ISL Championship Finals Tonight
The Lindo’s ISL Championship Match is on tonight [July 17] at 7:30 pm. The match will be played at the National Sports Centre. The match features the G.E.T. Limited Red Division Champion Arsenal and the Ace Insurance Blue Division Champion Knights.
The Arsenal reached the Final by defeating the Union 13-4. The Arsenal scored 13 goals without leading scorer Cecoy Robinson who was unavailable for the game. Robinson is expected back for tonight’s Championship Match. The Arsenal was led by Shaki Pearman and their defenders. Pearman tallied five goals in the win, and the Arsenal got three goals and three assists from their defenders. Logan Alexander led the way scoring two first quarter goals to help the Arsenal build a 4-1 lead after one quarter of play.
Ijahmon Mallory had the other goal by a defender, and also assisted on another goal. Not only were the Arsenal defenders scoring they were holding down the league’s highest scoring offense. The Arsenal shut out high scoring Striker Jason Lee and limited the Union to just four goals. Coming into the game the Union had averaged nearly 11 goals per match in their last five matches. It doesn’t get any easier today when the Arsenal take on the Knights. The Knights may have the most balanced scoring attack in the entire Lindo’s ISL.
The Knights had a much more difficult time reaching the Final. They were able to defeat the Kings 5-2, but were involved in a 2-2 fourth quarter tie until Vincent Minors scored on a shootout. The Knights never looked back after that. The Kings were without GK Troy Hall and were forced to use Striker Quincy Aberdeen in goal. Aberdeen more than held his own making 15 saves. The Kings had a 2-0 1st quarter lead until the Knights started to chip away.
Ian Coke scored on a shootout and Shayne Hollis scored early in the third quarter to tie the match at two. Minors’ shootout goal came after Kings coach Marvin Belboda was shown a red card for dissent. Coke then scored an insurance goal and Ryan Purnell put the match away in the final minutes to seal the win.
Championship Match notes: This is the second ISL Championship Match appearance for both teams. The Knights played in the first ever Final back in 2007. The Arsenal lost to the Storm 6-5 in an OT shootout in last year’s Championship Match. Both starting GK’ers played for the Arsenal in last year’s final. Nigel Burgess was drafted in the first round of this year’s draft by the Knights after the Arsenal protected Jason Smith.
PAST LINDO’S ISL CHAMPIONS:
2007 – KINGS – RUNNER UP – KNIGHTS
2008 – STORM – RUNNER UP – UNION
2009 – UNION – RUNNER UP – STORM
2010 – STORM – RUNNER UP – ARSENAL
Tickets are now on sale for tonight’s Final and can be purchased for $10 at all Lindo’s, and Sidekicks locations. They can also be purchased at the International Sports Store, the BFA, the Pro Shop, and Grotto Bay Resort. 2011 Lindo’s ISL schedules are free and available at all ticket locations.
