Princeton Noontime Hockey

2010 Season Ending Game

Orange 6 - Black 3

(Contributed by Steve Mayle)

As usual, leading up to traditional end of the season Noon-Time Hockey game we voted for captains then met over dinner for the player draft and award voting. Lukas Urban served as captain for Orange and Steve Mayle for Black. Each captain chose a balance of natural forwards and defensemen totalling eleven skaters and one goalie per team. Larry Finkel was voted Most Improved Player of the year and Doug Ross was chosen for the Spirit of Noontime award.

At high noon on Saturday, April 17, 2010, we gathered at Baker Rink for the game. Black started the scoring early with a goal just 12 seconds into regulation off of a laserbeam shot by Lars Hedin from the top of the circles. Shortly thereafter, Mayle missed a golden opportunity from point blank range sending the puck high and wide through the crease. Orange responded quickly with a goal by Masson to knot the score at 1-1. Play continued until Abel Kahn scored his first goal of the game for Orange. The first period ended with a 2-1 Orange lead.

Play continued in the second period with both teams taking penalties here and there, mostly unintentional hooks and trips. Black evened things up with a shorthanded tally when Mayle poke checked the puck from an Orange attacker, won the race to the loose puck in the nuetral zone, and finished with a top shelf shot over the glove hand of Robert Natoli. Karsten Hilpert recored a third goal for Black and the second period ended with Black up 3-2. If the game could have only ended there for Black. Unfortunately for Black, it didn't. Orange rallied to score four unanswered goals. Abel Kahn scored on a slapshot from the top of the right face-off circle, then scored a wrap around goal, and then scored another to record his third hattrick in three season-ending games in a row. Standing at the top of the goalie crease, Henry Umansky spun around and knocked the loose puck in the net. And finally, Cassandra Pugh followed the puck to the net poking it through the goalie's five hole for the game's final score. The game ended in a 6-3 tilt to Orange.

With this victory, the Orange team captured the first ever Season Ending Game Cup, procured by Colin McCollough, which it later filled with, what else, a bunch of oranges, at the party that followed at the Ratliff home in Pennington, where much merryment was had by all.

All in all, it was a fantastic game with back and forth action and much hustle by everyone. Abel Kahn was selected as the Most Valuable Player in what was a fun and fitting end to another great season of Noon-Time Hockey.

Awards:

The Most Improved Player Award went to Larry Finkel.

The Spirit of Noon-Time Award went to Doug Ross.

MVP for the Season End Game was Abel Kahn.

Team picture:

The Winning Team with the Noontime Cup:

Team rosters: