After a fantastic season and an amazing playoff race to the championship, it was the East Boston Yacht Club and Bill Ash’s Lounge who remained standing in the 2nd Annual Finale of the East Boston Men’s Hockey League. A hyped up game, to say the least, featured two of East Boston’s most prominent hockey players to ever lace them up. EBYC’s Charlie Daniels, league scoring champion, and Bill Ash’s Darrell Interbartolo, scoring runner-up.
From the first drop of the puck to the final buzzer, both teams, did battle up and down the ice. It was EBYC who struck first taking an early lead on a goal from Daniels, only to see Bill Ash’s storm back scoring three straight from Glenn Squillaciotti, Tony Silvestri, and Mike O’Brien for a 3-1 lead. The lead was to be short lived as Dante Arinella lit the lamp to make it 3-2 and then David Collins stepped up and buried the game tying goal. Bill Ash’s was then shut down by EBYC goaltender Chris Grossmann. Grossmann then became the difference in this one making stop after stop, shutting down the high powered Bill Ash’s offense. Grossmann, another force in Eastie hockey lore, was a wall for the EBYC throughout the season propelling them into first place and a regular season championship.
In the final minutes of the third period, it was Frank DiMarzo who plugged his way to the net to bury the game winner and championship goal for the East Boston Yacht Club. Kris Sullivan potted an empty netter and Bill Ash’s was able to muster up one more in the closing seconds as Tony Silvestri snuck one past Grossmann, for the final score of 5-4. For many of the EBYC players, it is their second championship in a row, where many were members of last years championship squad, Woody’s Liquors. Congratulations to the boys of the East Boston Yacht Club on an amazing season and a very entertaining and well played championship game. The EBMHL would also like to thank everyone who came out and supported the guys who play their hearts out every week, the great staff at the Porazzo Rink, and The East Boston Times for keeping Eastie informed of league goings on. We will see you all at the rink next year!