St. Louis, MO - June 3rd, 2008 -
The PIHA Gateway Champion Southside Snipers headed to San Jose, CA with mixed expectations. On one hand, the Snipers were the final seed in the Western Conference Championship and were facing Rocky Mountain super-team, the Colorado Springs Thunder in the first round. On the other hand, the Snipers already took down a beast when they defeated the "unstoppable" Midwest Tornados to win their second consecutive PIHA Gateway Championship. With the potential of eight games in twenty-six hours after multiple flights, it was a tired but excited Southside Snipers team taking the floor at Rollin' Ice.
Because of a low regular season finish, the Snipers were seeded four of four teams in the tournament and drew the Thunder who boasted two players over 100 points (in 32 games) and only a pair of losses all season. Loaded with Team USA veterans, the Thunder stormed the Snipers in the first game 5-2 putting the Snipers on the brink of elimination just one hour into the tournament. Game two was a different story as Tommy Bruce, PJ Tallo, and Zack Reis dug deep to force a third and deciding game by the score of 5-3. With all the cards on the table, it was the Snipers who somehow caused yet another weather change and ousted the Thunder in front of a packed house. Two shorthanded goals by PJ Tallo and Zack Reis erased an early Thunder lead and the Snipers never looked back en route to a 7-4 victory and a spot in the Western Conference Finals. Once again the boys from the Southside took down one of the top teams in Pro Inline Hockey against all odds.
The finals pitted the Snipers against the Phoenix Dragons who eliminated the Northern California Mustangs earlier that day. Day one of the finals proved to be disastrous for the Snipers as Dragons came out breathing fire to take the first two games of the five game series. The Snipers could never quite recover despite a heroic performance in game number three. With backs against the door of elimination once again, Southside edged Phoenix 1-0 in overtime with a breakaway goal by PJ Tallo. Dustin Brown gave an amazing effort in goal for the shutout. However, it just wasn't meant to be for the gassed Snipers. On the seventh game in twenty-four hours, the Snipers fell to the Dragons 6-5 in overtime to end the cinderella season.
The Southside Snipers have nothing to hang their heads about after winning back-to-back PIHA Gateway Championships and becoming the only team in the past two years to finish in the Final Four both years. The boys came together as a team and had a great time on and off the rink. In the end it was the great plays, bad plays, having fun, joking around in the locker room, heroic victories, tough losses, comebacks, practical jokes, the camaraderie that only exists in hockey. That is what it is all about.
Make sure to log onto www.pihagatewayhockey.com for playoff recaps and photos. Video coming soon.
The PIHA Gateway Champion Southside Snipers headed to San Jose, CA with mixed expectations. On one hand, the Snipers were the final seed in the Western Conference Championship and were facing Rocky Mountain super-team, the Colorado Springs Thunder in the first round. On the other hand, the Snipers already took down a beast when they defeated the "unstoppable" Midwest Tornados to win their second consecutive PIHA Gateway Championship. With the potential of eight games in twenty-six hours after multiple flights, it was a tired but excited Southside Snipers team taking the floor at Rollin' Ice.
Because of a low regular season finish, the Snipers were seeded four of four teams in the tournament and drew the Thunder who boasted two players over 100 points (in 32 games) and only a pair of losses all season. Loaded with Team USA veterans, the Thunder stormed the Snipers in the first game 5-2 putting the Snipers on the brink of elimination just one hour into the tournament. Game two was a different story as Tommy Bruce, PJ Tallo, and Zack Reis dug deep to force a third and deciding game by the score of 5-3. With all the cards on the table, it was the Snipers who somehow caused yet another weather change and ousted the Thunder in front of a packed house. Two shorthanded goals by PJ Tallo and Zack Reis erased an early Thunder lead and the Snipers never looked back en route to a 7-4 victory and a spot in the Western Conference Finals. Once again the boys from the Southside took down one of the top teams in Pro Inline Hockey against all odds.
The finals pitted the Snipers against the Phoenix Dragons who eliminated the Northern California Mustangs earlier that day. Day one of the finals proved to be disastrous for the Snipers as Dragons came out breathing fire to take the first two games of the five game series. The Snipers could never quite recover despite a heroic performance in game number three. With backs against the door of elimination once again, Southside edged Phoenix 1-0 in overtime with a breakaway goal by PJ Tallo. Dustin Brown gave an amazing effort in goal for the shutout. However, it just wasn't meant to be for the gassed Snipers. On the seventh game in twenty-four hours, the Snipers fell to the Dragons 6-5 in overtime to end the cinderella season.
The Southside Snipers have nothing to hang their heads about after winning back-to-back PIHA Gateway Championships and becoming the only team in the past two years to finish in the Final Four both years. The boys came together as a team and had a great time on and off the rink. In the end it was the great plays, bad plays, having fun, joking around in the locker room, heroic victories, tough losses, comebacks, practical jokes, the camaraderie that only exists in hockey. That is what it is all about.
Make sure to log onto www.pihagatewayhockey.com for playoff recaps and photos. Video coming soon.
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