FOXBORO – There are not many certainties, but heading into the 2003 division championship game at the 2016 Mini Chowder Cup it was well known Hockey Essentials would be taking home the prize.
It was only a matter of which one.
Hockey Essentials Black met Hockey Essentials White on the ice at the Foxboro Sports Center midday on Sunday to settle who lifted the trophy. And it was a ruling that came in favor of Hockey Essentials Black, winning the game by a score of 3-0.
Another old adage is that offense wins game, but defense wins championships. One Essentials Black lent credence to on their championship run as they rode a back end that posted back-to-back-to-back shutouts in claiming the title.
They still had to score goals to take down Essentials White, and Essentials Black got to that early in Sunday’s championship, Paul Davey netting what stood as the title-winning goal just 1:08 into the contest. Two more were added, an Evan Werner score at 5:32 and then Mike Salandra closing out the 3-0 final score at the 7:00 mark.
Werner’s score was his fourth of the day, good enough to tie for the division lead in scoring for the playoffs and net the Essentials Black forward the 2002 division Most Valuable Player Award.
Anthony Maurice and Quinn Kennedy of Hockey Essentials White, and PJ Neal of Hockey Essentials Black were named All-Tournament Forwards, while White’s Patrick Morrisey and Black’s Joe Sciabarra were the All-Tournament Defense.
Tommy Heaney was named as All-Tournament Goaltender following a weekend in which he and batterymate Connor Callahan yielded just three goals in seven game, all of which came in their first game of the tournament’s preliminary round.