The Tigers found themselves in a hole early and although they were unable to claw their way back, the season proved to many critics that Tenafly is not only a quality program, but also high on class.

The Tigers refused to roll over and battled their way back, giving hope to the fans that made the trek to the Union Sports Arena March 4. But after a valiant effort the Warriors edged the Tigers, 5-3.

"They never quit," said Tenafly coach Andy Escala. "Our seniors, Sean Loebs and Nick Pappas, were on the ice for the whole time and really brought the intensity we needed. Nick Vanderlinden always keeps us in games and he did that tonight."

With a pair of swift skaters, Watchung Hills jumped out to an early lead and stayed ahead, as most of the game was played in Tenafly’s defensive zone.

The Tigers managed a couple quality shots on goal, missing the mark by inches, but consistency proved to be a problem. Offensive bursts were found here and there, but the Warriors possessed something the Tigers lacked, namely depth.

"We haven’t had much depth all season," said Escala. "They had that and some of our players were on the ice the whole time."

There was no scoring until the final minutes of the first period, when Warrior Paul Kim blasted a top shelf wrister past Vanderlinden. It was followed a couple minutes later, at the 1:09 mark, with a second lighting of the lamp by teammate Brandon Lipke.

Lipke beat the defense and after a third consecutive rebounding poke, finally squeezed the puck between Vanderlinden’s bulky goalie pads to give Watchung Hills a 2-0 lead.

"There were a lot of fans yelling in my ear and I guess it momentarily got to me," said Vanderlinden. "It was a hard fought battle in front of the net."

Less than a minute into the second period Sean Loebs took it upon himself to motivate his Tiger teammates and the faithful fans. He skated with the puck from coast to coast, leaving defenders in the dust before finessing it past out-stretched goalie Dan Schroeder.

"Our guys were explosive out of the periods," said Escala. "They came out fiery, especially in the second period. It was a big goal."

"I saw that their defense was off balance," said Loebs. "So I took advantage of that and scored."

Just when it looked like Tenafly was about to knot this one up, Watchung Hills relied on their speed to create excellent scoring opportunities.

A Warrior would speed through the defense and cut behind the net, drawing defenders. Then he would dish it off to a teammate who had shot through the center of the Tiger zone for a shot.

It proved to be deadly, as the Tenafly defenders were undersized and had trouble picking up the quick cutters. Alex Kong used the set play to whip the puck past Vanderlinden’s glove to extend the Watchung Hills lead to 3-1.

The Warriors were containing Pappas, as the top player was draped with multiple coverage. After the Tigers were awarded a power play on a tripping call, Pappas finally had some breathing room.

Tenafly was on the prowl and the captain found the back of the net for a score.

"I saw that two guys were standing by the net, so I dangled over to the other side and pulled the puck away from my body before sniping it through," said Pappas. "We’ve been able to keep it close all year and tonight we had a lot of opportunities. But many of them didn’t go in the net."

The Tigers again looked to tie the affair, but Schroeder snagged laser shots without flinching. The seesaw match again landed in Watching Hills’ favor as Lipke scored a second goal with a minute left in the second period for the two-goal lead, 4-2.

It was de ja vu, as Loebs tickled the twine with a high slap shot, opting to take a stab at the goalie himself, knifing the puck through the Warrior goalie to pull within one, 4-3.

"Pappas passed the puck to me on a two on one and I held it before aiming the slap shot passed their goalie," said Loebs.

As several shots ricocheted off the goalie and boards, time and the Tiger season were winding down.

"It’s been the story of our season to never say die," said Loebs. "It’s what Tenafly hockey is all about. And with Nick in goal anything is possible."

At the 1:55 mark, the best scoring chance came when Loebs blistered a shot off the Warrior goalie’s pads with the rebound scooting inches away from the net. Pappas arrived on the scene just as Schroeder reset himself.

"We went out fighting," said Pappas. "We didn’t want the season to end."

The Warriors held onto the lead and tacked on an open net goal for the final score of the match.

The Tigers came a long way and even though their playoff hopes ended a little earlier than hoped for the black and orange have plenty to hang their hat on.

"It’s been a really crazy season and at the start we had some off the ice issues with injuries," said Escala. "The freshmen were forced to step up. For example, Daniel Guglielmo really progressed."

Graduating seniors are Alex Dersovitz, Andrew Lindstrom, Loebs, Pappas, Amy Pfund and Nino Miletic.

As Escala discussed the future, he noted two special players that have been the key to a successful overall winning record of 14-10-2.

"Pappas is a tremendously skilled player and Loebs is unbelievable," said Escala. "To think that Sean (Loebs), as a sophomore, played on our second line and has become one of the best players in the area is amazing."

"What separates this team from any other I’ve been on is the bonding," said Pappas. "We have great coaches and everyone during the season wanted to play and build as a unit."

"We overachieved the whole way," said Loebs. "A lot of people wrote us off, but it was nice to prove some people wrong."