The boys were able to take that negative situation and turned it into positive energy, as they dismantled Rivendell 6-0, in their final pool play game. They were able to move on to the semi finals with ease, as they took the number one seed of their pool with a total of 16 points.
Kingdom East knew that their ride to the championship wouldn’t be easy and were tested in the semi final round against a very tough Thetford team. Their opponents scored first and early, as the Kingdom started out a little shaky. They were able to find their footing and notch the game back up with a Lucas Switser was able to find the net, which sent the game into sudden death overtime.
No winner was determined still and went to 5v5 shoot out amongst some of both teams’ strong shooters, however no winner was still determined, since both teams tied with only making 3 of the goals each. This game had to move towards the last phase, where one at a time, each team would send one shooter each. Andrew Dobbin had ice running in his veins, as he blocked two of the previous 5 shots on penalty kicks and was able to come up with one more big time block. It was up to Zak Aubin, who was able to find the back of the net, to push an emotionally charged team of Kingdom East to the Finals.
“Incredible job by Andrew in net and a big time shot by Zak. I would almost call this a Cinderella story, but this team truly worked for this and has started to catch a lot of attention from others, who don’t have connections with this group. They recognized this group’s abilities and respect their play as a team,’ said coach Bias.
Championship time was supposed to happen at 8:10, but because of four playoff games going into overtime and shootouts, it wasn’t until 9:40 for when the Kingdom took the field against a familiar opponent against Littleton. “Everything seemed to line up ironically in a storyline. It was only fitting that since we were one of the first teams to show up for the day, we might as well be the last one’s to stand. As I gathered my team together, I shared our final game plan. Acknowledging the great basketball coach Philip Jackson, who had a successful run of championships with the Chicago Bulls, I called our game plan after his, The Last Dance. It’s only fitting, as we want to be the last ones to reserve that rightful dance with the crown” said coach Bias.
Kingdom East scored on first and early, but never lost focus, as they knew they needed to be patient and work their game. They did just that as they took control back and finished strong, with a final score of 4-2. “Every single player contributed to this successful run today. I can’t be more proud of them as a coach, father, and as a fan” says Coach Bias.
If you take a close look at the photos, one may see fifteen tired faces, the wear and tear of an all day battle of pure endurance. However, in those same photos, those tired looks are also overshadowed by the pure joy and excitement through the smiles from those same individuals. Kingdom East walks away with a day total of 16 goals, 4 penalty kicks, 3 successful penalty kick blocks, and two complete shutouts.
Some would say luck, while many others would say dominance. However, what it really comes down to is a group of boys who love the game enough to give everything they possibly have and leave nothing left in the tank. True sportsmen!
