On January 24, Parkland Ice Hockey held their senior night ceremony for the 2025 season that was nothing short of exciting. The senior night ceremony was expected to be the highlight of the night but the performance that the team gave later stole the spotlight. From the massive amount of seniors who were honored by the club to the action packed game that followed, those in attendance had plenty to cheer for. The game is thought to be a turning point in the season for the club as they managed to take down the Saints who are second in the season standings, giving hope to a struggling team.
More than half the team was honored during the ceremony with eleven members of the team being seniors. This year’s senior night for the team may have showcased the largest graduating class in the 25 year history of the team. Each senior showed their gratitude and appreciation for being a part of the team, some who were in the organization for nearly ten years.
After each senior was honored, it was game time and nobody could have expected what was to come. With the team already struggling in the season, they were hungry for a win and wanted to prove themselves against the highly ranked Lehigh Valley Saints. After the Saints scored within a minute of the first puck drop, senior center Eric Zager responded with a breakaway goal just minutes later. The game seemed to slip away from Parkland after the 1-1 tie as they soon fell to a 6-1 deficit midway through the second period. When it seemed hopeless, the team managed to pull together and decide they weren’t going to roll over. In the last minute of the second period, the deficit was cut in half when Senior Madison Morris scored twice within 30 seconds.
The team clawed their way through the third period of the game with grit and teamwork. Putting forth crushing body checks and fast paced puck movement, they managed to bring the game back to a 6-6 tie game. With only nine seconds remaining in the game, both teams were settled in for a tie as the final score. It wasn’t until senior Conor McGinty stormed into the Saint’s zone off a neutral zone faceoff and sniped a buzzer beating shot to steal the game for Parkland with a 7-6 win. The team rushed onto the ice in celebration of the unreal victory they managed to pull off.
Players, coaches, and parents of the team could barely contain their excitement after the win. Some members of the team excitedly referred to the game as Parkland Ice Hockey’s “Senior Night Miracle.”
