Monday December 20 (Open division Final)

G.Barrera’s shootout goal caps crazy finish, Golden Knights champs of the 4vs4 open division

The Golden Knights were simply relieved. Even though they led the series 1-0, the second game suggested a third and deciding match was to be followed with the Orient carrying a 2-0 lead with less than two minutes remaining. And rather than sulking or quitting, the Golden Knights rallied for an improbable shootout win. The series was like a movie with the amount of drama along with twists and turns, but in the end it was a great finish for the Golden Knights. Throughout their entire regular season and playoff, the Golden Knights never dropped a game. Tonight was perhaps as close as it got for the Orient to end their run if not for some bad luck and unfortunate timing.  As the shootout rounds kept passing, both captains had to face some tough choices on who to send out there. For the Golden Knights, G.Barrera took it upon himself to take a shot at it. That decision paid off as the captain used a brilliant move to slide the ball right under E.Paradis-Levasseur. This contest was decided after seven shootout rounds with the goaltenders having their ups and downs. The first three attempts saw both sides score each time while the following three attempts had the players snake bitten unable to solve the net minders. It was by the seventh round that this series came to a close thanks to Barrera. The Golden Knights will remember this season for their impressive unbeaten record illustrating their skill level and toughness that got them to this point. On behalf of Hockeyballe.com, congratulations go out to Gary Barrera and the Golden Knights for winning the 4vs4 open division.

(4)Golden Knights vs Orient(2) Game 1

(5)Orient vs Golden Knights(6) S.O Game 2

The SalumiVino player of the night goes to Gary Barrera of the Golden Knights. As a captain, you carry all the responsibilities on your shoulders. Stuck with some tough decisions, G.Barrera made plenty of right ones throughout the series including perhaps its finest moment when he scored his clubs last goal to decide the championship.

(Division 2) 4 vs 5

Mighty Cucks offense dries up at wrong time, Hungry Hippos pull through

The Hungry Hippos took on the Mighty Cucks for the right to play the Degenerates in the semi final that would take place only an hour after this contest. It was understood  that this series was going to played out till the very end. It. They met not long ago with the Mighty Cucks needing both shootouts to edge out the Hungry Hippos. Basically, a coin toss situation. Game one was nothing short of a similar confrontation with both sides going into another shootout. This time however, the Hungry Hippos flipped the table thanks to goals by A.Daghlian and B.Pereira while A.Zandarian won the goaltending battle denying two of three attempts. The Hungry Hippos would feed off their strong finish heading into game two jumping out in front early courtesy of J.Discepola’s power play goal. As expected, it was another tight checking game with so much on the line. The problem however was that the Mighty Cucks couldn’t get much going up front. In part, the Hungry Hippos didn’t give a whole lot, and A.Zandarian was having an incredible night stopping everything his way. The net minder stole the show once more riding a perfect sheet which enabled his club to pull through. A.Pederian would eventually feed an empty cage securing a low scoring affair. This win came at a cost however. Due to some banged up players, the Hungry Hippos decided to call it quits and forfeit their match up with the Degenerates.

(2)Mighty Cucks vs Hungry Hippos(3) S.O Game 1

(2)Hungry Hippos vs Mighty Cucks(0) Game 2

Semi final

Dragons endure nightmare finish to Assadi Classics

For nearly two entire games, the Dragons looked fast and full of skill as it looked like they could do no wrong. They had an easy opening game that ended by a landslide, and continued to take command in the ensuing match finding themselves up 5-3 at one point with less than two minutes remaining. Any betting person would have concluded an easy sweep for how the series transpired till that point. B.Daniele was a force netting back to back hat tricks while S.Morante was steady in net making all the necessary saves. Then, the genie came out of the bottle and the unthinkable happened. Already with a goal early in the second period, M.Croteau went into beast mode bagging two quick tallies that evened the score. Out of nowhere, the Assadi Classics were actually in this series. And rather than the clock bleeding out in its final moment, M.Destounis added to the Dragons misery by snapping a 5-5 tie. Talk about a turn of events. Granted, there was still another game to be played, but hockey can sometimes take a psychological effect on you. That ending played into the Dragons minds heading into game three. They were no where close to how they performed for two straight games. Clearly, momentum had everything to do with it. The Assadi Classics were the ones dictating the pace in game three keeping the ball for longer periods of time which eventually led to their breaks. M.Mavroudis, as he’s often done in the past, will get you that big goal. The power forward snapped a late 1-1 tie which was shortly followed by J.Pantelis’s empty net marker. Looking back at all this, the Dragons may have lacked that killer instinct to close out the series. You can never get to complacent or let up just a little as it can sometimes come back to hurt you. Unfortunately for the Dragons, they learned it the hard way.

(7)Dragons vs Assadi Classics(2) Game 1

(6)Assadi Classics vs Dragons(5)Game 2

(1)Dragons vs Assadi Classics(3) Game 3

The SalumiVino player of the night goes to Martin Croteau of the Assadi Classics. The Assadi Classics were ready to pack it up for how their night was going, that was until M.Croteau took the bull by the horns bagging two incredible timely goals. The solid d-man was an absolute force notching a hat trick along with a pair of assists while making many big defensive plays.

The second division is now down to its final two teams. The Degenerates will take on the Assadi Classics in what will be a difficult challenge for the two sides. The Degenerates need to use their quickness and speed so they can hold on to the ball while identifying the threats-from their opponent. Since both teams know each other extremely well, a solid game plan may decide the fate of this series.