Friday nights OHS hockey game was bigger than just a hockey game, it was a showing of pride, school spirit, and pure grit by the Tigers on the ice.
OHS fans showed up three and a half hours early and tailgated in the parking lot of Kennedy Ice Rink. Friday’s game against the Lindbergh Flyers was long awaited, it had been circled on the schedule before any games had been played. It was even more anticipated though when the Tigers took on the Flyers in a preseason tournament and lost in the 14th round of a shootout. That was followed by trash talking from both schools, making the game Friday a must see.
Once allowed into the rink, Tiger fans flooded the stands filling up nearly the entire OHS side, leaving some fans standing on the floor three rows deep against the bleachers. Every fan was donned in black for the “Blackout” theme for the game. The atmosphere was unlike any other you will find for a regular season hockey game.
The best part was the game lived up to the high awaited expectations. The game started with heavy hits from the beginning. One of the more aggressive players on the ice was a surprise. Goaltender Zach Jost (12) did not shy away from throwing his shoulder into Lindbergh players and was apart of multiple scrums throughout. Jost also made a hand full of amazing saves and keep the Tigers in the game.
OHS scored first when Steve Farina (11) dangled his way up the ice and finished with an unbelievable goal. The Tigers lead was short though when Lindbergh won the following face-off and scored just a few seconds after Farina’s goal.
The game went back and forth with both teams having multiple opportunities to score, but not being able to finish them. That was until late in the second period when Brenden Coon (11) put a shot on net and it squeaked by the goalie. That looked to be the game winner, as the scored remained 2-1 all the way into the final minute of the third period. With Lindbergh having a five-on-three advantage through and time ticking down the Tigers scrambled to keep the puck out of the net. With under five seconds left there was a fight for the puck in front of the net and it ended up in the back of the net. The scoreboard read 00:01, one second remained when the goal was scored. The game ended in a tie 2-2 (though it felt like a loss for the Tigers).
One image that summed up the end of the game for the Tigers was of senior captain Luke Hasler, who had left it all on the ice, laying face first on the ice. It was a disappointing finish for the Tigers, but they had nothing to be ashamed of, they played with heart and passion and happened to be a little bit unlucky. That night, Friday November 30, 2012 OHS hockey and its fans showed the true passion of OHS and why we have a great school.
