David Grant Live Game Blog

3rd Period

What a celebration. It’s unbelievable here at the Mass Mutual Center. What a win for the Purple Knights.

Holyoke 4 Oakmont 2

End of Game: Oakmont pulled Testa with around 1:00 to play and had some good looks but Goff made the stops and Pinciak earned the hat trick with an empty netter with 39.4 seconds left.

HOLYOKE is the Division 3A State Champion. It’s the first one in school history. What an effort by a great group of kids from Holyoke, South Hadley and Granby. Way to go!!!

1:04: Oakmont calls timeout. Holyoke leads 3-2 and there is  break here. Oakmont is really bullying out there and the Knights are giving it right back. Kudos to Aluxek, Ned DiLisio, Bakos and Kevin Stefanik, they are doing a fine job back on defense. 

3:54: It’s getting more intense here. Holyoke killed off a penalty and responded with a huge goal. Oakmont has under four minutes for their own response. Goff is hanging in there.

4:49: Holyoke just took a 3-2 lead. Blais put it home from co captain Lenihan.

7:47: Holyoke 2, Oakmont 2. What a game here. Every player is going all out right now.

10:38: The Knights have swarmed Testa and Oakmont but the goalie has been up to the task. We are still tied 2-2 here with nearly five minutes played.

13:33 left: Holyoke killed off the remaining 54 seconds of the penalty so now things are even.

We are getting ready to face off here at the Mass Mutual Center.

Lead in: Folks we have a tight game here in the Division 3A state final as we are 10 minutes away from the start of the third period with Oakmont and Holyoke tied at 2-2. Who will be the hero? Does Holyoke have the depth to bring home the school’s first state title? Will Oakmont build off its late second period momentum?

All these questions and more will be answered as the two finalists do battle for 15 minutes to determine a champion. Stay tune folks, it’s all coming up very shortly.

A presentation took place at center ice during the intermission, which awarded Sportsmanship Awards to both Chicopee High (Western Mass.) and Auburn (Central Mass). The Pacers had a tremendous season, going 15-5 and earning the No. 2 seed before being ousted by Holyoke in the semifinals.

Congratulations to Chicopee for this prestigious award!!!

2nd Period

End of Second: Blais drew a penalty with 31.5 seconds left and the Spartans will begin the final period on the power play for 59 seconds with the score tied at 2-2. Holyoke has a 25-23 advantage in shots on goal and both goalies really stepped up in the middle frame.

1:26 left: Blais was robbed by Testa twice and Goff returned the favor as Shell and Nathan Biggs nearly combined to give Oakmont its first lead since early in the first period. The Spartans are beginning to create more chances here. Pinciak has two goals for Holyoke and Rafferty two for Oakmont.

4:33 left: The Spartans have evened things up here at 2-2 on a rebound after Rafferty’s intial shot popped back out in front. Rafferty quickly put it back to the right of Goff.

5:51 left: Still 2-1 here but Brian Rokowski just had a solid chance. Holyoke has yet to draw a penalty and the Knights are 0-for-4 on the power play. Testa seems to be in a groove righ now for Oakmont.

9:22: Pinciak’s bid for a hat trick was derailed by a big hit as the diminutive forward came in on goal. The shots are pretty even now, 16 -14 in favor of the Knights. Holyoke leads 2-1.

12:28 left: It’s still 2-1 Knights here. The hitting continues to be hard as players are all over the ice.

We are getting set to start the second period here. Holyoke leads Oakmont 2-1 in the Division 3A state final at the Mass Mutual Center in downtown Springfield, Mass.

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1st Period

End of 1st: Holyoke has a 2-1 lead after one period. The Knights responded after Oakmont took a 1-0 lead by scoring twice in a 10 second span. Goff has been brilliant thus far, stopping 9-of-10 shots. Pinciak recorded both goals for the Knights, who have not drawn a penalty yet. Oakmont has been in the box three times and that number may increase if the Spartans don’t keep their hits clean.

3:28: Holyoke will go on the power play (0-for-2) and try to add to the lead. Watch out Pinciak, it seems Oakmont is trying to take the little guy out after he scored two goals here in the first period.

4:30: The Knights appear more confident now and Goff has come up pretty big here. Holyoke now has  a 9-5 edge in shots as the face-off is just outside the Oakmont blue line.

7:22: The Knights have struck again, this time 10 seconds later to take a 2-1 lead here. We talked about the Purple Knights offensive prowess. This goal came on a redirect by Pinciak, his second of the game. Miller and Mike Bakos earned the assists.

7:32: After Goff robbed Rafferty on a breakaway the Knights have tied the game up at 1-1. Testa made the intial save off a 2-on-1 but the rebound was stuck through his pads by a reslient Derek Pinciak. Cody Miller and Menard earned the assists.

 

8:34 left: Oakmont successfully killed off both penalties and the Spartans hold a 4-3 edge in shots. Testa has made two very good saves.

10:01: Holyoke has a 5-on-3 for 46 seconds as they attempt to try and tie the game.

12:35 left: Oakmont has taken a 1-0 lead on what seemed like a routing stop by Goff. It was an unassuming play and the puck just squeaked through the pads of Goff. The hitting has been hard thus far and no chances yet for the Purple Knights. The goal came on a weak rebound shot. Liam Rafferty gets credit with assists going to Zach Corneau and Nate Batallas.

Lenihan hit the right post in a bid to tie the game. 

Starters:

Holyoke: Tadd Goff (G), Ned DiLisio (D), Brendan Aluxek (D), Pat Lenihan (C), Nick Blais (LW), Spencer Nawrocki (LW)

Oakmont: Aaron Testa (G), Nick Carter (LW), Stephen Amblo (RW), Carl Shell (C), Andre King (D), Matt Foley (D)

And now the National Anthem

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Welcome to the Mass Mutual Center in Springfield. Today Turley Publications brings you live coverage of the first ever Division 3A state championship game between the Holyoke Purple Knights (14-6-2) and the Oakmont Spartans (20-2). Holyoke defeated Taconic 6-3 to win its first sectional championship since 1979 while the Spartans defeated Fitchburg 2-1 in a shootout in the Central Massachusetts’ final.

Tune back in a few minutes and we will begin our coverage of this tremendous game here. Word has it that the Spartans are a big, bruising team while Holyoke can beat you with quickness. Holyoke is 9-0-1 over its last 10 games and the Knights have scored 17 goals in three playoff games.

The teams have taken the ice here. We are about five minutes away from the start of the inaugural Division 3A state championship game and there are plenty of purple painted faces in the student section.