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March 3 , 2008
Monarchs Sink Breakers
Hooksett, NH - Most teams after a 4-0 loss in playoffs might not have the resolve to come back the next day, but the New Hampshire Monarchs are not your average team. The two-time defending champions proved just that and stormed the Bay State Breakers 7-0 to force a deciding mini-game which they would win 2-1 in overtime off the stick of Jeff Hannan.
In game two Greg Burke would lift the team on his shoulders scoring four power-play goals. Line-mates Jeff Velleca and Brian Flynn also scored making the trio near unstoppable as they swarmed the Breakers from start to finish. Rence Coassin added a goal while Ryan Miniaci and Yuri Bouharevich each added two assists. Owen Carpino and Jimmy Gaudet each had a helper in the 7-0 game.
The Monarchs came out flying in the mini-game and if not for some key Brooks Ostergard saves could have been up quickly by a couple of goals. Brian Flynn would finally beat Ostergard at 10:51 with Burke and Velleca picking up assists. It looked like it would stay that way until a Jeff Velleca tripping penalty with 13 seconds left would give the Breakers the help they needed. With the Breakers goaltender pulled for an extra-attacker and a 6 on 4 advantage they would fire a shot from the wall that would go through heavy traffic and find an all alone Chris Cerutti on the back door and force the mini-game into a sudden-death situation.
Both teams had a couple of great scoring chances early in sudden death but Ostergard and Justin Gates were both up to the task. Five minutes and thirty seconds into the sudden death frame, Jeff Hannan streaked through the neutral zone just behind and in between two Breaker defenders. Marc Nemec fired a beautiful blue line to blue line pass right on Hannan’s stick and as Hannan collected the puck he was immediately being hooked to the point where it appeared he would end up on his back. He somehow fought through the hook which propelled him forward to his knees where he would poke the puck over Ostergard and send the boys from NH to the ice and on to the semi-finals. Justin Gates was tremendous on the day picking up the 25-save shutout and then stopping 9 of 10 in the mini-game.
The EJHL semi-finals will be held at the New England Sports Center in Marlboro this Saturday and Sunday, March 8 and 9. Times will be handed out by the league office on Tuesday. The Monarchs will face-off against their chief rival Junior Bruins. The South Shore Kings will take on the Jersey Hitmen in the other semi-final. The winners will then head to the campus of Holy Cross for a best of three series to be crowned EJHL Champions.
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