Bucatini Sees First Playoff Action

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 Reapers Report

 

Bucatini and the Reapers Onto Round Two

 

Philadelphia -- When Antonia Bucatini signed for the Philadelphia Reapers upon joining the VHLM, she knew she’d be seeing some potential playoff games. The Reapers, after all, sat fifth in the VHLM and second in the Eastern Conference, a near surety to be playing some meaningful hockey at the end of the season.

 

The Reapers did indeed end up in that same slot, drawing the Las Vegas Aces in the first round. To Bucatini, the fast pace and increased intensity of the playoffs sure lived up to the hype.

 

“It’s one thing to look forward to the playoffs, but it’s another thing to be in it, you know?” Bucatini told reporters after a victorious Game 5. “The pace, the ferocity, how much your mind really needs to be focused - it’s really something else.”

 

That isn’t to say that Bucatini had an uneventful end of the season after joining the Reapers. Stepping into the team’s second line right away alongside fellow Season 93 draftee Jean-Pierre Devote, Bucatini was able to contribute right away to the tune of 6 goals and 8 assists in 14 games. She even got a game winning goal for good measure, one in a series of strong play from Philadelphia that helped the team get to within a game of Ottawa in the final conference standings.

 

Still, Philadelphia drew a tough Las Vegas team in the first round, a four versus five matchup that was truly anyone’s series. Entering the contest, Bucatini admitted to have some butterflies in her stomach.

 

“It’s a big game, right? I’d be lying if I said there weren’t some nerves there,” Bucatini later said. “We’re human after all, and that was the biggest game of my professional career to that point. The next round will be even bigger. There’s some anxiety there, for sure.”

 

On the ice, however, Bucatini certainly didn’t show those nerves. In Game 2, Bucatini was even named the team’s third star, picking up 3 assists en route to the team’s 6-3 victory. Bucatini finished with an even 5 points in 5 games - a goal and 4 assists - as the Reapers took the series in a surprising 4-1 split.

 

To Bucatini, the games were an opportunity to shake off the nerves and show a raucous Philadelphia crowd what her game was all about. “You always think you’re good, but you never really know until your under that spotlight,” she added. “I’m happy I rose to the occasion.”

 

The run is not over yet though. To become the champions, the Reapers would need to get through two more series. And as the top three teams in the league standings also advanced to round two, that would be a tall order indeed.

 

But Bucatini won’t be cowed. She sees a path to a title. “Look, I joined midseason, and all I asked was for a chance,” she said. “Well guess what, we won our first series, got to the semifinals and will be on the big stage. We’ve sure as hell got that chance now, we’ve got the trophy in front of us. And I plan to do my damn best to take it.”