With a raucous capacity crowd of more than 800 at the Gardens Ice House in Laurel on Friday night, the Gonzaga Eagles overcame an early deficit and went on to defeat the DeMatha Stags, 4-1, and capture their second consecutive MAPHL AA Division title and fifth in the last nine years. The purple celebration actually began nearly two hours earlier when the Eagles’ A division team defeated St. Stephan’s & St. Agnes, 5-2, for a record third consecutive league title.

The consecutive years that one school has won both division titles is also a record.

DeMatha’s Johnathan Matta scored on rebound just over three minutes into the AA championship game after a shot from Wyatt Hinkson. The Stags could only hold the lead for a little more than 10 minutes before Luca Docking’s powerplay goal knotted the game at one each.

Gonzaga would take a 2-1 lead at 9:59 of the second period when Tommy Krisztinicz used a defender as a screen and wristed a shot over DeMatha goalkeeper Andrew Takacs’ glove and into the top corner of the net.

The Eagles defense came up large in the third period when it killed off a majority of a 5-minute major penalty for boarding on Jack Massey. Immediately after DeMatha’s Erick Reiniger served a two-minute minor for slashing during Massey’s major penalty, the Stags were back on the power play. However, rather than producing the tying goal, Gonzaga’s Chase Vallese ripped a slap shot from the point over Takacs shoulder to give the Eagles a two-goal cushion.

Dominic Basse stopped 31 of 32 shots on goal to earn the first star of the game, while Takacs was solid with 22 saves on 26 shots on goal.

Will Rosen sealed the victory and sent the Gonzaga faithful into a frenzy by scoring an empty net goal with 45 seconds left in the game.

In the A Division championship, the Eagles were the first to strike when Connor Byrne scored shorthanded at 8:28 of the first period. The lead did not last long, as St. Stephen’s & St Agnes’ Atticus Beane evened the score just 30 seconds later.

Byrne would strike again, however, at 14:22, to give the Eagles a 2-1 lead after the first intermission.

Three more goals would follow—including two from Nico Giannetti and one from James Todaro—as the Eagles would build a 5-1 lead early in the third period to cruise to their third title in the seven years since the MAPHL created the A Division in the 2011-12 season.

During both games the MAPHL announced the A and AA Division All-Conference teams. Leading the way was Gonzaga sophomore Cole Vallese, who was named the top-flight AA Division's Player of the Year. Cole's brother, Chase, a senior, was named to the AA Second Team along with Gonzaga junior Will Rosen. Henry Middlebrook and Domonic Basse received Honorable Mention for the Eagles. For DeMatha, Takacs earned MAPHL First Team honors, while Wyatt Hinkson garnered Second Team honors and Tyler Mercier was an Honorable Mention.

In the A Division, freshman Ethan Baxley and junior Robbie Dubay earned First Team honors for Gonzaga, while Connor Byrne was selected to the Second Team. Eagles' co-head coaches Sammy Gerdano and Ford Lands were named the Ervin J. Terwilliger "Coach of the Year" Award.

For the Stags, Connor Eady Lincoln Crosby were named to the A Division First Team, while Luke Leydig earned Second Team Honors.