AUBURN, ME - Capturing the Maccabees' first ever national championship, the Yeshiva University Roller Hockey team took home the NCRHA DIII National Championship, defeating Hofstra University by a score of 5-4 on Tuesday, Apr. 21.
 
Read More: The Yeshiva University Maccabees are your 2024 NCRHA Division 3 National Champions!
 
With their play and resilience tested to near breaking point, the Macs took on seven games over the course of five days, taking down top talent from across the nation in order to capture the title.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED - Game 1 (L, 4-5 vs. Oswego State University)

• Despite having lost to the Maccabees twice earlier on this season, the Lakers jumped out to an early advantage, quickly burying YU in a 2-0 hole.
   
• While the Macs would rebound, shooting out to a lead of their own at 4-2 thanks to goals from Benji Froom, Yoni Drazin and Eitan Levy, Oswego would respond with another pair of scores, drawing the contest at four goals a piece. This scoreline would hold through the end of regulation, forcing the match into overtime.
   
• Neither team found the back of the net in OT, necessitating a shootout. Despite their stellar play, the Macs ultimately fell short, losing to the Lakers by a score of 5-4.

 
HOW IT HAPPENED - Game 2 (W, 8-1 vs. Kennesaw State University)

• Looking to rebound off a disappointing loss the previous day, the Maccabees exploded out the gate against top-ranked Kennesaw State, seizing a decisive 3-0 lead off of goals from Yonah Suissa, Ariel Greenberg and Zachary Levy.
   
• Four more scores in the second from the duo of Sol Feder and Jonathan Savitsky served to ice the game, and while the Owls finally snuck one past goalkeeper Michael Mintz, the effort was canceled out by a stroke of Froom's stick.
   
• By the time the final buzzer sounded, the Maccabees skated out of the arena with a commanding 8-1 victory.

 
HOW IT HAPPENED - Game 3 (W, 8-4 vs Cal Poly Pomona)

• Taking on their second opponent of the day, this time facing down the WCRHL Regional Champion Cal Poly Broncos, the Macs cruised to a decisive 8-4 victories thanks to a hat trick from Levy, as well as a six-point game from Feder.
   
• This result catapulted YU to a second-place finish in pool play, setting the team up in prime position for the next day's Sweet 16 matchup

 
HOW IT HAPPENED - Game 4 (W, 10-2 vs Illinois State University)

• Carrying their pool-play momentum into the Sweet 16, the Macs faced off with Illinois State, demolishing the redbirds. YU scored seven goals in the first period alone, with two coming off the stick of Feder, two from Suissa, and one each from Ariel Greenberg, Avraham Gellman, and Levy. Levy tallied another late in the game, followed closely by two more from Feder, locking up an Elite-8 trip for the Maccabees.

 
HOW IT HAPPENED - Game 5 (W, 5-0 University of Tampa)

• Successfully overcoming the inherent disadvantage of Shabbat falling right in the middle of a tournament, the Macs trounced their quarterfinal opponent in the University of Tampa Spartans.
   
• Despite tough defense from both sides, the Macs finally broke through near the end of the first period, adding two more in the second to go up 3-0.
   
• With Mintz pitching a shutout from the goalie box, the Maccabees cruised to victory, with two more late scores securing the shutout and the clean sheet, YU's third of the season.

 
HOW IT HAPPENED - Game 6 (W, 5-4 OT Oswego State University)

• Facing down the only team to hand them a loss so far this tournament, the Macs once again crossed sticks with the Oswego State Lakers, determined to secure a different result.
   
• Much like the teams' first matchup, Oswego jumped out to an early lead. However, this time YU was ready with their response, tying the game at 1-all.
   
• While both squads would find the netting multiple times throughout regulation, neither could secure a meaningful advantage, seeing the contest once again forced into OT tied at 4-4.
   
• Learning from their past mistakes, Yeshiva closed Overtime out quickly, allowing no possibility of a shootout. Streaking down the floor thanks to an assist from Drazin, Feder outlasted a tackle from the Oswego goalie to slide the puck into the back of net, sending the Maccabees to the National Championship game.

 
HOW IT HAPPENED - National Championship Game (W, Hofstra University 5-4)

• With the finals slated to be played later that same day, the Macs only had a few hours to rest before matching up against the Hofstra University Pride, the very same team that had knocked YU out of the ECRHA Tournament.
   
• The Maccabees struck first, thanks to a pair of goals from Froom, only to see the advantage erased by two Pride goals to close out the period.
   
• While Hofstra would take their first lead of game at 3-2, Donny Fuchs tied the match up once again with just three seconds left in the second.
   
• Both squads found paydirt in the third, leaving the game level at 4-all. Not satisfied with yet another overtime decision however, Feder was Intent to prove himself as the heartbeat of the YU attack, taking full advantage of a late rebound to score what would be the National Championship-winning goal for the Maccabees.