After an exciting preliminary round, the Lemont Table Hockey
League met in the Pytlewski Dome in Lemont, IL for the
quarterfinals. Four great matchups were on tap, plus the Brawl
for the Geritol (Cup). Without further ado....
#1 Ron Marsik vs. #9 Jeff Thill
Game 1: Marsik 1, Thill 0
Game 2: Marsik 4, Thill 0
Game 3: Marsik 3, Thill 1
Game 4: Marsik 6, Thill 0
Marsik wins series 4-0
Summary: This quarterfinal matchup pitted Ron Marsik, who won
four tournaments in four different cities and ton of doubles titles
in the '70s and '80s against Jeff Thill, a Purdue University
psychology major who came back from school for the second
week in a row. The first game saw Thill box the veteran Marsik to
great success. Marsik's patented RW-to-C pass was stymied,
until he found the net with that play about two minutes into the
game. Marsik, as is his style, played keep-away for much of the
game, unable to dent the net again but comfortable playing
strong defense. Thill hit the crossbar with about 15 seconds left,
but that was as close as he got, as Marsik held on for a 1-0 win
in the series opener. I apologize for not having a lot of details on
games 2, 3, and 4, as this series was going on while my series
with Jim Rzonca unfolded on another table. As you can tell by the
scores, Marsik took control and kept his shutout streak alive in
game 2, winning 4-0. Thill found the net in game 3, but dropped
a 3-1 decision. In the elimination game, Marsik led all the way in
a 6-0 triumph. Marsik moves on to the semi-finals next week,
while Thill can be proud of his great showing this year. As you'll
recall, Thill was down 3-1 last week and came back to win a
playoff series 4-3 with three consecutive 2-1 victories.
#2 Jim Rzonca vs. #8 Eric Krol
Game 1: Krol 4, Rzonca 3
Game 2: Rzonca 4, Krol 3
Game 3: Krol 3, Rzonca 2
Game 4: Rzonca 5, Krol 1
Game 5: Rzonca 7, Krol 4
Game 6: Rzonca 5, Krol 2
Rzonca wins series 4-2
Game 1: Both players earned byes out of the first round last
week by virtue of their regular season finishes, so this was the
first playoff action for both men. Krol surprised everyone by going
up 3-1 with his LW-to-C pass. Rzonca roared back though, tying
things up 3-3 with about 35 seconds left. Normally, this is when
Krol would collapse like a house of cards. But he picked himself
up off the mat and used his LD knife to make it 4-3, and that's
how it ended. The crowd considered this one a bit of an upset.
Game 2: Rzonca ended up out front 3-2, but Krol tied it with a
defenseman shot that Rzonca ended up putting in his own net.
Rzonca returned the favor shortly thereafter, however, using his
LD knife, which he has taken out of mothballs for the playoffs, to
win this one 4-3 and even the series. Another close one.
Game 3: Each player got the other with a Velodrome goal (LW to
RW pass behind the net and quick shot) as this one was a
back-and-forth affair. With things tied up at 2, and under a minute
to go, Krol picked up a loose puck and shot one in with his LD for
a 3-2 lead, and that's how things ended. The crowd was
definitely surprised at Krol's 2-1 series lead, as most expected a
sweep.
Game 4: Up 'til now, Rzonca had been playing a somewhat
defense-oriented game, trying to avoid giving up goals instead of
playing his own game, which consists of a lot of speed and puck
movement and high pressure. That all changed in this one, as it
was 1-1 until Rzonca scored four goals quickly to tie the series at
two.
Game 5: Rzonca felt the need for speed, pouring in six goals in
the first half of the game. Krol put two in on himself,
uncharacteristic for him, and the rout was on. This one got
sloppy at the end, both players would admit, as Rzonca ended
up winning 7-4 in the pivotal game of the series. Rzonca now
held a 3-2 series advantage.
Game 6: This was an elimination game for Rzonca, who once
trailed in the series 2-1 but stood his ground and turned things
around. Rzonca went up 5-0, as Krol scored two late ones, but it
wasn't enough. CTHL runner-up Rzonca moves on to the
semi-finals, taking the series 4-2.
#3 Scott Pytlewski vs. #6 Jim Gove
Game 1: Pytlewski 2, Gove 0
Game 2: Pytlewski 3, Gove 0
Game 3: Pytlewski 4, Gove 0
Game 4: Pytlewski 2, Gove 1
Pytlewski wins series 4-0
Game 1: This one was expected to be somewhat of a defensive
battle, as both players are known for good defenses first and the
ability to score second. Stingy, is how Rzonca describes each of
them. Scott scored the first goal of the series with 4:02 left, a
long shot by his RD that caught Gove off guard. No more scoring
until about 35 seconds left, as Scott scored again and that was
it.
Game 2: Scott was up 2-0 with 1:35 left, continuing his shut out
streak in the series. He put one in with 1:01 left, and that's how
this one ended.
Game 3: Scott went up 1-0 early, and it was 3-0 Scott with 1:37
left. Gove ended his scoring drought by putting two in, but Scott
also got one in the final 90 seconds of a scoring flurry to hold on
4-2 and take a commanding 3-0 series lead.
Game 4: Scott got an early goal, as he usually does in most
games, but it was still 1-0 with 2:15 left. Scott scored another,
seemingly poised for the sweep with a 2-0 lead and time
winding down. Gove scored to make it 2-1 with five seconds left,
but that was it. Scott Pytlewski swept the series and advances to
the semi-finals. He'll face Jim Rzonca next week in what's sure
to be a great series.
#4 Garry Butler vs. #5 Mike Lisowski
Game 1: Lisowski 6, Butler 1
Game 2: Butler 4, Lisowski 3
Game 3: Butler 3, Lisowski 2 (OT)
Game 4: Butler 4, Lisowski 3 (OT)
Game 5: Lisowski 1, Butler 0
Game 6: Lisowski 4, Butler 2
Game 7: Lisowski 3, Butler 1
Lisowski wins series 4-3
Game 1: I predicted on this web site earlier this week that this
one would go seven games, and sure enough it did. You
wouldn't have known it by the first game, however, as Lisowski
went up 2-0 and then 4-1, making it 5-1 with his center and then
getting his sixth goal with 10 seconds left in a convincing game
one victory.
Game 2: Butler rebounded nicely to go up 1-0 just 35 seconds
into the game. Mike tied it, but Butler put two goals in to go up 3-1
with 3:50 left. Lisowski halved the lead with his center with 2:45
to go, then tied things up at 3 with 1:25 left. Butler jammed one
home with his center with about a minute to go, then held on to
even the series at one game each.
Game 3: Butler was on fire early, going up 2-0 about 30 seconds
into the game. Lisowski fought back to tie things at 2, and that's
how it stayed. Overtime would be required to settle things here.
Just 35 seconds into overtime, Butler jammed one home with
his center to win 3-2 and go up 2-1 in the series.
Game 4: Lisowski scored 25 seconds in to take the lead, but
Butler answered with 4:19 left. A see-saw affair saw Lisowski
with a 2-1 lead, but the Bomber tied it with 52 seconds left and
then went ahead with 45 seconds left. Lisowski appeared
headed for defeat, but tied it with eight seconds left with a center
surprise. The second game in a row in this closely-played series
would go to OT. Buler hit a RW-to-C pass 1:01 into the extra
period and pushed Lisowski to the brink of elimination with a 3-1
series lead.
Game 5: Lisowski went up 1-0 early in this one, trying to stave off
elimination. Great defense on both ends, as the score would
indicate, and that's how this one ended. Lisowski pulled to 3-2 in
the series.
Game 6: Butler tied things up at 1 with 3:23 left, but Lisowski
scored 13 seconds later to reclaim the lead. Butler put one in on
himself to go down 3-1 with 1:50 left, but came back to make it
3-2 left with 1:35 to go. Lisowski put things out of reach seven
seconds later, and won 4-2 to tie the series at three a piece. A
decisive game seven would have to be played.
Game 7: Lisowski, the five-time CTHL (Coleco) champ, scored
10 seconds into the game on a RW-to-C pass, his favorite play.
Butler stormed back, tying it up 1-1 with 4:31 to go, jamming one
in on a moving puck. Butler tried a bank shot with his LD, but
Lisowski made a big save with 3:30 left. With 2:18 left,
Lisowski hit a short side LW-to-C pass to take the lead. From
there, Lisowski held on, putting the icing on the cake with a goal
with just 2 seconds left. Lisowski came back from a 3-1 deficit to
win the series 4-3. Pretty impressive comeback.
So, just like the first round, we had two sweeps, one 4-2 series
and one 4-3 series. The semifinals and finals will be played next
week, Oct. 12. The three stars of the night: 1. Scott Pytlewski. 2.
Ron Marsik. 3. Mike Lisowski.
Next week's semi-finals:
#1 Ron Marsik vs. #5 Mike Lisowski
This is a battle of two former playing partners who have very
similar styles. Both favor the RW-to-C pass. This should be
interesting.
#2 Jim Rzonca vs. #3 Scott Pytlewski
Two of the die-hards of the league square off, with Rzonca's
high-octane offense meeting Pytlewski's best-in-the-league
defense. Who will triump when the irresistable force meets the
immovable object?
We closed out the evening with Brawl for Geritol, the Dance for
the Depends....a special challenge between LTHL
Commissioner Jerry Pytlewski, 54, and patriarch of the Thills,
Rich Thill, 52.
Game 1: Jerry 5, Rich 4 (OT) Jerry nearly blew a 4-1 lead, as
Thill tied it with 10 seconds left. Jerry hit a RW-to-C finesse pass
and goal to win 45 seconds into OT though.
Game 2: Rich 6, Jerry 4
Game 3: Rich 6, Jerry 2
Game 4: Rich 4, Jerry 1
Game 5: Jerry 3, Rich 2
Game 6: Rich 4, Jerry 3
Rich Thill wins the Geritol Cup, four games to two.
