The York Hockey Club JV team went five games undefeated to win the 2015 Stevenson Invitational Thanksgiving Tournament held at the Twin Rinks Ice Pavilion in Buffalo Grove over the holiday weekend. Strong defense and goal tending combined with a determined offense gave the Dukes their first championship in the five years that they’ve been participating in the Stevenson Invitational.
The JV Dukes opened strong on Friday, November 27th with a decisive 12-1 victory over Deerfield. The early 7:00 a.m. puck drop didn’t deter the team, with sophomore Ethan Horne beginning the scoring streak early in the first period. Juniors Matt Davis and Anthony Trankina pulled down a hat trick each, and junior defenseman Dominic Gatti contributed an impressive four assists.
That evening, the Dukes once again hit the ice to take on fellow IHSHL-West league club Lyons Township. While the Lions managed to score the game’s first goal, the JV Dukes came back strong with four goals in the first period. Another three goals scored in Period 2 gave York a healthy 7-1 victory and ended a long day of hockey. Goalie Shane Cassidy, sophomore, deflected twenty shots on goal, doing his part to keep the team’s total goals-against to a minimum.
Saturday, November 28th, York battled tough competition when they faced off against the New Trier Trevians. The two teams were evenly matched, and it wasn’t until deep into the first period that York freshman Matt Anikiej managed to fire one into the net from the blue line after a pass from fellow defenseman Jack Foley, sophomore. A second goal in Period 2 by freshman Tyler Bare secured the Duke’s victory, but only by a slim margin after New Trier scored with only 1:44 left in the 3rd period, which left the final score 2-1.
The win against New Trier and a low 3-goals-against count earned the Dukes the #1 seeding in the two semi-final match-ups. When New Trier earned a wild card slot, the two teams found themselves facing off in a rematch on Sunday, November 29th, with the victor heading to the championship game. York knew it would be tough battle to get past the Trevians a second time, but they came ready to play. An opening goal by New Trier caused the Dukes to kick it into gear. Freshman Collin Stasica sent two into the net and a single each from Trankina and sophomore Matt Shepherd added to the Dukes tally, earning the team the semi-final win, 4-1. Junior goalie Parker Stasica demonstrated impressive defense against 22 shots on goal.
That afternoon, it was on to the championship game against the Waubonsie Warriors, the only other team in the tournament to have gone undefeated. The Dukes found themselves in a fierce battle with the physical Warriors, but a first period goal by Matt Davis, with assists from freshman Johnny Sciabica and sophomore Sam Gemini, broke the stalemate. Waubonsie came back early in the 2nd period with a matching goal, and the two teams held the 1-1 tie until mid-way through the 3rd, when Davis again managed to put one into the net, assisted by defensemen dynamic duo Anikiej and Foley. Unwilling to rest with a single-goal lead, Matt Shepherd gave the Dukes two insurance goals in a row, the first on an unassisted breakaway and a second with some help from freshman Dukes Tyler Bare and John Temple. Goalie Dylan Reynolds, sophomore, fended off 29 solid shots on goal to keep York in the winning column. With a minute and a half left in the third, the Warriors attempted a comeback with a six-on-four power play goal, but the Dukes managed to hold strong and secure the championship with a final 4-2 victory.
“Going 5-0 and winning the championship was the result of outstanding goaltending and commitment to team defense,” said Head Coach Joe Fenzel. “Surrendering only six goals in five games, we put ourselves in a good position to win.” Goalies Cassidy, Reynolds and Stasica stopped 99 of the 105 shots fired in their direction, for a tournament save percentage of 94.3%.
Coach Fenzel added, “This team has developed the attitude that they will overcome injuries, penalties and mistakes as a team. Next line up, next man up. They love to pick each other up and the team up.”
Captain Dominic Gatti also attributed the Dukes’ success to a team effort. “The Stevenson Thanksgiving Tournament really brought all of the boys together. With five games in three days, no one person or line could win the games; the entire team stepped up and played great hockey as a whole.” Over the three-day event, seventeen York skaters racked up a total of 29 goals and 33 assists.
Both Gatti and Fenzel feel confident about the team’s ability to finish the season strong. Says Gatti, “This year was the perfect team to finally break the five year dry spell, and we have many more titles to win as the season progresses.” Coach Fenzel agrees, saying, “It’s fun to be part of, as a coach or a fan of the game.”
The five tournament victories give the York JV Dukes an impressive midseason record of 24-3-1 overall, and they remain undefeated within the IHSHL-West League, heading into the back half of their regular season with a fifteen game winning streak. They take on powerhouse rivals OPRF on Friday, December 4th at 7:05 p.m. at Addison Ice Arena and again on Sunday, December 6th at 5:45 p.m. in Oak Park as they try to hold on to their first place league position.
