In a very close and entertaining game the elders finished on top, defeating the players who had entered the league since 2009 by a score of 18-17. Many expected the game to be high scoring, at is was. The scoring started early and never really stopped as the game went along. You’d step away for two seconds, and two goals had been scored.
ESPN had issues at the beginning of the broadcast, with no audio for all of the first quarter and part of the second. However the game obviously did go on, and the Old Schoolers got off to a quick start. Boston Cannons faceoff man Chris Eck won the first faceoff and broke the ice with the first goal of the game. The veterans got out to a 4-2 lead early on in the game. Poillon and Westervelt helped tie the game back up for the Young Guns.
The game stayed close for its entirety, with one team scoring a few goals only to have the other catch up. The second half saw both teams take punches back and forth, but in the end the game was tied going into half time. Each goalie had let in nine goals, about what many fans expected.
As usual, halftime was filled with skills competitions which always are a good show. Kyle Hartzell won the fastest shot competition with a 111 MPH shot, tying Paul Rabil’s record. In the freestyle competition, even though many of their plans didn’t actually work, it was entertaining to watch. Brett Queener won his second Gauntlet competition thanks to a nice goal to end the event.
In the third quarter the Old School started pulling away, getting a three goal lead. One of the goals was scored by Cannon Kevin Buchanan, who actually scored with a longpole. The Young Guns made a triumphant return at the end of the game, tying things up at 17 with only a few minutes left. However the Old School scored one last goal, thanks to Steven Brooks to win the game.
Stephen Berger of the Charlotte Hounds was named All-Star Game MVP with three goals for the Old School. The attendance was most likely somewhere between 5,000 and 7,o00 which is a good start for Florida. Fans seemed to really enjoy the game. What did you think of last night’s All-Star Game? Comment below!
