They thought their season was over.
Thinking they had missed the playoffs, the Holy Cross Knights were prepared to pack up their gear. However, they gained a second chance after another team dropped out of hockey’s second season. Once in the playoffs, they stormed all the way to the finals where they faced-off against one of their biggest rivals.
The Knights defeated St. Francis Prep, 8-7, in the Catholic High School Hockey League (CHSHL) division ‘B’ finals at the World Ice Arena in Flushing on Tuesday, March 16, taking the best-of-three series, 2-1.
“The players that needed to step it up, stepped up,” said Coach Kevin Goodspeed. “Our main players left it all on the ice and that was the key to the victory.”
Holy Cross winger Alan Mook tallied the game-winning goal with less-than two minutes remaining after the Terriers had scored three consecutive goals in the third period to take a 7-6 advantage.
However, the Knights would not be denied as winger James Bowerman netted the game-tying goal with 3:28 to play, tying the score at 7-7 and giving Mook the chance to be the hero.
Goodspeed said that his Knights (12-7-3) belonged in the playoffs, and their victory over the Terriers (12-8-1) proved to be vindication.
“I felt that we were as good as any team in the division,” he said. “We did get some lucky bounces, but we also worked extremely hard.”
Knights’ senior captain Anthony Yacovone was the standout player in the series, compiling nine points in the three-game set; capping off a fine high school career for the senior sharpshooter.
“He [Yacovone] was spectacular,” Goodspeed said of Yacovone, who graduates at the end of this year. “You cannot replace the unique skills of a player like that.”
Goodspeed said that his team is loaded with skilled players, all playing like champions in icing the victory when the pressure was dialed up.
“I’m just really happy for the kids, more than I am for myself,” he said. “This is their championship. I told them to cherish this and take it with them for the rest of our lives.”
This was the Knights’ third straight championship in as many seasons, one in the ‘C’ division and two in the ‘B’ division. Goodspeed now eyes a jump to the ‘A’ division for a chance at the top prize in the CHSHL.
“The competition will be much tougher,” he said. “We really have to step it up next year. There are no freebies.”
