Here's a look at how the AT&T Metroplex HS Hockey Championship went back on Wednesday night. In the early cap it was Tyler Dean & Collin Steinmetz who lead the way with a goal & assist each as the Garland ISD Stampede claimed their first ever Title as the Stampede proved to the league that they were worthy of being the top seeded team in the Silver Tier as the Stampede beat Grapevine, Richardson ISD & finally Plano East to clinch the Silver Division Title.
In the Gold Tier, it was spouse to be a battle of goalies. However, the Harley Brothers in Brad and Brandon along with Kim who each scored twice as the Cowboys were able to blitz the Eagles 6-2 with a big factor being that they were able to dominate the 2nd period to pull away.
The final nail in the coffin as the Cowboys scored twice in just 8 seconds midway through the 3rd to make the championship official. For the Cowboys, they beat Plano West in the best of 3 Quarterfinal, then the top seeded Southlake Carroll Dragons in the Semifinal. Finally a great performance that for the most part was never in doubt against the Allen Eagles.
Silver Tier Championship
Garland ISD Stampede 4 Plano East Panthers 2 (0-1, 2-0, 2-1)
www.pointstreak.com/players/players-boxscore.html?gameid=1239243
When the playoffs started for Garland ISD, the Stampede wanted to prove their were worthy of being the top seed out of a very tough East Division. On Wednesday Night, Garland ISD came back from a slow start after an early goal by Plano East forward Ben Gehrke just 3 minutes into the game.
After that, the first period was a very fast paced game with lots of speed, few penalties and some great scoring chances. Despite the scoring chances, the Stampede looked pretty sloppy, especially on defense where the Panthers could have gone up big early on in the game. Especially late in the first where East went on a 5-on-3 and had some good scoring chances, especially on a long slap shot that went just wide and whiffing on a spin-o-rama shot that hit the post.
But the Garland ISD Goaltending stayed firm to keep it a 1-0 Plano East Lead with the Panthers out-shooting GISD 10-6.
It was special teams early in the 2nd period where Garland began to comeback where the Stampede scored late on a 5-on-3 when Colin Steinmetz on a great job setting up a play where he got assists by Tyler Dean and Josh Crouch. Just a couple of minutes later, Tyler Dean scored to give the Stampede their first lead of the night at 6:49 of the 2nd period.
After the 2nd goal, both teams played a much more cautious game as both teams were getting much more picky on when to attack and took a defensive stanch. Near the end of the 2nd period, both teams had some great chances to get a late goal, first it was Austin Mcleod who let a long shot go that went just over the cross bar from about 35 feet out. Then for GISD, a late scramble where a blocked shot to deflect it out to keep the game GISD 2 Plano East 1 through 2 periods.
The 3rd period started fast as Joey Thomas helped set up a goal just 26 seconds into the 3rd period to make it 3-1 Stampede. Garland had the momentum, but Plano East wouldn't give up just yet as Jason Cotton netted his 6th goal of the post-season midway through the 3rd period on a 2-on-1 where Appell set up a breakaway and it was passed to Demuth who sent it to Cotton for the goal to make it 3-2.
Wity about 5 minutes left, the hitting picked up as Plano East was hopping to ware down the Stampede Smaller players to get in a spot to get the game tied. But some great saves down the stretch by Dylan Day kept the Stampede leading. Then an empty netter by Stephen Gullien put the Stampede out of reach and to celebrate the AT&T Metroplex HS Hockey League Silver Tier Championship for the 1st time in their history.
Gold Tier Championship
Allen Eagles 2 Coppell Cowboys 6 (1-1, 0-3, 1-2)
www.pointstreak.com/players/players-boxscore.html?gameid=1239210
What was expecting to be a goalie duel between the area's top goalies in Derek Wilms and Spencer Harris turned into a rout as the Harley Brothers Brandon and Brad, plus Sam Kim each scored twice to pull away from the Eagles to win the Gold Tier Title 6-2.
In a game where physicality and goaltending were expecting to be the big headlines. It turned into a scoring game as both teams were attacking very early on as the Eagles were looking to attack early and were stopped by Willis with a couple of big saves in the first of couple of minutes. At the 6 minute mark however, Allen's Garrett Master scored his 2nd of the playoffs from Taylor Ryan Jones to make it 1-0 Eagles.
Just a couple of minutes later, Allen had a shot to make it 2-0 on what was a conversely penalty shot Call that probably shouldn't have been called and it was taken by Allen's Superstar forward Tyler Steen, the air went out of the room when he missed just wide. After the game stayed 1-0, Sam Kim who's more known for his hitting ability who scored his first of 2 on the night to make it 1-1.
After the goal, things got chippy but stayed clean for the most part as the game went along. Only a handful of penalties were called in the game, but it was Allen who was out-shooting Coppell 14-9 in the game.
At the start of the 2nd period, Coppell had a great breakaway chance by Brandon Harley but was stopped by Brandon Harley but was stopped by Spencer Harris to keep it tied. But on the next faceoff, the Coppell offense began to smoother Harris as Brandon Harley made it 2-1 at just 3:19. The 2nd period just belonged to Coppell as Allen looked shocked as the Cowboys offense was as strong as it was. Going into the playoffs, Coppell's secondary scoring didn't look strong when you look at the stats, but the offense they did have on Wednesday night was lethal when it counted the most.
After Allen looked to play carefully on defense cost them when Brandon Harley scored his 2nd of the night on the PP to make it 3-1. Then Allen broke one of hockey's biggest golden rules as your not spouse to give up a goal either in the opening or final minute of a period as Brandon's Brother Brad scored his 2nd of the night in the final minute of the 2nd. It was set up on a great faceoff from Sam Kim who registered his 2nd point of the night.
By the 3rd period this was Coppell's game to lose as the Cowboys defense was able to reign in the Steen Brothers and just gave Spencer Harris a really tough night. The night was complete when Brandon Harley and Sam Kim scored just 8 seconds apart apart midway through the 3rd period to make it 6-2.
Only a Collen Daniels goal 4 minutes into the 3rd period was the only thing that the Eagles could muster in a game where the Eagles just got dominated in the 2nd & 3rd periods. Coppell also ended a long drought as the Cowboys reclaimed their place as the AT&T Metroplex HS Hockey Champions on the Gold Tier.
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