Last week, the TABC Storm beat the Frisch Cougars 5-4 to win the championship, thanks to a last second goal by sophomore Dylan Breen. With both teams entering the finals red hot, fans were in store for a thrilling match. Everyone packed into the Ma’ayanot gym on a Friday afternoon for what would turn out to be an amazing game between some of the most talented players in the yeshiva league. The Storm, coming off a huge semifinal win against Magen David, split their regular season games with Frisch; this would be the perfect way to break the tie.
The game opened up slowly, with both teams creating a lot of chances, but neither one scoring in the first quarter. Frisch came out strong in the second quarter, as freshman Zali Tolinsky scored back to back goals to give Frisch an early lead. TABC, now facing an uphill battle to get themselves back into the game, needed one of their stars to step up and close in on the Cougars’ lead. Sophomore Yonadav Rimberg did just that, scoring a nice goal to put TABC within one. Rimberg was dominant throughout the playoffs, scoring a collective 11 points in TABC’s two playoff games, and continued to display his talent in the championship.
Going into halftime with a goal, the TABC fans regained their energy, and were ready for the second half. Rimberg continued his amazing play, and scored a second goal early in the second half to even up the game. Meanwhile, sophomore goalie Avraham Kahan was a wall for TABC, making some amazing saves to help the Storm stay in the game. TABC did not let up the pressure, and took the lead with a goal from sophomore Joe Baron. Tollinsky quickly responded with another goal, to tie up the game and complete the hattrick.
The back and forth play continued into the fourth quarter, with Baron scoring a second goal and Frisch scoring again to keep the game even. With time winding down, the game appeared as though it was headed for overtime. However, TABC was not going to let that happen. It came down to the wire, but with two seconds left Rimberg passed the ball to sophomore Dylan Breen, who took a beautiful shot to put TABC back on top and win the game. To the astonishment of the Cougars, the Storm managed to pull off the stunning victory.
The fans went crazy, reminding everyone of the amazing energy that is usually confined to basketball and hockey. After winning in a fantastic and entertaining fashion, the team was ecstatic as they hoisted the trophy in celebration. In addition, the fans lifted up Athletic Director Bobby Kaplan in the air, for what might be his final championship with TABC. Overall, the game was the end to fantastic seasons by both teams, but the TABC Storm emerged victorious. This is the second year in row that TABC took the JV soccer championship under the stellar guidance of long-time coach Bruce Minsky. It was a perfect way for the players to end the school year.
By Eli Rifkind
