Mercer Island beats Bainbridge Island for D1 State Chamionship!

Large crowds filled the stands clad in blue, gold, maroon and white.  The championship game comes down to a good old fashioned Battle of the Islands.  Bainbridge dawned the fresh blue uniforms that contrasted their slick white Islander counterparts. It was a contested faceoff that Bainbridge won and sticks went flying.  Bainbridge settled into their offense and Cam Parker drew a double from behind and fed Jacob Knostman for easy goal.  First blood goes to the Spartans.  Mercer Island came up with possession and settled into a 1:4.  In a motion as easy as Bainbridge's goal T. Claes Johnson found Zac Stickney to even up the score.  Doug Mahony drew a double allowing Matt Shields to pop out and score a time and room ripper. 

BI Assistant coach Cody Bludorn pre-game comments

Off the ensuing faceoff Quinn McMahon picked up a loose ball and ripped on goalie Brian Berstein who made a stellar save.  In the opposite direction Mahony dished to Shields to take a 3-1 lead on the Spartans.  Action intensified as Bainbridge's defense picked up and got hard nosed on the Islander attack, forcing a turnover.  Bainbridge worked the invert looking for feeds to the midfield.  The Spartans looked much more disciplined and composed with the ball than their last encounter with the Islanders.  The Islanders worked the Mahony-Shields connection, but failed to capitalize on two shots.  Mercer Island led 3-1 at the end of the first quarter.

Bainbridge came out with another faceoff win, maximizing possession time. Clearing problems for Mercer Island, but the Islanders drew a slashing penalty.  However, a scoring drought set in for both teams as half a quarter passed with no goals, but tough defense play.  Bainbridge still maintained possession, but failed to get any quality shots and ball carriers could not beat their defenders.  Action then exploded two Mercer failed clears and Bernstein with a point blank kick save forced an Islander timeout.  Mahony snapped the drought after snagging a feed from Colton Knebel and blasting a worm burner past Reynolds Yarborugh.  Halftime score 4-1.  Bainbridge dominated possession time as they frustrated the Mercer Island clear. 

To open up the third quarter, Mercer Island continued to fail clears as the Spartan ride consistently turned the ball over.  Bainbridge's defense was hard hitting and aggressive with checks hitting hands and disrupting shot opportunities.   The third quarter ends after hard fought transition, the same as it began, 4-1.  Early in the fourth, Stickney stuck a goal in the first minute to give Mercer a 5-1 lead, only to be answered by Alex Crane's fist pumper off the face-off - 5-2 Mercer leads with even minutes remaining.  Threatening, Bainbridge turned it over to battle the Mercer clear yet again.  After several thwarted shots by Bernstein's acrobatics in cage, Crane goes hard for another goal, and draws BI within two, 5-3, with 5 minutes left on the clock.  The difference has been goalkeeper play in this game.  Yarbourgh, the freshman for BI, starting in his fourth game of the season, and Bernstein holding off an offense who has dominated possession time in a game they have trailed from the beginning.

Mercer Island wins their first state championship since 2006, against their longest standing rival Bainbridge Island 5-3.  It was one of the lowest scoring finals in state history, but was a nail-bitter nonetheless. 

Players of the Game:

Brian Bernstein (MI)

Doug Mahony (MI)- 1g, 2a

Alex Crane (BI)- 2g

Doug Mahony Post-Game Comments

BI's Cam Parker, Reynolds Yarborough, Alex Crane Post-Game Comments

GAME HIGHLIGHTS