Chiefs Ice Hockey Makes History… Again! By Coach Scott McKay
A
fter a disappointing 2014-15 ice hockey season, the Cherokee Chiefs varsity Tier 1 team bounced back with a spectacular season. From 2011-14, the Chiefs varsity team posted four consecutive South Jersey High School Hockey League (SJHSHL) championships. The program’s JVA team continued that tradition by posting championship wins from 2013-16. The JVB team also made it to the championship game, falling short by one goal. There is very little sympathy at the top; every team comes to play against you every night. Though the target on their back didn’t really shrink too much after 2015, the Chiefs program and players got energized by not being on top. Playing as the underdog has its benefits. After graduating 14 players the previous year, we knew we would need some help from younger players coming into high school from the middle school. We had four freshmen enter the high school program this year, and boy did they bring a lot of energy and passion to our team. Players like Ambrose, Frankenfield, Libetti and Berger showed much promise in the spring and stood out in the tryouts prior to the fall season. They’re young, smaller in stature, but play much bigger than what’s listed on the chart. With that combination, along with four returning seniors - Miller, Salvatore, Horner and Butkus - and two new seniors, the question was, could they all gel and come together for a common goal? Though battling injuries all season, the Chiefs won the Tier 1 A division by narrowly nudging out Moorestown and Washington Township. After losing their first playoff game in overtime, the Chiefs went into the losers’ bracket and came back with a renewed attitude. Winning Spring 2016
three more games convincingly, they made it back to the championship versus long-time rival Washington Township. After a first game domination win of 6-2, the final game was going to be one of the toughest all year. The Chiefs got behind by two goals three different times, but their resilience showed, and they came back to tie the game with minutes left. In overtime, it was anyone’s game, but with about two minutes left, the Chiefs pulled off the miracle with a goal by Miller from Butkus for a 5-4 win. This was a total team effort, and all the players contributed in all aspects of the game. Still pumped from the SJHSHL Championship, the Chiefs went on to the NJ/DE Flyers Cup.
Defeating all three Delaware teams was no easy task. The Chiefs went into the championship game against Salesianum, a top Delaware ice hockey program. With the chance to be the first team to win both the SJHSHL championship and the NJ/DE Flyers Cup, the Chiefs were not to be denied. They finished the season off with a 5-3 win in the Flyers Cup and made history once again. This could not have been accomplished without having a great feeder program at the middle school. We all hate the discipline and the grind, but if you never give up, you will live the rest of your life as a champion! MSM
THE YMCA CA MPS
YOUR SUMMER ADVENTURE
STARTS HERE RegisteR online:
www.ycamp.org MEDFORD, NJ (609) 654-8225
O HOUPEN SES
ApR 3 1-4pM MAy 1 1-4pM MAy 22 1-4pM 1303 Stokes Rd, Medford
Camp Ockanick on overnight Camp for Boys Camp Matollio nequay overnight Camp for girls Lake Stockwel l Day Camp for Bo ys and girls p YMCA Cam abound at y is lit ci fa e Adventures cr our 800-a , the ideal ockanickon. in the Pines m ge en ps. Pristine a hidd m ca e r our thre nue for ve location fo t the perfec e ne id ov pr s lake . Acres of pi d canoeing swimming an cture-perfect setting r a pi ip forest offe s. leadersh r living skill oo td ise for ou em pr fof ies and opportunit e. are availabl es ur nt ve ad
23