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dogwoodmaple

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dogwoodmaple last won the day on November 13 2023

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  1. Until last week, Maple Dogwood had never been to Halifax's famous Peggy's Cove Lighthouse. And had he not traveled there on what turned out to be a random chance, there would have been a canine disaster the likes of which Halifax has ever seen. "It all started when I just started Googling local sites to see in and around Halifax. I'd never been to this wonderful city before being drafted here and wanted to make sure I visited all of the must-see places. On that list was none other than Peggy's Cove and the famous lighthouse so I knew I had to check it out. I packed a lunch and planned on having a picnic there and it was actually going quite well at first. I was enjoying the weather, the views, and the delicious charcuterie board I packed myself when all of the sudden I heard an enormous crash," Dogwood explained. That crash, as it turned out, was a bus from the Halifax Humane Society on the way to the large dog park not too far from the lighthouse. One of the tires on the bus exploded, which sent the bus careening off the road and straight towards the cliffs that the lighthouse overlooked. The crash itself knocked the bus driver unconscious and trapped not only the four volunteers from the humane society in their seats, but also put into peril some 19 dogs that were on the bus as well, on the way to the dog park for a day out. Upon seeing this, Maple sprang into action and raced over towards the bus immediately set on rendering aid to any and all he could. When he got to the bus itself, he found the unconscious driver but was able free him from the airbags and steering wheel before dragging him out of the bus. "After that, I saw the other volunteers who didn't seem to be banged up too badly. I didn't have to do much to free them since by the time I got there they had wiggled themselves free and managed to grab a dog in each arm to take them to safety. The problem was the weight of the bus. All of the dogs were trapped at the back of the bus which was the part of the vehicle that was hovering over the cliffs and water. There were still 11 dogs back there and I had to somehow get them all to the front without moving too much weight to the back, if that makes sense," Dogwood said. "Luckily, my lunch is the real thing that saved the day. I still had some meat from my charcuterie board in my overcoat and was very appetizing to seven of the dogs who quickly came running. I was able to grab them and gently toss them a few feet to safety. Three of the remaining four I was able to wrangle with some coaxing, but one remained as the bus continued to teeter over the edge - a quite-terrified chihuahua who wanted nothing to do with me. I thew some cheese at it to no avail, even tried to slowly approach it but I got nothing but barks and growls. I was running out of time and knew I had to act fast, so I simply leapt for the dog and prayed it didn't viciously maul me. Fortunately, I was able to grab the small ferocious animal as two of the volunteers held each others and my arm to extend the length. They pulled us back out just before the bus itself fell over the cliff and was consumed by the waters of the cove," Dogwood explained. To celebrate his courage, the city was planning on building a statue of Dogwood at the dog park, but Maple insisted they did not. Instead, he donated $1 million to the Halifax Humane Society who invested a considerable amount in the dog park as well as waiving all adoption fees for the next 12 months on all of their dogs.
  2. 1. I think we made some major moves this offseason and they'll position us really well for the upcoming season. 2. I would love to take home an MVP trophy, but for me it's all about getting those championships! Nothing like finishing the season on top 3. Does old school emo count? Standard Lines by Dashboard Confessional is still a banger 4. My hopes are a title here with Halifax, but my expectations are just a really fun season with an interactive locker room 5. Probably my physical fitness. I've been hitting the donuts pretty regularly lately and the team doctor wasn't pleased when he put me on the treadmill. 6. YES! We've got a deep roster, talented bench, and wonderful users and I truly think we can get it done.
  3. Game 66: New York Americans vs. Toronto Legion It didn't take long for this game to see fireworks with some early scoring from both sides to start. In the first period, New York found the net first thanks to a goal from FISTED ANALLY BY A CIRCUS MONKEY Analfist, but that was quickly answered with a fury by Toronto. Goals each from Jimi Jaks and Bobby Bob gave the Legion a 2-1 lead and that was just the start. Mac Atlas for the Legion scored in the second period, extending their lead to 3-1, before the aforementioned Bobby Bob made it an unsurmountable 4-1 lead in the third period. The Americans tacked on a late goal to cut the deficit, but they couldn't get enough offense going to threaten Toronto in this one.
  4. Shock, embarrassment, and utter humiliation. That's what newly drafted forward Maple Dogwood is said to have experienced this weekend when his plan to join his new team went stunningly awry. "When I got the call from Halifax, I was thrilled. They scouted me pretty thoroughly in the pre-draft process so I knew I was on their board somewhere and when word came that I was headed that, I was just over the moon. Words can't describe how happy I was because I knew it would be a great locker room, a great situation, and just a wonderful place. Of course the first thing I did was call my parents and then my agent and we started to plan out the next moves. I knew I had to get to Halifax from Atlanta, make sure I had all my gear and everything. And since I was so excited, I booked the first flight I could find. That's when it all went wrong," Dogwood explained. "I thought it was strange that there wasn't an airport in Halifax, just one nearby, but I figured that was just how it was. I'd never been there before and I was so dang fired up that I don't think I was thinking straight. I booked my ticket, got a ride to the airport, and off I went," he said. Unfortunately for the newest member of the Halifax 21st, Maple Dogwood booked a ticket to Halifax, England via Leeds Bradford Airport and not Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. "Look, I hadn't slept at all because I was so worried about the draft and then I got to the airport and do you have any idea how busy Hartsfield-Jackson Airport is in Atlanta? It's literally the busiest airport in the world. So forgive me if things got a little foggy there for me. Anyways, I got on the flight and got my seat and put my carry-on away before my row-mate sat down next to me. We made small talk and then it occurred to me that I hadn't eaten in a while. I asked him if they were serving any meals on this flight and he looked at me like I had eight eyes. 'Well I sure as hell hope so. We're going to be on this airplane for the next 11 hours.' I thought he was just joking or maybe I misheard him, but turns out he was completely serious. I decided to take a quick nap just after takeoff and it turns out I was out for five hours before I came to. When I woke up it didn't seem like we were any closer to Halifax. Before the flight, I googled the travel time before we left it said five and a half hours, so I was a little nervous and thought something might be wrong. That's when I used the little computer screen on the seatback in front of me to see exactly where we were. That's when it hit me like a ton of bricks. We had already passed Halifax, Nova Scotia and were clear over the Atlantic Ocean. I followed the path on the screen and saw that it had us landing just outside Halifax, England," Maple said. That's when he broke his cardinal rule of never paying for in-flight wi-fi and frantically emailed his family, his new coach, and his agent, explaining that he would be late arriving to his new team and would miss the first practice. "I eventually made it to the correct Halifax the next day, but the team all had a big laugh about it. There were 15 geography books, 12 maps, and nine atlases all piled up in my locker with a big red dot around Halifax and "YOU ARE HERE" written on them in marker," he said. The winger joins the 21st as their second round pick and has been banned from any unapproved flights for the coming season.
  5. 1. Gotta be the camaraderie in the locker room. I love the day to day vibes of the VHLM 2. I was drafted by Halifax and I couldn't be happier! Feels like a great group of players and users 3. Mine is probably loading up on Waffle House. Never play on an empty stomach. 4. Lately it's been some good ole Jimmy Eat World 5. I wish I was better at golf, but let's go with baseball. 6. I once sliced by finger almost all the way off with my own skate. Blood everywhere
  6. With the draft coming up, I thought I'd take a minute to breakdown my thoughts on the draft and rank three things I look for in my VHLM home. 1. Most important has to be the overall locker room atmosphere. Especially at the VHLM level, the camaraderie and activity in the locker room is probably the most valuable part of the start of any player's career. I've said it before, but if you're not enjoying your teammates and locker room, it won't matter how well you're playing - you're going to have a bad time. 2. Winning is second for me. I mean who doesn't want to bring home trophies? We play to win and it's every player's dream to hoist the championship trophy at the end of the season. Not to mention the thrill of the playoff chase and excitement both in the arena and in the locker room when the team is firing on all cylinders and playing lights out. There's just nothing like it! 3. Least important for me is playing time. I mean, sure it's great to be a starting player and get the glory of gaudy stats, but starting off I really don't put too much stock into that. I'm all about trying to contribute when my number is called on and just enjoying the locker room and season. I'd much rather win a team trophy or be blessed with a fun locker room than win MVP.
  7. In a stunning story of heroism, rookie forward Maple Dogwood saved numerous lives when he went to catch a matinee of Dune 2. "It was one of my few days off from training and I figured why not go relax for a few hours at the movie theatre? I'd already seen Dune 2 thanks to a special showing from one of my sponsors, so this was my second trip. I was really looking forward to tuning out, but of course that wasn't meant to be. As shocking as it might be, I've never been a huge fan of movie theater popcorn, so it was just Mike & Ikes and a slushie, but everybody in there seemed to have that viral popcorn bucket. You know with the sandworm's mouth on it? And that's there it all went downhill," Dogwood said. Apparently two people in the row right in front of him were going all in on the bucket, but they also forgot to take their blood pressure medication, which caused their hands to swell. And both of them, by some horrible coincidence, got their entire arms stuck inside the popcorn bucket and they couldn't take it out. At first, they didn't worry because they were sure they could un-stuck themselves, but it quickly became apparent that things were serious. "I saw one guy start thrashing around in his seat and trying to free his arm and I honestly has no clue what he was doing initially. But then his wife started hollering and I knew it was serious. It took a few minutes for the theater staff to realize what was happening and then they turned the lights on. The guy's entire arm was turning blue and I thought he was going to have a heart attack. Somehow, things got worse when the person sitting next to him literally said 'I don't know how that even happens, watch' as he stuck his arm up to the elbow in the bucket. Sure enough, he got stuck as well," said Dogwood. Both men were quickly losing all feeling in their arms as the theater called 9-1-1 to alert paramedics to their current situation. Fortunately for those two audience members and their families, Dogwood was there to save the day. "When my grandfather passed away, he gave me his pocket knife and I always carry it with me. It lasted two wars, so I always thought of it as a nice tribute to him and all he meant to me and my family. Luckily, it has a small little pair of pop-out scissors and I was able to use those to trim back the teeth on the popcorn bucket mouth thing," he said. Thankfully, he was able to cut both of their arms free in just a matter of minutes and both men didn't even need to seek medical attention. When the paramedics arrived, they weren't even shocked about the call. "This was the 27th Dune 2 popcorn bucket related call that we've received in the last two weeks. I'm just glad it was an arm this time," said Sgt. Andrew Hockensen from the Atlanta Fire Department. To thank Dogwood for his quick thinking, AMC offered free tickets for an entire year, which Dogwood promptly donated to the Atlanta Children's Hospital.
  8. 1. The Middle by Jimmy Eat World. It's always a banger 2. Probably going to a game with my dad, really started my love of the game. 3. 11, for some reason I've always been a fan of that number 4. Gotta go with @Gaikoku-hito's Pierre Emile Bouchard! We had a great run in Vancouver 5. Probably favorite movie. Right now it's probably .Dune 1 and 2 6. I'd learn to speak every language!! Great utility in my professional and personal life.
  9. In some breaking news coming out of rookie Maple Dogwood's camp, it appears as though the two-way forward will become the National Spokesperson for the Bread Pudding Bakers of America (BPBA). The BPBA has thousands of members across the United States and works diligently with local bakers to promote and develop bread pudding. "I could not be more proud to be the face of BPBA. I've long been a bread pudding concessioner and to formalize this agreement means the world to me. I start on a press tour next week where I'll be hitting the top 10 cities for bread pudding in the U.S.A., giving speeches at schools, and even doing a little baking on my YouTube Channel as well," Dogwood said. When asked 'why bread pudding', his answer was rather matter of fact. "I think it's incredibly underrated and undervalued in society. So many desserts are all about the sweet shock factor where you feel like your teeth are going to fall out, and I've honestly never liked those. I'm here to make sure bread pudding gets its day in the sun and to help inform people about this versatile and delicious dessert dish that should be a staple at all your parties and family gatherings." 207 words
  10. 5 things I learned during my time with Philadelphia 1. The food in this city is absolutely off the chain. I think I gained 30 lbs just from cheesesteaks alone when I first showed up. The team doctor wasn’t happy, but we eventually got it worked out. But this place has it all - incredible Italian food, great meats, killer pastries, and all the while having immaculate vibes no matter where you pop in for a bite. 2. No other city has fans like Philly. I think the locals would agree when I say that’s both a good and bad thing. When you’re playing well, these folks will literally die for you. They will pour their entire soul into getting loud for games, showing up to heckle the opponent, and giving all of our players an otherworldly level of support night in and night out. But if you start to stumble a bit? Man they can be brutal. I had a stretch where I didn’t score a goal for a few games and I woke up with “For Sale” signs in my front yard and raw fish stuffed in my mailbox. They make it clear that they’re always going to be all-in, 110% no matter what the situation is. 3. The team has fantastic pranksters. When I first showed up, we all went out to eat as a team to get to know each other. Since I was coming in midseason, I didn’t give it a second thought since I really needed to get to know the other guys. Until the entire team showed up, support staff included, and stuck me with the bill! My heart almost stopped when the waiter brought me the bill because it had a damn comma in it, but I wasn’t going to be the rookie to squelch on something like that. So I reluctantly gave him my card, took the receipt, and was worried all night that I wouldn’t be able to pay rent. I couldn’t sleep so I logged on to my Chase app at 4:30 AM that morning to see if I could borrow any money and to my astonishment, there were no pending charges. I ran to the den, pulled the receipt out of my pants pocket and took a closer look. “Rookie, you really should read receipts. This one’s on us.” I never slept better in my life before then. 4. Winters here are no joke. Being from Georgia, I barely had a winter coat, let alone something that would survive the cold seasons up here. And I certainly had no clue on how to drive on icy roads and didn't have a decent pair of winter boots to save my life. Luckily, my teammates were willing to help when I first showed up and gave me a shopping list of things to go out and immediately buy. A lot of them downplayed the winter weather, but when I explained how anything under 40 degrees is "freezing", they knew they were dealing with a novice in the winter arena. 5. We had a wonderful locker room and it was a fantastic place to spend the last few months of the season, especially when it came time for the playoff run. Camaraderie was always high and it was somewhere that you knew you had the support of everybody on the team, even after a bad game. I would definitely recommend Philly for any VHLM player because it's a great combination of fun, success, and overall attitude in the locker room that is simply second to none.
  11. 1. I went straight to Waffle House with my friends and family! 2. I'm not saying it was me, but also I showed up and we won the title, so do with that what you will. 3. I honestly have no clue, I'm just excited for my next opportunity. 4. 19 liquors 5. Hard not to say Vancouver, since they drafted my first gen 6. MAPLE DOGWOOD. I went from literally not even being on the team to scoring goals
  12. Game 78: London United vs. Helsinki Titans This was truly a back and forth affair between London and Helsinki that kept fans on their toes throughout. Sjin got the scoring started early for London as they found the back of the net, giving the United an early 1-0 lead. Helsinki clawed that goal back in the second quarter, thanks to Owen Lazaro which tied the game a 1-1. In the all-important third period, London's offensive firepower was just too much for Helsinki as the United poured in two goals to clinch the victory and come out with a 3-1 win over the Titans.
  13. Game 77: Toronto Legion vs. D.C. Dragons In this crucial Game 5 between D.C. and Toronto, the Dragons busted out of the gates firing on all cylinders. Keegan Gamble scored the games first goal barely six minutes into the game, giving D.C. a 1-0 lead. That score didn't hold for long as teammate The Frenchman also scored, which gave the Dragons a 2-0 lead in the first period. The D.C. squad went heavy on defense in the second period and no goals were scored, before Toronto's last ditch effort in the third to tie the game. Harry Callahan of the Legion cut the lead to 2-1, but D.C.'s defense held and they tacked on an empty netter late in the game to win 3-1.
  14. It's everyone's favorite time of year - the Founder's Cup! While some people tend to focus on the "bigger" championship series across the league, there's nothing that tops the VHLM title for my money. This year's edition is a face off between the Philadelphia Reapers and the Las Vegas Aces for minor league supremacy. In game one, Philadelphia got off to a hot start thanks to Walter Jinn's first period goal. This gave the Reapers a 1-0 lead and the early momentum. The second period saw much more fireworks as both teams' offenses really got going in a major way. Philadelphia stayed hot with a goal from Pinn Jinn to extend their lead to 2-0 before the aforementioned Walter Jinn completed his brace to give the Reapers a 3-0 lead. Las Vegas wasn't just going to quit, though, as Commander Doom found the back of the net to cut the Philadelphia lead back to 3-1. Entering the all-important third period, it was paramount that Las Vegas go all in on the offensive, which they certainly did. They finally broke through the Philadelphia defense when Stinky scored on the power play, cutting the lead to 3-2, but that was as close as they got in this one. Philadelphia's defense held strong and stymied the Las Vegas attacks as the final horn sounded, giving game one to the Reapers by a score of 3-2. In game two, it was much more defense-oriented to start off, as neither team was able to score in the first period despite some really good chances. Great defense and exceptional goal tending prevented any goals in the opening 20 minutes and the two teams entered the second period all tied at 0. Las Vegas was first to strike in the second period and was able to get their first lead of the series, thanks to Elle Aura Ashe who fired an impressive goal roughly seven minutes into the second period. Las Vegas' fans erupted in excitement, but their cheers were short lived. Philadelphia answered just a few minutes later when Taylor Swift scored to level the game at 1-1. This seemed to take the wind out of Las Vegas' sails somewhat and gave the Reapers all the momentum for the rest of the game. In the third period, the Reapers again called on Taylor Swift for some offensive magic and again they answered with a goal, giving the Reapers a 2-1 lead late in the third period. As Las Vegas went full offensive after that, it left them vulnerable to a counter attack where Erin Jinn scored another goal for Philadelphia to end the game with a 3-1 victory for the Reapers. In the first two games, both teams have played well and have been evenly matched, but Philadelphia's knack at coming up with the big play at the right time has been the difference in both games. Las Vegas could have come out on top in either or both of these, which just shows how close of a series this has turned out to be. Even though the Reapers appear to be in control of the series after two games, it's way too early to count out the Aces and their high flying attack. This one may very well go the distance before a champion is crowned. 550 words
  15. 1. I certainly can't complain! We're in the finals and I've been able help out on the ice as well 2. I really think we have a whole host of players on our roster who always have each others' backs. 3. My dad raised me to always respect the opposition which is something I continue to cling to. 4. I'm open to anyone who wants to draft me! 5. I have zero doubt - just gotta keep our fingers crossed 6. Our biggest opponent is ourselves!
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