The HBS Blades men’s hockey team recently traveled to Hanover, New Hampshire to defend its back-to-back titles at the 24th Annual Tuck MBA Hockey Tournament. The Blades had played an uneven season thus far, coming off a disappointing semi-final loss at the Michigan MBA tournament in the fall. In response, player/coach Dave Phillips (OE) put together a stellar lineup for this tournament, calling upon both rookies and seasoned veterans to take on a competitive field that included Tuck, Cornell, Kellogg, Michigan, Babson, and a group of spirited Canadians from Ivey.
In the first game, the Blades faced off against frequent opponent Babson. These two teams knew each other well, resulting in a predictably tight game. HBS pulled ahead 2-0 and later 4-2 on goals by Xave Majic (NE) and Tom Casarella (NF), but Babson roared back to bring the game within one goal late in the third period. Then, the unthinkable happened: with only 45-seconds left in the game, a bouncing puck behind the HBS net eluded defenseman Marco Ferrari (OC) and landed on a Babson stick, resulting in a game-tying goal. While some blamed a lack of focus for the disappointing tie, defenseman Dave Winslow (NA) had it figured out: “I blame the Buffalo Chicken,” referring to the pre-game meal served by a local restaurateur, “I ate it, [goaltender] Angus ate it. The impact was obvious.”
Needing a win to stay alive, the Blades rebuilt their confidence with an evening of domination at the flip-cup table, and prepared for the next day’s opponent. Forward Frank Alvarez (OB) and Defenseman Darcy Ramond (OA), showing typical dedication, spent the wee hours of the morning in the lobby of a local hotel drawing up dozens of plays for the game. The Blades stepped up to the challenge with a convincing 8-0 victory over the Tuck Alumni team, securing a spot in the semi-finals. Every player contributed to this effort, and goaltender Angus McOuat (NH) picked up the shutout with help from a strong defensive core.
With only one hour of rest between games, the Blades faced off against tournament host Tuck for a birth in the finals. Indicative of the lack of entertainment available on a Saturday night in Hanover, several hundred screaming Tuck fans were on hand to cheer for their team. HBS pulled ahead 4-3 late in the game with an acrobatic goal by Bill Frank (NC), only to have Tuck quickly answer back with a goal. In some of the most spirited hockey displayed all year by the Blades, the team responded with a short-handed goal by Dan Svoboda (NJ) and an empty-netter by Syl “Tre” Apps (NH) to secure a 6-4 victory. The Blades won despite what can be politely described as “questionable” officiating, overcoming the late-game ejection of enforcer Ben Mandell (NA), and frequent penalties to its top snipers.
Most players were still digesting late-night truckstop “steak n’ eggs” when they took to the ice early the following morning in the finals against Kellogg. The Blades were looking to avenge the heartbreaking loss against Kellogg in the Michigan tournament semi-finals. Unfortunately, history would repeat itself as HBS fell 5-2, despite holding an early 2-1 lead on goals by Syl Apps and Marco Ferrari. The team was clearly disappointed with the result, coming away with the Silver Medal. However, they are looking to make amends in the upcoming McArthur Cup (March 25-27th) hosted by HBS.
While it would be difficult to choose a single MVP for the tournament, Tom Casarella had this to say: “The greatest performance of the weekend was put in by Darcy Raymond (OA) – on the ice, at the pong table and in the lobby of the Hanover Inn – he brought his A-game all weekend long!” Tough to argue with that.
TUCK MBA TOURNAMENT RESULTS
Round Robin:
HBS 4, Babson 4
HBS 8, Tuck Alumni 0
Semi-Finals:
HBS 6, Tuck 4
Finals:
Kellogg 5, HBS 2
HBS BLADES ROSTER
TUCK MBA TOURNAMENT
Goaltender
Angus McOuat (NH)
Defense
David Phillips (OE)
Marco Ferrari (OC)
David Winslow (NA)
Thomas Casarella (NF)
Ben Mandell (NA)
Darcy Raymond (OA)
Forwards
Bill Frank (NC)
Dan Svoboda (NJ)
Frank Alvarez (OB)
Ilya Brovin (NF)
John Harper (OJ)
Jeremy Lynch (OB)
Syl Apps (NH)
Xavier Majic (NE)
Mark Fox (NH)
