“Big time players make big time plays.”
“Big time players make big time plays.”
And so it was for Kenston Bombers Hockey in the Championship Game of the Baron Cup II Tournament against the Avon Lake Shoremen on Feb. 9.
In a game for the ages, senior Gavin Rowell brought his team back from an early 2-0 first period deficit.
In fact, Rowell answered the Shoremen’s early lead with five goals of his own to lead the Bombers to a 5-3 victory and their first Baron Cup Title in school history.
“We had one goal all year, that was to get to this moment,” said Kenston Head Hockey Coach Tom Moores. “To have the start that we did, which we didn’t exactly draw up, but to rebound like we did, it showed our character.
“It was a very proud moment as a coach.”
Added senior Gavin Rowell, “We were putting pucks on net, we put them in deep, chasing after everything. The hustle was there, the grind was there, and we came out victorious.”
To get to the Baron Cup, the Bombers had an excellent regular season, winning the White North Division of the Greater Cleveland High School Hockey League (GCHSHL) for the second year in a row.
The Bombers then began Baron Cup play Feb. 6 when they took on the Kent Roosevelt Rough Riders.
Having lost to the Rough Riders 3-2 in the regular season, the Bombers got redemption with a 3-0 victory in Baron Cup competition.
After a scoreless first period against the Rough Riders, Rowell gave the Bombers a 1-0 lead with 7:12 left in the second period.
The Bombers then added two goals in the third period by Rowell and Reece Newpher to claim victory.
In the Feb. 7 semifinals, the Bombers defeated the Elyria Catholic Panthers, 6-1.
Leading the Bombers against the Panthers were Newpher (2 goals, 3 assists), Rowell (1 goal, 2 assists), Sid Richardson (1 goal, 1 assist), Luke Mack (1 goal), J. C. Pustai (1 goal), and Charlie McBride (1 assist).
In the Baron Cup II Championship Game, the Shoremen took a 1-0 lead just 36 seconds after face-off.
Then, just a little less than five minutes later, the Shoremen took a 2-0 lead.
The Bombers quickly overcame adversity as Rowell scored two goals in the remaining minutes of the first period to go into intermission tied 2-2.
The Bombers took a 3-2 lead with 10:27 left in the second period when Rowell again found the back of the net.
Rowell added an additional goal in the second period and an insurance goal in the third as the Bombers went on to defeat the Shoreman, 5-3.
In addition to the Bombers, the Chagrin Falls Tigers also played in the Baron Cup Tournament.
The Tigers began Baron Cup play Feb. against the Canfield Cardinals.
The Cardinals took an early 1-0 lead just 1:26 after face-off. However, only 48 seconds later, Tigers freshman, Ace Rossi, scored his first of five goals.
Rossi scored again 53 seconds later to give the Tigers a 2-1 lead.
“The first goal, I was at the bottom of the redline,” said Rossi. “I saw an open slot between his (the goalies) pad and the post. I aimed for his back and it just went in. The second shot (goal), Anton (Flach) fed it to me at the top of the blueline. I saw the five hole open (open space between the goalies legs). I headed down the ice, and it went five hole.”
The Cardinals evened the contest at 2-2 with 9:01 left in the first period.
Junior Henry Cimperman then gave the Tigers a 3-2 lead with 4:02 to go in the first period.
After a scoreless second period, Rossi added three, third period goals as the Tigers advanced to the semifinals.
On Feb. in the semifinals, the Tigers lost to the Orange Lions, 3-1.
Rossi had the Tigers only goal against the Lions.
