FOXBORO – The 2015 Mini Chowder Cup came to an end on Sunday afternoon at the Foxboro Sports Center, but not before taking a little more time than initially scheduled. The tournament’s final game between the Black Squirrels and Hockey Essentials going to overtime before the ’01 division championship could be settled 3-2 in favor of the Squirrels.
While Essentials coasted to the finals with a pair of 6-1 victories earlier in the day, the Squirrels came in a little more tested with wins of 4-3 and 3-1 in the quarter- and semifinals. That fight carried into the title bout for the Squirrels and, after a long stretch of scoreless play to open the game, they nabbed a 2-0 lead.
Jake Hayes, the game’s only multipoint scorer (1G, 1A), opened the scoring with his tally at 12:22. Von Mabbs then extended the Squirrels’ advantage to 2-0 on his second goal of the playoffs at 18:17.
With the finish line in sight, the sleeping giant awoke and it all seemed to come crashing down for the Squirrels. Their two-goal lead faded to zero in the matter of just 1:16, first Luke Morris at 24:37 and then Robert Mastrosimone at 25:53. Just like that the game was tied 2-2.
The championship was to be decided in overtime.
At 4:55 of the extra session Braden Doyle came through with the biggest goal of the 2015 Mini Chowder Cup, netting the tournament-winner and finalizing the 3-2 victory.
While Doyle went down as the overtime hero, teammate Sean Farrell took home the postgame honor of tournament Most Valuable Player, his six goals and eight points during the opening round tops on the undefeated Squirrels.
Filling out the All-Tournament honors were Essentials forwards John Farinacci and Trevor Zegras and Patrick Moynihan of the Squirrels, Essentials defenseman Marshall Warren and Squirrels blue liner Henry Thurn, and Squirrels netminder Joe Sharib.
