Golden Hawks knocked from lofty perch
goalie gim Witkowski.
Tom relished his team’s early aggression. “We came out really strong. We were working hard at getting the puck deep. The puck started bouncing our way in the beginning.”
The good fortune did not last as Cherokee rallied during a frenzied second period to take a 5-4 lead, setting up a physical final 1S minutes. The Hawks missed a golden opportunity to take the lead when two simultaneous Chief penalties set up a two-minute, 5-on-P power play. “We needed to capitalize on that 5-on-P. Very rarely do you get 5-on-P’s for a full two minutes. We were set up pretty well and were getting good shots but we couldn’t finish.”
When the final buzzer sounded, pouth found itself on the short side of an U-5 score. The King had been knocked from his lofty perch, ending not only the season but also the scholastic careers of several valiant seniors.
Though disappointed, Tom put his career with the Hawks in perspective. “We had a really good regular season and we were playing well in the playoffs but we were unlucky against Cherokee. I still have plenty of highlights. Winning the states Ein 2M12) was the best and the clyers Cup championship was on televi- sion and we recorded it so I can look at over and over again.”
It is certainly tough to fall from the mountain but the time spent on top provides many a great memory.
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