"The Cup" has been claimed once again. Tonight was the most exciting championship game yet! Never has there been so many fans at the rink and never has the speed of the game been so fast! RJ's Tavern struck first when Justin Terza scored off of a great pass from Jeremiah Morris. Each team held the other scoreless for the rest of the first period and all of the second. Brice Barrett brought life back to the Pioneers bench when he scored at the beginning of the third period. Later, Barrett scored his second of the game off a great assist from Mike Adams. Then, Chad Murray smoked a slap shot from just inside the blue line to seal the deal for the now, back to back champions.

It was a great night to watch hockey. Onlooking fans stretched around most of the rink, the area had a great aroma (thanks to pre-game tail-gators), the Altoona Mirror was in attendance, and strong sportsmanship was displayed by players on both teams. This has been a great 3rd season. Back in 08, we started with four teams. In 09, we grew to six teams and had eight this year. Teams sport players from all over Central PA...Tyrone, Bellwood, Altoona, Hollidaysburg, Roaring Spring, Alexandria, Huntingdon, Bedford and so on. The league has had an amazing impact on our town and it seems like things are just beginning. Thank you to all the teams and everyone that have made this a great season. And, congratulations again to the Pioneers on their second Tyrone Roller Hockey Championship!

Wow! Today's games were great! The Pioneers took care of business against the Stingers this morning 10-5. The Stingers hustled extremely hard, but the talented Pioneers were too much. Gary Miller, the Pioneer's goalie, made some great saves today. After the game he told me how much he appreciates his defensemen. When the other team dumps the ball down in his zone, they rarely get to it. The Pioneer defensemen are quick to outlet it to a forward. They will need good defense tomorrow when they face the undefeated RJ's Tavern.

In the other semi-final game today, Bedford came out hot, scoring two goals in the beginning of the 1st period. If was not long before Jeremiah Morris took over. He scored four straight goals to shoot down the Bombers. Bedford did not give up. They scored another goal to keep in the game, but it wasn't enough. The final was 8-3. RJ's Tavern showed they can score points quick with their powerful scoring line of Morris, Monahan, Terza, and Wilt. They will need as much fire power as they an get against the Pioneers tomorrow. In their regular season meeting, RJ"s beat the Pioneers 6-4 in what was a very close game. So, who will claim the cup this year?

The championship face off is set for 6 pm at the Tyrone's Reservoir Park roller hockey rink. If you want to see home great hockey, come out and watch. I even heard rumors of people tail-gaiting before the game.