Norfolk Mallards Newsletter #13
Issue #13- Published 2/22/24
The Mallards will be enjoying a week off and use it to rest up for the final matchup of the season series against Hudson Valley. The lingering question on everyone’s mind is: will this week off help or hurt the Mallards? After all, last weekend, the boys silenced the Boston Gold Kings’ home crowd with a 6-4 victory, and one would think they need to play in order to keep this momentum going. However, all signs point to the Mallards not being affected by the week off as they will use this time to solidify team bonding in practice. At this point, you can hardly tell which players knew each other before the season and who met on the first day of practice with how strong the friendships are. That sort of camaraderie is integral to the Mallards success on the ice, and they will be counting on that as they travel to Hudson Valley one last time on March 2nd.
Week 7 Recap
Norfolk Mallards @ Boston Gold Kings
The story of these past couple weeks for the Mallards has been JB O’Donnell stepping back into his comfort zone and starting as goalie. Before the Holyoke game, JB was playing as a defenseman, displaying his range as a player. Now JB has returned to his home in the crease which has made for an excellent story. HOWEVER, the hidden and equally as interesting story is Mike Boccuzzi. JB suffered an injury going into the third period causing him to leave the role of netminder up to Mike Boccuzzi with the Mallards down 3-2. Boccuzzi kept things on lock by making 16 saves on 17 shots. During this game and the previous Gold Kings matchup, the Mallards struggled to contain Boston’s explosive offense, so this type of performance by Boccuzzi with the added pressure of a one goal game going into the third, can only be described as clutch.
Speaking of clutch: Justin Arnold. A standout performance by Arnold lead the Mallards to victory as he secured the first hat-trick in Mallards history. After being scoreless in the six previous games played, Arnold finally found the back of the net and didn’t stop. Down 3-0 in the second, Arnold put in two to start the comeback. The Gold Kings widened the lead in the third with a goal to make it 4-2, but the Mallards had their sights set on a come back win. Goals by Paul Cinquegrana and Hayden Kearney tied things up and with 1:16 left in regulation, Josh Hogue gave the Ducks their first lead of the game. Justin Arnold put the nail in the coffin and the hats on the ice with an insurance goal with seconds left. As we climb the Eastern Division standings, we head to the snake pit.
Pittsburgh River Monsters @ Hudson Valley Vipers
Since dropping two straight, the conversation around the River Monsters has changed. It went from: who could possibly stop them to is this a slump? The Hudson Valley Vipers kept great pace with the Western Conference dynamo sending the game into a shoutout. Tim Hanlon was the hero of the game, netting the game winner for the Vipers in the shootout. Even though the scores from River Monster games aren’t as wild as the beginning of the season, anyone who doubts this team would be foolish. This talented Pittsburgh squad is more than ready to regroup and continue their dominance this weekend against the Toledo Mobsters.
Soo Nordiques @ Flint Apollos
The Soo Nordiques love one thing and one thing only: scoring goals. After their 17-2 and 12-8 victories on Saturday and Sunday respectively, their goals for tally has hit an absurd 58 goals in 6 games. Is this a testament to the Soo’s offense or a gage of their opponent’s defense? Only time will tell as there is still more than half of the season remaining. The Nordiques face their biggest test yet this weekend by playing the undefeated Sun Prairie Killer Bees, while the Apollos face their interstate rivals: the West Michigan Sentinels.
Holyoke Papermen @ North Shore Nighthawks
One thing the Holyoke Papermen displayed in their 9-7 victory against the Nighthawks is their depth. If you look at the team’s stats, all players except one have at least a point. Holyoke’s nine goals were spread between six players showing the UHL that they don’t have a power line, they have a power team. Holyoke looks to expand their win streak at home against Hudson Valley while North Shore preps for their rivalry matchup against the Gold Kings this weekend.