Annual hockey alumni game is a ‘Hit’

The Christmas season brings with it many anticipated events. For one special group, there is one event that rates high on the “can’t wait” list. Those people are the alumni of Houlton hockey programs and their fans and the event is the annual Houlton Hockey Alumni Game.
    This year, the 2010 edition of the Alumni Game took place on Dec. 26 at the John A. Millar Civic Center. Forty-two alumni of the Houlton Hockey Association, SAMHA, and the Houlton-Hodgdon Black Hawks took to the ice in the holiday classic, which featured three round robin matches and a championship playoff.
In the opening match, Team 1 took on Team 3 in a goaltenders’ duel between former Black Hawk goalies Nic Joslyn and Aaron Fitzpatrick. Team 1 took an early lead on an unassisted goal by Luke Fitzpatrick, but the match was tied up when Chris Austin scored for Team 3, with an assist from Grady Anderson and the game ended in a 1-1 tie.
In the second match, Curtis Libby took over in net for Team 1. This time, the one goal scored for Team 1 by Luke Fitzpatrick, assisted by Ian Pasquarelli was not enough to hold back Team 3 as Chris McGuire, Billy Policano and Tyler Hutchinson all found the back of the net. Assists came from Taylor Martin and Policano.
The third game of the round robin pitted Team 2 against Team 3. The stellar net minding of Team 2’s Luke Joseph was not enough to stop the barrage of shots from Team 3, which took the contest 3-0. Goals were scored by Morgan Hall, Kevin Carton and Ashir Abouleish.
The championship round was a rematch between Teams 2 and 3. The game featured fast-paced skating, lots of shots on goal and great goaltending at each end. As the game clock wound down, the score remained knotted at 1-1 on goals by Morgan Hall for Team 3 and Policano for Team 2. The game appeared headed for overtime when Sam Carter blasted a shot into the net at the buzzer giving the victory to Team 2.
The organizers of the Alumni Game would like to thank everyone who participated, the skaters, spectators, time keepers, and a special thanks to Mark Russell for officiating the game.
If alumni would like to be receive information about the 2011 game or for anyone willing to take on the role of organizers for next year’s game, please send your contact information to Christy Fitzpatrick at christyfitz@pwless.net. And, oh yes, the game was a hit, but it’s still gentleman’s hockey, so come and join the fun in 2011!