NICK GRAINGER'S 81 SAVES LIFTS HUMBER TO 2OT WIN
March 18, 2004
By Ron A. Melihen
The monkey is finally off their backs. The men's hockey team beat their arch rivals, the St. Clair Saints, 2- 1 in double overtime to capture OCAA gold last Sunday.
The Hawks did it the hard way, just as they have the whole season and through the playoffs.
After a humbling 6-3 loss on Saturday, the Hawks came back Sunday to win the game and series on heart and outstanding net minding by Nick Grainger.
"With many key players out. He [Grainger] certainly pulled a rabbit out of the hat," Humber Assistant Coach Chris McFadyen said.
After six years with the team, four as a player and two as a coach. McFadyen finally hoisted the provincial cup.
The team left Toronto Friday afternoon for the trip to Windsor. Up one game in the series, the boys knew the best chance they had was to win on Saturday.
"We hoped to win it Saturday and felt momentum was on our side," McFadyen said.
With more than 1,000 fans in attendance on Saturday, the Saints jumped to a quick 4-0 first-period lead. Grainger was pulled, and Tucker Madder finished the game. Humber fought back scoring three goals but lost 6-3.
The game was chippy with many penalty calls. During the second period, feisty Hawks forward J.D. Smithson went down with an injury.
While trainer Todd Row attended to Smithson, Saint's goalie Ryan Schuchard shot the puck at Row. This infuriated Hawks captain James Rodak (Rodie). He jumped the bench, and a melee ensued with players from both teams squaring off to fight.
Rodak, Schuchard and Madder were thrown out of the game. Rodak was suspended for game three, while Schuchard came away clean.
With Humber missing their captain and facing game three with injuries to Smithson, Kenny Sousa, Steve Nobili and Jamie Chikoski, it didn't look good.
"Even with all the injuries and missing Rodie, I was still confident with our lineup," McFadyen said.
Sunday afternoon's bus ride to the big showdown was quiet with most players content to focus on the match.
But an air of foreboding tragedy developed when, after ten minutes of the first period, Humber lost another superstar, forward Seth Gray was ejected from the game. He was called for tripping, and in frustration, he threw his glove at the referee.
"It happened so fast that I could not control my emotions," Gray said.
But what St. Clair didn't count on was Humber's heart.
This was Grainger's game and he was not about to let a pea get by him. Regulation time ended with the teams knotted at one. Grainger had faced just under 40 shots.
The first overtime solved nothing and Grainger turned away a ridiculous 37 shots in the extra frame.
In the second overtime, frustration started to mount for St. Clair. With over 70 shots on net, and Grainger turning them back, the momentum switched to Humber.
With just under five minutes played in the second overtime. Humber dumped the puck into the Saints' end. The puck went back to defender Matt Neely who shot on net allowing Nobili to bang in the rebound, sending the bench spilling on the ice.
"I didn't have time to react; before I realized the puck was in, the boys jumped on top of me," Nobili said.
After playing second fiddle to St. Clair the past two seasons, the Hawks are provincial gold medal champions.
"I know this years’ team might not be the best, but it had more heart than any team I have ever played for," Rodak said.
