Local Squids Pull Off Hockey Miracle
The Squids Spring 2017 Atlantic City Skate Zone Men's C Level Hockey Champions.
In early June, the most important hockey game of the year took place. No, it was not Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals when the Pens won their second straight Cup. It was the Atlantic City Skate Zone Men’s C League Final, of course. The game featured two of the most dominant teams in the Cape-Atlantic C level men’s hockey: the Pigeons and the Squids. The Pigeons were favored going into this battle, as they were mostly composed of recent Stockton grads and local high school hockey players, and had gone into the playoffs ranked first. Needless to say, the young bucks were known for their high-intensity play and quick skating. But the Squids had shown resiliency all season, and found a way to win when it mattered, ending the season and playoffs with a four-game winning streak.
The Squids are made up mostly of Seven Mile natives and residents and have been playing together for years, led by giddyap captain Joe Butler, an Avalon firefighter and realtor at Purdy Real Estate who added timely goals in close games during the regular season, and kept up morale by always driving and supplying the beer. Ralph Tiz, the team’s leading scorer, grew up across the street from the rink on 12th Street and provided the offensive spark the team needed with his quick skating and wicked wrist shot. Leif Salvesen, owner of Avalawn Care, glides on his skates as smoothly as he rides a mower, and provided heads-up passing and stickhandling out of the defensive end to set up big plays. Buddy Phillips, the local Budweiser distributor rep, has lived in Avalon for the past few years and has been the enforcer for the Squids, racking up penalty minutes with his tough play and driving the puck to the net for goals. John Tracy Jr., manager of the Whitebrier and the author of this article, was the defensive backbone of the team and skated hard to every puck, occasionally laying people out, even though it’s noncheck hockey. Toward the end of the season, Ryan Vince, a realtor at Powerplay Realty and ex-pro hockey player, dug out his skates from the garage and was a solid contributor as an offensively skilled defensemen.
Taking the men’s league cup was a big deal for the Squids, who had failed to win the big game in several years. The first game of the playoffs was against rival Polk High, who had beaten the Squids earlier in the season. Going down 4-2 after two periods, the Squids put on their rally caps and came back to take a two-goal lead. But with only a minute to go, Polk High put on the pressure and scored to cut the lead to one. Luckily, goalie Adriano needs first name held strong with some key saves at the end. It all came down to the showdown with the Pigeons for the cup. Normally games can get pretty high-scoring, but not this one. With only 20 seconds to go, tied 2-2, Vince made a move around the net and hit Tiz with a behind-the-back pass, which Tiz roofed in the upper 90s over the goalie’s shoulder for the win. The bench went wild. It was like the miracle on ice all over again!
What was the secret to the success of the Squids? Maybe it was the upgrade from Pabst Blue Ribbon to classier beers like Heineken Light and Bud Light? Maybe it was the Grateful Dead playing in the truck every week on the way to the game? Maybe it was the new jerseys? But most likely it was the fact that the Squids wanted it more, and had to show the young bulls how real men’s beer-league hockey is played.
The Squids would like to thank our supportive women at home who hate that we leave at night to play hockey every week and act like knuckleheads but allow us to do it anyway.
