12u B Team wins BTHL Championship!

This weekend, March 4 and 5, the 12U Select Thoroughbreds took the show on the road and headed to Oxford, Ohio and Miami University for the BTHL Season Tournament. Lexington came into the tournament as the number 2 seeded team on the season and was slated to play the Cincinnati Swords (Francis) and Indian Hill on Saturday. Lexington was able to win both games 3-1 and 3-1. Goals were scored by Annie Tovar assisted by Connor Lariscy, AJ Romine assisted by Tyler Roseland, and Jalen Rogers unassisted; Colton Gates assisted by Connor Lariscy, Brody Houp from Patrick Ford, and AJ Romine from Gates. Sunday would present a more difficult task as the Breds would take on Cincinnati Swords (Denman), the number one seed coming into the tournament that was now looking at being second. Both teams battled all game to what appeared to be a stalemate, holding each other to a 0-0 score through 2 periods. The Swords would go on to go up 2-0, with Lexington fighting back with a Gates goal at 7:13. Cincy would score again to go up by two, but Lariscy was able to find paydirt with 1:48 remaining. Lexington fell in this match 3-2. With tournament rules on wins and goal differential, Lexington was IN the championship game, facing the same Swords team they just fell to.

The championship game was a battle from the puck drop that was intense for the duration. Lexington goaltender Jason McDonald demonstrated an almost surgical precision in stopping everything the Swords could throw at him, making many big saves. His defence was on point and was ready for championship hockey. Through three periods, the score remained 0-0 and went into OT. With a shootout looming, Cincinnati took their time late in the OT with the clock running. With less than 10 seconds remaining, Lexington lined up for a 3-3 faceoff in the attacking zone, Brody Houp would win the face off with a direct dish to a waiting Will Wesley, who fired a one-timer mid blocker side past the Cincinnati goalie and into the net with 2 seconds remaining! Lexington comes home from this one BTHL Tournament Champions! The win put Lexington at a final standing of 19-6-2 overall, and a BTHL standing of 15-3-2.

This team has had the pleasure of mostly being together for 3 years, and has won their season-ending tournament in each of those years, giving them back-to-back-to-back championships! They have grown together as a team, as hockey players, but most importantly as friends. They showed grit and determination at every challenge, and showed respect to their opponents and saw them as brothers-in-arms. With this tournament, we close the BTHL season, but more remains for this team, as in two weeks, they head north to South Bend, Indiana to Notre Dame to take on the Irish Cup! Good Luck Thoroughbreds!

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