WWGRD Can't Put Out the Fire Chiefs, Settle for Tie

It was a bumping atmosphere at Adie Knox arena in Windsor on Wednesday night as WWGRD kicked off their 2013/2014 campaign with a matchup against the Fire Chiefs. Everyone was excited to see new additions Riley Pekar and Brent Lozinsky, and to see how the team would follow up their break-through season that fell just one game short of reaching the championship game last year. Both teams came out flying in front of a capacity crowd at the beautiful arena, but it was WWGRD who got the start they were looking for.

The line of Pancerny, Seaner Micelli and All Swedish Djordjevski, which has shown the most chemistry over the past two years together, was the line that got it started for the boys in blue. No Finish gave the puck to the WWGRD A-Cap Micelli who used impressive speed and skill to get around a defender, and found himself coming in on the goaltender. As the goalie followed him to his forehand, the kid with the golden flow attempted to bring the puck back with one hand and slide it passed a sprawling Fire Chief tendy, but was not able to get enough on the puck. HOWEVER, the Macedonian Menace was in the perfect spot to pounce on the loose puck and pound it into the open cage to give the boys the 1-0 lead, a lead they would hold at the intermission.

A sloppy play in the early goings of the second half would lead to the tying goal by the Fire Chiefs. On a casual play where the puck was played around the boards by the defenseman, captain Marc Berthiaume was unable to corral the puck, allow it to squeek into open ice. Despite the puck appearing to exit the zone, the Fire Chief defender fired the puck quickly back down low to a wide open teammate as WWGRD was exiting the zone, assuming the play had been made by their fearless leader. In all alone, the Woodslee Wall had no chance and the game was tied.

The teams third line would redeem themselves on that same shift though. Mark Micelli carried the puck into the zone and left a drop pass for Captain Crunch, who was looking to atone for his earlier mistake. He carried the puck down the left wing and flipped a pass into the slot to a streaking Michael Nantau, who continued to show his scoring ability and beat the Fire Chief tendy five hole to give WWGRD their lead back. Thanks to the teams video and camera crew (Pekar's girlfriend and her phone), Nantau's go-ahead goal can be seen below.

The boys in blue would carry this momentum and add to their lead only a few shifts later. After hemming the Fire Chiefs in their own zone, WWGRD was able to catch them in an odd man opportunity on a failed clearing attempt. All Swedish Djordjevski got the puck to the smooth-handed Pancerny, who calmly fed a pass to stud defenceman Joshua Covelli. The Italian Stallion made no mistake as he pumped a Stammer-like one-tee into the twine for his first career WWGRD goal. Luckily, since no one would have believe he actually scored otherwise, this goal was also captured on video by the team's camera crew.

Unfortunately things would take a turn for the worse for everyone's favourite UWIHL team, as the Fire Chiefs would start their comeback with just over 3 minutes left. An absolute rocket shot that moved a bit and fooled Johnny Tracey would bring the chiefs within 1, and WWGRD was not able to hold onto the lead much longer. After a scrum behind the net, the puck trickled out front to a wide open Fire Chief forward who had all day to make a move on Johnny and tie the game up at the eventual final score of 3-3.

Reporters caught up to Joshua Covelli after the game to talk to him about finally scoring his first goal for WWGRD. He was light-hearted about it, saying "It was a huge relief to get that monkey off my back, that little shit was starting to build a home for himself back there!" He then went on to say ,"Hopefully this isn't the end of me," and winked at the cameras as he walked away. We then caught up to Dylan Berthiaume, who's line with Lozinsky and Pekar was creating chances all day but wasn't able to find the back of the net. "I thought we played a good 35 minute game, but it just goes to show you in this league if you take your foot off the gas for 5 minutes you can lose a game just like that..." He, like the rest of the team, was staying positive however, adding "on the plus side, I really liked our puck possession throughout the game, our offensive flow was good, we just gotta work on getting shots on goal. Goaltending was great, defense was solid, we just gotta put the puck in the net."

WWGRD waits to hear when they hit the ice next.

MOLSON CANADIAN THREE STARS

FIRST STAR
#28 - Joshua Covelli - 1 Goal

SECOND STAR
#21 Alexander Djordjevski - 1 Goal, 1 Assist

THIRD STAR
#73 Johnny Tracey 

WWGRD 2013/2014 Season Preview

Its the most wonderful time of the year! Holy fuck boys, WWGRD is finally returning! It's been a long off-season following the team's deepest play-off run in franchise history, but now that this team has gotten a taste of success, anything else would be a disappointment. It's time to meet the men who will be wearing the blue and white this season, looking to improve on last year's semi-final exit.

#3 - Daniel DiCarlo

Height: 5'11"
Weight: 185
Shoots: Right
Hometown: Tecumseh, Ontario
2012/2013 Stats: 10 GP, 1 G, 3 PIMs
Season Expectations: It's all about untapped potential when it comes to this versatile skater for WWGRD, more specifically the untapped potential of his fucking rocket of a clapper. Dan's goal total will depend entirely on the number of clap-bombs he can unleash at the net, and how many times he can unnecessarily dangle and entire team and go bar-deezy for the boys. Look for a break out year from this scrappy Italian.

#6 - Douglas Lambier

Height: 6'0"
Weight: 164
Shoots: Left
Hometown: Woodslee, Ontario
2012/2013 Stats: 8 GP, 6 G, 2 A, 8 P, 3 PIMs
Season Expectations: Teams are always looking to add a puck-moving defenceman, and that is what WWGRD has in this slick-skating Woodslee-native. Douggie managed to put up a point-per-game pace last season from the back end, all while not letting his defensive game suffer. His calming presence and undeniable skill will allow him to once again be a threat every time he pulls the blue and white over his head this season.

#7 -Sheldon Tracey (A)

Height: 6'0"
Weight: 190
Shoots: Right
Hometown: Woodslee, Ontario
2012/2013 Stats: 10 GP, 1 G, 4 A, 5 P, 3 PIMs
Season Expectations: Sheldon is as reliable as they come on the blueline. A solid defender with offensive flair, Tracey has shown his leadership over the past two seasons with his play on the ice. Never one to take a play off, Sheldon plays the way Gary taught us all how to.

#9 - Brandon Pancerny

Height: 5'8"
Weight: 135
Shoots: Right
Hometown: Tecumseh, Ontario
2012/2013 Stats: 14 GP, 4 G, 5 A, 9 P
Season Expectations: Undeniably one of WWGRD's most talented offensive players, Pancerny's speed and mitts make him a threat to put the puck in the net anytime he puts twig to rubber. Despite his noticable size differential with most opponents, B will work harder than anyone on the ice to get the puck for his teammates. It wouldn't be surprising to see this kids name on the league leaderboards at the end of his sophomore season with WWGRD.

#11 - Mark Micelli

Height: 5'7"
Weight: 162
Shoots: Left
Hometown: Tecumseh, Ontario
2012/2013 Stats: 10 GP, 5 G, 5 A, 10 P
Season Expectations: Quietly tying for 3rd in team scoring last year with 10 points, the elder Micelli brother always finds a way to make an impact when he's in the game. One of WWGRD's most defensively responsibly forwards, the oldest member of WWGRD always sets a shining example for his younger teammates to follow. Look for #11 to once again be near the top of team scoring come the end of the season.

#13 - Michael Nantau

Height: 5'11"
Weight: 170
Shoots: Left
Hometown: Tecumseh, Ontario
2012/2013 Stats: 8 GP, 6 G, 3 A, 9 P, 6 PIMs
Season Expectations: Despite being known for his intimidating physical presence, Nantau put up impressive offensive stats last season. He was 1 of only 4 WWGRD players to put up at least 1 point per game, and his 6 goals were good for a tie of second on the team. He will continue to ensure the safety of his teammates when he is on the ice, simply by mean-mugging the shit out of everyone, but his offensive numbers last year were not a fluke.

#19 - Sean Micelli (A)

Height: 6'3"
Weight: 190
Shoots: Left
Hometown: Tecumseh, Ontario
2012/2013 Stats: 15 GP, 5 G, 13 A, 18 P, 3 PIMs
Season Expectations: By far the teams leading scorer last season, it would be hard to imagine the tallest member of WWGRD being knocked off that perch this season. His ability in the face-off dot makes the coaching staff comfortable putting him on the ice in all situations, and his sweet flow and smooth mitts make him fun to watch on the ice. Look for another dominant season from the team's undisputed #1 Center.

#21 - Alexander Djordjevski

Height: 5'9"
Weight: 155
Shoots: Right
Hometown: A basket on someones porch, Macedonia
2012/2013 Stats: 14 GP, 5 G, 4 A, 9 P
Season Expectations: Everyone's favourite nickname, the Macedonian Menace, Alex "All Swedish, No Finish" Djordjevski, is always putting himself in the right positions to be successful offensively. Experts are predicting anywhere from 0-22 goals from this Tomas Kaberle look-alike, but given the number of chances this kid missed last year, I think he's do for a huge year! Wouldn't kill him to straighten out his jersey for next years picture though #slob.

#28 - Joshua Covelli

Height: 5'6"
Weight: 153
Shoots: Right
Hometown: Tecumseh, Ontario
2012/2013 Stats: 12 GP, 5 A, 6 PIMs
Season Expectations: This stocky Italian defender exceeded all expectations in his rookie season last year, impressing his teammates enough to take home the Norris Trophy as the teams best defenceman. Arguably the most defensively reliable member of a strong D-core, Veller plays a mistake-free and smart game. Despite scoring as many goals as Johnny Tracey last season, the kid does have some offensive touch, and it is highly unlikely he will be held off the scoresheet again this season.


#44 - John Matthew McNaughton

Height: 6'2"
Weight: 175
Shoots: Right
Hometown: Lakeshore, Ontario
2012/2013 Stats: 7 GP, 1 A(unofficial)
Season Expectations: There was a learning curve for the WWGRD rookie who was lacing up the skates for the first time last season, but now that the kid has a full season under his belt, look for a breakout year from McNasty. I'm predicting career highs in goals, assists, points and PIMs for the big-bodied forward, if you're looking for a sophomore slump you'll have to look elsewhere.

#47 - David Brent Lozinsky

Height: 6'0"
Weight: 190
Shoots: Left
Hometown: Tecumseh, Ontario
2012/2013 Stats: 2 GP, 1 A
Season Expectations: After registering 1 assist in 2 games as a call-up last season, Lozinsky signed with WWGRD in the off-season. Wearing #47 in honour of the great Leo Komorov, he is already taking a huge step in the right direction towards fitting in on this team. Not a whole lot is known of this kids game on the ice, other than the fact he's a beauty. His consistency and strong hockey background could be one of the final pieces to take this team to the next level.

#49 - Dylan Berthiaume

Height: 5'10"
Weight: 170
Shoots: Right
Hometown: Belle River, Ontario
2012/2013 Stats: 14 GP, 2 G, 8 A, 10 P, 3 PIMs
Season Expectations: Willing to play any role for the boys, D-Bert leaves it all on the line for this team. Despite only notching 2 ginos last year, he scored the biggest goal of the year for WWGRD last season when he buried late in the quarter-final game to send the team to the semis. Look for a monumental increase in goal production from this kid in 2013/2014, especially if paired on a '93 line with new-comers Lozinsky and Pekar.

#54 - Riley Pekar

Height: 5'6"
Weight: 140
Shoots: Left
Hometown: Tecumseh, Ontario
2012/2013 Stats: 6 GP, 1 G, 3 A, 4 P
Season Expectations: After making numerous appearances for WWGRD over the past two seasons, Pekar finally put ink to paper and signed a deal to join the team full-time this summer. Pekar's impressive speed and top-teir offensive ability will allow WWGRD to spread out their offensive attack through multiple lines, and will himself be contending for the team scoring lead. He is another addition that could push WWGRD and its loyal fan base to the promised land!

#61 - Marc Berthiaume (C)

Height: 6'0"
Weight: 220
Shoots: Right
Hometown: Belle River, Ontario
2012/2013 Stats: 15 GP, 8 G, 5 A, 13 P, 3 PIMs
Season Expectations: WWGRD's captain is returning as the team's leading goal scorer last season with 8, although 3 did come in one game. Goal scoring is not the focal point of the big forwards game, he is more of a hard working mucker who focuses on doing the little things right. Although he does have offensive potential to put up similar numbers to last year, he may be best served as a role player creating space for the skilled players to do what they do best.

#73 - Jonathan Tracey

Height: 6'1"
Weight: 195
Glove: Left
Hometown: Woodslee, Ontario
2012/2013 Stats: 13 GP, 5 W, 1 SO, 4.15 GAA
Season Expectations: There's no way to sugarcoat it, Tracey stole a couple of games for WWGRD last season. His calm and level-headed play didn't allow many second-chance opportunities, and his timely saves ignited the bench in time of need. Tracey has the skill set to be an elite goaltender in the UWIHL, and if he plays as he is capable of, WWGRD will be poised for another deep play-off run.

#93 - Eric Bauer

Height: 6'1"
Weight: 235
Shoots: Right
Hometown: Windsor, Ontario
2012/2013 Stats: 11 GP, 1 G, 4 A, 5 P, 6 PIMs
Season Expectations: This biggest body on the WWGRD blue line, Bauer doesn't fuck around in front of the net. If you're dumb enough to try to get in Tracey's crease, you're deserve the punishment #93 is gonna dish on you. With an abundance of defensive experience and ability to go along with a booming shoot and filthy sauce, Bauer is one of many multi-talented defenseman playing in front of the Woodslee Wall. Look for Bauer to put up some solid numbers after finally registering his first career WWGRD goal last season.

WWGRD opens their season Wednesday, October 23rd at 10pm against the Fire Chiefs. The first 3,000 fans through the gate will receive an autographed 2012/2013 team photo, and be entered in a draw spend a day with their favourite WWGRD player. Sources say team coach Dylan Turnbull will be in town and behind the bench for the season opener.