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Hockey Night in Midgar The Avalanche will be relying on the skills of their superstar center, Cloud Strife. One of the most popular players in the league, Cloud can do it all, being among the top in his team when it comes to Attack, Defense, Accuracy, Speed, and Spirit. And, when his back is to the wall, he's got a Finish Touch like you wouldn't believe, often spelling sudden death for the enemy with a whirlwind slapshot noone else in the league can duplicate. Of course, with Cloud being far and away the best member of his team, they're severely hampered if the Espers can shut him down for the night, and you know they're going to try. He's assisted on the wings with the best shooters with the Avalanche. Right winger Yuffie Kisaragi is a known sniper, deadly with her shots from anywhere within the blue line, and with a speed and grace that makes her hard to intercept, her only weakness being a habit to hog the puck, preferring to shoot and passing only when necessary. Meanwhile, Left winger Vincent Valentine proves an adept shot, though his attack is the weakest by far of the three forwards. His talents lay more in his ability to get to where he needs to be without being noticed, and of being an exemplary team player. On defense you have the twin pairing of Barret Wallace and Tifa Lockheart. Barret is the team enforcer, playing the tough guy, and one half of the infamous Bash Bros. with fellow tough Cid Highwind. However, he backs up his tough play with his impressive Hammerblow of a slapshot, which is second to none for blasting the puck clear to the other side of the rink. Tifa is more of a skill defenseman, messing up the other team with skill instead of brawn, and drawing fewer penalties than the hot headed Barret and Cid. Finally, there's the goaltender, Cait Sith. He's not much for moving around, but as has been shown, he can move inside his crease well enough, even if he can't do much handling outside of it. And while he isn't limber, his bulk is more than enough to block quite a few of the shots coming his way. They'll be advised by Coach, Owner, and General Manager Rufus Shinra who's taken control of team very successfully since the passing away of his father. The Espers take a different approach to the game than the Avalanche who depend on star center Strife. Indeed, having no main in the traditional sense, they rely instead on their Main Line consisting of Terra Branford and Celes Chere on wing and Locke Cole anchoring the line in center. Terra typically being the focus in the first half of the game before fading in the second, heralding a comeback late in the third where she becomes hands away the best player on the team. Whereas Celes often lags in the beginning before really coming into her own in the second half of the game. Known as the Ice Mage, she proves it by her skill and is bested only by Terra on this team. Locke Cole, while not as good as his line mates, isn't here to score, and it shows. Last year he led the league in Assists thanks to his speed and wits, and his uncanny ability to steal the puck from the other team. His great chemistry with both Terra and Celes and his ability to break up enemy rushes and purloin the puck makes him one of the best playmakers in the league, and a scoring chance is always possible when Locke is on the ice. On defense there's the dual pairs of Umaro and Mog, and Sabin Figaro and Gogo. Being the sole Yeti in the league, Umaro is on home on ice, and his great bulk and natural ferocity makes sure few people try to race into the corners with him for the puck. Mog, while no giant, makes up for it with almost unnatural toughness and a quick wit. Sabin is one of the best enforcers in the league, able to take and give hits, and to do it without drawing penalties most of the time. And Gogo is simply unshakable, proving one of the few masters of simply shadowing opposing forwards so they can't sneak past him with the puck. Finally, in goal is Edgar Roni Figaro with his infamous mask. Quick and nimble enough, his decently high evade and experience with heavy armour allow him to move quickly to block the puck. And, with his skill in reading a play, he can field the puck anywhere near the net with no fear of leaving the goal open. The team is being coached by that seasoned pro, Strago Magus. And now the teams are arriving on the ice, and the referee for this match looks to be Rolf Landale from Motavia, with his linesmen Izlude Tingel from Ivalice and Luc from Toran. As per usual, Rolf is explaining the rules. Just as the usual hooking, tripping, and cross-checking are all disallowed, so to are all spells and enchantments. And now, the game is about to begin. May the best team win! |
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DragoonJay I'd like to have a long commentary on the hockey match, but I don't have much time, so I'll just summarize the events. -The first two periods end with the Avalanche up 3-1. We cut to Corneo's Corner, with Don and Banon. Corneo comments on Cloud's excellent play, and we get a replay of the second goal, where he split the defense and went top shelf on Edgar. Banon also highlights Locke's strong play, and the many times he created an odd man rush. Finally, Don talks about Tifa's "distractions" of Edgar and how it's led to the Avalanche's lead. We get quite a fw replays. Most involve lots of jiggling. -The third period opens, and Locke and Celes are constantly bothering Cloud. This is quickly annoying him, so Rufus sends him to the bench to cool down. He gives Cloud a tranq, but it's really a Hyper... -Three minutes later, Cloud loses it and uses his Limit Breakaway, OMcSorleySlash. Locke's out of the game, and Cloud gets a game misconduct. -Locke is replaced by Cyan, who's rather slow, but has a wicked slapshot when he can get it off. Needless to say, he does at one point, and it's 3-2. -The Espers form the Flying V, and score again, sending the game into overtime. -"Ten seconds to go... wait! Nuber 23 is breaking clear! He's got a clear shot! He shoots..." Avalanche: 7 Espers: 16 Neither: 4 Sir Alex
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