The Gordon Cup is possibly the most coveted trophy in summer camps hockey. Two weeks ago, Camp Starlight learned it had received a much sought after spot among some of the most competitive camp hockey programs in the Northeast in this summer’s tournament. As the roster of 15 was finalized, we began to practice with only a week to go before the big day. July 30^th was the day every player on the team had been eagerly anticipating.

In the initial seeding, Starlight was placed in a bracket with Camp Wah-nee andCamp Seneca Lake. The first goal in the first game against Wah-nee was scored by Wah-nee, giving their players an early confidence boost, but the Starlight players began gaining momentum after the first period. The score remained 1-0 after two periods. In the third period, Wah-nee managed to score again, bring the score to 2-0. With just 7 minutes left on the clock, Coach Liska called a time out, and the Captain Jackson S. got the team riled up by scoring our first goal with 5 minutes left on the clock.  Just a few minutes later, he had an assist with a long pass to Max K. who buried the biscuit to tie the game at 2-2. With less than a minute to go in the game, overtime looked inevitable. But with just 13 seconds left on the clock, Michael H. found himself in the perfect position to put home the rebound off a shot from Jackson S., winning the game for Starlight. The players celebrated being one step closer to the championship game.

In game two, Starlight faced off against the Seneca Lake team, which had also won its first game. It was do or die. With a win, we moved on. With a loss, we went home. Starlight started slow again, though, and Seneca Lake took advantage by being the first to score. That was enough to wake the sleeping Starlight beasts. Michael H. and Jason S. both scored goals in the first period to bring the score to 2-1 in the first period. At the beginning of the third period, however, Seneca Lake tied the score at 2-2 and then scored again to put Starlight down one goal. Sam S. denied them the victory by tying the score. Thirty minutes of overtime wasn’t enough to decide a winner with both teams pulling off some great saves. In a 3 shooter a side style shootout, both teams came up empty with their first two shots. With all eyes on him, Jackson S., Starlight’s final shooter, took the puck from the center dot and moved in slowly. He pulled up at the bottom of the circle and sniped the puck top shelf where grandma hides the cookie jar. Goalkeeper Sam S. made a great save to deny Seneca Lake’s third shooter, giving the victory to Starlight.

In the semi-finals, Camp Starlight met Camp Westmont. Unfortunately, the story of the day continued with Starlight down 1-0 early in the game. Westmont’s second goal in the second period was immediately answered by Jason S., who came up with a big goal and keeping Starlight’s hopes alive. Westmont struck back, though, regaining a 2 goal lead, but Jeremy W. scored to keep Starlight in the game. Westmont was on fire, however, and with only 3 minutes left in the second period, Starlight was down 5-2. Coach Liska again called a time out to rally the team. Zach S. took Coach Liska’s instructions to “shut down his assigned defender and get every loose puck into the offensive zone” to heart. The rest of the team followed suit in the third period and with 5 minutes left in the game, the strategy began paying off. Jackson S. and Michael H. scored a combined 3 goals to tie the game at 5-5, sending Starlight into another overtime situation. Michael H. had no intentions of going to another shootout, though. The puck hit his stick and he found the back for his 2^nd game winning goal and his 1^st tournament hat trick. The comeback kids of Camp Starlight had done it again. It was on to the championship game.

Camp Starlight found themselves up against tournament hosts Timber Lake, who were hungry to bring the championship trophy back home. Camp Starlight was definitely the underdog in a match against a team that had played in the final game more than 20 times in the tournament’s 29 year history. Although Starlight came out strong in the first period, Timber Lake’s size and speed overpowered us. The final outcome did not reflect the effort, heart, and determination put in by all of the Starlight players, and a second place finish in their first run in one of the most elite athletic competitions in camping was still an accomplishment to be celebrated at the end of the day. The Camp Starlight family is very proud of Coaches Liska, Coach Martin, and the entire team. We look forward to making another strong run next year.

Team Members:

Offense—Zach S., Harris G., Austin W., Ethan E., Michael H. (Assistant Captain), Jared B., Max K. (Assistant Captain), Jackson S. (Captain)

Defense—Matthew R. F., Jeremy W., Noah G., Josh W., Jason S., Sam S. (Goalie), Jake M. (Goalie)

Coaches—Wade Liska, Elliott Martin

During a fairy-themed evening activity, division leader Dena Weiner challenged our lower junior girls to write a story beginning with  “Once upon a time deep in the forest in fairyland…”  See below how one eight years old’s imagination ran wild.

Once upon a time, deep in the forest in fairyland…there was a beautiful fairy named Starlight. She liked the colors blue and white. And she had two friends Emma and Sofia. They liked to see all the stuff in nature because that was their home. Every year when the juniors came the fairies would visit them. They might leave a little something behind. And that little something was light. The lights were pretty, just like the fairies. The fairies really liked the house because the juniors decorated then. They had lots of fun playing hide and go seek because they liked to play with people who came to visit. The fairies were very good at hiding. Sometimes they tricked us, but we won’t get tricked this time.