GRCC 8 SMCC 7

What a game. After an evenly played first period, GRCC jumped out to a 5-2 lead in the second and then extended it to 7-3 in the third before Saint Mary's Catholic Central came roaring back to tie it at 7-7. The Falcons scored four goals in a span of three-and-a-half minutes to shock the Cougar faithful. Second-team all-stater Kevin Boman came to the rescue with an amazing goal with with 5 seconds left to win the game. On the game winner, which is shown in sequence in the photo book below, Boman fought off three players, spun around and threw a backhand shot at the net. Somehow it went in. Pande-frickin'-monium.

Boman was 2+4=5 in the game, and senior John Dery had 4 goals and an assist. Clayton Brackett and Tyler Godfrey also had goals for the Cougars. The Falcons' Spencer Bonomo had a hat trick, while Joey Weiss and Chris Hughes each had two goals. All three were monsters down the stretch. No shots on the stat sheet, but GRCC netminder Adam Janecyk came up with a few huge saves with the game tied at 7-7 to give the Cougars the slim margin they needed to pull it out. An ugly win, to be sure, but one that GRCC Coach Alan Kranzo says will teach the Cougars some lessons about not being too full of themselves when they have a lead.

The picture above is grainy and awful, but it's the shot of Boman scoring the game-winner. Thanks to our friends in the local media who gave this matchup lots of love. TV highlights on both FOX-17 and WOOD-TV. And the GR Press offers this report.

GRCC plays Wyandotte-Roosevelt tonight in the championship of the first East-West Invitational. Game time is 7 p.m. at Griff's.