On Wednesday night, the Hockey team clawed past the 2023 Div 2 hockey state champion Brother Rice Warriors in a performance that has been brewing for years. It's unlikely any of the Eagles were able to sleep but those who did awoke on a quadrennial leap day as Regional Champs. But it's been 3x4 years since LHS was last crowned regional champs back in 2012 under head coach Tim Ronayne.

Coach Ronayne before the game: "We emphasized how much we belonged in this game. That it was theirs for the taking. They were dialed in and knew what to do."

On to the action. Brother Rice scored in the first 90 seconds on a shot that was heading wide but carommed past goalie Paul Baker. Senior captain Brennan Grant answered with a steal of his own, beating an over eager Rice D and walking in alone to zip the puck over the Rice tender's glove. Rice scored their second with another puck Baker never saw and seemingly defied the laws of physics by dipping under the bar like a whiffle ball. So it was up to captain Tim Hinkle, Grant, and Austin Scanlon to restore the natural order. They did so when Scanlon gained the zone, fed Grant who found Hinkle in the slot for a beauty of a backhand. 2-2 after a wild first period.

I've been told there is no 'Try' in Trzcinski. Maybe not. But there is certainly a 'Do' somewhere in there because junior Adam Trzcinski simply got it DONE scoring three goals in a row for the natural hat-trick. His first came on a powerplay with a tic-tac-toe pass from Hinkle and Scanlon for the back-door finish. 3-2 Lakeland after two.

Trzcinski picked it right back up in the third scoring a Beast Mode five-hole goal, charging past the Rice D to take a head-manned Carter Sutton pass directly to the net. Trzcinski's final goal of the night was another fight to the net as he picked the puck out of the air on rebound from a Nate Dell shot (Sutton). (Credit to the LHS Baseball Coaches for working on the bunt last Spring.) 5-2 LHS with a dozen minutes to go.

Twelve years is a long time in between championships. The final 12 minutes felt much longer as the Warriors scored one and then two with 3:30 to go. Was there panic on the LHS bench? Not likely because Baker was in the pipes and fire was in the Eagles bellies. The Rice attack broke like waves on a Lakeland defensive seawall as they stood tall in front of Baker while the forwards fought and scrapped for every inch of ice. Final score 5-4 LHS Regional Champs.

Coach Ronayne: "I'm not going to single out any one player. We've believed in these guys from day one and as coaches over the years we've preached team, team and more team. When it comes together and they achieve what happened tonight...I just don't have the words for it."