact seemed to be shocked by these two quick goals, and the Falcons took advantage with Knusten picking up another goal only 15 seconds later, giving the Falcons the lead heading into the first intermission. The second period was all Montreal, with the Falcons having no answer for the Impacts offense. Reacher, Wagner, and Gerrard all scored to put the Impact back on top with a 2 goal edge. This was the end for Austin Lemieux, who got pulled in favour of Lee Bowden. The Falcons came out strong in the third looking to tie the game, but they couldn’t get anything by John Hirschman. In desperation, the Falcons pulled Bowden with less than a minute left in the period, and Barney Tuzis scored with the extra attacker out on the ice. However, Detroit could not find the equalizing goal as the Impact picked up yet another win against them.

Game #146 :impact: 5, 2
The Falcons were looking to rebound against the team that handed them their most recent loss. The Falcons had a very strong first period, peppering John Hirschman with shots. Ray Pejonis scored 5 minutes into the game, but the Impact quickly responded on the power play with a goal from Klaus Wagner. The Falcons picked up another goal courtesy of Yorgen Bartenberry, but the Impact continued to score in spite of their low number of shots. Evandrus Jesster and Buster Killington both scored to give the Impact the lead leaving the first. The Falcons had no answer for Montreal again in the second period, with Chris Welch scoring his 13th goal of the season, which caused goaltender Austin Lemieux to be pulled from the game. With Lee Bowden now in the net, only a minute later the Impact scored another goal, with Shane O’Ferghall quickly beating the new goaltender. This seemed to crush the Falcons, as they didn’t show any signs of life in the third period to give the Impact the win.

UPDATED STANDINGS:
1st Place: , 49 GP, 27-15-7, 61 points
2nd Place: , 48 GP, 28-18-2, 58 points

The Falcons were unable to widen their lead against St Louis after this update, after dropping two straight to the Impact, a team that they have struggled against all season long. Now with the Scarecrows having an edge on games played, they had an opportunity to move closer to claiming first for themselves again.

July 14th

Game #147 5, 4
The Falcons came into this game looking to avoid losing 3 games straight. It didn’t take very long for the scoring to start as Michael Burch picked up a goal only 14 seconds into the game. Only 6 minutes later, Kaapo Kekkonen added to the Falcons lead, scoring his 24th goal of the season. However, this didn’t discourage the Firebirds as they were determined to cut down the lead. DJ Stanely and Sum Ting Wong both scored to even up the game before the first period buzzer. The back and forward pace of the game continued into the second period, with Barney Tuzis scoring 2 minutes into the second to give Detroit the lead. The Firebirds quickly responded 4 minutes later with a goal from Patrick Brumm to even the game back up. Less than a minute later, Mirko Antinio Scuderi netted the go ahead goal for Prince George. The Falcons came out fast in the third looking to tie the game, and Falcons rookie Ross Burke found a way to beat Kyle Prince to even the game up. No more goals were scored in the period, and the resulting overtime, bringing this game to a shootout. The hero of this game, Ross Burke, scored in the shootout, and Lee Bowden shut the door to give the Falcons the win.

Game #148 3, 2 (SO)
The Scarecrows looked to respond after the Falcons win to stay within a close range of Detroit for the first spot in the East. However, the Whalers were the stronger team in the first, with Vlad McZehrl and Zack Hoover both picking up power play goals to give Vancouver the lead. The second period was tightly contested, with both goalies standing tall to leave this period scoreless. The Scarecrows needed to have a big third period to get back into this game, and it started out well with a goal from Winston Windsor 7 minutes in to cut down the lead to one. With only 4 minutes left in the game, Damien Wert scored the equalizer to bring this game into overtime. Neither team was able to score, bringing the game into a shootout. Beau Ballard scored for the Whalers, and Lundqvist stopped all shots heading his way to give the Whalers the win in this game.

Game #150 4, 2
The Falcons looked to pick up back to back wins against Prince George, and widen their lead in the East. However, Prince George was the first team to get on the scoresheet after a goal from DJ Stanely. The Falcons quickly responded to this only over a minute later, with Michael Burch picking up his 12th goal of the season to tie the game heading into the first intermission. Only a minute and a half into the second period, Kaapo Kekkonen scored his 25th of the season to give Detroit the lead. Price George proceeded to tie up the game 4 minutes later, with a power play goal by Mirko Antonio Scuderi. The Firebirds couldn’t match the Falcons intensity in the third period, with Ross Burke scoring 3 minutes in to give Detroit the lead. Prince George tried desperately to tie the game, pulling the goalie in the last minute of play. Bastien Salabanzi was able to crush their hopes of getting closer in the game, putting the puck in the empty net to secure the Falcons win.

Game #151 5, 4 (SO)
The Scarecrows needed to win this game to have any chance of catching the Falcons for first in the East. A regulation loss by St Louis would clinch first place for Detroit, so there was a lot on stake coming into this game. The Scarecrows were able to show their desperation out on the ice, with two first period goals coming from Mitchell Dambach and Naeem Chamas to give St Louis the lead. The Whalers were able to respond before the end of the period, with Geoffrey Allen scoring to cut down the St Louis lead to one. The second period was very back to back in terms of momentum, with neither team seeming to be able to hold onto it. Patrikov Bure was able to tie the game for the Whalers 5 minutes in, but 3 minutes later, Winston Windsor scored to put the Scarecrows out on top again. Only 2 minutes after this, Vlad McZehrl was able to tie the game, scoring a short handed goal. However, the Scarecrows had the edge going into the third after a goal by Anton Federov to restore their lead. The Whalers were the stronger team in the third, with the Scarecrows seeming to sit back in hopes of keeping their lead. Beau Ballard was able to take advantage of this, scoring to even up the game at four. The game remained deadlocked through the rest of the third, and the overtime period, making these two teams having to settle the game in a shootout. The Whalers had the edge here, with two goals from Vlad McZehrl and Beau Ballard topping the one goal from Anton Federov, winning the game for Vancouver.

UPDATED STANDINGS:
1st Place: , 51 GP, 29-15-7, 65 Points
2nd Place: , 50 GP, 29-18-3, 61 Points

The Falcons were able to gain a four point edge over the Scarecrows going into the last update of the season, but still with one more game played than St Louis. The Scarecrows would have to win both of their games in regulation to take over first place in the East, so these next set of games were crucial for them.

July 15th

Game #153 4, 3
This was do or die time for St Louis. Lose, and 2nd place was theirs, and their hopes of claiming first in the East would be dead. The Scarecrows came out strong, but were shocked by a short handed goal scored by Adam Abodobe only 28 seconds into the game. However, St Louis did not let this goal bring them down, as Derek Underscore netted one 14 minutes into the game on the power play to even up the game at one. McLaren Nasher was able to add onto this, scoring the go ahead goal for the Scarecrows with less than a minute left in the first period. The Knights seemed to be outplaying the Scarecrows in the second period, but they were not able to take advantage of this momentum, as they couldn’t seem to beat Sergei Kozar. Anton Federov scored 3 minutes into the period to give St Louis a two goal lead, and this was the only goal scored of the period. In the third, the Knights came out flying looking to tie the game. Fredrik Zavstrom scored to cut down the lead to one, and only a minute later, Adam Abodobe potted the equalizer to put the teams at par with each other. All of this was for naught, as Robb Wind scored with 5 minutes left on the power play to give the Scarecrows the lead, which stuck for the rest of the game. With this win, the biggest game of the regular season for both Detroit and St Louis was set up for the following game.

Game #155 4, 3 (SO)
The game that decided the fate of both of these teams heading into the playoffs. A regulation win would give the Scarecrows the first overall spot in the Eastern conference, and a first round bye for the playoffs. The Falcons simply had to pick up one point to claim first for themselves, and to keep their streak of Presidents Trophies going, with this one potentially being their third in a row. Detroit was the stronger team in the first period, with Barney Tuzis and Tim Tebow scoring only 15 seconds apart to give the Falcons the lead. However, the Scarecrows responded in the second, outplaying Detroit. Michael Ferkland scored 9 minutes into the period, followed by a Derek Underscore goal on the power play only 30 seconds later to tie the game. Only 2 minutes later, Damien Wert netted the go ahead goal, giving the Scarecrows the lead heading into the third. They simply had to maintain this lead, and first place would be theirs. Detroit was having none of this, being sent on the power play only 51 seconds into the period. The Falcons kept control of the puck in the Scarecrows zone, looking to set up a perfect goal to score the tying goal. Brandon Girard was able to find Bjorn Knusten in a great scoring position, who proceeded to fire the puck home, giving the Falcons the tying goal they were so desperately chasing. St Louis tried in vain to give themselves the lead again, but Lee Bowden and the Falcons defense stood tall to shut the Scarecrows down. The game remained tied with the third period buzzer going off, which meant that Detroit had successfully clinched the first overall spot in the Eastern Conference of the SMJHL. The game headed to the shootout, with Anton Federov scoring the winning goal for St Louis. The Scarecrows won the game, but the Falcons were still celebrating despite the loss. This put them as the best team in the league for the season, and gave them a bye for the first round of the playoffs. This set up a date for St Louis with Montreal in the first round of the playoffs, a repeat of the first round of last year’s playoffs.

FINAL STANDINGS
1st Place: 29-15-8, 66 Points
2nd Place: 31-18-3, 65 Points

Overall, this was a very tight race that made the last week of the season a very exciting and nerve wracking time for both teams. I applaud the Scarecrows for their great play out on the ice this season, you guys really made it hard for us. Now go knock out Montreal in the first round so we can have an amazing second round match up. See you guys out on the ice.

(4907 Words)

#WHOOSH

Ok now I'll actually read it.

LW - Rainbow Dash - Updates
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Rainbow Dash Fan S24-Present
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New England Wolfpack GM S30-S40
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Nice article! Really well researched!

LW - Rainbow Dash - Updates
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Rainbow Dash Fan S24-Present
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New England Wolfpack GM S30-S40
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Originally posted by Eggy216@Jul 15 2015, 09:27 PM
Nice article! Really well researched!

Thanks Clayton

Good job burch =D>

Nice! Me and you bith did 4k word articles. Yours was far better though haha good job!

Falcon HYPE Good job Burch!

Player Page - Update Thread
[S70] - Alekss Ivanova - [NBB|MIN] - 499 TPE

Name: Alekss "Nova" Ivanova
Birthplace: Ventspils, Latvia
Height: 6' 1"
Weight: 205
Number: 28
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[S69] Claimed off waivers by GFG
[S69] Traded to NBB
[S70] Drafted 31st Overall by MIN
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Career Accomplishments:
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Career Statistics:
SMJHL Regular Season:
[S69] GP:66|G:17|A:23|P:40|+/-:-16|PIM:12|FO:49.9%
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I know you did this for the Scouting :wub:

Originally posted by mpc@Jul 16 2015, 07:13 AM
I know you did this for the Scouting :wub:

What can I say, those reports are pretty amazing. :-x