(TABC sports) The TABC Storm hosted the HANC Hurricanes in a late Thursday night varsity hockey playoff clash that would ultimately determine who would advance to the championship game. TABC had knocked off defending champions in SAR in the previous round, while HANC trounced Kushner at home. The Hurricane faithful made the long trip down from Long Island with a big road crowd while the pit was at total capacity, making the gym absolutely electric. Fans were rewarded in return with Rita’s during the game. TABC Coach Mo Fuchs started his dynamic line of juniors, including junior goalie Shia Forgash, who impressed in the previous round. The Storm knew going in that they would need to outhit, outshoot and outhustle the Hurricanes early to silence their big away-fan section.
Three minutes in, the linemate duo of juniors Bentzion Keiser and Aiden Rauzman paid early dividends. Keiser found himself in the corner and was able to slot it to Rauzman. Rauzman, with no hesitation, slipped it under the HANC goalie’s pads, and the Storm had an early lead.
Moments later, TABC found themselves with a one-man advantage and Rauzman again made the Hurricanes pay. After a shot went wide, Rauzman got the ball from the point and put it past the HANC goalie’s stick side. Rauzman then scored a third to make it a hat trick; HANC was totally flustered and had to call a timeout. Less than a minute after their timeout to pick themselves back up, Rauzman played provider to junior Yonatan Brothman, and junior Aryeh Simon got in on the fun with a beautifully placed wrist shot into the top shelf. TABC was up 5-0 after one and the game looked all but over. The Hurricanes were able to play more evenly in the second and third periods, even scoring first in the second period before Simon bagged another goal. But the game started with Rauzman and ended with Rauzman; Rauzman scored his fourth goal of the night at the start of the third period and that was all she wrote. TABC won by a commanding score of 7-1 to reach the varsity hockey final in a quest for their first title in eight years.
