During the regular season, Churchville-Chili scored ten goals over two games against Webster-Schroeder. But that’s why they play the games.
In a rematch for the Section V Class B championship and the Saints second trip to the championship game in three years, the Warriors clogged up the center ice area and came away with a 2-1 victory and the championship.
After a scoreless first period, Schroeder took a 1-0 lead at 5:25 of the second as defenseman Nolan Roughsedge assisted on Jason Simons tally. Later in the second, the Warriors got an insurance goal from Simons.
Churchville-Chili hit the post late in the period and Luke Herring set up Gavin Carr for a one-timer at the period buzzer, but entered the third down by two.
The Saints got a power play with 4:40 remaining in regulation, but could not convert. They then pulled their goaltender for the extra-attacker with two minutes left and finally got on the board as Tyler Eberhart fed Jesse Prue in the slot with 38 seconds left, but could not get the equalizer.
Churchville-Chili outshot the Warriors 46-33 in the game.
“It’s tough; we took 46 shots and couldn’t get anything past the goaltender until the end and too little, too late at that point,” Saints head coach Brian Young said. “Every time we tried to drive the middle or clear pucks through the middle, they were there.
“They played so well defensively; their defensive zone coverage on us (meant) we never had more than one second with the puck and it’s just hard to generate offense when that’s going on.”
The Saints had a stellar 16-3-1 regular season, winning the division crown for the first time in ten years and were the top seed in Class B. Several players set program records including Max McKay becoming just the second Saints player with 100 career points and tying his own record for assists in one season with 30, Parker Farnham setting new marks for goals in one season (28) and winning the Section V scoring crown.
Forwards Tyler Eberhart, McKay and Farnham with defensemen Trey Eberhart and Gavin Carr were named All Star First Team Selections for Division 2 and Young was named Coach of the Year.
“There is a lot to be proud of this season,” Young said. “It didn’t end the way we wanted it to in the last game, but we have so many kids that broke school records and had individual point tallies that are just off the charts and they accomplished so many great things this year.
“As a group I’ve never seen them be so tight and do the things we did together. We all took a limo bus to watch the JV win the championship yesterday and it’s a big part of the program making sure everyone is involved.
“They commit to volunteer work off ice and team dinners and it would have been nice to see them rewarded for all that in the game today.”
