The Varsity Roller Hockey team faced off against the Pioneer Mustangs for the Division 1 Championship on Friday, June 8th. Having lost the last three consecutive championships to Pioneer, the Bells knew they were in for a tough test again, and with a persistent spirit, they were able to come out on top in this year's contest.
The game got off to a shaky start as Pioneer was the first to score. The Bells did not let that stand as they were determined to change the tide of the game. On the very next shift, Bell Captain Zach Swyt received a pass from Nick McDonnell and let a hard wristshot fly from the top of the slot to beat the Pioneer goalie and tie the game. The Bells turned the heat up with another pass by Nick McDonnell, which this time found Matt Fisher, who scored a beautiful five-hole goal to put the Bells up 2-1.
With excellent defense from Zach Swyt, Sean Reilly, Mike McDonnell, Zach Fobar and goalie Connor Behrendt , the Pioneer offensive lines were shut down and the score stood at 2-1 entering the third period. Matt Fisher, who found himself on a breakaway, took advantage of the situation and sailed the puck past the Pioneer goalie - the Bells now leading by two. Knowing no lead was safe, we kept the pressure on as Nick McDonnell scored and Matt Fisher followed with his third goal. Not to be outdone, the “freshman line” consisting of Jake Haselden, Matt Ebertin, Lucas Semkiw and Zach Forbar got on the board when Fobar found himself alone in the slot and got the puck past the Pioneer goalie for a well-deserved goal and a 6-1 Bell lead. The Bells took a bit of a breather, and Pioneer was able to score two more goals, but Matt Fisher put the icing on the cake when he landed yet another goal (a hat trick plus one for Fisher) for a final score of 7-3.
“The entire team played well." said Coach McDonnell. "Connor made some outstanding saves and the freshmen made sure that Pioneer could never take a shift off. Winning the Division 1 Championship was a great way for seniors Sean Reilly, Zach Swyt and Connor Behrendt to end their Bellarmine Roller Hockey careers."