Sat-Dec-21, 2024
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Fall 2008 Playoffs

Long Island Cup Spring 2009 Championship Games

B1 League [box scores] | [draw] | [back to top]
Championship Game
B4 - Big Blew-by-You - Big Blue spurts past Bruins to seize B1 League title 7-4
Blowing open a close match late in the second, Big Blue zoomed past the GN-Bruins to claim the B League championship 7-4. With the victory, Big Blue earn their first Long Island Cup championship in their inaugural HLI season.

Big Blue scored four times in two minutes, with only three minutes to play in the second, to forge a commanding 6-3 lead heading into the third. The stunned Bruins had just garnered a hard earned 3-2 lead 15 seconds prior to Big Blue's offensive outburst. Up to that point, the intense game played nip-and-tuck with both goalies standing firm under relentless offensive pressure. B1 League MVP Neil Walsh , however, proved more stout in the nets as he made several outstanding, big time, big moment stops. In all, Walsh made 33 saves and never knuckled to the constant Bruins attack. Justin Agosta led Big Blue's scoring with 4 goals and 2 assists.

Winner's Bracket
B2 - Big O'Boy - Big Blue bushwhacks GN-Bruins 3-2
B1 - Big O - Big Blue stifles the Storm 8-6
Loser's Bracket
B3 - Mr Anderson - GN-Bruins fend off Storm surge in third 5-3

B2 League [box scores] | [draw] | [back to top]
Championship Game
BB4 - Out to Sea - Storm cruise past Klash to claim B2 title 7-2
Breaking open a close game, the Storm scored three times in the third and sailed past the Klash 7-2 to win the B2 championship. The Storm travelled through the losers bracket to beat the Klash twice to claim the title.

After spotting an early first goal, the Storm settled into their patient, structured gameplan to systematically break down the Klash. By the middle of the second they seemed in firm control. The Klash, however, sparked, scored a second goal, and tilted the ice hungry for the game tying goal. Amidst heavy Klash pressure, the Storm bent but did not break. Taking advantage of a sloppy clearing pass, B2 League MVP John Ninivaggi beat both flat-footed defensemen, circled behind the net, and stuffed the backbreaking goal. The Storm clinched the title with a dominant third period spearheaded by the stellar two-way play of Ninivaggi.

BB3 - Cloud Cover - Storm impend on Klash 6-4
Winner's Bracket
BB1 - Hark Angel - Klash rise from the ashes, rally to surprise Tremblays 4-3
Loser's Bracket
BB2 - Swamped - Storm downpours in third, bounces Tremblays Pub 7-1

C League [box scores] | [draw] | [back to top]
Championship Game
C4 - Long Time Coming - Phantoms end eight year drought, capture C title 6-4 over Boss Crokers
Playing with unfamilar resolve, the Phantoms went gritty and showed championship scrap to come from behind to oust Boss Crokers for the C league crown. With the win, the Phantoms won their first Long Island Cup in eight years.

The Phantoms seemed to revert to their past losing playoff form after spotting a fired up Boss Crokers squad a 3-0 first period lead. With the winner-take-all game looking all but booked, something new and something old emerged to change Phantom destiny. Co-C League MVPs Jay Lagnese and Matt Lavelle supplied the vim (Lavelle) and grit (Lagnese) that the Phantoms rarely displayed in crunchtime. Both Lavelle and Lagnese scored twice in a fateful five minute second period stretch to essentially will the Phantoms to a stunning 4-3 lead.

Boss Crokers recovered to knot the match at 4-4 heading into the third. In the tense third period, a couple of the long time (and long suffering) Phantom guard stepped forward to clinch the championship. Mark Becker stuffed home the gamewinner with 4:19 remaining and netminder Chris Derose turned away all 15 Croker third period shots, several of the highlight variety.

Winner's Bracket
C2 - Ghost Riders - Phantoms cruise past Boss Crokers 9-4
C1 - Boo - Phantoms whiz past Woodstock 8-4 behind late 2nd burst
Loser's Bracket
C3 - Back in the Saddle - Boss Crokers bop Woodstock 9-7
Wildcard
C0 - Tamped - Woodstock squish Scorpions 6-2

D1 League [box scores] | [draw] | [back to top]
Championship Game
D4 - Stars Light, Stars Bright - LI-Stars shoot past Swordfish 9-3 to stake D1 title
Winner's Bracket
D2 - Blinded by the Light - Stars streak past Hex 8-4
D1 - Fish for Dinner - Hex munch on Swordfish 6-3
Loser's Bracket
D3 - Stevie Wonder - Swordfish squeak past Hex 3-2 on Drizis' trick
Wildcard
D0 - Gold Rush - Goldschmidt stokes five goal Hex rally in 6-4 Euro Star elimination

D2 League [box scores] | [draw] | [back to top]
Championship Game
DD5 - Not Tonight - Mayhem buries Bruisers 11-2 to snatch D2 crown
Impressively washing away the stink of their monumental spitup, Mayhem struck swiftly and never looked back en route to a convincing 11-2 shellacking of the Bruisers. With the win, earned their second LI Cup and defended the D2 title they won last spring.

Remarkably, Mayhem showed no ill effects from the previous heartbreak. They jumped the Bruisers from the start, scoring thrice in the first five minutes en route to a 4-1 first period lead. Leaving nothing to chance, Mayhem continued the onslaught with five more in the second and rendered the third nothing more than a victory lap. Leading the Mayhem attack throughout the playoffs was D2 League MVP Chris Wilder. Wilder, who scored the gamewinner in two of Mayhem's three playoff wins, scored twice in the decisive opening burst and later completed a hat trick in garbage time.

DD4 - Lazarus - Bruisers score six in last ten minutes to mortify Mayhem 6-5
Winner's Bracket
DD2 - "Wild" One - Mayhem outlast Bruisers 8-7 in overtime
DD1 - Cruising for a Bruising - Mayhem steps past PLT 5-4
Loser's Bracket
DD3 - Popped - Bruisers toast PLT 3-0
Wildcard
DD0 - Sushi - PLT harpoon Sharks 2-1

E1 League [box scores] | [draw] | [back to top]
Championship Game
E5 - Mission Complete - Morkmen finish the deal, boot Blue Thunder to claim E1 crown 7-1
Breaking open a tight game with a five goal second period burst, the Morkmen emphatically staked claim to the E1 title with a 7-1 win over Blue Thunder. With the win, the Morkmen completed the losers bracket comeback and claimed the organization's first Long Island Cup.

The Morkmen started the game with steady pressure and never relented throughout the contest. They fired 36 shots at the Thunder goal and limited them to just 14 shots. The Morkmen offense was led by E1 League MVP Louis Milella who scored twice during the decisive second period. During much of his ice time, Milella, and his linemates Matt Bonomo and Matt Klein, pinned the Thunder in the zone and created numerous scoring chances. In all, Milella's line scored five of the seven Morkmen goals.

E4 - One Mork Time - Morkmen muffle Blue Thunder 5-1, force winner-take-all
Winner's Bracket
E2 - Thunder Cloud - Blue Thunder soaks Morkmen 4-3
E1 - Suzie Q - Blue Thunder rolls past Outlaws 4-3 on McCarthy's late tally
Loser's Bracket
E3 - Bounty Hunt - Morkmen marshal Outlaws 11-2
Wildcard
E0 - Downpour - Blue Thunder reign over Vipers 10-4

E2 League [box scores] | [draw] | [back to top]
Championship Game
EE5 - 'Last Minute'men Standing - Minutemen score in final ticks to prevail over Raging Bulls 4-3 to wear E2 crown
In a breathtaking finish to the decisive winner-take-all game, the Minutemen scored with just 37 ticks remaining to dramatically seize the E2 championship 4-3 over a stunned Raging Bulls squad. Win the title win, the Minutemen avenged their championship loss to the Bulls last fall and ended an eight year title drought.

The see-saw affair saw the Minutemen lead three different times to only be matched by the resilient Bulls. The Minutemen never mustered more than a goal lead, and when Bulls' Adam DiGirolomo scored his second with 5:00 to go the white knuckles emerged. Back and forth, the teams traded near misses with each netminder playing his part in building the drama. Ultimately, it fell to one the old Minutemen guard to deliver the long suffering to Camelot. E2 League MVP Brian "Murray" Barthold deflected a blueline slapshot directly off an offensive zone draw to thrillingly clinch the elusive championship. It was Barthold's second goal with his first coming earlier in the final period to momentarialy stake the Minutemen to a 3-2 lead.

EE4 - Ole' - Raging Bulls slip past the Minutemen 3-2 to force winner-take-all
Winner's Bracket
EE2 - Chin Hair - Minutemen eke past Mustangs 2-1 in a shootout
EE1 - By a Nose - Mustangs edge Raging Bulls 5-4 in overtime
Loser's Bracket
EE3 - Round Up - Raging Bulls corral Mustangs 6-5 in OT
Wildcard
EE0 - Cement Shoes - Mustangs whack the Mob 2-0

3C League [box scores] | [draw] | [back to top]
Championship Game
3C6 - Scratch, Claw, Paydirt - Grizzlies survive wild finish to raise 3C banner 6-5 over Court Officers
Persevering in a finish as bizarre as it was intense, the Grizzlies emerged with a madcap 6-5 win to clinch the 3C title. The championship was the Grizzlies first LI cup in five years and first in the over30 division.

The topsy-turvy match see-sawed most of the way. The Grizzlies started strong and scored twice early. The playoff hardened Officers responded with four unanswered with three coming in a late first period three minute burst. The Grizzlies struck back just as decisively. Led by 3C League MVP Tom Prate's two goals, the Grizzlies scored four times in five minutes to jump back ahead 6-4 end of two. The Officers narrowed the lead to 6-5 and the frantic finish was set.

With roughly 5 minutes remaining, the Grizzlies took a 4 minute high-sticking. A minute later, an interference call set up an unthinkable 5-on-3 for two full minutes. Throwing rubber, bodies, water bottles, sinks at the net, the Officers assailed the Grizzlies goal as play resembled an English rugby match. During the 5-on-3, the Grizzlies incurred 6 additional penalty minutes ensuring a shorthanded squad to the end. Through all the mayhem, Grizzlies goalie Mike Tuniewiz refused to yield. Staying collected and steady, Tuniewiz was immense in the final frenzied minutes with much of the action squarely in his kitchen and up in his grill.

Winner's Bracket
3C4 - Bear Claw - Grizzlies swipe Klash-30 5-2
3C2 - Big Train Arollin' - Klash-30 steamrolls Court Officers 5-0
3C1 - Tuna Melt - Grizzlies fend off Stalkers 3-2
Loser's Bracket
3C5 - No Prisoners - Court Officers ambush Klash-30 5-1
3C3 - Case Closed - Court Officers collar Stalkers 4-2
Wildcard
3C0 - Lurking - Stalkers shut down Rams 4-0

3D League [box scores] | [draw] | [back to top]
Championship Game
3D4 - Mud Party - Ice Hogs outdo Moose 4-1 to capture 3D title
Riding an early two goal lead, the Ice Hogs held off a scrappy Moose squad to skate away with the 3D crown. With the championship , the Ice Hogs raised the organization's first Long Island Cup.

The Ice Hogs jumped to an early two goal lead scoring twice in the first five minutes. 3D league MVP Johan Backlan netted two in a twenty second span to forge the early lead that the Hogs would subsequently not relinquish. The Moose shook off their sluggish start and answered ninety seconds later. The match then played essentially even the rest of the way. Both goalies made numerous clutch saves as each team traded scoring opportunities. The Hogs scored again in the second and Backlan completed a hat trick with an emptynetter.

Winner's Bracket
3D2 - Pig Phuey - Ice Hogs escape Banshees 7-6 in overtime
3D1 - Sweet Lou - Banshees muzzle Moose 5-1
Loser's Bracket
3D3 - Return to Sender - Moose buck Banshees 4-1
Wildcard
3D0 - Scalped - Banshees bounce Bladerunners 1-0 in overtime

3E League [box scores] | [draw] | [back to top]
Championship Game
3E7 - Home Again - Wolverines complete the fire walk, edge Tribe 2-1 to reclaim 3E throne
Finishing the long trek through the loser's bracket, the Wolverines scored late to eke past the Tribe 2-1 and once again rule as 3E champs. With the win, the Wolverines redeemed their title game loss from last season and defended the 3E title won last spring.

The Wolverines successfully finished the four game tightrope in trademark fashion: playing from the back end out. When right, the Wolverines defend their own end first and patiently wait for the critical offensive opening. Midway through the third, defensive Eric Healy rushed wide right to stretch the Tribe just enough to slip the biscuit to an unattended Greg Miller in the center slot who ripped the title winning onetimer.

The key for the Wolverines is the ironclad goaltending of 3E League MVP Tom Fellner. The defense-first approach tempts opponent pressure and relies on the "Big Fella" to stand tall in the face of it. For much of these playoffs, Fellner did exactly that. Several times in the earlier matches, the Wolverines were outshot, and outplayed. Fellner, fueled by the stench of last season's failure, willed his team through the shaky stretches and enabled his team to linger just enough to ultimately strike.

3E6 - Almost There - Wolverines continue playoff push, whip Tribe 7-0
Winner's Bracket
3E4 - Pelt Drive - Tribe spurn Sabres 5-4 in OT
3E2 - Serving Notice - Tribe look sharp, topple East Coast 5-2
3E1 - First Decision - Sabres parry Wolverines 6-4
Loser's Bracket
3E5 - Payback - Wolverines eighty-six Sabres 5-2
3E3 - Fellner Time - Wolverines foreclose East Coast 5-2
Wildcard
3Ew2 - Stonewall - Wolverines put down Rats 2-0
3Ew1 - Sweat Equity - East Coast whistles away the Blues 2-1 in a shootout