The Bomber Hockey Club had a rollercoaster Fall/Winter 2010-11 season. An impressive 6-0 start to the season eventually settled into a 14-10, 5th place, middle of the pack finish. Jean Eric Hoyer' was poised to attack some long standing Bomber scoring records but the year would turn out to be domitated by all sorts of dirrerent emotions.
An early season ending injury to Mike Gilbert Sr would force the Bomber veteran to question if he could rehab another injury sufficent to return to the ice. A true Bomber with the scars to prove it would be forced to take time to rest and heal. A task he was none to happy to take on. A big task that would force him to dig deep.
Sr's injury was soon followed by the trying days of Rober's heart attack and the wonder would he return again to his feet, let alone the ice. He too was forced to rest and heal. He too would have to dig deep.
Other leaders like Mike Rosenberg and Gary Simpson were also missing, each forced to sit out the season due to various nagging issues. All of the sudden the famed TIME LINE was no more a staple of the Bomber lineup. Trying times indeed for the organization.
But as is the case, Bomber hockey is always only just a week a way and the team would have to find its identity and forge ahead. Using their struggles as the ammunition needed to grow as a unit the Bombers set out on what would be a dynamic playoff run. The team was now calling on its younger set to provide leadership and entering the playoffs it was starting to feel like this may just be a team of destiny. And hey, there was a championship out there to be had-why not make a run.
But right before the playoffs started the team lost its playoff MVB from its last championship run when Tony D'anna was forced to sit out the entire tournament with a back injury. The Bombers were fortunate to have Bobby Calvano and Jeff Bowser return from parts unkown just prior to seasons' end but would the team be able to compensate without such a strong playoff performer? "Hey we just lost our Butch Goring of the playoffs but as GM I vow to fill his spot with another inspirational figure that will hopefully motivate this club through the playoffs." said Bomber GM Bill Auld. When asked to elaborate he stated "We are bringing someone of the DL who should provide a boost!" And what a boost it was when Rober' entered the room not yet 3 months removed from what has become to be known as "the incident". The energy was palpable and led the Bombers to a dominant 4-0 whitewashing of the 6 seeded Spartans that saw Josh Burke get his first career playoff shutout as a Bomber.
But in game two adversity surfaced again when the Bombers fell to the loser bracket with a dishearting 7-2 loss to the top seeded Whalers. The loss meant the Bombers would now have a tougher road to the finals with more games against top opponents.
Josh Burke's second shutout of the playoffs against the gritty Smoke was just the tonic needed. The win would mean the Bombers would again have to face the powerful Whalers if they had any chance to advance. 4 goals from the D-line combo of Brian Kostrowski and John Zimnoch launched the blue,gold and red right past the Whale before they had a chance to come up to the surface for air. The 7-4 victory erased any bitter taste that was still left from the previous 7-2 loss and put the hockey world on notice that this was not any ordinary middle of the pack Bomber club. This team could win and they could win it all.
The Bombers now found themselves right where they wanted to be in the best of three, winner take all championship finals. The momentum of the previous Whaler victory allowed the Bombers to get an early jump against their Shamrock opponents. The first game was not even close-a 4-1 victory for NJ's most storied adult hockey franchise. 2 goals by Mike Gilbert Jr one by the Loop, Mark Poltorak and the sixth tally of the playoffs for Jean Eric Hoyer' were the result of a series of well planned offensive sorties. Things were tracking in the right direction but the Bombers knew the Shamrocks, playing down from their usual division would not go down quietly.
But the Shamrocks themselves had a bit of destiny playing in their storyline. And they played with an urgency derived from trying to win one for teammate Matt Lyon whom they had lost suddenly midseason at age 30 "Matt lived and breathed Shamrock hockey. The team wants this for him." said Shamrock Captain Mark Gantner.
So the two teams played with an intensity deserving of a final that had so much emotion. And the Shamrocks in the end proved to be too much. Stifling the Bomber offense with a shut down tenacious defensive scheme allowed the Shamrocks to take care of business. They dispatched the proud Bombers in the final two games by 4-1 and 2-0 scores. The Bombers played well in both contests but could only muster one more goal in the series- a late tally in the waning minutes of game 2 by Brian Kostrowski.
And after all was said and done, the Bombers had played their longest season since the formative years of the club. They perservered through a tumoltuous regular season and made a playouff run with all with the Bomber flair and class that its worldwide fan base has come to expect.
They didn't add another championship but win or lose the Bombers again proved they will always a team of destiny.
And hey, it was fun! Now that's Bomber hockey.
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