After a mid-season 6-goal loss that dropped the Reliant Killawatts into third place in the standings, the Reliant Killawatts received the boost they needed.  Their new uniforms arrived and they ended the season on a four game winning streak to clinch sole possession of second place.

The first round of the playoffs pitted the Killawatts against the New Generation.  In a physical contest between the regular season second and third place team the Killawatts won 6 to 5.  While the Killawatts never trailed, the score was tied at 4 before the Killawatts put the game away with two goals midway through the third period.

In the Championship Game the Reliant Killawatts faced the regular season champion Hurricane.  The Championship Game’s pace was determined early, with the Hurricane taking three early penalties and the Killawatts unable to capitalize.  Late in the first period, Mike Serafini got the Killawatts started by tapping in a rebound during a scramble in front of the net.  The lead was short-lived as the Hurricane retaliated less than a minute later with a breakaway goal.  Then just before the end of the first period, Jonathan “Stonewall” Haling stuffed a penalty shot by the Hurricanes to keep the game knotted at the end of one period.

Midway through the second period the Hurricane grabbed their only lead of the game before Paul “Boom Boom” Keene rifled a blast from the point past the Hurricane net-minder and tied the score again.  Bobby Mansour had the helper.  Syracuse Tim Loveless gave the Killawatts another short-lived lead with another rocket.  This one from the slot with a lot of traffic in front of the Hurricane net-minder.  But, the persistent Hurricane scored with eleven ticks left on the clock to end the second period tied at 3.

Fortunately for the Killawatts, their defensemen continued to add to the offensive punch.  At the thirteen minute mark, Blue liner Joe Kurzawski’ s slap shot from the point gave the Killawatts the lead for good and Adam Runquist added what would prove to be the game winner less than a minute later with Bobby Mansour getting another helper.  The final twelve minutes of a tension-filled championship game gave the fans what they came to see; the high-powered Hurricane offense challenging the valiant Killawatt defense.  Buffalo Tim Sciortino and Mike Serafini helped keep the pressure off the defense with key face-off wins.  And the Reliant Killawatts hung on to win their second consecutive Rec League Championship by the score of 5 to 4.

 -Robb Delprado

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Congratulations to the North Allstars for winning the First Annual ISHL Winter Classic. With Chase Wilkinson leading the charge, the North reigned supreme in a 10-3 victory over the South Allstars.