(Moriah sports) The famous idiom “the third time is a charm” can perfectly sum up what took place in the TABC gym on Monday March 11. That evening the YMSSA boys hockey championship game featured the Moriah Mountaineers and the Noam Knights. These two powerhouse teams both had extremely successful seasons, with the Knights going undefeated and the Mountaineers’ only regular season loss was to their cross town rival Knights. The teams played each other twice in the regular season, with Noam handedly beating Moriah 6-1 early on, and then the teams tied in a rematch a few weeks later in Noam. However, as the saying goes and as the Mountaineers believed, the third time would be their charm when it counted most for Moriah.
The path to the championship was not easy for either team. Noam was coming off of a triple overtime victory just a week before against Yavneh and Moriah was also coming off of a tough game vs. Kushner in their semi-final matchup. With the finals set, the cross town rivals would face off late on Monday evening to crown the champion. The stage was set and the fans from both schools came out in full force. There was not a seat to be had as the TABC gym was at full capacity with fans of both teams packing in to witness this much anticipated matchup. In addition, both teams were coached by past Yeshiva League champions and legends; Noam by Dov Adler and Moriah by Jason Alter and Zvi Rudman, so all teams were well prepared with what is to be expected to bring home a championship.
The game started off fast paced and physical. Both teams had the adrenaline flowing and seemed well prepared for the moment. About four minutes into the first period, Moriah struck first on a beautiful finish by Nate Tabaksblat from a Gabe Lifshutz pass out of the corner. The Moriah fans and bench exploded but both coaches calmed down their teams knowing that there was a lot of time left. Little did the packed house know that the goal would be the only one needed by Moriah to seal the victory. Noam picked up the pace and it looked like it was just a matter of time before they would get the equalizer. However, the Moriah goalie and game MVP Binyamin Katz would have none of it. The talented net minder turned away every chance that Noam could muster. With three minutes to go in the first period, Moriah would strike again on a beautiful backhanded finish from superstar Asher Wasserman on a sophisticated pass from the talented seventh grader Albie Hornblass, living up to the legendary Hornblass name of Yeshiva League past and present stars. This would give Moriah an early two goal lead which certainly did not feel sufficient at the time to seal the victory.
The second and third periods were similar to the first. It was similar to two heavyweights battling for the belt. Noam sent a barrage of shots on net, and each one was masterfully turned away by Katz. The Moriah defensive core of Mathew Helwani, Gabe Kahn and Gabriel Sosland was just too much for Noam to get any dangerous offensive threats going. Similarly, the Noam defense stood tall blocking and defending an onslaught of rushes by the big and strong Moriah offense. The clock started to become the best friend of Moriah and the enemy of Noam as the game came closer and closer to the end. With about a minute to go in the game and a comfortable two goal lead, Moriah called a timeout to go over last minute strategies knowing that Noam had no choice but to go full throttle to desperately try to get on the board. Coaches Alter and Rudman laid out the game plan and the players executed it to perfection, killing off the final minute of the game despite Noam’s attempts. The final buzzer sounded and the Moriah faithful jumped the boards and celebrated together with their champion teammates. The boys middle school hockey trophy was back in the hands of Moriah, where it will proudly be displayed for all to see in school.
Congratulations to the Moriah Mountaineers and a great job and great season by the Noam Knights. Special thank you to all of the administration and teachers of Moriah who came out to cheer on their students as well as to all of the Moriah fans who helped make the evening that much more special for all. Hakarat hatov goes out to the YMSSA leadership on a well run season and a great night for all involved.
