Eagles soar to first Section 2 crown over Cadets
SCHENECTADY, N.Y. » As the kids say these days, shoot your shot. The Bethlehem Eagles did much of that, registering 40 shots on goal, while sliding seven pucks past the La Salle Cadets, en route to a 7-0 triumph and their firstever Section II hockey championship in program history.
“The focus was believe in yourself, when you have the opportunity to shoot the puck, shoot it, don’t hesitate,” Eagles head coach Dylan Lappe said. “Just believe in yourself and it’ll come true and it did.”
Starting the scoring in the early going of the first frame was Eagles forward and captain Pat Engelbride, off a rebound for the eventual game-winning goal with 13:36 left to play.
“Our goal was get it to the front of the net, get some shots on this goalie [Casey Boone]. We knew he let up a lot of rebounds and I could cash in on a couple,” Engelbride said. “I’m glad to help the team, start us off, get us going on the right foot.”
Also cashing in from every angle imaginable was Player of the Year and Eagles forward, Tom Liebold, who recorded a hat trick. With 5:42 remaining in the first, Liebold buried a rebound off a Henry Kopplin shot, doubling the Eagles advantage to 2-0.
“I think the first one, Henry Kopplin, one of our defensemen, shot it in front and I was just lucky enough to be there and tip
it and then it hit the post and I got a rebound,” Liebold said.
During the second stanza the Eagles skaters soared and their shots soared in from deep.
“I took a shot and I think it went in the top right corner and beat him,” Liebold said of his second period marker, which increased the Eagles lead to 3-0 with 14:21 left to play in the second period.
A howitzer from the left point by Eagles defenseman Dylan Kowalsky, made it 4-0. Liebold would follow with a power play tally from the point.
Capping off their scoring, the Eagles flew in with finesse, late in the frame. Consecutive breakaway tallies by Justin Chenaille and Michael Bievenue, made it 7-0.
Not to be forgotten was a 30-save shutout by AllSection 2 Team goalie Alex Breiner.
“You got to give credit to Bethlehem,” Cadets head coach Tim Flanigan said. “They were flying and we left some guys open and they had some easy shots.”
It was a tough way to end a superb run of two consecutive titles for the Cadets but coach Flanigan was equally proud of his group.
“I spoke to the guys in the locker room, we had a great group of leaders in our captains Jack O’Bryan and Ryan Murray and we had a great group of senior leadership. The guys in the locker room that are coming back, I used the seniors as an example that we need guys to come back and replace their leadership and I think we have that in this room,” coach Flanigan said. “Once you get this feeling, last year we made it to sectionals final and regional and it builds on itself, the kids know what it’s all about, it hurts when you lose but it’s a great feeling when you win and they want to get back here, we’re challenging the group that’s coming back to want to get back here and I think they’re going to stand up to the challenge.”
Knowing that feeling of coming off prior postseason losses, the Eagles savored their victory.
“It’s amazing, I’m speechless right now,” Engelbride said. “I started with coach Lappe three years ago, made the team as a sophomore, we worked our way up and we built something special here. I’m so proud of our boys that down the stretch we could put everything together get the “W” here in the final, so, pretty happy with that.”
“We’re just so excited, we’re ready to keep going,” Liebold said. Their coach concurred. “Spectacular, they truthfully, they wanted it, they worked hard, they believed in each other and it showed throughout the whole game,” coach Lappe said. “La Salle’s a great competitor, they played very well, but tonight’s something special with my boys.”