On Tuesday night at a packed Centennial Sportsplex, Benjamin Sonkin's hat trick led Ensworth Hockey to a 6-4 victory over Ravenwood, which had won the previous two titles, for its first Predators Cup. Won the state championship.
Sonkin, the team captain and one of only two seniors on the roster, scored two goals in the final period, including one to break a 4-4 tie and one with 20 seconds left. It was a goal scored into an empty net.
His first goal came late in the first period, giving Ainsworth their first lead at 2-1. All three of Sonkin's goals came without an assist. He was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player.
Second-seeded Ainsworth, which works with Lipscomb Academy and Nolensville, finished the season with a 15-3-1 record. The Ice Tigers defeated the Raptors 7-4 on neutral ground in the regular season in November, but lost 5-4 in a double-elimination tournament on Monday.
“They're a good team. They came at us hard and we had to respond,” Sonkin said. “After they took a (1-0) lead, we got desperate. Desperate might be the wrong word. We felt a sense of urgency in our game. We got off to a slow start. But we thought we were the better team, and then we started playing a lot better after they took the lead. ”
Sonkin, who is 5-foot-10 and weighs 187 pounds, has played on the Junior Predators AAU team since he was 14 years old.
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Sonkin was given the honor of sliding the Predators Cup onto the ice after the game and holding it above his head for a crowd of the team's fans pressed against the glass.
Coach Tim McAllister said he wasn't surprised by the way Sonkin controlled the game.
McAllister said: “I've coached him since he was 10 years old, so I've had the very good fortune of coaching and training him over the years. He's captain for a reason.” he said. “He works hard for us. He's a good leader in the locker room. He's all you want in a captain.”
He's also a player you want to have the puck on his stick when the game is on the line.
“If there's one thing about him that's unbelievable, it's his shot,” McAllister said. “He's not afraid to use it. We just want him to use it correctly. He's been a leader for us all throughout the playoffs and he came through tonight.”
Ravenwood took a 1-0 lead in the first inning with a goal by Jake Lapinski in traffic. Ensworth regained the lead with back-to-back goals 2:48 into the first half, then Ravenwood's Jack Ready scored in the second half to tie the score at 2-2.
In the second period, Leddy was sent to the penalty box and Ensworth was put on the power play. Justin Nozuko scored on a putback of his own shot, giving the Ice Tigers a 3-2 advantage.
Ready added another point with 10:49 left in the third to tie the game at 4-4.
Contact Mike Organ at 615-259-8021 or X @MikeOrganWriter.
