Last Wednesday night two tremendous middle school girls hockey teams faced off for the YMSSA championship. The Kushner Cobras (4-1-1) had a stellar season but were coming off a 6-5 semi finals victory over Yeshivat Noam the week before. While the Yavneh Redhawks had a flawless season; The only game that they did not have an three or more goal victory was when they played this Kushner team during the regular season on April 12—and won 3-2.

Before the game began the YMSSA representative at the game told the JLNJ “We have two great teams with two terrific coaches, I wish I had two trophies to give out. However there can be only be one champion. So let’s play.”

The two teams were announced in front of a packed gym of fans and friends ready to cheer them on. Less than two minutes into regulation, Yavneh’s Yaffa Lofstock fed Kira Jacobs, who flicked the ball past the outstretched arm of Kushner’s goalie Beth Glantz for the first goal of the game. Yaffa Lofstock rang the bell once more that period, and the teams went to their locker rooms with Yavneh up 2-0 after one period of play.

The second period was a tremendous show of goalie excellence as Kushner’s Glantz and Yavneh’s Dahlia Feintuch turned away every shot on goal. Kushner coach Alex Fuchs got her team fired up in the locker room and they came out hungry in the third. Captain Abby Feiertag managed to get the lone goal of the night past Yavneh’s Feintuch, just six seconds after the period began. Yavneh’s Kira Jacobs killed a lot of time fighting for the ball in the corners and Kushner goalie Dalia Goldstein picked up where Glantz left off, stymieing multiple Redhawk scoring opportunities. Lofstock sealed the deal with 1:42 still to play as she cleared the pipes for her second unassisted goal of the game.

Congratulations to both teams, their schools and coaches. As the YMSSA rep said there can be only one champion and for the second year in a row, it is the Yavneh Redhawks with a 3-1 victory.

By JLNJ Sportsdesk