On Jan. 16, the Orono Spartans boys hockey team took on the rivals of the west, the Delano Tigers. This was a home game for the Orono Spartans which made it all the better for the boys to play at their home rink. The Spartans were ready to take down the Tigers. As it goes with all rivalries, tempers flare and the competition increases.

“We knew that Delano was going to be a tough team. In preparation for the game, the team treated practices like a game. We wanted to make everything crisp to play a solid game against the Delano Tigers,” senior Alex Sellers stated.

Beginning in the first period, the Spartans were looking good, skating fast to the puck and working as a team. Delano opened the scoring first however, finding the back of the net, past senior goaltender, Jonathan Flakne. Within minutes later, Orono senior wing Logan Kinsel scores to tie the game up. Then Delano got fierce and came back to score, making the score 2-1 at the end of the first half. Senior defenseman Will LeNeave sniped the goal for Orono to tie the game up 2-2. The teams were held off the score sheet the remainder of the second half. The Delano Tigers scored in the third period. LeNeave found the back of the net again for the Orono Spartans making another tie in the game 3-3. “After letting Delano slide a few goals in against us, we lost our momentum,”  Sellers said.

During the third period, the Delano Tigers scored three goals, making the score 6-3. After the Tigers scored their third goal, the players came up to the boards by the Orono fan section and celebrated.

“They were celebrating in our faces. We told the Delano players that the next time they celebrate in our face, we would break their sticks,” Orono fan Anthony Tavella said.

It was almost like Delano wanted to rub it in the Orono students faces that they had scored. Some of Orono’s superfans went up to the glass and latched onto three of the Delano hockey players sticks. With glass boards between the Delano players on one end and Orono fans on other, both holding onto the sticks, the sticks finally cracked in half. The Delano players were in disbelief that their $230 sticks just broke by their opposing teams fans. Even the Orono fan section was taken by surprised at what just happened.

“The team was shocked at what happened. The sticks breaking is a funny memory that I will always remember from my high school hockey career,” Sellers said.

The Spartans take on the Delano Tigers Tues. Feb. 10 for another intense game.