Hollydell Ice Arena Youth Ice Hockey:
Bantam Manchester Cup - Strong Island vs. Bowie

Sunday, March 8, 1998

By Gary Finigan
SJSports Special Correspondent

In the title game of the 4th Annual Manchester Cup for the Bantams, Strong Island faced Bowie. With a shutout win, 10-0, Strong Island won the cup.

The first period saw Strong Island jump out to a 4-0 lead. Forward Joe Panebianco started off the scoring with a shot from the slot to give Strong Island the 1-0 lead. Tim Burke and Billy McFall assisted on the play. At the 5:51 mark, defenseman Joe Macedo tucked in a rebound off the back boards to put the score to 2-0. With 4:47 remaining in the period, Bill McFall took a shot on net from the point. Defenseman Ryan Travis scored on the rebound when he lifted the puck over the goalie. The final tally of the period started when Joe Macedo won the face off. The puck came back to the point where Billy McFall wound up and scored on the slap shot to score the fourth goal for Strong Island.

In the second period, Strong Island extended their lead. Defenseman Finnegan took a slap shot from the top of the left circle. A waiting Joe Panebianco lifted the rebound over the goalie on the short side for a 5-0 lead. With 9:47 to go, Ryan Travis and Billy McFall worked the puck up ice with the give and go. McFall took the puck to the corner and fed Travis in the slot to push the lead to 6-0. Minutes later Ryan Travis scored his hat trick on a breakaway pass at center ice. In all alone on the goal tender, he scored high on the stick side for the games seventh goal. Travis scored again at 4:06, with the assist going to McFall. Strong Island scored at the 2:40 mark while on the power play. Defenseman Brian Delaney waiting in the right slot, tucked in a pass from the right corner. Assists went to forwards Burke and Kirschburg. The second period closed out with Strong Island holding a commanding 9-0 lead.

The third period action saw only one goal scored. Strong Island clamped down defensively to try and preserve the shutout. With only a minute remaining, Strong Island forward Tommy McFall took advantage of a turnover at center ice. Once gaining control of the puck, McFall skated in all alone, beating the goalie high to the glove side for the 10-0 lead. Strong Island hung on for the shutout and the bragging rights to the 4th Annual Manchester Cup for the Bantams.

1st Place - Strong Island

2nd Place - Bowie