Blade City: Everblades Kelly Cup Quest Ends In Title
The Florida Everblades have officially have made history after an electric win last night to claim the Kelly Cup for the third consecutive year.
In a sold out Estero arena, the Everblades were playing in pursuit of making their mark in history while on home ice.
The key to doing so?
Embrace the adversity.
With the Kansas City Mavericks one game from being eliminated and the Florida Everblades one game from being on the road for the remainder of the series, both teams had their backs up against a wall with a lot to lose.
The Kelly Cup would belong to the team that leaves it all out on the ice.
“I prayed. I prayed every night. Asked the good Lord to give me guidance,” said Cam Johnson after he hoisted the Kelly Cup.
Kelly Cup Finals: First 40
Going into the first, the Everblades allowed the Mavericks to dictate the pace of the game which resulted in them surrendering the first goal.
This series was the first that disproved the priorly known statistics surrounding the first period and made the Kelly Cup Finals about grit instead.
In a scoreless first, the second would be a preview into how the Everblades planned on responding; which we know has been their claim to fame not only the past couple games but a consistent theme throughout their playoff presence.
We got a glimpse of what the message in the locker room was during intermission because just 1:09 into the 2nd Bobo Carpenter tied the game with a quick rip off a breakaway.
“I was fortunate enough to see a break; I got it by but I mean, just hearing the fans erupt like that, it’s such a special feeling. You got the whole building behind you. You know, all of Southwest Florida was cheering for us and that’s what makes it so special playing here,” said Carpenter.
But it was short lived because with the title on the line, the Mavericks responded with two consecutive goals before the second intermission to extend their lead to 3-1.
It All Comes Down To This
The Mavericks weren’t going down without a fight which meant that the Everblades had to adjust and find a way.
In the face of adversity and the odds stacked against them being down two goals in the third and shorthanded from a penalty, the Everblades worked to do what they do best:
Perform under pressure when the opposing team least expects it.
“My parents brought me to the rink every single morning whether it was six [or] seven a.m. My wife over the past couple of years has been an amazing support system for me,” said Mark Senden who did just that to to regain the ‘Yes I can’ mindset for his team.
After trailing by just a goal, the Swamp had more fight in them as they started to lead in shots for the first time in the game and were connecting more passes in the Mavericks territory to claim authority of their ice.
But time was no longer on their side as they were working against the clock to not just win, but a chance of winning.
With shot after shot being interrupted and effort after effort being shut down you would think that the fight would subside but instead they fought harder, skated faster, communicated louder and fed off the energy from a hopeful crowd until the final minutes of the third period when a shot from Cole Moberg would bounce off Senden’s shoulder and see past LaFontaine to send it to OT.
The Goal That Made History
After a 15 minute unplanned intermission, the Everblades had to implement everything they’ve learned from their gameplay thus far to maintain their momentum and claim what was theirs.
All the obstacles, the setbacks, the injuries, the sacrifices, and the forced games that seemed to have no significance, actually had a purpose that held shelf life:
It was teaching them to embrace the adversity rather than succumb to it for the moment that their defensemen Will Reilly would score a historic goal to end the series on their terms.
“My wife has stuck with me through multiple season ending injuries, you know, my family’s always there… I’m so fortunate my wife flew back down to be here and support me before she has to go home and it’s unbelievable what she’s done for me. I mean, just the grueling season for being away on trips and her taking care of our dog and being away for weeks at a time. I just can’t put it into words how much she means to me,” said Carpenter after I asked about who helped him get to this moment in history.
“The fans here are unbelievable, but my family… my brother, my mom, my girlfriend. I’ve got unbelievable support,” said Johnson.
And with that, the heart of SWFL went to the locker room to proudly celebrate their newfound title of ECHL history makers.
