Bears Hockey 3 Cadets 2 in OVERTIME at MAPHL Championship (02.21.2020)

goldenstateservicesj
Feb 22, 2020
2 min read

The Saint John’s College High School Cadets (22-8-2; WaPo #1 or #2 ALL SEASON; MAPHL #1 seed; MAPHL POY, 2 1^st team MAPHL and 1 2^nd team) arrived at the Ice Gardens in the normal traveling clothes of most teenagers. The Bears (12-2-2; WaPo #6, #7, NR; with 1 1^st team MAPHL and 2 on the 2^nd team) arrived in business attire. The best dressed went to Will Lawrence in a beautiful red/brown suit PLUS the true mark of exquisite haberdashery, hockey socks. The visitors came to do business; they did and the sartorial resplendence of #5 carried through the game.

The Bear fans outperformed their WCAC crowd in volume, frequency and creativity. The stands were full of students plus alumni, parents, grandparents, friends and even a few applicants made the Ice Gardens a Bears’ Den.

The initial 15 minutes typified most games of significance; both teams were feeling out their opponents—judging the breakout plays, becoming familiar with the other guys checking systems and fudging the netminders’ strength and weaknesses. In spite of the absence of any scoring, the Bears outshot the Cadets 13-7. Max Weinstein was, indeed stonecold solid in his blue semicircle.

Coach Erickson rotated 4 O lines and 3 D pairs. Their forechecking, backchecking and speed kept the Cadets away from the scoring spots.

END OF 1^ST PERIOD BEARS 0 CADETS 0

The drought ended @ 9:59 when Ryan Giles beat the SJCHS goaltender with assists to______ (the officials were unable to determine to whom helpers should be credited).

Later in the middle stanza JH Lages racked a goal @2:44 with assists accredited to Kyle Radimer and Coby Shrensky.

Having an advantage has been a pattern of the Bears over the past two games (O’C and GP) and in this streak, Landon has surrendered to a tie. Two previous ties ended with an overtime win for the AED team.

15:01 to 30:00 BEARS 2 CADETS O

LSoG 14 L SAVES 7

The Friday night battle saw the Bears squander the +2 over the erstwhile final period. The #1 team scored early on a PP goal at 10:08.

It looked as though Landon may have been able to bring the game to an end in regulation time. At 1:00, SJCHS pulled its goalie at 1:00 and with 0:14 remaining, an odd bounce crossed the goal line to knot the scores

END OF REGULATION BEARS 2 CADETS 2

LSoG 3 L SAVES 6

The faceoff ended with the puck on Kareem Al-Azem’s stick and he saw classmate best-dressed Will streaking up the right boards. The super fast forward accelerated past the Cadet D and deposited the hard, black rudder sphere past the opposing goalie @ 9:47 or 0:23 expired.

After O/T BEARS 3 CADETS 2

LSoGs 1 L Saves nil.

Three stars for the MAPHL Championship game

#3 JH Lages

#2 SJCHS goalie

#1 Will Lawrence

This is the Bears’ 5^th MAPHL Championship in the last 10 years.