BRANDON- The Brandon Varsity Hockey team are not state champions this year, but they may as well feel like it. The three year old team recently nabbed their first regional trophy, and skated into the State Quarter-finals with their heads held high.
Though hockey is one of the roughest, toughest sports around, the Blackhawks made their road to the state playoffs look too easy.
In the regional semifinal held Thursday Feb. 27, at the IMA Sports Arena in Flint, the boys faced tough competition against the Linden Eagles. It took a double overtime before Joel Pappas knocked in the game winner for Brandon, who came out ahead 4-3.
The game winner was the second goal of the evening for Pappas, who opened scoring for the Blackhawks in the second period. Mike Ross and Brian Quarrella each added a goal for Brandon, while Mike Cybulski, Pappas, Jackson, Ross and Chris Nuccio added assists. Goaltender David Hughes blocked 45 shots for Brandon.
Moving into the Regional final on Saturday, March 1, the Blackhawks faced off with the Avondale Yellow Jackets for a 6-3 victory. Pappas came away with a hat trick, while Ross put in two goals and Kyle Jackson scored one. Hughes made 24 saves.
The win gave Brandon their first of what is hoped to be many regional trophies. “We are very excited about this season, and very proud of what the boys did,” Assistant Coach Frank Gora said. “We won the region and got the trophy. . . it was a wonderful season.”
The Blackhawks ended their season 16-10-2, after the state quarter-final match up against Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood. The Blackhawks were shutout 6-0 in the match-up, but walked away with a smile nonetheless. “The boys were happy, and walked away with their heads high,” Gora said. “The boys played hard, it was probably our best game of the year. It was very memorable.
“Cranbrook was a fast team, but we kept pace in the first quarter, we were right there,” he continued. “There is a reason why Cranbrook has been ranked first, second and third in the state; they have a chance to go all the way, and if they do, we get to say that the team to beat us was the state champion.”
“The boys are ecstatic because this is a big turn around from our last two seasons,” Gora said. “We should look well for next year, because we ended up having no seniors, so we should return the entire team.
“What we have accomplished this year can only be a plus for the Brandon hockey program.”