CHARLOTTE, N.C.- In the Conference Carolinas Tournament Championship the 2009 regular season co-champions met for the second time of the season. For the second time of the season, the Limestone Saints came away with the victory and claimed the 2009 Tournament Championship by a score of 12-10. Just as the final score was close, the battle on the field was just as close.
The game ends Queens season with a record of 8-6 overall. Limestone has one more regular season game left, against Catawba on April 25, and has a record of 9-3.
Both team's goalies made 12 saves, Limestone held a five goal edge in shots, 46-41, Queens won 15 face offs to the Saints 11, and the Royals had a larger advantage in ground balls, 52-38.
The game didn't start of looking like it was going to be a close contest. The Saints started scoring just 12 seconds in when Sean Bennett scored his first goal of the season unassisted.
The Saints added another less than a minute later, from Jake Rogalia (Liverpool, N.Y.), then notched three more before the end of the first quarter. Queens took five shots in the quarter, but wasn't able to get any past goalie James Touhy (Levittown, N.Y.).
The game evened out in the second quarter when Royals' Cory Thomas (Columbia, Md., River Hill) notched the first of the game for Queens. The goal slowed the Saints and shifted the momentum of the game. The two teams traded two more goals until the Royals scored three unanswered to finish the half. Louie Boyle (Bel Air, Md., Bel Air) scored two in the half for Queens and Thomas also added an assist.
At the break, the Royals trailed 7-5. After being out-shot 16-5 in the first quarter, Queens out-shot the Saints 15-10 in the second quarter.
Mike Poerstel (Annapolis, Md.) opened the second half with a goal for Limestone to give them a three goal advantage. LeBlanc's and Brian Rose (Stony Point, N.Y., North Rockland) scored for Queens with a Saints goal in between. LeBlanc pulled Queens within one with his third goal of the game.
Down by one, LeBlanc scored his fourth and final goal of the contest to tie the game at nine-all with 9:09 left to play. Rogalia broke the tie three minutes and three seconds later with an assist from Poerstel. Poerstel and Thomas Langan (Potomac, Md.) each added one in the last 2:55, give the Saints the 12-9 edge.
Miles Kerbein (Rensselear, N.Y., Columbia) put Queens within two with two to play, but the Royals couldn't make the come-back happen.
Touhy played the entire game for Liemstone in the net, while Rob Bacharach (Baltimore, Md., Dulaney) started for the Queens and Brandon Macknew (Abington, Md., Bel Air) came in with 42 minutes left in the game. Macknew made eight saves, Bacharach four.
Following the 2009 All-Tournament team was announced. Queens placed three players on the team, LeBlanc, Boyle and Mike Delallo (Syracuse, N.Y., West Genesee).
2009 All-Tournament Team
Ethan Young, Saint Andrews
Shawn Cross, Pfeiffer
Michael Brown, Belmont Abbey
Tristan Keas, Belmont Abbey
Derin Vacca, Lees-McRae
Matt Markey, Lees-McRae
Stephan LeBlanc, Queens
Louie Boyle, Queens
Mike Dellalo, Queens
Brendan Storrier, Limestone
James Touhy, Limestone
Spencer Wims, Limestone
Tournament MVP
Jake Rogalia, Limestone
