BOYS’ HOCKEY: STATE CHAMPIONS
Printer-friendly versionJust in case you missed the Boys’ Ice Hockey Division II State Final game, Amity beat Saint Joseph’s with a score of 7 to 5. It was a truly exciting game. The first thing you noticed as you entered Ingall’s Rink on that balmy Friday night was the boisterousness and sheer quantity of Amity fans. There were hundreds of loud Amity students dressed in black and yellow. Some had gone as far as to paint their faces half yellow and half black.
The Saint Joe’s side was noticeably less intimidating. On the opposite side of the rink you could see some open spaces and they were not nearly as loud, whereas the Amity side was completely filled with excited students anticipating what was to be an epic game.
The first period began with vigorous play from both sides. Junior Corey Shea received a penalty for slashing and St. Joe’s scored on the power play around six and a half minutes into the game. St. Joe’s scored again only moments later. Before the first period was out St. Joe’s brought the score up to 3 to 0. This third goal was scored short-handed when one of the St. Joe’s players was in the penalty box.
The Zamboni break after the first period was a distressing time. Things were not looking good for Amity. St. Joe’s had scored three goals within minutes of each other and the Amity squad remained goalless.
It was during these dark minutes that Junior Jon Greengarden said, “We’ve got good men out there, and if I know Amity, I think we’re going to pull through.”
I was not totally convinced; Amity’s situation looked pretty desperate at this point. Soon, however, everyone would learn of Amity’s resilience.
Soon after the second period began Amity put heavy pressure on St. Joe’s and Junior Will Dixon scored. The Amity crowd erupted into applause and chanting while the relatively few St. Joe’s supporters kept quiet and appeared rather sullen. Shortly thereafter a St. Joe’s player received a penalty giving Amity an excellent chance to score.
Despite the vicious attack by Amity during this time no goals were scored. Towards the end of the period St. Joe’s scored again bringing the score to an unsettling 4 to 1. At the end of the period the Amity offense caught the St. Joe’s goalie unawares and Will Dixon scored on a massive pile up in the goal.
The third period began with an uproar of epic proportions from the Amity crowd. A sort of hopeful desperation was in the air. As if in response to the massive cheering Amity scored again almost as soon as the period began. This goal was followed by tough offense by St. Joe’s and some close call saves by the Amity goalie. Amity scored again with 12 minutes left in the period to tie the game at four.
Shortly after Amity scored again to take the lead. Then Junior Eric Carrano received a penalty. Amity scored again to pad the score at 6 to 4. Junior Adam Soltis received a penalty and Corey Shea scored yet another goal for Amity to bring the score to a comfortable 7 to 4 with around three minutes remaining.
At this point in the game the cheering from the Amity side grew into an even wilder frenzy of excitement. There was even a beach ball being tossed around at one point (until it was confiscated). During this period of jubilant exultation a number of the more rowdy fans were removed by various authority figures.
However celebratory the atmosphere may have felt, the game was not yet won and St. Joe’s would score again with only seconds remaining in the third period. But this last attempt was not enough, Amity had vanquished St. Joe’s in an exciting come-from-behind victory. There were a lot of tense moments when it seemed as though defeat was inevitable but much as Jon Greengarden predicted, Amity pulled through.
The fans’ reactions to the game were all positive and everyone seemed to have enjoyed the thrilling competition. The only unhappy people were in the St. Joe’s crowd, and they seemed to take defeat pretty well.
One Amity junior said the game was, “Epic.”
Junior Jane Depgen claimed, "I'm literally still living off of the energy from it, and it has been like four days. I'm really glad I was there for such a great game."
Watching Amity snatch victory from the jaws of defeat in such an epic game truly was exciting. This is the second time in three years that the Amity Boy’s Ice Hockey team has won the state title.
