SEMIFINAL #1 
THE GREATEST GAME EVER PLAYED
 
May 16 1999
 
The first semifinal of the CASC World Cup of Ball Hockey Tournament, 
played at 19h00 Wednesday, May 12th, will go down as the best game 
ever played, at least according to those who were lucky enough to 
have seen the match, as well as those who played in it. Continental 
Europe, captained by Peter Knapp and the British Isles (a.k.a. "The 
British Bluedogs"), captained by Mike Callaghan, did their best to 
accommodate the spectators with a freewheeling affair that included 
little defense, pretty playmaking and lots and lots of goals. 
 Consider this fact: The first semifinal saw 16 goals scored. The 
next semifinal and final combined saw 17 goals.
 
 As mentioned, this was not a defensive struggle. The 
British Isles took 2-0, 3-1,4-2 leads, holding a 4-3 lead at the 
half. Keith Myers had a goal and 2 assists, while Sean Marcellin
had a pair of goals for the Isles in the half, while Steve Bleau 
had a goal and an assist to lead the Continental Europeans.
 
 Then the Europeans scored twice in a two minute span to take 
a 5-4 lead, the 2nd goal being a long screen shot from behind centre 
that eluded Isles goalie Brian Crompton. Not to be outdone, 
Mike Murphy scored back to back goals on the same shift to turn 
the tide back in favor of the Isles, with Keith Myers making a 
perfect pass across the crease to give the Isles the lead.
 
 Trailing 6-5, the Isles refused to sit on their lead, 
trying hard to score an insurance goal that might ice the game
 against a tenacious opponent who many felt had little chance 
to win. However, Gary Cohen converted a Peter Knapp pass to tie 
the game. It was Cohen's hat trick goal, and it could not have 
come at a more convenient time.
 
 Then, within a minute, the Isles had retaken a two goal 
lead. First, Kim Nethersole blasted a howitzer past European goalie 
Leonard Luedee after a defensive giveaway, then Sean Marcellin took 
a Nethersole pass and backhanded a shot past Luedee, completing his
 hat trick. Peter Knapp replied with an unassisted goal a minute 
later, setting the stage for a dramatic conclusion.
 
 Something started to happen in the gymnasium at this point. 
The gymnasium, which is multi-purpose, housed a basketball practice 
on the adjacent curtain. Aside from the players on the Canadiens 
Francais/Ameriques and Asia/Greco-Roman team, who were preparing for 
their game which was scheduled next, and from family members and 
friends, the basketball players stopped dribbling and sidled over 
to watch the events unfolding on the hockey side of the fence.
 
 What they saw next would not disappoint them. The Europe
an team, trailing by 1 with just under 10 minutes left mounted a 
furious rally, pouring shots on Brian Crompton in an attempt for 
the equalizer. The Isles also put on an offensive, looking for a 
goal that would put the game away, or at the very least, dampen the 
European's spirits.
 
 Finally with just under a minute left and Luedee out for the 
extra attacker, the European's had one last chance to force overtime. 
Cohen and Knapp, the top pointgetters on the European team, were 
cycling with the ball in the Isles zone. Keith Myers hacked at the 
ball, tapped it into the corner, but could not clear the zone. 
Knapp regained possession, gave it to Cohen, who in turned threw 
it in front of the net, where Peter Lorincz converted the pass for 
the biggest goal of his life, to say the least. 
 
 For the first time in CASC history, overtime would be used 
to decide a game. By now, the basketball practice was over, with 
the players having stopped playing in order to watch what everyone 
was oohing and aahing over. It would not be an exxageration to say 
that very little was being said in the spectators gallery. 
 
 The overtime period was a chaotic affair. Lots of shots, 
and glorious scoring opportunities being missed on both sides. 
Victor Pajor of the European team saw his wrist shot miss the post 
by inches. Steve Bleau of the Europeans saw his deflection from in 
front of the net tapped out of harms way by the Isles Darren Roberts 
at the last possible moment. Peter Knapp missed a mini breakaway 
when he was stopped by Crompton cold, with no rebound. 
 
Peter Lorincz saw his shot blocked by a sliding Mike Callaghan.
 Finally a sliding Gary Cohen backhanded a rebound in front of the 
net off the post.
 
 The Isles also had many opportunities, mainly Sean 
Marcellin. Sean was stopped by goalie Luedee on three separate 
opportunities, all on the same shift. Nethersole hit a goal post, 
Myers could not convert a 2 on 1 with Mike Murphy and Billy Ponting 
was unable to get a stick on a loose rebound off a Darren Roberts 
blast in front of the Euopean net.
 
 Ten minutes of overtime solved nothing. Except that hardly 
a minute went by, (and I mean minute in the literal sense) This 
meant one thing. Shootout. Sudden Death. Until one team scores and 
the other doesn't. After a three minute break, in which captains 
Knapp and Callaghan gave their shooting lineup to the scorekeeper, 
the shootout began.
 
 Peter Knapp was given choice of having his team shoot first 
or last. He chose to go first, and named himself first shooter on 
his team. Knapp did not disappoint, scoring high on the glove side 
on a falling Crompton.
 
 "If I miss this, is the game over?"
 Sean Marcellin
 
 "Yes"
 Eric Boghen, referee
 
 This conversation, or exchange if you will, could be 
overheard as Sean Marcellin was preparing for his shootout 
opportunity. Miss and the game is over. Score and the British 
Isles have another life.
 
 In what had to be the slowest breakaway in history, a cat
 and mouse game began with goalie Luedee and the leading pointgetter 
in CASC. Slowly but surely, Marcellin came in, went to his backhand,
 waited for Luedee to commit and then shifted to his forehand. 
 Over the blocker, inside post. Game is tied again.
 
 And so the excitement began. All activity in the other
 curtains of the gym stopped. Conversations in the spectators 
gallery were muted. Palms were sweaty. Hearts started pumping. 
And this from people who were not playing.
 
 Fourteen breakaways later, FOURTEEN, no other goal was 
scored. The goalies, Crompton and Luedee stood their ground. 
Great goaltending.
 
 Finally, Paul Manson of the Europeans failed to finish 
his deke attempt to the glove side. This put the onus on Billy 
Ponting. If Ponting missed, an almost unheard of concept in 
penalty shootouts would occur. The idea of repitition. Ponting 
was the last player from either team who had not participated in 
the shootout. After Ponting, if necessary, the players who started 
the shootout, Knapp and Marcellin, would restart.
 
It would not prove to be necessary. Ponting moving quickly, roofed 
a top corner snapshot to end the marathon. The British Isles won 
8-8 (2-1 in a shootout) The shot totals were 60-42 in favor of 
the British Isles. 
 
The word classic is thrown around very often, many times 
undeservedly. This was not one of them. The players on both teams 
merited respect for their effort, their tenacity and determination 
and skill, and mostly, their sportsmanship.