Ontario Takes Home the 95 AAA Title in OT 

Well the 1995 AAA division definitely lived up to the hype. All year long I have been saying that there were a bunch of different teams that could win it all. Michigan, New York, Ontario and Pennsylvania would all take seeds in the AAA playoff, and each of them had a legitimate shot at winning it all. Last night, Michigan and Pennsylvania would square off in the opening semi and it would be a terrific game. Prior to the game, Michigan would take a huge blow as Team North America player Zak Harrison would get injured in his junior game and would be sitting in a local hospital during the game. The teams would be tied at two late, but Matt Gerger would then take over scoring the winner and even an empty netter to seal it. Andrew (known at State Wars as Anthony) would add another empty netter. 5-2 final.

New York and Ontario would then meet in the other semi final match up. Full disclosure, after the Ontario tryouts, I told some of our staff that I felt that Ontario could win it all this year. Then after watching how well the NY boys were playing, they too looked primed to win it all. This game would have all the excitement and skill you want to see displayed in a AAA semi final. Daniel Nelson would net two New York goals and with seconds left in the game, New York would hold a 2-1 lead. With less than a second to go, Ontario’s Andrew Oosterveld would also net his second of the game and sending the game to OT. After a ton of chances for both teams, Blake Luscombe would bury the winner and a chance to take on the perennial champs, Pennsylvania.

Today’s championship game between Pennsylvania and Ontario would have all the hype you’d expect from a game of this magnitude.  As a fan watching, it was great to see the game live up to that hype, as a packed audience was treated to some terrific hockey. Early on, Pennsylvania would simply dominate the puck and control the game. Matt Engle would score the only goal of the half, as Ontario netminder Blake Lochhead would be on his game. Ontario would not register a first half shot until the final minute. I am sure that Ontario coach Phil Nolan was pleased with only a one goal deficit as Pennylvania failed to score on many good opportunities. Andrew Oosterveld would tie the game early in the second and it seemed to energize Ontario. The tide started to turn and either the Ontario group started to look faster or the Pennsylvania players seemed to look tired. Ontario seemed to do a great job of rotating all their players and lines in both the semi final and championship game which I believe was to their benefit. Even in the semi final, the New York players seemed tired late in the game. Oosterveld would score yet another huge goal to give Ontario the lead. I tried to think of the last time I saw Pennsylvania trailing in a game, but I can’t recall one recently. Ontario would then miss a glorious chance to go up by two goals, as the puck would slide through Joel Eisenhower’s legs and just miss the far post. Moments later, Andrew Romano would snipe one into the top corner and tie the game at 2-2. With around two minutes to go on the game, a penalty would be called on Ontario and the Pennsylvania boys would own a power play for the remainder of the 2^nd half. Ontario penalty killers and Lochhead, their most important penalty killer of all, would kill off the penalty much to the delight of the Ontario fans and especially Aidan Board, who had taken the penalty.

As it normally happens, overtime would not last long. Pennsylvania would make a rare mistake and turn over the puck, as the Ontario players would race down the floor on a 3 on 2. Aidan Board would now be the hero, scoring possibly the biggest goal in his roller hockey career and shocking the Pennsylvania bench and fan base. The most dominant team in State Wars history had lost and the shock heard round the roller hockey world was cast. A great game played by all and the end of a terrific dynasty. It is interesting to note that throughout the 1995 division over the past nine year, Team Pennsylvania has compiled a 55-2 record. The wild stat of all is that Pennsylvania has now lost their first and last game ever in the 1995 division, book ends that coach Kraft would soon like to forget. Congrats to coach Nolan and his Ontario players. As well as to Mike Gerger and Andrew Kraft who have done a tremendous job with Team Pennsylvania, a