KNOXVILLE, Tenn. —The stage is set for the Metro Pirates and Metro Warriors to play for the Moore Cup, Knoxville High School hockey’s top trophy. In tonight’s play-off game, the Bearden/Karns club played the Warriors in an elimination game. The final score of 7-4 saw the Warriors come out on top of a feisty Bearden/Karns team.  Warriors regular goalie Daniel Glueck was not in net due to illness and defensemen Peter Williams donned the pads and played in net.

The Warriors jumped out to an early lead ending the first period 2-0. The first goal was a weird puck bounding off the glass on a Bearden/Karns clear that ricocheted in all the wrong directions and ended up in front of the net and behind goalie Breck Mashburn, and then bounced off of the back of the goalie’s leg and into the net. Nobody was more surprised than Matt Lascola who was credited with the goal for being the closest Warrior. B/K came back 2-1 early in the second, but then Warriors racked up 3 unanswered goals.  A B/K goals sent the game into the third period at 5-2.

The third period had some drama, with penalties picking up as B/K tried to get back into the game and the Warriors tried to fight them off and maintain control. A Warrior goal early in the third made it look like mission impossible for B/K, but then at 6:33 left in the game, B/K struck pay dirt and it was a two goal game. Any hockey player or coach knows that with half a period left in a play-off game that a two-goal lead can quickly become a one-goal game and the entire building sensed the tension. It’s one of those moments in hockey when the team that is behind knows if they score again, they can take momentum and the leading team knows if they can put the puck in the net they will slam the door shut. It was the Warriors who came out on top ending the suspense and taking a three goal lead.

That’s the end of the B/K season in 2007-08, but not without congratulations for a great rebuilding season.  The Warriors have to beat the Pirates twice to take the Moore cup and the Pirates can sew things up with just one win.

Top stats: Matthew Lascola, hat trick (3G), Jordan Howanitz (1G, 2A), Cameron Mackle, Harry Cadmus, Evan Cherry 2 points each. David Rousseau (1G, 2A), Adam Bates and Jeff Slack 2 points each.  The Warriors play the Pirates on Thursday, February 7 at 7:40 PM at the Icearium. Both teams have qualified for the Predators Cup State Tournament. The winner of the Moore Cup becomes the Knoxville top seed in Predators Cup play