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Congratulations Happy Little Elves, 2010 BTSH Champions!

Elves Boycott Losing For An Entire Playoffs

TOMPKINS SQUARE PARK – Happy Little Elves rookies Trevor Beauclair and Ryan Nakahara have known each other since their high school days in Burlington, Ontario, Canada. They’ve played hockey together for more than a decade and continued that partnership by joining the Happy Little Elves together this season. Their impact was felt throughout the regular season and playoffs, and the championship game was no different, as the duo played an integral role in the Elves’ 3-1 victory over the Corlears Hookers.

Nakahara led the Elves with two unassisted goals in the championship game, both of which came off of turnovers that he created. The brunette rookie’s first goal gave his team an early 1-0 lead, when he stole the ball from a Hookers’ defender and netted the shot from about 15 feet out. Nakahara’s second goal came late in the second half when he intercepted an errant Hookers clearing pass and scored on a breakaway, giving the Elves a 3-0 lead and effectively sealing the victory.

Beauclair also played a key role in the Elves’ championship victory. The flaxen-haired rookie’s shot with about 10 minutes remaining in the first half caused a big rebound, allowing teammate Melanie Pessin to easily tap in the game-winning goal. In addition, as a defenseman, Beauclair was a crucial part of the New Elves Defensive Initiative, which held the high-scoring Hookers offense to just one goal.

Never at a loss for words, Elves co-captain Rich Glanzer noted, “We had a gameplan, stuck to the NEDI (New Elves Defensive Initiative) and ended up winning the whole thing.” Throughout the season, Glanzer has consistently demanded a maximum effort from his team and has long preached the virtues of sacrificing oneself for the greater good.  This game, the Long Island Lynbrook Loudmouth led by example as he dove across the unforgiving blacktop in the closing minutes of the game to clear the ball out of the Elves’ defensive zone. Glanzer added, “In 20 years of hockey, I’ve never been on a team that wanted to win one game–one championship–as much as the 2010 Happy Little Elves did.”

The Happy Little Elves were established prior to the 2008 season as a team of free agents. The team finished that year with just one win, ironically in their first game, and were hardly viewed as championship material. Co-captain Ben Chadwick, who became captain of the Elves because he was the first to pay the league fee, remarked, “Nobody ever expected much when our ragtag crew of free agents and castaways first came together. Well, now you are all witness to what a team can do simply by practicing hard, working together, and dumping horse tranqs in your opponent’s water bottles.”

The Corlears Hookers’ only goal, scored by Brendan “Dutch” Kearney, came late in the second half, a minute after Nakahara’s second goal. The tally seemed to ignite the Hookers’ spirit, as the team pressed the Elves’ defense incessantly for the remainder of the game. However, Elves’ goalie Shaun deLacy played his best game of the season and staved off the late attack. This is the Corlears Hookers’ third loss in a championship game, as they were defeated by the Dark Rainbows in 2007 and Fresh Kills in 2008.

CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
#8 Happy Little Elves 3, #5 Corlears Hookers 1

First Half:
Happy Little Elves – 6:18, Ryan Nakahara (3) (unassisted)
Happy Little Elves – 14:45, Melanie Pessin (1) (Trevor Beauclair, Gil Valdes)

Second Half:
Happy Little Elves – 16:08, Ryan Nakahara (4) (unassisted)
Corlears Hookers – 17:03, Brendan “Dutch” Kearney (1) (Gavin “Dutch’s Brother” Kearney)