After a nearly perfect season, LaurenHill Academy went down singing as they lost against John Rennie High School in the Greater Montreal Athletic Association‘s Juvenile Division 2 Championship game.
John Rennie High held the LaurenHill Lynx at bay, winning 3 to 1, silencing the hometown crowd.
READ MORE: Call of the Wilde: Montreal Canadiens doubled by Toronto Maple Leafs
The boys’ team played on home ice in front of a full house at the Raymond Bourque Arena. The whole school — over 1,000 students and teachers — cheered on the team.
A lot was riding on this year’s success as LaurenHill hockey players hoped to hold their principal Donna Manos to her promise.
Manos made an arrangement with a former player last season to have the whole school attend the final if the team made it.
“I always keep my promise, so LaurenHill is going out to watch hockey team,” Manos said.
READ MORE: Friends, family of West Island teen attend hockey tournament in his memory
Lynx netminder, Andy Antonakopoulos, had that promise in the back of his mind all season.
“Before the semifinal game, we all knew that the whole school would come if we won,” Antonakopoulos said.
“We really wanted to push and make it to the finals so everyone could come watch.”
The Saint-Laurent high school team finished first in their division with only one loss by forfeit.
Mathematics teacher and head coach Shawn Sacco said Monday’s game was very emotional.
He added winning was not the main goal but that “the whole point is to have fun,” Sacco said.