Southern Connecticut Hockey League

Hamden,CT.

The Chip's hockey team defeated the CT. Gators 1-0 in Game 2 of the 2011 SCHL Winter Finals Tuesday night to win the series and take home their second consecutive league championship.

In a game that displayed hard work and plenty of skill, both teams battled at each end of the ice to create numerous scoring opportunities that goaltenders Chris Groleau and Kyle Sagnella continued to shut down. Chip's 1-0 win now becomes the lowest scoring game in SCHL history attributed to the tight defensively play from both teams.

The first period of play saw both Chip's and the Gators have a chance to go on the powerplay. Gators defenseman Jim DeMaio was called for a trip at the 6:10 mark, but Chip's was unable to put anything past Sagnella during their 2 minute man advantage.

It was then the Gators turn to try and score while being a man up after Chip's forward Tyler Hancock was called for a hook with 39 seconds left to play in the first period. Despite some good opportunities to score, the Gators were also unable to capitalize on the powerplay that carried into the opening minutes of the second period.

As the game progressed, the fast pace continued with neither team showing signs of slowing down. Much like the first, the second period would remain focused on defense from both sides, while the offensive chances were limited. Powerplay opportunities would also come again for each team, however they were both unable to get on the board.

The Gators outshot Chip's 13-6 during the period and could have been more if it weren't for all the blocked shots that Chip's managed to stop. This also took place in the Gators defensive zone, as some of the shots fired from Chip's were unable to make their way to the net.

With just one period left to play in the game, play became physical as each team's determination to win increased with the clock winding down. It wasn't until the 10:21 mark of the third when Chip's forwards Mike Borderi and Scott Page setup defenseman Andy Meyer who scored the game winning goal.

As time was running out, the Gators made a final attempt to tie the game by pulling their goalie with just minutes left to play, but were unable to score. A tough loss for the Gator's who gave it their all, and a rewarding win for the Chip's hockey team who also made a tremendous effort in their victory. Congratulations to both teams.

Chris Groleau made 27 saves for Chip's, and Kyle Sagnella made 20 saves for the Gators.