CONTACT: Adam Sopris, a.sopris@hvcc.edu, 518-629-7898 or 518-416-2137
FOR RELEASE: Immediate, Thursday, March 11, 2021
This week marks the 20th anniversary of the NJCAA National Championship of the Vikings men's ice hockey program. We continue our look back to the year 2001, when the men's ice hockey program traveled to Bottineau, North Dakota in search of a NJCAA National Championship.
In 2001, former sports information director, Jeff Foley detailed the ice hockey team's trip of a lifetime. In "Day Four" of the daily chronicles of the hockey team, Foley recaps the the Vikings 9-7 win in game two against Bottineau as they earned the program's only NJCAA National Championship.
Sunday, March 11 - At the end of a scrum-filled heavyweight hockey match between Hudson Valley Community College and Minot State University-Bottineau, which Hudson Valley won to capture the junior college national championship, gloves flew into the air. Sticks littered the ice. A group of players lumped together in a face-off circle, clutching and grabbing each other.
This time, however, there was no ill will or fisticuffs. Smiles, hugs and teary eyes ruled as the Vikings celebrated, soaking in the magnitude of their 9-7 victory, basking in what they'd just accomplished.
The 2000-01 Vikings (22-4) became the first Hudson Valley hockey team to win the national title. By beating Bottineau twice, this year's squad firmly established themselves as the best two-year hockey program in the United States of America.
The road to the national title, though, was nothing if not long and grueling.
It began in earnest four years ago, when Ron Kuhl was hired as head coach. He immediately implemented a five-year plan for success. That plan included taking some lumps - setbacks such as a 15-0 loss and just two wins in Kuhl's debut season - but bit by bit things got better.
Last season, the Vikings finally earned some respect in the Eastern Junior College Hockey League, checking in with an 11-11 record, defeating the defending national champions and missing the playoffs by just one game.
This year, only the second time they've qualified for post-season play since gaining varsity status in 1993, the Vikings earned it all. They became national champions.
Before wearing that crown, Hudson Valley played its way through a rugged NJCAA Region III tournament, downing Erie Community College and SUNY Morrisville to earn the right to play Bottineau.
Then, the Vikings had to endure an 18-hour trip to Bottineau, N.D. There, they tackled a town where hockey rules and the hometown Lumberjacks, who live up to their nickname by standing an average of three inches taller than the Hudson Valley skaters, are considered boss.
On the first night of the two-team, two-game tournament, Hudson Valley faced the most brutal crowd they've seen all season. The roughly 1,000 locals were ruthless. When goaltender B.J. Sheehan celebrated an Adam Finkin goal, he was nearly hit with a frozen stuffed rabbit, which he was convinced was an actual dead hare. Then, when Finkin celebrated, a fan yelled, "Hey, Stinkin' Finkin, what are you thinking?"
On the second night, Hudson Valley battled through a shootout to finally silence the crowd. And through it all, the Vikings endured, persevered and triumphed.
They became national champions.
Vikings Capture National Crown
Hudson Valley Downs Bottineau 9-7 To Win First Title
If Hudson Valley Community College's 2000-01 hockey team is now known as giant killers, Michael Paine (Saratoga) deserves a nametag identifying him as the proverbial David. Skating in a hostile rink against a team of Goliaths, Paine delivered two fatal blows to Minot State University-Bottineau, including the game-winning goal, and his teammates played huge, knocking down the Lumberjacks, 9-7, to claim a national junior college title.
Hudson Valley, who scored a 5-2 victory against Bottineau Saturday, captured the first hockey crown in Hudson Valley's history. The tournament, played at the Lumberdome in Bottineau, N.D., featured a two-team, two-game format, with the first team to reach three points being declared the victor.
Therefore, the Vikings needed only a tie to secure the overall tourney win, but according to Paine, who had two goals and two assists, Hudson Valley was determined to win the contest.
"We definitely didn't want a tie," the first-year right winger said. "We wanted to win both games. Who wants a tie? We didn't want a cheap (tournament) win."
To triumph, Hudson Valley had to overcome a huge size deficit; the hometown Lumberjacks had an average of three inches height on the Vikings' skaters.
"Our speed took over the game," said head coach Ron Kuhl, explaining how he counteracted Bottineau's bigger players. "Our speed and creativity."
Hudson Valley opened up the game by pressing Bottineau's offensive attack like it was a wrinkled suit.
"Our strategy was to play tough defense," Kuhl said. "Defense wins championships. So we came out fast and got a couple turnovers, which we converted."
The stifling Hudson Valley defense resulted in four first-period scores, one each by tournament MVP Dean Vandervort (Jacobstown, NJ), Phil Usas (Ballston Spa), Kevin Graber (Troy) and Kyle Reddon (Gansvoort). The Vikings held a 4-1 advantage after one period.
"Getting that four-spot was huge," Kuhl said. "That gave us a big boost of confidence."
Bottineau, however, roared back in the second period, outscoring Hudson Valley 4-2 and making it 6-5 in Hudson Valley's favor.
"You know what?" Kuhl said. "It was OK, because if they scored eight goals, we were going to score nine."
In the third period, with Hudson Valley holding just a one-goal lead and Bottineau pulling out all the stops in an effort to tie the game, Paine took a pass from Vandervort and skated in on a breakaway, putting the puck past Matt Millar, Bottineau's second goalie of the game. Paine's score, with 9:08 left, gave Hudson Valley an 8-6 lead and proved to be the game-winner.
"Words can't describe number 19," Kuhl said of Paine. "His vision and feel for hockey is better than anybody I've ever coached. Every time we needed a key play, BOOM, the puck was on Michael's stick."
Jim Sturges (East Hampton, MA) added a goal with 3:57 remaining for Hudson Valley, his second tally of the game. Mike Santamoor (Saratoga) also scored. Jason Vasco (CBA) made 46 saves.
Graber, a defenseman from Troy, earned All-Tournament status, along with Paine and B.J. Sheehan, who stopped 48 shots Saturday.
"I can't explain how this feels," Paine said. "I'm so excited. It's great being the best."