Two teams from two different divisions in two very different positions came and met in the VIC championship. For Blue Ridge, a loss would likely leave it on the outside looking in for a VISAA Division 1 playoff spot. For Covenant, already the top ranked team in Division 2 and the heavy favorite to be the last team standing next week, the meeting with the Barons was about pride and gearing up for what’s next.
In a back and forth battle that saw Covenant dig out of two holes, Blue Ridge was able to rally in the middle of the third quarter and get off to a strong start in the fourth to hold off the Eagles 14-10.
“Covenant, nothing but absolute respect for those guys — they came out here and gave us a great game today which we really needed,” said Barons coach Kyle Gardner. “We needed to be tested and play a full 48 minute game and I think this is the first time all year that we’ve actually done that. I’m very pleased about the effort in a game that was in no way an easy win. We really had to earn it today.”
Covenant faced a 2-goal deficit in the first quarter but managed to tie the game up heading into the second quarter. The Barons raced out to a 5-2 advantage to open up the second, but behind a patient yet effective attack, the Eagles clawed right back into it, erasing the lead before the horn at halftime and then taking its first and only lead of the game early in the third quarter.
“We’ve had a couple of games where we weren’t able to close the gap and today the difference was composure,” said Covenant coach Mike Gardiner. “They stayed on top of the ground balls and I told them all year long good things would happen if you get the ground balls. This (Blue Ridge) team fought just as hard as we did, but when we came up with positive ground balls, that’s when the rallies happened.”
Trailing 7-6, Blue Ridge managed to score eight of the next 11 goals in the game thanks in large part to Jared Arntzen’s work on faceoffs and the Barons long poles winning more than their share of ground ball battles. Six different players scored on the last six goals for Blue Ridge.
“We were able to keep our composure when we were down and when we were tied up,” Arntzen said. “We able to just shut the game away.”
While Covenant was able to get to within two goals of the lead midway through the fourth, there simply wasn’t enough time and offense to spark another comeback effort.
Rylee Marsh had a 5-point effort to lead the Blue Ridge offense with a pair of goals and three assists. Tyler Pace chipped in two goals and two assists. Quinton Pavan had a hat trick. Arntzen had a goal and assist to go with nine ground balls. Chase Fraser — who was tightly guarded by Covenant’s standout defenders in John Meade and Austin Llera — still managed two goals and an assist.
“We had all six guys on offensive side of the ball really doing work,” Gardner said. “That’s something that we’ve been missing all season long. So to see that happen at crunch time, with the state tournament coming up, obviously here in the conference championship, that’s a good time to have it.”
For Covenant, brothers Drew and Jay Gaffney led the offense with Drew netting two goals and Jay getting a hat trick and an assist. Peter Garland had a goal and an assist. Meade and Llera each had five ground balls. Spencer Godine had eight. In a game where Blue Ridge out-shot Covenant 50-33, Eagles goalkeeper Brett Stockwell had a monster game, finishing with 15 saves.
Both teams will await their opponents for the upcoming VISAA tournaments. The Barons will likely head on the road for a quartefinal game, something they had no problem overcoming last year as they pulled off a pair of upsets to get to the championship game before falling to powerhouse St. Stephen’s St. Agnes.
“We kind of have to prove ourselves every year,” Arntzen said. “I’m more than happy with being the underdog. Last year we came in as a really low seed and were able to make it to the finals. This year we’re hoping to do the same.”
The Eagles on the other hand will host their opener in the Division 2 tournament as the top seed. Covenant owned Division 2 title nearly every year during the Dave Breslin era in the previous decade. Now with Gardiner at the helm, the Eagles are looking for their first state title since 2008. Facing a Division 1 playoff team in the VIC finale should be the perfect thing to gear up for a big run.
“It was a tough good game,” Gardiner said. “There was no question this was a good tune up. The real question for us is if we can keep this level of playing going for three games next week.”
