By Mike Moore
C & G Sports Writer

FARMINGTON HILLS — The anticipation intensified with every passing moment.

The arena was packed with an overflow crowd, yet not one seat was occupied, as the mass of humanity had been standing for quite some time.

The clock continued to tick, as just 45 seconds remained.

For the Farmington Hills Unified hockey team, an Oakland Activities Association Division 1 title was finally within sight. It was only an arm’s length away thanks to 2-1 lead.

For Farmington High, some magic was needed — and quickly.

With 40 seconds remaining, the puck rung off the outside of the post. A scrum ensued in front of the goal, followed by an eerie hush from the 600 or so people watching with one eye on the ice and the other on the clock.

With 39 seconds left, the puck sat free. Down the zone and unaccounted for streaked Mitch Hall.

With 35 seconds remaining, his stick met the puck with vicious violence. A heartbeat later, half the crowd fell back to into its seat in shock, while the other half nearly blew the roof off the building.

Not bad for a game that officially ended in a tie.

Oh what a night
Hall’s goal, which tied the Feb. 20 game at 2-2, officially clinched Farmington at least a share of Division 1 title with the Unified squad. The Flyers had to win a Feb. 23 game against Stoney Creek, played after press time, or Farmington would take the title outright.

And in the grand scheme of things, what else could anyone have expected?

They are both high-powered teams that jockeyed for position atop the standings all season.  The day of this game had been circled on the calendar long ago, and both sides hoped it would be for the title.

“What a great night for Farmington hockey,” Falcons coach Mark Vellucci said. “The whole community can take pride in what happened here tonight.”

Vellucci may have been referring to the 3-2 win his team eventually earned in overtime — a win that doesn’t factor in the league standings since the OAA does not recognize overtime play — but he was also speaking of the atmosphere, the competition and the skill displayed for more than 55 minutes of hockey between the city’s two teams.

“I think it ended up being exactly what everybody expected,” added Vellucci, whose team ended league play with an 8-1-3 record, good for 19 points, while the Flyers were 7-1-3 (17 points) with the Stoney Creek game still to be played and two points on the line.

“The crowd was incredible. The kids on both teams played their hearts out. And sure, it makes it a little sweeter that we got the win, but this was just a great night for everyone involved.”

“The fans certainly picked a good game to come watch,” Unified coach Ken Anderson said. “I think this was everything, and more, that people were hoping for.”

Comeback kids
The Falcons’ win was as dramatic has a high school game gets.

Unified led 2-0 six minutes into the second period before senior Nick Elliot got Farmington on the board. The Falcons seemed to build off the momentum, controlling the flow of the game the rest of the way. But the eventual equalizer didn’t come until the final, frantic seconds.

Once in overtime, Farmington took advantage of a too many men on the ice penalty, and junior Alex Schmitt buried the winner 4:50 into the extra session.

“It’s almost surreal,” Schmitt said of his goal, and the celebration by the Falcons and their crowd that ensued. “There are a lot of good friends on that team, guys that we all know, so that makes things pretty special. … This is a big win for us.”

“I’ve played varsity hockey for three years and have never been involved in an atmosphere like this,” Farmington senior forward Ethan Range said. “There was so much building up to this game, and to see that crowd and to be a part of it was pretty unbelievable.”

It’s actually, as both coaches explained, a game that could do wonders for their respective teams moving forward.

“There’s a lot we can learn, even in a loss like this,” Anderson said. “We didn’t lose tonight’s game in the last minute or in overtime. We lost it midway through the second period and in the third when our effort wasn’t what it needed to be. Seeing that firsthand could help us, considering how close the playoffs are.”

“This is one of those wins that could go a long way for us,” Vellucci said. “First off, it shows our guys what’s possible if we don’t quit. Secondly, the momentum from a win like this could be huge. We’ll play a couple games here before the postseason, but our confidence is soaring right now.”

As the lights went out in the arena and the players made their way to the parking lot, it was impossible to distinguish the Flyers from the Falcons. Players, coaches and fans left as one, congratulating each other and wishing each other luck at whatever the rest of the season has to offer.

There was a sense of pride from everyone involved at what had transpired — not just in the prior three hours, but in the entire season that was highlighted by one fierce battle between friends and rivals.

Not bad for a game that officially ended in a tie.

You can reach Sports Writer Mike Moore at mmoore@candgnews.com or at (586) 498-1038.