Wild Weather Storm, Win State Championship
- by Alex Dodds
- Mar 14, 2016
- 8 min read
The #1 Hanover Wild (26-8-0, 15-1-0 NHAHA, 4-0-0 PLAYOFFS) took down #2 Upper Valley Storm (10-3-1 NHAHA, 2-1-1 PLAYOFFS) 7-2 in the NHAHA 2015-16 State Championship game.
The Wild worked hard all year to be in the position to win a state championship. They did just that. In decisive fashion the Wild put forth a tremendous effort to end the season on what couldn't have been a better note. As with all rivalries, there was more than a championship on the line.
Before the game you could cut the tension with a knife inside the Rinks at Exeter. There was an eerie feeling lingering over the clean sheet of ice, waiting for the top two teams in the league to take the ice. I would like to say it was "The Calm Before the Storm", but the Wild proved to be too much for the second place team.
The three-hour build-up to the game was unbearable--coaches, players, and fans antsy for the cross-town rivals to faceoff for ultimate bragging rights, winner take all. As the game neared closer the Wild players and coaches tried to keep things normal and light.
"We told them it was just another hockey game." Coach Dodds said. "They had earned the right to go out there as a team, as a family, and take down a team that has showed us very little respect all season."
Coach Coté made his way around the room, tossing jokes around and keeping the players loose. Coach Lyons lingered in the doorway, taking in all of the information he could get. When coaches sat down for their pregame meeting, Coach Lyons made the decision that may have won them the game.
"I asked if we should move Quinn up to play forward and have Gregor play defense." Dodds said. "Coach Coté was on the fence. I had no idea what to do. But I knew whatever decision we made it could win or lose us the game. Coach Lyons, without a bit of doubt in his voice, said no. It was one of the biggest decisions we made as a coaching staff all year."
As puck drop neared ever closer, Coach Dodds sat quietly in the locker room, preparing his message to the team before the game. After a nod to the coaches, he stood up and delivered his speech. The resounding message: No one wants us to win this game. Not Plymouth, not Manchester, not Henniker. NO ONE. Little did they know, it would make victory taste that much sweeter.
Before storming out of the locker room (no pun intended), Coach Dodds told his team the game didn't have to be close. "I was screaming it." Coach Dodds said. "I saw the Storm parents, players, and coaches cheering for Plymouth. That told me one thing: They did not want to play us. I told them as loud as I possibly could, not only can we win this game, but we can win this game BIG."
The Wild came out flying to the sound of cheering, cowbells, and that omnipresent horn. Just 56 seconds into the game the Wild found the back of the net after Carter Auch moved the puck to Gregor Vogel, who found Will Brannen in front of the net to fire home the ever important first goal. The Storm answered back with their deadly combination of Kyle Hamilton and Brady Clark shortly after.
"You can watch this team once and know who they go to." Coach Dodds said. "We watched them three times during the regular season and three times in the playoffs. We knew what they were trying to do on faceoffs, breakouts, and in the offensive zone. Credit to our players for executing our game plan so effectively, with only a few breakdowns."
The Wild regained the lead with 6:34 remaining in the period when Brannen fired home his second of the game, assists going to Vogel and Nathan St. Pierre. With just under a minute remaining, St. Pierre extended the Wild lead to 3-1. Auch gave St. Pierre the puck and he went end-to-end in classic fashion before finishing the play high to the blocker side.
During the 1st intermission the Wild coaches stressed that a two-goal lead was not enough, echoing the pregame speech of leaving no doubt who the better team is. Prepared for another period of hockey, the Wild lined up for the faceoff ready to win another period.
The Wild scored the only goal of the 2nd period with 5:51 remaining. St. Pierre received a pass from Vogel before moving it to Quinn Murnghan who blasted home a one-timer from the blueline. The Wild bench and fans went crazy, hardly surprised as Murnaghan had been doing it all tournament long.
The Storm pushed back hard, stacking a few good shifts back-to-back-to-back. Jackson Kapuscinski was equal to the task, however. Shutting down chance after chance with no rebounds to be seen. "This was the best game I've seen him play." Coach Dodds said. "He gave up very few rebounds, and when he did they went to the corner."
As Kapuscinski held the score at 4-1, the frustration level began to rise on the Storm bench. All the while the Wild kept pushing the pace, playing hard between the whistles. While the Storm held a slight edge, the Wild came out with a 1-0 win in the 2nd period.
The 2nd intermission sounded similar to the 1st intermission on the Wild bench. Coaches encouraging players to blow the game wide open. As the players huddled together, Vogel stumbled on some words, drawing a much-needed laugh from the team. Relaxed and having fun, the Wild took the ice to win the final period of the season and the game.
The Storm struck first on the powerplay, pulling within two of the Wild. While many teams may have taken the time to point fingers and blame each other, the Wild used the time to encourage each other to score the next goal.
The Wild did just that 7 seconds later as St. Pierre won a faceoff to Vogel who fired home a beautiful slapshot from the left wall. The Brannen, St. Pierre, and Vogel line weren't done yet. 16 seconds after the Vogel goal, St. Pierre and Vogel earned assists as linemate Brannen capped off his hat-trick, sending the Wild bench and fans into a frenzy.
While no hats made their way onto the ice, it was a great moment for Brannen. A hard worker all season, coming up big for his team in the most important game of the season. "That line has been deadly all year long." Dodds said. "They are so fun to watch. To see them come together in the last game of the year like that was unbelievable." The line combined for 6 goals and 8 assists in the game.
As Archer Judd, Jake Reznek, and Ben Ives took the ice, the coaches were all thinking the same thing: This "Hanover" line has worked so hard every single game this weekend and they deserve a goal.
While they did not find the back of the net, the Hanover line played their best hockey of the year when it mattered most. Shutting down opposing teams and sending them to the brink with their relentless forecheck. Judd dominated in the faceoff circle, winning draws in whatever way he wanted. Reznek buzzed around the ice, becoming a pest to any opposing player having to get around him, drawing multiple penalties throughout the weekend. Ives made smart plays nearly every time he touched the puck, taking hits to make plays for the sake of the team.
"This line may not get a lot of credit on the scoresheet, but without them we don't even make it past the round robin." Coach Dodds said. "They worked harder than I've seen them work all season long."
Will Fichman played another fantastic game, pinching down the wall to keep heavy offensive pressure, leading many breakouts with great first passes, and keeping his cool when confronted by frustrated Storm players. Fichman also continued with his clean physical play, laying multiple great hits throughout the course of the game. Teddy Lyons also led by example with his physical play early in the game.
Kapuscinski continued to make unbelievable saves late into the 3rd. The Storm's frustration level finally boiling over as a Storm forward ran Kapuscinski into the net way after the whistle. In classic Hanover fashion, the team did not retaliate. Instead, they beat them the only way that matters, on the scoreboard.
With 5:50 remaining in the game, the Wild capped off the scoring on a goal from St. Pierre with an assist going to Lyons. The Wild held on to the 7-2 lead through some chippy play from Storm players and flooded the ice with sticks and gloves as the clock struck 00.0 to celebrate their State Championship with their teammates.
"I wanted them to blow this team out." Coach Dodds said. "I heard some comments before the game from some Storm players and supporters saying they deserve it more than us even if we win, pointing to they're blowout win back in November. They must've forgotten we only had 7 players after an illegal check injured one of our players. Let's just say I didn't hear any more of those comments after the game."
As with all great rivalries there is a mutual respect. The Storm team allowed the Wild the time they earned to celebrate before shaking hands and congratulating each other on successful seasons. Through the intensity and emotion the last hour brought, the Storm showed class throughout the medal ceremony, a few Storm players taking the time to shake each hand on the Wild blueline one more time.
"That's class." Coach Coté said to Coach Dodds. Both coaches agreeing they likely would not have done such a thing if they were to be in that position. With the ceremony complete and pictures taken, the Wild took one last skate around the ice together before heading back into the locker room.
As "We Are The Champions" blasted in the locker room, players and coaches shook hands, hugged, cheered, and sang along. As the Wild left the locker room, looking out over the same clean sheet of ice they had seen just over an hour before, they reminisced on the season that was.
The wins, the goals, the assists, the saves, the hits, the conditioning, the off-ice training, the bowling, the swimming, the laughs, the championship. The symbolism was not lost on the coaches, as the sheet of ice that was beat up from a long game was erased. A blank canvas waiting for the next group of hockey players to make their mark. Who knows where these 11 teammates will play next year, but one thing we do know is these 11 teammates will walk together forever, never forgetting the memories they made with one another.
"It's bittersweet." Coach Dodds said. "The season couldn't have ended in a more perfect way. But as I pulled out of the parking lot I realized I wasn't going to see these guys on Monday at whatever rink HHA decided to send us to at who knows what time. I wasn't going to hear the Call of Duty talk in the locker room or the loud clang of the glass after Nate shoots a puck. I wasn't going to be able to joke around with Coach Lyons and Coach Coté or see all of the wonderful parents I had the privilege of meeting. But with all that, I understood that this wasn't a goodbye, it was a see you soon."
Congratulations to the Hanover Wild Bantam White team, the undisputed 2015-16 NHAHA State Champions.
Comments