WCQL 3 Preseason - Green Bay vs. Hartford

QUIDDITCH IS BACK! It's time for some preseason Quidditch at the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field in Green Bay! Today, Chance Furlong leads his Wolfpack into battle against Marco Diaz and the revived Hartford Whalers! Before we get started, there are some rule changes for this season!

Rule Changes:

- 2 30 minute halves
- 30 second shot clock will be in play
- Snitch's capture no longer ends the game

Point values will remain the same. Now, without further delay, here are the starting lineups:

Wolfpack:

Chaser: Chance Furlong (20) [C]
Chaser: Calico Briggs (33)
Chaser: Jake Clawson (9)
Beater: Felina Feral (77)
Beater: Mayor Manx (18)
Keeper: Ann Gora (46)
Seeker: Ulysses Feral (12)

Whalers:

Chaser: Marco Diaz (25) [C]
Chaser: Jackie Thomas (10)
Chaser: Jeremy Birnbaum (11)
Beater: Charlie Booth (3)
Beater: Oskar Greason (5)
Keeper: Brittney Wong (1)
Seeker: Star Butterfly (8)

(Note: Each player on the Whalers is wearing the number of a former NHL Hartford Whaler. I'll leave it to the comments to figure out whose number each player is wearing)

This will mark the first time I use college sports announcers in one of my Toon Quidditch games! This game will be covered by ESPN with Brad Nessler, Lee Corso and Kirk Herbstreit in the booth.


(ESPN College Football theme)


Brad Nessler: We're at the Frozen Tundra of Lambeau Field in Green Bay as a new Quidditch season is set to begin here on ESPN. Welcome to week 1 of Quidditch's preseason as a pair of expansion teams clash here in Lambeau. Today, the Green Bay Wolfpack take on the revived Hartford Whalers right here on ESPN! Hello, everyone. Alongside Lee Corso and Kirk Herbstreit, I'm Brad Nessler. Welcome to Green Bay. Kirk, Lee, 2 firsts here today. First game for any Hartford pro sports team called the Whalers in 18 years and the first Quidditch game contested here at Lambeau Field. Also, some rule changes here taking effect this season. First, we'll play 2 30 minute halves and we now have a shot clock. How will these changes affect the game as a whole?

Kirk Herbstreit: Overall, I think these changes will speed things up. We've heard that Quidditch matches could last anywhere from a few seconds to a week! These rule changes were implemented to put an end to all that. Only time will tell if they're effective.

Lee Corso: What I'm really worried about here, Kirk....is that we have cartoons playing this game! This is gonna get out of hand in a hurry!

Brad Nessler: Lee, time for your favorite part of the show. Time for 'Corso's Headgear'. Who you got?

Lee Corso: Green Bay's got a bunch of police cats while Hartford has a green belt in karate and a princess from another dimension.....(puts on a Pucky the Whale mask) I'M GOIN' FOR HARTFORD!

Brad Nessler: Corso's made his pick, we're ready to get started! Quaffle in the air and we are underway as Hartford controls the opening tip! Should be an entertaining match here at Lambeau. The Wolfpack will send out Furlong, Briggs, Clawson, Manx, Feral as the Chasers and Beaters. Ann Gora as the Keeper and the Seeker is Ulysses Feral. That's the 7 out for Green Bay. The Whalers counter with Diaz, Thomas, Birnbaum as the Chasers, Booth and Greason are the Beaters. The Keeper is Brittney Wong and the Seeker is Star Butterfly. And out of the gate, Butterfly has the Snitch! That's 150 points for the Whalers!

Kirk Herbstreit: How'd she get it so quickly?


The replay reveals that Star had taken out her Royal Magic Wand and cast a summoning spell on the Golden Snitch.


Star: ACCIO! GOLDEN SNITCH!


Lee Corso: A Summoning Charm...never saw it coming.

Brad Nessler: There you see the viewing party out at the XL Center in Hartford. The reaction to Butterfly's capture of the Snitch, putting her team on top early. 2:30 into the first half, 150-0 is our score in favor of the Whalers. Clawson has his shot blocked by Jackie Thomas, 13 seconds left on the shot clock, rebounded by Furlong, pass back to Clawson for a shot, blocked again by Thomas and the Whalers force a shot clock violation!

Kirk Herbstreit: That was great defensive work on the part of the Hartford Whalers. Excellently done!

Brad Nessler: In transition now come the Whalers. Here's Thomas, long pass to Diaz for a shot....HE SCORES! 10 MORE POINTS FOR THE WHALERS! 160-0!

Kirk Herbstreit: And the Whalers are just pouring it on right here! A defensive lapse for the Wolfpack, ill-advised double teams on Jackie Thomas and Jeremy Birnbaum left Diaz wide open, nothing that Ann Gora could've done.


The rest of the half would proceed without error for the Wolfpack, as they'd score 90 unanswered points and catch the Snitch. Hartford would score 30 more points off the strength of 2 goals by Jackie Thomas and another goal by Marco Diaz. Star Butterfly would catch the Snitch again, bringing the halftime tally to:

Whalers - 340
Wolfpack - 240


The 2nd Half started slow with no scoring to speak of. Then, the Wolfpack rattled off 100 answered points and a Snitch grab to take a 150 point lead.


Brad Nessler: 14:20 left in the half, Whalers down 150, Star Butterfly racing for the Snitch, giving chase is Ulysses Feral.


Star: RAINBOW FIST PUNCH!


Star uses her wand and knocks Ulysses Feral out with her Rainbow Fist Punch attack, dismounting him from his broom and allowing Star to go after the Snitch uncontested.


Star: ACCIO! GOLDEN SNITCH!


Brad Nessler: BUTTERFLY HAS THE SNITCH! 150 POINTS TO HARTFORD! WE ARE TIED UP AGAIN!


The score remained at 490-490 until the final seconds of the game. It came down to one final shot.


Lee Corso: Here we go, Kirk! Whalers on the break!

Kirk Herbstreit: These Hartford Whalers aren't about to let overtime happen here in Lambeau!

Brad Nessler: Birnbaum across midfield, 3 on 1! Brinbaum....to Diaz....out to Jackie Thomas for a shot.....SCORES! RIGHT AS THE BUZZER SOUNDS, JACKIE THOMAS COMES UP WITH A GAME WINNING GOAL FOR THE WHALERS!

Kirk Herbstreit: How's that for your first game in 18 years?

Lee Corso: A nailbiter right to the end!

Brad Nessler: It's taken 18 years, but the fans in Hartford finally have their team back and they now have their first win to show for it.



The Whalers take a 500-490 win over the Green Bay Wolfpack!


Otto Rocket and the Vipers head to Boise to take on the Idaho Mountaineers for our next Featured Preseason Game! STAY TUNED!