The inaugural Bermuda Tier 2 National Ball Hockey League season concluded in breathtaking fashion as the Sunken Harbor Soca Kings survived a monumental third-period collapse to defeat the Mid-Atlantic Snipers 6-5 in sudden-death overtime.
In an unforgettable inaugural final at the PCC Hockey Rink, the Soca Kings looked to have one hand on the trophy after storming into a seemingly insurmountable 5-1 lead.
But a relentless, late-game blitz from the Snipers stunned the spectators, forcing an extra period before the drama reached its absolute peak.
The Snipers had originally taken first blood in the opening period, courtesy of an early strike from Tom Duggan. However, that lead was utterly obliterated in a dominant second-period display by the Soca Kings.
Matt McPhail ignited the Kings' offense with a quick-fire brace, before teammate Robbie Bailey took center stage. Bailey put on a clinical shooting masterclass, netting a spectacular second-period hat-trick to push the scoreline to a commanding 5-1.
When the clock ticked down to under seven minutes remaining in the third period, the result felt like a formality.
Then came the rally.
With their backs firmly against the wall, the Snipers pulled off one of the great championship-game comebacks. Ross Rufiange gave them a glimmer of hope at 05:19, before Andrew Leavy rattled the Kings further less than two minutes later.
As the Soca Kings' defense began to fracture under intense pressure, Rufiange struck again to make it a one-goal game. Incredibly, with just ten seconds left on the clock, Leavy struck his second of the night to complete a miraculous four-goal comeback, tying the game at 5-5 and sending a shell-shocked PCC Hockey Rink into overtime.
With one of the biggest collapses in ball hockey history staring them in the face, the Soca Kings needed a hero to rescue their championship dreams and spare their goaltender's blushes.
Step forward Tom Duggan.
At 06:56 in the first overtime period, Duggan found space to net his second goal of the match, firing home the golden-goal winner to finally seal the inaugural championship for the Sunken Harbor Soca Kings.
It was a cruel end to a heroic fightback for the Snipers, but a fittingly spectacular conclusion to a historic first Tier 2 season on the rock.
