Another DU Alum Connection

Editor's Note: The article below was contributed by "Donald," UAA's self absorbed, probably insane SuperFan. He has his own UAA Fan Blog but due to low readership and a self-imposed Mental Health Break this offseason he's been relatively quiet this Spring.
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Donald has been banned from USCHO.com & Gopher Puck Live's message boards (not that there's anything wrong with that), but still has full writing privledges at LetsGoDU. He's probably the Hunter S. Thompson of college hockey writers. In other words, if you don't "get" the article, you're not alone.
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Hopefully we will all get through this painfully long offseason.
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Enjoy...
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dg
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Danny King has had much to celebrate this offseason. Not only can he be proud of his fine career at DU he can look to his extended family for additonal celebration of great hockey achievements. Danny's second-cousin twice-removed Robb Gray backstopped the Dubai Mighty Camels team to 2nd place in premiere league tournament action last month at the Al Nasr Leisureland ice rink:
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From the Khaleej Times Sportspage:
A Correspondent:

IN WHAT some ice hockey enthusiasts claim was the best hockey game ever played in the the UAE and Al Nasr Leisureland ice rink, Abu Dhabi's Al Wahda ice hockey team eked past the ABN AMRO Dubai Mighty Camels Black team with a 4-3 victory in sudden-death overtime.

The winning goal was tipped in by Vitaly Saveko, assisted by Yura Faijkov after 13 minutes 51 seconds of intense overtime action. The Dubai Camels battled valiantly and had several opportunities to score, but just couldn't put the puck into the back of the net.

It was the final game in the three-day annual Dubai International ice Hockey Tournament, hosted by the Dubai Mighty Camels, and one that kept Dubai fans on the edge of their seats, and offering a spectacular example of ice hockey at its best.

The tournament featured action at three levels with the Khansaheb Buds winning top honours in the B Division and the Kuwait Mooseheads claiming honours in the C Division.

In Friday's other action, the Kuwait Mooseheads faced off against the Dubai Mighty Camels White during the C Division final and won 5-0. Dan Summers claimed a hat-trick for Kuwait in the final game. Earlier in the day, in a game against the Dhahran Saad Falcons Whites, Summers put in four goals for a 6-0 victory that clinched the team's place in the final game for the C division.

Summers was awarded the MVP of the game for the Kuwait Mooseheads, while Dubai goalie, Jack Guerreiro was chosen as MVP for the Camels in the final match.

In the B Division the Khansaheb Buds faced off against the Kuala Lumpur Cobras and won top honours with a 3-0 final score. Dave Roberts scored two goals for Khansaheb and Jifi Hiratsuka scored one.

Game MVP for Kuala Lumpur was Matt Pritchard while Dave Roberts claimed the game MVP title for Khansaheb in the final game in the B Division. But the tournaments most intense action, was without a doubt, the final game in the premiere division which took the ongoing Dubai-Abu Dhabi rivalry to new heights.

The Dubai Camels were first on the scoreboard, with Ron Berry putting one past goalie Andrei Froulev just 59 seconds into the game. By the end of the first half, the score was tied 2-2, with a second goal by Rob Proctor for Dubai, while Vitaly Saveko and Yura Faijkov each scored one for Al Wahda.

Just under three minutes into the second half of the game, Ali Al Mazroui put the puck past a diving Dubai goalie Robb Gray, putting Al Wahda in the lead 3-2.

Then, with 8:54 left on the clock in the second half, and Al Wahda serving a two-minute penalty for having too many players on the ice Ron Murphy blasted a shot into the twine to tie the game at 3. At the end of the game, the score remain knotted at 3, forcing play into sudden death overtime.

Following the final game, a series of awards were presented. Jason Young, who played with the Khansaheb Buds was named the Best Defender of the tournament for superb defence action throughout the three-day tournament.
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Personally, I'm a big Kuwait Mooseheads fan but hey ... way to go Al Wahda! Anyway ... no doubt the Mighty Camels will kick their assess next year! And how about that writing from "A Correspondent"? "A" definitely writes in the tradition of the greats like Grantland Rice. It's humbling.

Lastly I wanted to share this message from Ron Murphy of the Dubai Mighty Camels (in case you didn't actually use the Mighty Camels link):

Dear Camels,

To all interested camels that needs a good skate in the month of May and June we have " ICE available every SUNDAY " from 9:00 PM , till you drop over. ( 9:15 PM for Jerry) everybody is welcome to join bring beers and girlfriends to share.

Thanks,
Ron Murphy

11 comments:

Donald Dunlop said...

Man oh man ... do the Pio Alum connections have no end?

dggoddard said...

Donald,

Joke all you want, but at least DU fans won't read this and then show up at the Dubai Ice rink to watch Danny's cousin (twice removed) play.

As opposed to the two UAA students who showed up to tryout for the Seawolves last Christmas.

Donald Dunlop said...

Um ... you didn't "get it"? Seriously? Was I actually subtle? Someone should 'splain it to DG.

I also thought the personal note from former DU Admin M. Dianne Murphy's long lost invitro concieved bastard son Ron would have DU readers in tears ( ... bring beers and girlfriends to share ...)

Dubai - Middle East Swingers Mecca!!

dggoddard said...

Imagine my surprise when I woke up this morning to find out we were now covering the Dubai Hockey League. :-)

Donald Dunlop said...

Ugh ...

It's an (apparently too subtle) dig at your coverage of Alumni connections. I guess I thought it would be funny to find (make-up) something more obscure than the 4 year departed goalie playing in the ECHL that you'd just written about.

And you didn't get it? Bless you.

Donald Dunlop said...

And I'm still laughing about the "bring beers and girlfriends to share" ...

Donald Dunlop said...

And the "Khaleej" (cough cough ... "College") Times? Curiste ... the only part I made up is the Danny King connection ...

LOL.

dggoddard said...

I got the dig at my coverage and its well deserved, however I felt it needed an introduction so that the unwashed masses would be privvy to your sarcastic brand of humor.

When people log on to the UAA Fan Blog they are aware that they are entering a mental hospital for the criminally insane.

LetsGoDU caters more to the Starbuck's college hockey crowd.

Donald Dunlop said...

Covering alumni is not an easy task (which is why I don't do so on my blog). Naturally, (or unnaturally) that isn't going to stop me from teasing you.

This was something that I had a sticky note to do if we decided on a blog swap and I thought what could be more absurb than hockey in the middle east so I googled dubai ice hockey and viola. It didn't take long poking around on the websites I found to decide to bag waiting for a blog swap.

And hey ... I yanked your access to my blog immediately after last seasons swap.

Donald Dunlop said...

Did you know if your in China and google "beat misbehaving dog" that my Blog is the FIRST result!

Eric J. Burton said...

I thought it was pretty hard to get banned for GPL.