In what turned out to be their final game of the season the junior Varsity Chiefs played their most courageous game. The final score might indicate a loss but in the hearts and minds of everyone who watched the game the seven players who took the ice on Valentines Day 2016 were winners.
This is not rhetoric or exaggeration. Each player who took the ice played as well as they have all season. On defense MIke Mueller, Alexis Missel, and stand in Zach Murphy played long minutes frustrating opponents on each rush.
Offensively, Luke Pukalo, Josh Harris, Dylan Schiffhauer, Ryan Kingston outplayed the opposing City Honors/Ohara team for a majority of the game. Backstopping the team was goalie Tyler Pache, who in his third career start, proved he could handle the pressure of playpffs.
Without Pache stellar play the game would have been a blowout. In the end chances were had and posts were hit, any of which would have changed the outcome had they crossed the goaline. These players left every ounce of energy they could muster on the ice. Shifts were several minutes long yet the pressure did not cease.
It is often Cliche say that everyone is a winner nowadays but not in this case. The opposing coach even had kind words for these Chiefs as he barely escaped defeat. These Chiefs experience a valuable lesson on Valentines day 2016: It truly isn’t whether you win or lose but how you play the game. These seven played great.
