Halloween Dek Tournament

Spooky Turtles Champions

Despite their early round robin loss to an experienced Columbus Vets team, the “Spooky Turtles” came back to defeat the Vets 9-6 in the semi-final, and hung on to defeat the top seed Painesville Dek Hockey Free Agents by a score of 6-5 for the Championship. In a day of cold rain and overcast skies, the level of play pushed the envelope in speed, finesse, stick handling ability and agility. The final saw an intense rally in the third period falling short as the clock ran out when a rocket by Painesville Dek’s Neil Conway from Jason Wiess brought the lead to within a goal. Both goaltenders Michael Thompson(Painesville) and Fazeel Kahn (Columbus) put on a dazzling display of diving saves all around their perspective creases right to the final horn.

Four teams laden with street hockey talent finished the round robin as follows:

1. Painesville Dek Hockey Free Agents

2. Columbus Vets

3. Spooky Turtles

4. CLE DEK Selects

Congrats to the Turtles, made up of local Lake County hockey players for the Mentor Cardinals, Painesville Riverside and the Lake Catholic Cougars; that is, Jake Tackett, Connor Stump, Brady Kloss, Brandon Hudock, Dave Shook, Brian Anthony and Michael Thompson in net.

Special thanks to a referee rotation replacing the regulars due to illness and no show baby sitters: AJ Bailey, Neil Conway, Jake Tackett and Scott Reval, and Matt Wiess assisting as timekeeper. Thanks to Maureen Dolan for the scary manakin in the goalie mask acting as office scarecrow for most of the day.