The 2017 THLH CUP Finals began with the presentation of the 2016-2017 THLH Regular Season Awards. There were quite a few first time award winners, some winners from the past, some record setters, and some regulars. Here are your THLH Regular Season Award Winners.
The Scotty Bowman Award for Regular Season Champion, East Hanover Inquistion, 90 points, 42-28-2-4 record. This is the lowest point total for a regular season champion in the 72 game era. This point total is the lowest in league history for a regular season champion, the Phoenix Rising were the first THLH Regular Season Champion and recorded 93 points in our first and only 60 game schedule.
The Martin Brodeur Award for Best Goals Against Average, Hummelstown Stingers, 1.07 GAA which shatters the previous record of 1.42 set in 2012-2013. The Stingers GAA was under 1 going into the last regular season meeting in March.
The Patrick Roy Award for Most Regular Season Shutouts, Hummelstown Stingers, 21 Shut Outs. Its been three seasons since the last time a team had more than 20 shutouts. The record is 23.
The Mario Lemieux Award for Most Regular Season Goals by a forward, East Hanover Inquisition, 93-C-Sixtus. This is the lowest goal total for this award in the history of the THLH. The next lowest is 115 set in our first season, 60 games.
The Wayne Gretzky Award for Most Regular Season Assists by a forward, Glen Rock Mad Gophers, 41-RW. This is the first time that the Mad Gophers have won this award. Again this is the lowest assist total in THLH history.
The Paul Coffey Award, Most Goals Defencemen, New Jersey Phoenix Rising, 15-Potvin-LD. This will be the third time the Phoenix Rising have taken this award home.
The Bobby Orr Award, Most Assists Defencemen, East Hanover Inquisition, 10-Isabella-RD. This is a first in a few ways, the Inquisition have never won this award and it is also the first time a woman has won this award in THLH League history. Breaking the so called glass ceiling.
2016-2017 THLH CUP Playoffs
Round #1
The THLH Playoffs began with three first round best of seven series. The East Hanover Inquisition, Regular Season Champions, received a first round bye.
#7 Lord Stashley of Mount Joy vs #2 Hummelstown Stingers
This turned out to be quite and interesting series. The Hummelstown Stingers master of the shut out and GAA were a virtual brick wall on home ice during the regular season. But if you look closely into the statistics they are two games under .500 at home. Hmmm! That tells us that they are offensively challenged and it showed on home ice during this series. The Stingers lose two of three games in this series on home ice, but their netminder Cheevers is a brick wall on the road too. The Stingers post four shutouts, three on the road, and take the series 4-2 advancing to Round #2.
#5 Glen Rock Mad Gophers vs #4 New Jersey Phoenix Rising
What would the THLH CUP Finals be without a matchup between the Gophers and Rising? These two meet every year, mark your calendar, set your watch, its going to happen. These two never disappoint when they go at one another. In the first three games of the series it was a huge disappointment for the Gophers. Games 1, 2, and 3 went to the Rising. Most notable about the first three games? The Gopher scored 0 goals! Fortunately the rodent came out of its hole and reeled off three straight victories to force a Game 7. But that wasn't enough and the Jersey Boys win Game 7 and the series 4-3 advancing to Round #2
#6 Mount Joy Kraken vs #3 Baltimore Sasquatch
If you like goals you would have loved this series. It seems that these two teams meet up in the playoffs quite regularly and it shows because these two teams know each others netminders quite well, especially their weaknesses. A total of 37 goals were scored in this series which was dominated early on by the Sasquatch. It got less wide open in the last three games but the result was inevitable. The Squatch offense is lethal and they take the series 4-1 and advance to the second round.
Round #2
#4 New Jersey Phoenix Rising vs #1 East Hanover Inquisition
Another match up that seems to happen every year is the Rising vs the Inquisition. A match up between the THLH two founding fathers. If a statue of these two is every erected it will most likely be protested and taken down immediately. The Inquisition seeing its first action of this Playoff year and the first Playoff action for the new state of the art Sunburn Stadium. The result may not reflect it but this series was extremely tight checking. Three games went to overtime, all won by the Inquisition. The result was a 4-0 series win by East Hanover advancing to the THLH CUP Finals.
#3 Baltimore Sasquatch vs #2 Hummelstown Stingers
Another very interesting match up. Offence vs Defense. The first four games were split evenly 2 game to 2. Each team winning once on the others home ice. Game #5, Series tied 2-2, played at the Hive. The Stingers and their stingy defence was just that but the Sasquatch found enough offence to pull out a huge 2-1 victory. Game #6 was back at the Dean Dome and the Squatch dominated winning 4-1 and taking the series 4-2. The Sasquatch advance to the THLH CUP Finals.
THLH CUP Finals.
#3 Baltimore Sasquatch vs #1 East Hanover Inquisition
This finals match up could be seen coming from a mile away. The Inquisition, Regular Season Champions, the Sasquatch who if you look closely into the Regular Season Standings you will see they had the best winning percentage in the entire league 0.646. Their home winning percentage 0.875 is the best in the league also. The series started well for the Inquisition winning game #1, 3-1. The Sasquatch were a bit nervous in Game #1 and into Game #2 when the Inquisition took a 2 goals to 0 lead. During Game #2 the boys from Balmore gained their footing and took over the series. They fought back and tied Game #2 winning in overtime tying the Series at one game a piece. Then the Series headed to the Dean Dome home of the Squatch and their abundance of offence. But if you know anything about the history of these two teams you know that they play very tight defensive games against one another and Game #3 was just that. Again the Sasquatch pull out an overtime victory, winning Game #3, 2-1. A crushing defeat for the Inquisition. Game #4 was a workmanlike win for Baltimore dispatching East Hanover 3-1 taking a stranglehold on the series back to Sunburn Stadium. The Baltimore Sasquatch were quite confident coming into Game #5 and it showed winning 3-2, and taking the series 4 games to 1. The Sasquatch handed the Inquisition their first series defeat in THLH CUP Finals history to become the 2016-2017 THLH CUP Finals Champion.
Congratulations to the Baltimore Sasquatch THLH CUP Champion!
KOTR Championship
#3 Glen Rock Mad Gophers vs #1 Hummelstown Stingers
The Glen Rock Mad Gophers defeated the Hummelstown Stinger 2 games to 0 to become the first 3 TIME KOTR CHAMPION!
2017-2018 - THLH Season VIII Regular Season Awards
The Scotty Bowman Award (Regular Season Champion)
Ellicott City Sasquatch, 107 points, 51-19-2-3 Regular Season Record. This is the first Regular Season Championship for the Sasquatch winning it on the last game of the Regular Season.
The Mario Lemieux Award (Most Regular Season Goals by a Forward)
Pope Sixtus, Center for the East Hanover Inquisition wins this award for a second year in a row with 133 Goals and this makes the 8th year in a row that a center for the East Hanover Inquisition has won this award.
The Wayne Gretzky Award (Most Regular Season Assists by a Forward)
Pope Lucius, Left Wing for the East Hanvoer Inquisition wins this award with 43 assists on the year. The 7th time in THLH history that the Left Wing of the Inquisition has won this award.
The Bobby Orr Award (Most Regular Season Assists by a Defencemen)
King Ferdinand, Left Defenceman for the East Hanover Inquisition wins this award with 9 assists. Ferdinand takes the award for the first time beating out his defence partner Queen Isabella for the award she won last year.
The Paul Coffey Award (Most Regular Season Goals by a Defencemen)
J. Korab, Right Defencemen for the Ellicott City Sasquatch wins the award with 24 goals. Korab half of the vaunted Sasquatch defencive pairing wins the award for the first time in league history and it is the first time the Ellicott City Sasquatch take home this award.
The Patrick Roy Award (Most Regular Season Shutouts)
Tomas Torquemada, Netminder for the East Hanover Inquisition wins the award with 23 shutouts on the Season. It is the first time that Torquemada has won this award but it marks the 4th time an Inquisition netminder has taken home this prize. 23 shutouts ties the all time Regular Season shut out mark achieved during the 2011-2012 & 2012-2013 Seasons by Inquisition netminder Tom Barrasso.
The Martin Brodeur Award (Best Goals Against Average)
Tomas Torquemada, Netminder for the East Hanover Inquisition wins this award with a 1.67 Goals Against Average on the season. This is the first time that the Grand Inquisitor Torquemada has won this award and the third time that an Inquisition netminder has won it.
The THLH Rookie of the Year Award
Peter Burt of the Midtown Clown. This is the first time Peter Burt has ever played Tablehockey and he held his own during the season. He didn't win many games but he demonstrated each month that its about having fun. We congratulate Peter Burt, 2017-2018 THLH Rookie of the Year!
2016-2017 THLH CUP Finals
2017-2018 Table Hockey League of Hershey Cup Finals
2017-2018 Table Hockey League of Hershey CUP FINALS Champion
East Hanover Inquisition
2017-2018 THLH CUP Finals
2017-2018 KOTR Championship
#3 New Jersey Phoenix Rising vs #1 Hummelstown Stingers
The Hummelstown Stingers defeated the New Jersey Phoenix Rising 2 games to 0 to become the second 3 TIME KOTR CHAMPION!
The Table Hockey League of Hershey Finals started as they all do with a few wrenches thrown into the works. One of our two Maryland based franchises had a bit of a management problem and could not attend the THLH CUP Playoffs and got stranded south of the Mason Dixon Line. The history of the THLH teaches us on thing, the THLH CUP Finals waits for no man, or woman. So the events of the day moved on with the presentation of the THLH Season VIII Regular Season Awards which saw a couple of first. The Ellicott City Sasquatch were presented with their first ever Scotty Bowman Award as Regular Season Champion and Peter Burt owner of the newest team in the THLH won Rookie of the Year. All of the Regular Season Award Winners are listed below. Please also check out the THLH Finals Photo Gallery tab for pictures from the days action.
As noted above one of our members was unable to attend which shook up the playoff bracket and caused a minor re shuffling of the THLH CUP Finals matchups. As a result the #1 and #2 seeds Ellicott City Sasquatch and East Hanover Inquisition got first round byes. As always THLH CUP Finals are best of seven.
Round #1
#6 Midtown Clown vs #3 Hummelstown Stingers
This match up give us quite a contrast. The Rookie of the Year Peter Burt and the Midtowns Clown take on the old grizzled veteran Wavey Davey Foreman and his Stingers from Hummelstown. I do believe the Stingers are giving up around 30 years in age and experience in this match up. The Clown were up to the task forcing games 1 and 2 into overtime winning Game #2 in stunning overtime fashion putting quite a buzz into the venue and its participants. Could the upstart Clown pull the upset? Unfortunately the Clown succumbed to the veteran Stingers and lost the next three in a row. The Stingers move onto the second round with a decisive 4 game to 1 series victory over the upstart Midtown Clown. The Stingers opponent in Round 2? The East Hanover Inquisition.
#5 New Jersey Phoenix Rising vs #4 Lord Stashley of Mount Joy
You know the old saying? The only things in this life that are certain are death, taxes, and the Phoenix Rising and Lord Stashley meeting in the THLH CUP Playoffs! Well the THLH aims to please and for the umpteenth time these two old bastards meet. It was another classic that needed all seven games to decide a winner. The first two games in Mount Joy were a split. The next two game in New Jersey were a split. So after four games, of which three went to overtime we were tied 2-2. The next two were won by the home teams in shutout fashion leaving us with a game 7 at the Castle in Mount Joy. Offense was on display as the two combatants went at it and rising from the ashes of the battle came the Phoenix Rising winning on the road 5-3 and take the series 4 game to 3 setting up a matchup with the #1 seeded Ellicott City Sasquatch.
Round #2
#3 Hummelstown Stingers vs #2 East Hanover Inquisition
The last time these two teams met in the playoffs was April of 2016. The Stingers defeated the Inquisition at the old Sunburn Stadium in a Game #7. Why is this significant you ask? The Stinger defeat of the Inquisition on that day marked the end of the dynasty that was the East Hanover Inquisition. It sent the 5 time THLH CUP Champion franchise into a deep abyss. Management tore the team apart, built a new state of the art arena an began to build again. Could this new team avenge that devastating defeat?
This is a match up of veteran coaches that have battled one another many times in the past. They know each others strengths, weaknesses, and tendencies and this series was no different from the ones in their past. The first two games at the New Sunburn Stadium saw a split. Game 1 going to the Inquisition in overtime. Game 2 going to the Stingers 5-3 for the largest margin of victory in any game of this series. Series is tied 1-1. Heading to the Hive, game #3 saw another overtime, but this one went to the Stingers. Game #4 was a bit of a shootout which the Inquisition won 3-2. Series tied 2-2. Back to Sunburn Stadium where the Inquisition eek out a 1-0 overtime victory for a 3-2 series lead heading back to the Hive. Game #6 was a classic and another overtime thriller. The Inquisition win the game 2-1 in Overtime and win the Series 4 games to 2. This series was a classic for the ages. 6 games played, 5 of the 6 were decided by one goal. 4 of the 6 game were decided in Overtime. East Hanover went 4-1 in one goal games and 3-1 in Overtime games.
The East Hanover Inquisition avenge the defeat of April 2016 and are back in the THLH CUP Finals for the 7th time. Maybe there is more vengeance to come?
#5 New Jersey Phoenix Rising vs #1 Ellicott City Sasquatch
The Ellicott City Sasquatch juggernaut rolls into the THLH CUP Playoffs as defending THLH CUP Champion and the 2017-2018 THLH Regular Season Champion to take on the #5 seed Phoenix Rising. The boys from New Jersey are coming off a tough hard fought seven game series with Mount Joy. The Sasquatch have been resting, waiting for their 2nd round opponent. The Jersey boys run into a buzz saw. The Squatch fire up its offense and take Games #1 and #2 on home ice by a 3-1 and 5-4 score. The Rising are a bit overwhelmed but at least they will be heading to their home ice. The Sasquatch don't let up and take the Phoenix Rising by a 5-2 and 2-1 score in games #3 and #4 quickly ending the Rising dreams of a championship with a 4 games to 0 sweep.
The Sasquatch have gotten into playoff form rather quickly dispatching the Phoenix Rising in four game. This sets up a rematch of last years THLH CUP Finals against the East Hanover Inquisition. The Sasquatch won that Series 4 games to 1 winning their first ever THLH CUP and trying to become the first Back to Back THLH CUP winner since 2015.
THLH CUP Finals
#2 East Hanover Inquisition vs #1 Ellicott City Sasquatch
One point, that's all it takes sometimes to determine your fate. One point, separated these two teams at the end of the Regular Season. One point, achieved on the last day of the regular season, in the last game of the year. One point determined the path of these two teams and brought them to this point in time. These two teams have met many times in the THLH Playoffs, in fact they met just last year in the THLH CUP Finals where the Ellicott City Sasquatch raised the The Holy Grail of Tablehockey for the first time and they are back to defend their title as Champion. The Inquisition haven't raised the THLH Cup since 2015 earlier in the day they avenged their defeat at the hands of the Stingers in 2016, can they now avenge the defeat at the hands of the Sasquatch in 2017?
Game #1 at the bird cage was tightly played, both teams feeling each other out. The Inquisition comes out to an early lead and begins to try and bleed the clock and keep the Sasquatch offense in check. They see an opportunity to grab home ice advantage from Ellicott City. But to no avail the Sasquatch find their offense and take Game #1 by a 3-2 score. In Game #2 the Sasquatch are firing on all cylinders and light up the Inquisition by a score of 8-2. The Inquisition are devastated knowing they had blown the opportunity in Game 1 but are looking forward to heading home to Sunburn Stadium for two games and a chance to even up the series. Game #3 is another tightly played game but again the Inquisition come up short to the Sasquatch who win the game by a 3-2 score and pull out to a 3 games to 0 series lead.
The boos rain down onto the Inquisition from their fans in the stands. Chants of SWEEP! SWEEP! SWEEP! from Sasquatch contingent. While leaving the ice head held low and devastated the Inquisition netminder Torquemada hears a voice shouting "GET OUT THE BROOM"! He looks up to find that it is the Hummelstown Stinger player/coach Wavey Davey Foreman. Some choice words were exchanged between the two, needless to say that everything changed after that moment.
Game #4, the first elimination game of the series sees the Inquisition get on the backs of the THLH's best goaltender and defensive pair sucking the life out of the game like those old Devils teams and getting the win 1-0. Ellicott City leads the series 3 games to 1 going back to the Birdcage. Game #5 is a carbon copy of #4 and sees the Inquisitions league leading defensive pair of Ferdinand and Isabella shut down the Sasquatch offensive forwards leaving whatever scraps are left for their netminder Torquemada to clean up on way to another shut out. Inquisition 2, Sasquatch 0, Series 3 games to 2. Game #6 is back at Sunburn Stadium. Elimination Game #3 is a bit more wide open, the Inquisition's offense gets on track because they know they have a stone wall in goal. The boys from East Hanover forge a 3-2 victory to even the Series at 3 games a piece. Game 7's are a blast! Back to the home of the Sasquatch for game 7, should we talk about that one point again? No, lets not. The Inquisition's defense and netminder were again relentless, winning Game 7, 3-1, and winning the Series 4 games to 3. They defy all of the odds coming back from being down 3 games to 0, winning 4 straight elimination games to win its 6th THLH CUP!
The East Hanover Inquisition would like to send out a special thanks to the Stingers for the Game #3 inspiration.
Adam and I would like to thank all of the Members of the Table Hockey League of Hershey for another fantastic year! Season IX should be great! See you next season!
"It's a great day for Tablehockey"!