3-2 Moose GAME ONE (2-0 Moose) Moose: Kortz from Rogers and Johnston Fish from Siniawski and Hruska Pirates: GAME TWO (2-1 (OT) Pirates) Moose: Rogers from Kortz Pirates: A. McDonald from Lucas OT A. McDonald from Nolan GAME THREE (Moose 7-1) Moose: Kortz from Siniawski Fish from Hruska Kortz from Rogers Rogers from Siniawski Kortz from Vehec Hruska from Fish and Rogers Vehec from Fish (Power Play) Pirates: Nolan Unassisted GAME FOUR (Pirates 1-0) Moose: None Pirates: A. McDonald from R. McDonald GAME FIVE (Moose 1-0) Moose: Fish from Rogers Pirates: None PENALTIES Moose: Kortz Tripping Pirates: Nolan: High Stick, Delay of Game Wierchowski Hitting from Behind Gori Tripping GOALIE RESULTS: Besterci 5-0 over Gary

3-1 Jets GAME ONE (CROSBY 3-2) Crosby's: Bonacorso unassisted Bonacorso from Cristallini Cristallini from Bonacorso Jets: Campbell from Kanz Campbell unassisted GAME TWO (Jets 2-0) Crosby's: None Jets: Siniawski from Kanz Campbell unassisted (Empty Net) GAME THREE (Jets 2-1 OT) Crosby's: George from Cristallini Jets: Kanz unassisted Campbell from Doyle (OT) GAME FOUR (Jets 2-0) Crosby's: Jets: Siniawski from Campbell Campbell unassisted (Empty Net) PENALTIES Crosby's: Bonacorso Slash Cristallini Slash GOALIES: Besterci 3-1 vs Terrick

by Jared Spears

Tomorrow’s one o’clock matchup features the Jets, firing on all cylinders after sweeping the Kings last round. Waiting for them are the Crosbys, who for the first time ever outplaced the Jets in the regular season, securing a first-round bye. This will be a contest of skill, grit, and determination, and each side has its fair share to unleash on the pavement tomorrow.

The Jets (11-8) have once again assembled an all-star lineup, and they demonstrated their prowess last week against the Kings. Whatever issues they had during the regular season seem to be shed when the full squad is assembled. With the talented firepower of Barca and Kanz, the Jets are capable of scoring from anywhere on the ice. Paired with the two-headed monster, the defensive skill of Campbell and Doyle presents a powerful top four. Add the force and presence of Nick Siniawski, and the Jets become a fully-loaded hockey machine.

Attempting to dismantle that machine tomorrow are the upstart Crosbys (13-6), who come well rested off their best regular season yet. As always, the Crosby’s rely on depth and a stay-at-home defensive style. The rotating wall of George, Cullen, and Perhac is sure to be a test for the two-headed monster. What sets this Crosby team apart from years past was the eleventh-hour trade which shipped former franchise player Roy McDonald (and others) to the Pirates in return for Tony Bonocorso (and others). If the Jets boast a two-headed monster, than Bono is a one man army. Although his regular season numbers pale against both Barca’s and Kanz’, Bono’s ball-handling and killer slap-shot have been the downfall of many defensemen over the years. With sharp former Pirate Ryan Cleary as his line mate, the Crosbys fate lies squarely on Bono’s stick.

How The Crosbys Can Win It

The Crosbys bested the Jets twice since the trade was made. The key to victory is to keep the Jets’ offensive chances down by forcing turnovers, and to get Bono an open shot at the net. Without a stellar performance from Bono, the Crosby’s will have a tough time keeping pace with the Jets. Poor offence has blocked the Crosbys from the cup in years past, which is why Captain John George ultimately decided it was time to let Roy go and take a new belle to the ball. That trade will ultimately be judged now, in the post-season, when it matters most.

How The Jets Can Win It

The Jets have all the pieces of a championship-caliber team. If they can put it all together and play as one unit, then stopping them will be next to impossible. Losing the championship last year after going up 2-0 to Bishop Boyle no doubt left a bitter taste in the mouths of Jets leaders Barca and Campbell. This year, their team has more top talent, enabling them to take some pressure off of their leaders. To win, the Jets will need to put a variety of names on the score sheet.

The story lines have been told and retold. Tomorrow, one team takes a shot at redemption, the other at building something new. But only one team will make it forward to the FHL Championship, where history will be made.

Moose (1) vs Pirates (4) 11:00 AM First ever playoff match-up The Pirates are flying high after an impressive win over the defending champs Bishop Boyle last Saturday at Franklin. The McDonald brothers came alive in game four with a thrilling comeback in the final minutes to send the series to overtime, where Amac buried the winner. They also got an amazing performance from Matt Wierchowski who returned after a 3 month absence from competition. The buccos are oozing with confidence and a new found swagger after putting a hurtin' on the Lancers. This week however they face a formidable opponent in the regular season champion Moose, led by captain “Uncle” Zack Siniawski. Captain Z produced arguably one of the best drafts in FHL history. After franchising all-star defensemen Jeff Rogers, Zack went out and acquired a very crafty first line of forwards in Drew Hruska and Jason Kortz. Z also brought in veterans Jim “Beans” Johnston and future hall of famer Bill Seaman. Young guns Ryan Fish and Max “the vehicle” Vehec have also provided some secondary scoring for a Moose team that scored a league high 129 goals this season. The rookie Fish is anxious to get out there for his first playoff game. “It's gonna be a great experience playing in that kind of atmosphere with all of those eyes watching. Looking forward to taking this thing to June. Keep your head up while I’m out on the ice (pirates), s'ko Moose.” The team has definitely bought into Zack's system, playing a style that few teams have been able to mirror over the past years. Siniawski went the entire season without making a single trade, a rarity in this league. The big question in this game is if the Moose will be able to keep up with the Pirates speed. The Pirates beat Boyle to a lot of loose balls last week and over the course of a series those wins can start to play a factor. There is little love loss in this series as many Pirates have expressed their disliking of the cocky moose team. A match-up to keep an eye on is the brother vs. brother storyline between Jeff and Joe Rogers. Joe (pirates) is chomping at the bit to battle his own flesh and blood. He had this to say when asked if beating Jeff provides an extra incentive to get to the cup. “I hate his (expletive) guts. How is that for urge to win”. No doubt Jeff feels the same way as these two have been going at it for decades. Come Saturday the Moose just may prove to be too big, strong, and skilled for the Pirates. They have disposed of every team with relative ease in the regular season, so what reason is there to think otherwise for this match-up. This is the playoffs, that’s your reason. The Moose had a similar performance in 2009-2010 and then were swept in their first playoff series as a franchise. Anything can happen on any given Saturday. We'll see if the Pirates have anything left in the tank for this 5 star match-up.

3-1

Game 1 Goals Pirates: Matt Wierchowski (ot) Game 2 Goals Pirates: Chad Nolan unassisted Matt Wierchowski from Joe Rogers and Shane Lucas Matt Wierchowski from Roy McDonald Matt Wierchowski from Joe Rogers Bishop Boyle: Game 2-Brian Grise from Jason Tatrai Game 3 Goals Bishop Boyle: Mike Stadlemen from Brian Grise and Jason Tatrai Tom Fetsko from Mike Stadlemen from Brian Grise Pirates: Shane Lucas from Roy McDonald Game 4 Goals Pirates: Roy McDonald from Andrew McDonald Andrew McDonald (ot) from Roy McDonald Bishop Boyle: Jason Tatrai from Tom Fetsko Penalties Bishop Boyle: Grise Elbow, Fetsko Smart Mouth, Grise too many men. Pirates: Chad Nolan -hitting from behind. Goalie Summary Terrick, Hixon, Hixon, Hixon 0-3 Game 1 Goals Jets: Chad Kanz (sh) Brian Barca from Brian Hreha and Nick Siniawski Kings: None Game 2 Goals Jets: Brian Barca from Zak Campbell Kings: None Game 3 Goals Jets: Buddy Doyle from Brian Barca Zak Campbell from Chad Kanz Kings: None Penalties Kings: Sheetz - Rough Jets: Doyle - Rough Goalie Summary Hixon, Terrick, Hixon

by Commissioner John George

Marty Terrick vs Craig Hixon These two goaltenders represent the old school and new school of the FHL. Terrick is only aged by one player in the league (“Wild” Bill Seaman). Hixon is one of the youngest players in the league, still living out his high school days. Despite that, this is the first FHL playoffs for both of them. We have seen them play their asses off in just about every temperature, but the May sun is whole different story. Endurance will play a huge factor in which one of these tenders has the bigger day. Terrick has seen a lot of hockey in his day, but he still has yet to put his stamp on an FHL championship. Hixon has bounced around the league for the past two years and would like nothing more than to prove he is ready to be considered one of the big dogs. As the league intends to move to a 6 goalie league next year, both of these guys will essentially be auditioning for a spot next winter. Saturday will mark a huge moment in their own personal moving forward in this league.

by Commissioner John George

In the second game of the Saturday double-header, the two time FHL champion Jets take on the heavily underdog Kings. These teams do not have very much in common, and there are no real rivalries in place, but that is exactly what the playoffs are for... to create such drama. The Kings will look to avenge the sweep they suffered at the hands of these same Jets, who have added a little bit of fire power since that last postseason meeting. Jets vs Kings- 2:00 PM Previous Playoff Match Ups: 2010 (Jets 3-0) The Jets head in to Saturday boasting one of the most star studded lineups in FHL history. Led by future first ballot hall of famers Chad Kanz and Brian Barca, the Jets can score from any place at anytime. They also trot out a captain who most in the league consider to be the most talented with that title, Zak Campbell. When this three headed monster was assembled in November most expected the boys in blue to run rampant on the league. Most also expected the regular season wins record (16) and Chad Kanz's scoring records (60 goals, 84 points) to be in jeopardy. However, none of this came to fruition as the Jets never seemed to be able to put it all together. Still, when the Jets had all hands on deck things went rather swimmingly. Nick Siniawski has added a physical brand of hockey that the Jets haven’t had since Mark Fetsko in 2009. They also managed to swing a deal, with the Kings, to aquire all-star defensemen Buddy Doyle in exchange for Thomas Sheetz (1 appearance) Justin Gardner (0 appearances) and Dan Rojtas (0 appearances). This deal may go down as one of the worst and most lopsided trades in FHL history in favor of the Jets... but that opinion can easily change with a Kings upset this Saturday. Despite the Jets overwhelmingly more skilled and experienced lineup, forward Brian Barca is not ready to overlook the rugged Kings team. “I don't think we would ever look past the Kings. The Jets organization knows what it takes to win any series, and I don’t see us playing this one any different than the cup finals. Especially coming off of last season being one win away from our third straight title..that still sits deep in the pit of our stomachs. Our mentality doesn’t change. We are a focused group and are aware that the playoffs are low scoring and time and space is hard to come by. Therefore anything can happen. However, we'll be ready” Although this may look like a cake walk for the Jets, they are right to not underestimate the Kings. Last season the Kings pulled off a stunning first round upset of the Crosbys, a team the now Jet Buddy Doyle was on. The Kings return several players from that team including Sheetz, Benny Bobick, Joe Sims and of course captain Jamie Zelena. In what may be the last time Zelena suits up in purple and black, he is ready to unleash some havoc on a team that has haunted him for the past few years. “We're looking to shock the FHL world and it can't get much better than beating the Jets. I feel like we can do it too. Don't count the Kings out just yet.” To go along with his young legs on offense, Zelena will rely on a few crafty veterans to lead his team through what promises to be if anything, a physical series. Jeff Pingor and Steve Baron have played their fair share of hockey and are unlikely to be rattled by the intense playoff atmosphere. Another veteran, and the only King to own some FHL hardware is Adam Pander. Pander will not only be asked to man the point in crucial situations for his team, but also provide a calming influence to the young inexperienced group. The X-factor for the Kings could be Ryan Mains. Mains broke into the league with the Jets when he was just 15 and has developed into a very reliable scoring threat. Mains may be playing with a chip on his shoulder as the Jets never offered to bring him back. The Kings have nothing to lose in this series. If they aren't able to muster up a win, no one will be too surprised and its on to week 2. But if they win... it will be the biggest and most shocking upset in FHL history, bar none. All of the pressure is on the Jets. They simply can't blow this one. We'll find out Saturday if the Kings can make history just one more time.

by: Commissioner John George

The 2011 FHL playoffs are finally upon us. The cold, rainy, snowy, frost-bitten dog days of winter and early spring are behind us and the real season is here. The FHL playoffs are where legends are made and heroes are born. Everyone has certain images from the postseason at Franklin that stand out in their mind. Buddy Doyle nearly passing out from heat exhaustion in the 2007 cup, Nick Siniawski willingly blocking shots with his face in 2008, Dustin Hess uprooting Brian Barca with one of the most violent hits in FHL history in 2009, and Bishop Boyle mounting an unprecedented comeback in the cup after being down 2-0 to the two-time defending champion Jets. There will undoubtedly be several more moments here in 2011 that stay etched in our memories, who will rise to the occasion and make them is the only question. The stat sheets, standings, trends...you can throw them all out, because everyone is 0-0, and anything can happen.

(4) Pirates vs. (5) Bishop Boyle Lancers 12:00 PM Previous playoff match ups: 2010 (Boyle win 3-2) This match up showcases an extremely fast and skilled Pirates team against a tough, defensive Bishop Boyle lineup. Boyle suffered a textbook FHL cup hangover this year, displaying a forgettable regular season where they struggled to get more than four guys at the rink every Saturday. Factors like the retirement of star forward Mark Fetsko, captain Brian Grise's commitment to baseball and Zack Wahal's personal obligations led to all-star defensemen Tom Fetsko and Jason Tatrai carrying the load for 19 weeks. Tom had a breakout year offensively, but it was seemingly by default, as no one else was usually there to score. His defense is never in question however, and neither is his leadership as hes been a one man stonewall on the blue line for Boyle. Fetsko has also adopted the swagger of a Boyle leader, saying this in a recent interview.. “We are gonna make them (Pirates) walk the plank and sink the ship!” The low attendance numbers of Boyle has in fact allowed more playing time for role players such as Jared Spears, Jake Maddigan and Pat Farrell to develop. Mike Stadleman can also become a valuable “5th man”, but he has yet to find his niche on the team. Boyle has the talent to win this series, but their big issue will be finding a winning team chemistry in such a short time. Grise looked lost in the season finale against the Jets—a team he usually dominates. Boyle will need Grise to find his legs early along with line mate Wahal. Pirates captain Andrew McDonald is a veteran and has seen a lot in this league. Despite Boyle's shortcomings this year he is not ready to write them off. “Ya know Boyle always shows in the playoffs. We lost to them last year, and they won it all. They may struggle in the regular season, but the playoffs are a completely different game. Fetsko and Tatrai are one of the best defensive pairings in the league. Grise and Wahal can score at will. But this is why we developed this team...for these playoff games. We can score, we can defend. Saturday should be a tough game.” McDonald made a bold move this year when he shipped all-star forward Tony Bonacorso and others to the Crosbys for sniper and brother Roy McDonald (and others). The trade sent shock waves throughout the league as “Amac” had always vowed to never part ways with the former Arizona State captain. Roy has played with a chip on his shoulder since the deal and will try to exercise his playoffs demons (1-3 career playoff record). The Buccos have had mostly positive results since pulling the trigger on the deal which also brought over Joe Rogers, Matt Gori, Eric Miller and Matt Wierchowski. Wierchowski, who has yet to skate in red, may be the X-factor in this series as he is expected to play. The true story for the Pirates this year has been the emergence of defensemen Shane Lucas. “Dugan” has had a career year offensively drawing comparisons to the San Jose Sharks defensemen Brian Boyle. What sets him apart from most players in the league is his dynamic speed and quickness which few, if any, can match. His stellar play has allowed his name to be thrown into not only the defensive player of the year ballot, but MVP as well. Fellow defensemen Dave Gilson offers some thunder to Lucas' lightning on the back end. Other role players such as Neil “the real deal” Murray and “Mad” Chad Nolan should provide serviceable shifts when the headliners need a blow. This series has the potential to be a first round classic. Both of these teams are hungry, but for different reasons. Bishop Boyle will set out to prove that they can catch a buzz off of their FHL cup hangover. For the Pirates, its personal. The only player on the Pirates roster with a championship ring is Matt Wierchowski, and he hasn't played since February. The Pirates aren't just hungry, they're starving for a cup. Saturday we'll see if they can take the first bite through the defending champs.

FRANKLIN HOCKEY LEAGUE STANDINGS
RANK	TEAM	WINS	LOSSES	TOTAL WINS	TOTAL LOSSES	WIN %	GOALS FOR	GOALS AGAINST	+/-
1	MOOSE	15	3	49	20	71.0%	129	72	57
2	CROSBY'S	13	6	44	31	58.7%	74	77	-3
3	JETS	11	8	44	34	56.4%	111	95	16
4	PIRATES	11	8	42	36	53.8%	102	101	1
5	BOYLE	5	14	24	47	33.8%	70	105	-35
6	KINGS	2	17	19	53	26.4%	68	112	-44

PLAYOFF MATCHUPS (1) Moose, (2) Crosby's - First Round Byes (3) Jets vs. (6) Kings (4) Pirates vs. (5) Bishop Boyle

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FORFEIT - KINGS DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH PLAYERS

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WEEK EIGHTEEN

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