Semi-Pro Champions: Marple Gladiators

The league's top two semi-pro teams found themselves paired against each other in the championship series on Sunday.  The Long Island Aces (19-1-0) and Marple Labeda Gladiators (17-1-2) both navigated their way through the Finals Round Robin play and Finals Playoffs to square off in an epic best of three Championship.  

For the Aces, they were the clear front runners all season.  They started the season 17-0, dropping just one game all season, which happened to be to the Gladiators in the final festival weekend of the season.  They were led offensively by Mike Tardino during the regular season, who earned honors as the Northeast Division MVP, thanks to his 57 points.  A balanced host of additional supporting cast, helped the Aces run away with the division's top spot. In the division playoffs, the Aces took care of business by sweeping the defending Semi-pro champion Suffolk Sting in two convincing wins.  

At the Finals, they once again earned the top spot through the round robin going 4-0 and then defeating the Black Forest Thunder 12-4 in the quarter-final round, then the Keystone Divisions top team the Hershey Typhoon 4-3 in the semi-final round.  

The Gladiators, were the Atlantic division's top team in the regular season.  An impressive feat, as the division appeared to be the strongest in the league.  Dropping just one game in regulation to Bobby's Boys early in the season and two overtime losses to the Empire Snipers, the Gladiators were statistically the league's second best team and the only team to blemish the Aces record all season.  The Glads also boasted an impressive balanced attack, with 6 players all topping 20+ points, led by Atlantic Division MVP Tyler Pohlig with 36 points. In the division playoffs, the Glads swept a very tough Bobby's Boys team, capped off by a series cliniching 1-0 victory very late in the first overtime.

At the Finals, the Glads dropped their first game to the Typhoon and managed to finish as the third seed, winning their remaining three round robin games. In the playoffs, they would send Gotta Hockey home after a 10-3 victory.  Up next in the semi-finals, was a familiar foe in Atlantic Division rival Philadelphia Deuces.  A tight 2-2 game after one period, was all Gladiators in the second half, as they pumped 8 goals to  secure a spot in the Championship.

All season it seemed like two high speed trains headed straight for one another.  Both teams were more than capable of taking the other down and it would be all about execution.  In game one, while the Gladiators struck first, a poor penalty would lead to the Aces tying the game and the momentum change never swung back in the Gladiators favor.  The Aces would score two goals early in the second period to take a 3-1 lead and although the Gladiators managed to cut the lead to one at one point, the Aces tacked on two more for a 5-2 victory in front of Julio Fernandez in game one.

With no time to rest, game two began with just a ten minute break.  The Gladiators responded with Nick Tkacz in net for game two and it proved to be the right decision.  Game two was all Gladiators.  They struck early and never looked back.  Casey Forte scored 5 times in the game and was the spark plug the Glads needed along with Tkacz to knot the series at 1-1 and send it to a third game.  Julio Fernandez was pulled mid way through the second for the Aces, most likely in an effort to rest him for the inevitable game three.

After a break for the Pro division, the winner take all game was set to take center stage.  Both teams would go back to their game one starters; Devoy for the Gladiators and Fernandez for the Aces.  Rick Seward and the Aces would be the team to jump out early in this game.  Seward scored a natural hat trick with in the first 8 minutes of the game and chased Devoy, who pulled himself after falling behind 3-0.  With Nick Tkacz now in to replace Devoy, the Gladiators offense had a big deficit to overcome.  Another Casey Forte goal got the Gladiators with in two goals before the end of the first half.  Very quickly Dante Garttone scored to open the second period, but the Aces clamped down on defense and held onto the one goal lead until the Gladiators were forced to pull there goal with a minute to go.  With just 28 seconds to go, Tyler Pohlig snuck on past Fernandez to tie the game and send the series into overtime with the title hanging in the balance.  

It didn't take long, as the Gladiator's Dante Gattone scored his second of the game through a massive screen in front, as they completed the comeback and won the championship in epic fashion.