An absolutely HUUUUUGE night of hockey to close out the 2025-2026 PCOHL Regular Season. No less than FOUR playoff seed positions still on the line at puck drop including the President’s Trophy for first place.

Early Game – Portugal vs Scotland

With Scotland already assured 3rd place, this was a spoiler opportunity for the kilts as Portugal needed a win to lock down 1st place.

Tim Randa rolling early with a goal at the 8-minute mark but handsome Joe Peacock rifled one low to the long side minutes later. Randa rushed in and lifted a nifty one over Cioffi’s shoulder to close out the period. No need for Portuguese panic yet. 2-1 for Scotland after one.

Scotland came out jumping again in the second with an early goal from Veteran sniper John Annan followed shortly thereafter by teammate Todd MacDougall. Peacock shoveled a nice backhand in after a crisp Letsos pass from the point to narrow Scotland’s lead to two but with 3 seconds to go in the period MacDougall picked up a loose puck and scored a breakaway backbreaker (say that 10 times fast). 5-2 Scotland after two.

Randa completes the hat-trick early in the third, putting this one out of reach. Dave Skingley adds one late to make it respectable but it was all Scotland in this one. Final Score: Scotland 6, Portugal 3.

Scotland’s Player of the Game with a number of fine stops was last year’s Vezina winner, Stu Henderson, captured below in what his close friends describe as a look of pure ecstatic joy. Veteran Neil Kelly leads the parade for the flagging footmen of Fatima.

Late Game – Slovenia vs Italia

HUGE stakes in this one. After Portugal’s 3-game flop to close out the season, Slovenia could steal first place with a tie or a win, knocking the Portuguese out of first place for the first time since 2026.

Both teams playing tight in the first, Rispoli and Senkowski both looking impenetrable. D-man Sal Guerra breaks the ice for Slovenia and Dave Wodar returns fire a few minutes later, but that was it for period 1.

Equally tight hockey in the second frame with a goaltender’s duel developing. Slovenian fans going insane in the stands, almost tasting their first place finish. But Italy’s Kevin MacDougall cooled off the kranjska klobasa, finding twine at the 13 minute mark. But the Slovenian fans roared when Jim Maguire evened the score only 20 seconds later, putting his squad back in 1st place territory — a 2-2 tie after two periods.

FIERCE competition to start the third period until Slovenian hearts sagged once more with brother MacDougall #2 (substitute player Todd) put Italy up again! The Portuguese squad listening to the play-by-play on a transistor radio leaped for joy!

But their joy was short-lived <sigh>.

Slovenia suddenly remembered that they have become a 7+ goal/game team and notched SIX GOALS IN THE LAST HALF OF THE THIRD PERIOD. Sal Guerra with his second, two from Dave Vincelli, two from Greg Platt, and one from Bob King. Final Score: Slovenia 8, Italy 3.

WOW.

Slovenia steals first place in the last half of the last period of the last game of the season.

Italy’s Player of the Game goes to Jay Cummings, who was up and down the Ice Ice BABY, and veterans Sal Guerra and Bruce Freeman share the honours for FIRST PLACE SLOVENIA.

PLAYOFF SCHEDULE