It was an exciting night for players, coaches and fans alike at Kettler Capitals Iceplex in Arlington, as the Bishop O'Connell High School ice hockey team came away with the Northern Virginia Scholastic Hockey League (NVSHL) title for the first time since 2009.
The Knights finished the NVSHL league play with a 10-0 record before defeating Chantilly, 7-1, in the quarterfinals and shutting out Briar Woods, 4-0, in the semifinals. O'Connell faced perennial Northern Virginia powerhouse, Broad Run, in front of a spirited crowd in the championship game, as both teams were defending undefeated records in league play.
Bishop O'Connell scored first and never lost the lead. When the final horn sounded, the Knights were on top, 4-2. O'Connell goals were scored by Victor Musoke '20 (assist by Ben Gibbons '20), Jake Smith '19 (assists by Alex Vouras '20 and Victor Musoke), Ben Gibbons (assist by Alex Vouras) and Alex Vouras (unassisted). The Knights goalie, Jack MacKinnon '19, proved instrumental in net, stopping 28 of 30 shots that came his way.
"In the fall we defined our team goal and it was to win the state championship," said Head Coach Flip Collins. "As a coach the most rewarding part of coaching is helping these student-athletes set their goals and design a plan for them to achieve that goal. We did just that."
The Knights played one of the most demanding schedules in the Washington metropolitan area, competing not only in the NVSHL, but also in the Mid-Atlantic Prep Hockey League (MAPHL), as well as the WCAC league, where they defeated Gonzaga in the semifinal tournament round before coming up short in the championship game against DeMatha. The team finished their season with the most wins ever, and a 21-10-2 record.
Congratulations to the following all-league honorees:
Jack MacKinnon - first team goalie in the NVSHL
Victor Musoke - first team honors in the NVSHL, the MAPHL and the WCAC
Alex Vouras -second team honors in the MAPHL and the WCAC
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Video Highlights from the NVSHL Championship Game
After the lights go out, O'Connell flips a switch and wins NVSHL title
Washington Post, March 2, 2018
Bishop O'Connell wins NVSHL
NVSHL News, March 3, 2018