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U.S.EWHA
PowerHockey News Article: September 21, 2003
Clash take home 2004 Minnesota PowerHockey League crown
By Luke Pedersen
Jacob Holmquist's third period goal sealed the win for the Clash in the Minnesota PowerHockey League's (MPHL) championship tournament. The MPHL, a member of the U.S. Electric Wheelchair Hockey Association (U.S. EWHA) held it's 7th annual Championships, September 20, on the campus of Augsburg College , Minneapolis , Minnesota . The Clash beat the Blaze 2-1 for their fourth league title, and first since 1999.
"The turning point in the game was the game-tying goal we scored with just seconds remaining in the second period," said Clash assistant captain Dan Hugley. "It gave us momentum going into the final period and allowed us an opportunity to win. Having the score tied going into the third allowed us to relax and focus on winning the game as opposed to catching up first."
The MPHL's six teams, which include Hibbing and Rochester , in addition to four Twin Cities' (Minneapolis/St. Paul) teams, came into the all-day Championship tournament with an opportunity to win the title. Minnesota Wild (National Hockey League) game-day organist Palmer Harbison was on hand entertaining everyone during the tournament, and added some great hockey atmosphere to the event. Minnesota Wild representative and USA Women's Hockey gold medallist Karyn Bye made an appearance during the Championship game to drop the ceremonial puck (ball), and present the MPHL's season awards. Award winners for 2003: Most Valuable Player , Chris Kram (Rangers); Most Improved Player, Jacob Holmquist (Clash); Rookie of the Year, Dan Johnson (Gladiators); Defensive Player of the Year, Angie Folie (Hawks); Goaltender of the Year, Cindy Condon (Clash); Sportsmanship Award, Josh Twite (Gladiators).
The event kicked off with the Storm facing the Hibbing Rangers. Chris Kram scored the winning goal in sudden-death overtime, and the Rangers advanced with a 3-2 victory. In the second quarterfinal game the Rochester Gladiators opened it's first-ever tournament game with a 9-0 pasting of the Hawks.
In the day's first semifinal, the Rangers battled the second seeded Clash to a 1-1 first period tie. The Clash put some space between it and the Rangers with two goals in the second and added another in the third for a 4-1 win. Wayne Baier and Dave Kaup led the Blaze to a 4-3 semifinal victory over the Gladiators. The Blaze held a 1-0 first period lead, but the Gladiators scored two goals in the second period to give Rochester a 2-1 lead. The Blaze bounced back in the third scoring three goals to seal the win and advance to the title game against old rival the Clash.
Chris Kram led the Rangers to 14-4 thumping of a drained Gladiators team for third place. The Rangers had a 4-0 lead after one period and a 9-1 advantage after two. The Rangers were led in scoring by Kram's 11 goals and one assist, and Mike Fosnot's three goals and an assist. Josh Twite had four goals for the Gladiators.
Despite the loss, Rochester Gladiators captain Josh Twite said his team had a fantastic experience in its first year, and the atmosphere and intensity of the tournament was incredible. "I know being on the Gladiators, we did very well starting from scratch as a brand new team, coming together and doing as well as we did," said Twite. "It was so awesome to think we fought a good season and tourney and knowing that we as a team made a big impression on other players and the league itself. I know one thing for sure, this season is the first of many and we are coming back next year even stronger."
For more information and statistics on the tournament and the MPHL in general check out the website: http://www.powerhockey.com/minnesota/index.html . For more information on the U.S. EWHA and PowerHockeyT visit: http://www.powerhockey.com/
The U.S. EWHA, a chapter of Disabled Sports USA, is a Minnesota-based non-profit organization dedicated to providing a quality hockey program for persons requiring the use of an electric (power) wheelchair during daily life. In 1996, members of Minnesota 's first organized PowerHockeyT team founded the U.S. EWHA. Today, a few short years later, the U.S. EWHA is the national governing body of the sport and works with many organizations around the world developing the future of PowerHockeyT . PowerHockeyT is a sport specifically designed for electric (power) wheelchair users, a segment of the disabled community very under-served when it comes to available athletic opportunities.
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