Congrats to Mount Faith. Hopefully we can find that missing piece to make a solid run of our own soon. Sounds like goaltending and defense should be top priority.

Loving the new Sharks logo!

Nice job on both teams!  The Sharks in particular look excellent!

1996 Pacino Cup Playoffs

1996 Eastern Conference Semi-Finals
Cayuga Saints vs. South Beach Seminoles

What a crazy way to start the playoffs. After swapping goalies, Seminoles new goalie Adam Ball went on an absolute tear to carry the second year franchise into the playoffs. They become the first team outside of the original 10 to make it. Game 1 was a back and forth, tight affair, ultimately tied 3-3 in the third. Ball and Cohen would trade save for save and head to overtime. In the overtime period, Saints forward Elias Burton would beat his former teammate over the glove for a 1-0 series lead.

It wouldn’t last long though, as the Seminoles roared back in Game 2 and raced out to a 5-1 lead. The Saints would cut it to 5-3 but ultimately fail in the comeback, going down 6-4 as the series was tied.

Game 3 was much like Game 1, a goalie battle. The Saints would go to the powerplay midway through the third and Seth Kelly would blast home a point shot to take the lead. The Seminoles pushed, but couldn’t beat Cohen and the Saints added an empty netter for 4-2 win.

Game 4 was once again tied in the third 2-2 when the fortunes reversed, and this time the Seminoles got a powerplay as the crowd gave the refs a cheeky roar. On the powerplay, former Saint Kristian Carter would tip home the point show to erupt the crowd. The Saints pushed on but the Seminoles would add the empty netter to tie the series and force a Game 5.

Game 5 did not start well for South Beach. The Saints took a 3-0 lead on 6 shots and caused Adam Ball to be pulled in exchange for Thomas Gardner. South Beach would get 1 back before the end of the period. In the second, the Saints added 2 more to make it 5-1 and the game seemed out of reach, but Isa Harvey lifted the Seminoles off the mat with a goal and then a long assist to set up a Richard Sears breakaway goal to make it 5-3. The Seminoles scored early in the third and then stunned the Cardinal Grounds when Edward Oak beat Cohen on a 2 on 1 shortside. The Saints fans could sense the “Aints” making their way back from the dead, but Cayuga dug deep and pushed back, ultimately breaking the Seminoles hearts with 1:45 to go on a Jaxson Park rebound goal. The Saints will take on the Lions in the conference finals.


1996 Western Conference Semi-Finals
Anchor City Sharks vs. Fort Theory Generals

The Generals return to the playoffs has Sharks fans worried that they will bow out under the pressure to set up another Bentley/Fort Theory matchup. The Generals came out flying in Game 1, but Westin Barker was an animal in the pipes, unbeatable most of the game. Lorenzo Franks would score the game winner early in the third as the Sharks took a 1-0 lead.

The Generals found the net in Game 2 however, destroyed the Sharks 7-1 to take the series back to Fort Theory tied 1-1.

But the Sharks had seen enough. Westin Barker took over the series, shuting out the Generals in Game 3 2-0 and then allowing a late goal in Game 4 as the Sharks took the series with a 3-1 win.

The Sharks will head to Bentley to take on the Stars in the Western Conference Finals.



Up next, the 1996 Conference Finals!

1996 Eastern Conference Finals
Lake Hope Lions vs. Cayuga Saints

Hear them roar. Games 1-3 were all Lake Hope from the jump, outsourcing the Saints 23-8 and taking a commanding 3-0 lead. With their backs against the wall, the Saints came out in Game 4 and dropped the gloves, starting a line brawl and getting the Cardinal Grounds loud. The emotion worked as the Saints took a 2-0 lead into the second. Ultimately, the emotion wasn’t sustainable and the Lions tied the game and ultimately took the game 3-2 on Lucian Saunders series clinching goal as Lake Hope Swept the Saints.



After the game, the Saints fans brought out their ‘Aints” logos and it was plastered all over the newspaper headlines.



1996 Western Conference Finals
Bentley Stars vs. Anchor City Sharks

A conference finals rematch from 1995 but Bentley has home ice advantage. Bentley would take games 1 and 2, 4-2 and 4-1 respectively to take a 2-0 lead to the Gilded Centre. With their backs against the wall, head coach Chuck Butera made a massive call and replaced Westin Barker with Joseph Walker for Game 3. The Stars offense wouldn’t be stopped, but the Sharks managed to break through to send the game to overtime. In the extra frame, Payton Harris hit Aron Reynolds with a cross ice pass and he buried the one timer to make the series 2-1.

In game 4, Butera went back to Barker and sitting Game 3 made a difference as he was a wall in net for the Sharks. The Stars threw everything they had at him but it wasn’t enough as the Sharks won 2-0 to tie the series. In Game 5, the Element Air Centre was rocking but Barker was on another level again. The Stars put up 45 shots through 2 and couldn’t break through. Tied 0-0 in the third, Oakley Kim buried a dagger to give the Sharks a 1-0 lead. It appeared that Barker was going to steal another game, but the Stars went to the powerplay with 4:15 left and made it count as Jionni Boyer scored on a wristshot from the circle through traffic. With the EAC rocking, the Stars pushed on, and just 1:09 later, Louie Perry scored the winner as the Stars took a 3-2 series lead.

Game 6 was back and forth and high scoring. Both teams left the defense in the locker room and the Sharks took a 7-4 lead into the third. The Stars cut it to 7-6 but the Sharks added the empty netter to force Game 7.

With it all on the line, the Stars and Sharks went toe to toe in an epic Game 7. Tied 3-3 in the third, Oakley Kim came through for the Sharks again, burying a backhand shortside to take a 4-3 lead with 8:00 to go. The Stars pushed and pushed but couldn’t break through and forced Brooks Bondar to call a timeout with 1:20 left. With the goalie pulled, the Stars pushed out and with just 3 seconds left, Kasper Parry dug out a loose puck and buried the rebound to send the game to overtime. With all the momentum with the Stars, they came out in the overtime and controlled things immediately and Boyer fed a pass to Coleman Bowers who ripped a slapshot from the point off the post and in for the series win. The EAC exploded as the Stars will take on the Lions hoping to win their third Pacino Cup.



Up next, the 1996 Pacino Cup Finals - Bentley Stars vs. Lake Hope Lions!