The Road to the Championship:
The Story of How George Washington Univertsity Won the MDCHA
by Faisal Delawalla

March 31st, 2006 - GW Wins Quarter-Final Easily in 11-0 Victory
With the 3 seed in the Mason-Dixon Collegiate Hockey League, GW would be forced to play a quarter-final game against Salisbury, a tough and unpredictable team. Only having 11 skaters due to injuries and sickness, GW came out hard and tough, cruising to a 7-0 lead after the first period. GW would go on to win 11-0 with a great performance by freshman goalie Daniel Pollock, who recorded his second shutout of the season. GW goals: Baratta (2), Gilmartin (3), Delawalla (2), Wheeler, Hogans, Lynch, Manzano. GW will play Gettysburg Sunday, April 2 at 7:00pm at Skate Frederick in the MDCHA Semifinals.

April 2nd, 2006 - GW Reaches MDCHA Championship Game, Edges Gettysburg
On Sunday night at Skate Frederick Ice Arena GW defeated Gettysburg College 5-4 in a heated league semifinal matchup. The team had lost both regular season games against Gettysburg, but prevailed tonight with solid goaltending and teamwork on both ends of the ice. Outshooting GC 68-36, GW controlled most of the game and led 5-2 with 4:30 left in the game. However, GC would fight to within a goal, bringing the score to 5-4 with 32 seconds remaining. GW did not panic and prevailed with a victory moving on to the Championship Game against arch-rival Loyola. GW goalie Ben Daniels stopped 32 of 36 shots. Ian Manzano, Faisal Delawalla, Jonathan Hixon, Colin Gilartin, and Will Denise scored goals for GW.

April 8th, 2006 - GW DEFEATS LOYOLA 7-2, WINS MDCHA CHAMPIONSHIP!
In one of the Colonials best performances of the season, GW defeated Loyola College 7-2 to win the MDCHA Championship. Loyola opened the scoring 1:16 into the game. The Colonials responded with 2 goals from Ian Manzano and Jon Hixon, taking a 2-1 lead into the second period. The first half of the second period went back and forth until Loyola put in a rebound goal to even the sore at 2-2. Once again, however, the Colonials responded with a goal four minutes later as Colin Gilmartin snapped a backhand shot into the top-left corner, giving GW a 3-2 lead. The third period started much like the second period as both teams tested one another with shots, but a four minute GW powerplay 7:13 into the period would prove to be the difference. Twenty seconds into the powerplay Colonial David Baratta put it in his own rebound to make the score 4-2. Nineteen seconds later Ted Wheeler knocked in another rebound, giving the Colonials a confident 5-2 lead. Colin Gilmartin would add another goal with 10:42 left in the period and Cory Carlson scored a fluke goal off the board divider, giving the Colonials a 7-2 lead. The Colonials held their lead and won the 2005-2006 MDCHA Championship. Player of the Game honors went to Ben Daniels who stopped 31 of 33 shots, including several breakaways.