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LANDON HOCKEY 4 BULLIS 2
As the clock rolled to 0:00, WWWHHHOOSSSHHHwas the sound emitted by the 50 or so MEMBERS OF THE adult section of the Bears’ Den exhaling at once. While THREEPEAT, THREEPEAT was the thunderous sound of the Landon students, as their beloved home team hockey players crashed the boards à la Alex Ovechkin. The different reactions were driven by the adult realization of the slimness of the margin and the youthful exuberance by the Bear fans.
[NOTE to Landon capital fundraisers—maybe someone should donate an AED unit for the hockey fans.]
At the final horn, the white jerseys had secured a 4-2 victory against an energetic Bullis Bulldogs tonight. Some of the difference is attributable to leadership of the Class of 2013 Bear hockey players, whose leadership, inner confidence and class inspired the team tonight and throughout the season.
The Bears were first to score with a big slapshot from the blue line by Brian Jordan @12:20. L 1 B 0. Soon thereafter, the officials called a penalty @ 11:51, then another @ 11:17 against Landon skaters, and the energy required to handle a 5 on 3 powerplay deflated the home team’s momentum.
The Bulldogs put a puck into the net @ 6:06 L 1 B 1.
The referees were the prime movers for most of the remainder of the 1st period, calling successive against the Bears. To show balance, the black-and-white striped skaters blew their whistles against two of the Bullis players. The end result was no goal for either team, because their powerplays were limited to relatively short advantages.
With the time winding down towards the end of a VERY long 1st period (running time greater than 60 minutes), Bullis scored again at 0:49.0. [No website provided enough information to identify their players.] B 2 L 1
END OF 1ST PERIOD BULLDOGS 2 BEARS 1
The two Ds dominated the next 15 minutes. The 1st period saw a total of 23 shots and during this time frame, only a total of 12 saves were made (equally divided between the two Gs).
Two events were the hallmarks for the 2nd period. The first was the Landon powerplay. Jack Barton assisted on Graham Shue’s goal @ 7:39 L2 B2.The second occurred during a Bullis powerplay; a Bulldog was positioned by himself on the doorstep of Sam Kroll’s house and appeared ready to retake the lead late in the period. The Bear G miraculously stuffed the certain goal.
END OF 2ND PERIOD BEARS 2 BULLDOGS 2
The last section of the game started with a penalty called against a Bullis boy; that was soon followed by the assessment of penalty box time to a Bear. The third such transgression was a charm. A Bulldog was in the box for interference. Four seconds before the Bullis skater was to be released for his sin, Jack Barton moved the puck toward the Bullis goal and Colton Rupp buried it @ 5:08 L3 B 2.
Reversing the pattern of the previous period, Sam made another massively critical save against a Bulldog poised on the Landon crease with no defender able to limit the Bullis offensive player. The Bear Goalie made this BIG STOP @ 1:06. His buddy, Graham followed later.
The Bulldogs took a time out, pulled their Goalie and attacked 6 on 5. The Landon forwards and defenders did a great job thwarting the Bullis assault.
Relief was eventually provided as Captain Graham skated the puck out of his D zone, past the blue line, and made a careful, slow shot at the empty net. L 4 B 2 @ 0:10.7.
FINAL SCORE LANDON 4 BULLIS 2
The Bears’ secured their third consecutive IAC championship; the celebration of the young Landon team was appropriately joyous.
Much credit should be attributed to Coaches Gammill, Farnstrom, Lubin and Anas. With 14 players of the 2011-2012 team having graduated or opted for another program, it would have been easy for the team to chalk it off to a rebuilding year. Instead, the coaches, Captain Shue, Assistant Captain Buckingham, senior Orlando Arevalo, Chris Javens, John Wellington, Jack Sears and Sam Kroll decided that they could do better. They did!
These members of the senior class instilled the hard work, dedication, teamwork and selflessness necessary to win. At the end of the season the two juniors, six sophomores and three freshmen learned those valuable lessons PLUS won the IAC again!
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