GREEN BAY, Wisc – The Green Bay Gamblers captured the 2011-12 United States Hockey League Championship trophy winning the decisive fifth game of the Clark Cup 5-2 over the Waterloo Blackhawks before 7,007 here at the Resch Center. The win also gives the Gamblers USA Hockey’s National Junior Tier One Championship emblematic of the best junior hockey team in the United States.
Green Bay team captain Max Hartner opened the scoring for the home team at 16:04. He blasted a slap shot from the top of the far side circle after a scramble in front of the net. An initial shot by Sheldon Dries was stopped by Blackhawks’ goal tender Stephan Williams but the rebound trickled into the slot. Forward Alex Kile was able to shovel the puck out to Hartner who caught the pass for a shot in full stride for the 1-0 Gambler’s lead. The strike was the only goal of the period dominated by Green Bay as they outshot the visitors 13-7 in the period.
The second period was a wild affair with featuring three goals while another was disallowed. When the ice chips settled Green Bay skated off for the second intermission with a 3-1 lead. Waterloo struck first to tie the game 1-1 at 10:37 as Alex Barron buried a slap shot past winning goal tender Ryan McKay. The goal came from almost the same spot as the opening goal by Hartner.
However, McKay the co-goal tender of the year in the USHL was quickly given another lead to protect as just over a minute later at 11:51 Sam Herr picked up a pass just inside the blue line skated in and used a deke and a backhander to run the score to 2-1. Matthew Weis and Hartner picked up assists on the score.
The second period lead was extended to 3-1 at 13:46 as Ville Jarvelainen who was standing in the slot deflected a shot on goal by Peter Maric past Williams. The third goal came just a few seconds after a previous apparent goal by the Gamblers was waived off.
The home team’s win was assured by two third period goals by the Gamblers. The first came at 9:42 into when Nolan LaPorte hammered a high shot past Williams on his glove side. His shot came as he caught a pass from Alex Broadhurst who worked hard to free the puck up from deep on the near side boards. LaPorte caught the pass and wheeled in almost a 360 degree turn and blasted the puck high into the net.
The Gamblers final score came as Broadhurst picked up a shorthanded empty netter at the 13:21 mark. Waterloo coach P.K. O’Hanley had pulled his goalie for an extra attacker while on the power play but Broadhurst ruined the strategy.
The big crowd began to anticipate the win however a late goal by Waterloo forward Jamie Hill delayed the celebration just a bit when he scored at 19:10 with an assist going to Aaron Pearce. McKay stopped 22 0f 24 shots in the win. His counterpart in net Williams faced 33 shots in absorbing the loss.
The Clark Cup win capped one of the best season’s in USHL history. Green Bay finished the regular season with 98 points (47-9-4). It is the second Clark Cup win for the Gamblers over the last three seasons. Former coach Jon Cooper who has the Norfolk Admirals of the American Hockey League in the finals of the Calder Cup led the Gamblers to a Clark Cup capture in the 2009-10 season. His successor Derek Lalonde has now repeated that accomplishment.
Contact the author at Phil.Brand@prohockeynews.com
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