From winning Gold Cup to making to the final four, the Howell North Hockey team has fought long and hard to get themselves in the position they are now. On Feb. 20, the team started the series against Timberland in the semi-finals.

With tensions high and screams through the roof, the Knights hockey team started the first period against Timberland High School. The game was held at the Chesterfield Hardee’s Ice Plex at 7 p.m. Timberland scored the first goal of the game and left the Knights trailing behind 0-1 at the end of the first period. The Knights tied up the game in the second period with goal scored by senior Brennan Buerck and assisted by senior Brycon Johnson and junior Tyler McAtee. When the second buzzer rang the Knights were up 3-1. Finally, after the third period had ended, the final score was 5-2.

“All that was going through my head was finally,” sophomore Kavan Johnson said. “I was glad that all of my work payed off to get my brother [ Brycon Johnson] the best senior year.”

The second game against Timberland was the next day on Saturday. Howell North had to win or tie this game to beat Timberland in the series of best two out of three and move on to the championship, playing at the Scottrade Center. The game was intense and close throughout three periods and the final score ended up being a tie 1-1. Even though the team did not win, the will still move on because the Knights had won the first game making Timberland unable to win even if there was another game. The crowd roared with excitement and the team could not be more proud of each other for working so hard and making it to the championship game.

“I was so excited because in the beginning of the year I would not have thought we were going to into the championship at the Scottrade Center,” senior Brycon Johnson.

The Wickenheiser Cup Championship will be held at Scottrade Center in downtown St. Louis on Mar. 3 against Fox High School.