The Middle Village Roller Hockey League came to a thrilling conclusion on Sunday, Nov. 10, when the Tigers faced the Hitmen in the Championship decider.
Each game features a standard 40-minute playtime, though they often extend up to 70 or 80 minutes due to stoppages.
After winning Game One in a Best of Three Series the previous week, the Tigers had the opportunity to claim the title on Saturday, Nov. 9. They had beaten the Hitmen 6-5 after forward Freddy Faulkner delivered a standout performance, netting four goals to lead his team to victory.
However, the Hitmen were up to the task this time around and earned a 4-3 victory in overtime to force the deciding third game.
The Hitmen’s Mason Monahan was on fire during the clash, scoring a hat-trick, including the game-winning goal 20 seconds into overtime. Alex Sliwa also had a fantastic game in goal.
With the Series tied at 1-1, all eyes were on James Bohan Rink the following day. Paulie Pogozelski rose to the occasion to net a hat-trick for the Tigers as they earned a hard-fought 4-2 victory.
Goalie James O’Sullivan put in another great performance for the Tigers and shared the League MVP Honors with his team captain, Gary O’Donnell.
The Hitmen fell just short after a fantastic campaign led by Mason Monahan, who scored 7 goals in the three-game Series to help push the Championship to the limit. Monahan set a new record for most goals in a season with 30 while also helping to secure another new league record of 33 points in a single season.
Local singer Lauren Rottenburg came out to sing the National Anthem before some of the games.
Each game on the weekend was also marked with a moment of silence as a tribute to fallen officer Christian Gonzalez, as well as always remembering the sacrifice of fallen firefighter James Bohan – whom the rink is named after.
The 2025 season will begin next March and the Tigers will no doubt be aiming to retain their crown. The league will also have two separate divisions for the Juniors and the Mites.
