Check out the great finish in OT from Hartford on Nov 15th below

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2009 - 2010 BOSTON SWAMP RATS / HOLBROOK SWAMP DONKEYS TRYOUTS ANNOUNCED

(Holbrook, MA 6/19/09) The Boston Swamp Rats / Holbrook Swamp Donkeys organization of the American Inline Hockey League have announced their tryout dates and information for the 2009-2010 AIHL season. As is always the case, both teams will be chosen as a result of the tryout process, so as many as 36 spots are available between the Elite and Minor league levels.

The Swamp Rats / Swamp Donkeys organization is a leader in the sport both on and off the floor. The Elite Level Swamp Rats finished 3rd in the New England Division this past season before being eliminated in the playoffs. The Minor Level Swamp Donkeys finished the regular season with the league's best record and eventually represented the New England Division in the AIHL's Eastern Conference playoff weekend. Off the floor, the team has set the bar for other organizations with, among other things, their live game video webcasts, presented by Dave Gardner, the official voice of the American Inline Hockey League.

There will be two separate dates for players to tryout. The 1st tryout will be held on Saturday August 1, 2009 from 3:00 'till 5:00 PM. The 2nd tryout will be held two weeks later on Saturday August 15, 2009 from 3:00 'till 5:00 PM. Tryout fees will be as follows; players trying out who were rostered on the '08-'09 Swamp Rats or Swamp Donkeys will pay $25.00. Players who were not rostered within the organization last season will be charged $50.00. Players who participate in the 1st tryout will be allowed to skate in the 2nd tryout for just $10.00.

Both tryouts will be held at the organizations home rink, the Holbrook Sports Center, which is located at 616 South St. in Holbrook, MA 02343. For further information regarding the tryouts or the organization in general, please contact Ruppy Hailey at 603-234-6825. We hope to see you there!

www.bostonswamprats.com
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SWAMP DONKEYS FALL TO GEORGIA IN CONFERENCE FINALS
(Feasterville, PA) The Holbrook Swamp Donkeys magical season came to a halt in the Conference Finals when the lost the series to the Georgia Syndicate. Thanks to all who supported the Donkeys this season and we look forward to seeing you in 2009-2010.

SWAMP DONKEYS ADVANCE TO CONFERENCE FINALS AFTER WINS OVER SUFFOLK

(Holbrook, MA 5/30/09) The Holbrook Swamp Donkeys defeated the Suffolk Sharks 4-3 and 5-2 on May 30th at the Holbrook Sports Center to advance to the Conference Finals in Feasterville, PA on June 13th.
 

A PAIR OF BIG WINS PROPEL THE SWAMP DONKEYS
INTO NEW ENGLAND DIVISION FINALS

(Holbrook, MA  5/9/09)  The Holbrook Swamp Donkeys (28-4-0-0) returned to action on Saturday evening May 9th when they hosted their long time regional rivals, the Hartford Fire Ants (14-17-0-1), in the AIHL New England Division's semi-final round. The two teams had met a total of six times throughout the regular season, with the good guys winning all six games, but as everybody knows, the playoffs are a completely different animal and the Fire Ants were not about to roll over for the Swamp Donkeys.

Game #1 saw the Swamp Donkeys jump out to an early lead and they would never look back. After a goal put the home team up with just over a minute played, Holbrook stretched the lead by another goal moments later and things were looking good for the guys in red. A questionable penalty was then assessed to the Donkeys and, Hartford, who are known around the league for their lethal work with the man advantage, wasted no time in cutting the deficit in half with a power play goal. The opening stanza would end with Holbrook clinging to a 2-1 lead. The final twelve minutes of play provided many scoring chances at both ends of the floor but it wasn't until the 5:29 mark that another goal would be put up on the board when Hartford, while again on the power play, knotted things up at 2-2 and things were back to even. The Swamp Donkeys wasted little time regaining control of the game when about a minute and a half later they lit the lamp to take a 3-2 lead. Scoring chances were again traded between the teams but it was an empty net goal with just :37 remaining in the 2nd half that Holbrook would put the dagger in the heart of the Fire Ants. The home team netted another insurance goal moments later to provide the 5-2 victory for the good guys.

Game #2 was delayed a bit as the maintenance crew at Holbrook Sports Center did their best to improve the rapidly deteriorating floor conditions, but little could be done to repair the work of mother nature on this warm and humid early May evening. As the skating surface became more and more treacherous, it quickly became apparent that both teams would have to throw their respective game plans out the window and adapt to the slick conditions. The Swamp Donkeys had their chances early but an open net opportunity and a breakaway chance would be the closest that the team would come to reaching paydirt. The visitors however would be the first to adjust and after a scoreless opening half, the Ants took their 1st lead of the evening. This goal would eventually become the only tally of the game and this best of three series would now be tied at a game a piece with a series deciding game 3 still to be played.

Game #3 saw both teams recognize what they would and would not be able to do on a slick floor and after making the necessary adjustments, Holbrook and Hartford were both able to generate some offense. The Fire Ants were the first team to find the back of the net but the Swamp Donkeys roared back with three markers of their own and with time running out in the opening half, things were looking good for the home team. Unfortunately, the Fire Ants did not get the memo that the half was coming to a close and the visitors were able to knot this game at 3-3 as a result of a pair of goals scored with just 1:53 and :53 to play in the half. With the realization that there could be just 12 minutes left to play in their tremendous 2008-2009 season, the Holbrook Swamp Donkeys answered the bell in the 2nd half and while on a power play, scored the go ahead goal a minute and a half into the final stanza. Solid play throughout the lineup allowed the good guys to score what would eventually be the game winning goal with just over 5 minutes to play. The Ants did make the game a bit closer with a goal moments later to make the score 5-4 in favor of the Swamp Donkeys until Holbrook netted an empty net goal to provide the final score of 6-4.

With the win, the Holbrook Swamp Donkeys will face off at home against the Suffolk Sharks on Saturday May 3, 2009 @ 3:00 PM in the AIHL's New England Division Championship series. The Sharks, who earned a birth in the Championship round by ousting the Beantown Bees in the opening round, are one of only two teams this season to hang a loss on the Swamp Donkeys. The two teams split their regular season series 2-2 and this should be a fantastic battle between the top teams in the New England Division. As always, general admission tickets are just $5 and are on sale at the Holbrook Sports Center or via the team's official website www.swampdonkeyshockey.com . Tickets can also be purchased at the door the day of the game.

SWAMP DONKEYS CONTINUE DOMINANT SEASON WITH A SWEEP OF THE BEES
(Holbrook, MA 4/9/09) The Holbrook Swamp Donkeys, in the midst of a dream season in which the team has only lost 3 times in 28 games, took to the floor this past weekend to face their cross town rivals, thre Beantown Bees, in the friendly confines of the Holbrook Sports Center. Holbrook (25-3-0-0) who recently locked up 1st place in the New England Division and home floor advantage throughout the Divisional playoffs, entered this game hoping to stay healthy and continue their string of dominant hockey while the Bees (11-13-0-4) find themselves smack dab in the middle of a heated battle for one of the 3 remaining playoff spots.

Game 1 was an epic battle that featured a little of everything that a hockey fan could possibly ask for, multiple scoring chances for both teams, precision passing, great team defense, and superb goaltending at both dends of the floor. The Bess jumped out to a 2-0 lead over the Swamp Donkeys and looked to be controlling the play until Holbrook scored early in the 2nd half to cut Beantown's lead in half. The Swamp Donkeys then scored again to knot the game at 2 goals each and this was a whole new ballgame. The floor certainly had tilted in favor of the Swamp Donkeys and when this team smells blood, there is little that any team can do about it. Holbrook had a number of chances to put this one away as the game neared the end of regulation, but after 24 minutes of high intensity hockey, this one would require overtime to determine a winner. Both teams had a chance to end the game early in OT, but it was the Swamp Donkeys who scored on a breakaway midway through the bonus period and the good guys were back to their winning ways after only playing .500 hockey the prior weekend at the New England / Mid-Atlantic Divisions Jamboree on Long Island.

Things went a little more as expected in the 2nd contest, as the Swamp Donkeys took a commanding 3-0 lead and never looked back. The Bees did try to make a game of it with a pair of goals to make it a 3-2 game, but those would be the only offense that the bad guys could generate. At the other end of the floor, the Swamp Donkeys added a pair of insurance goals to extend their lead to 5-2 and that's the way that things would stand when the final buzzer sounded.

The Swamp Donkeys close out their regular season with 4 games on Long Island on the 18th & 19th against 2 teams who are desperate for points in a tight race for the remaining playoff spots when they take on the 495ers and Sharks respectively. After finishing up their schedule, the HSD will prepare to host a home game divisional playoff series against the 4th place finisher in the New England Division. Tickets are $5 for advanced purchased tickets or for $7 at the door. As always, tickets are available through the team's official website, www.swampdonkeyshockey.com or at the door on the day of the game.
 

SWAMP DONKEYS KEEP ROLLING WITH A SWEEP OF THE BEES

(Holbrook, MA 2/8/09) The Holbrook Swamp Donkeys remained perfect on the '08-'09 season after a sweep of their cross town rivals, the Beantown Bees this past Saturday night at the Holbrook Sports Center in Holbrook, MA. The Swamp Donkeys entered the game with a stranglehold on 1st place on the New England Division by virtue of their 14-0 record while the Bees came into this one on the heels of a sweep of the New jersey Surge with hopes of building on that momentum.

Game #1 belonged to the good guys as they dominated the play from the opening faceoff 'till the final buzzer. The Swamp Donkeys took a commanding 2-0 lead before the Bees were able to solve Holbrook netminder Phil Perrin to cut the lead in half but the home team answered right back with a goal of their own to once again go up by a pair. After a Beantown penalty, the HSD would open the lead to 4-1 on a power play goal with less than a minute to go in the opening half. The 2nd half would again belong to the boys in white with Perrin turning aside everything that the Bees would fire his way. A late game insurance goal would give provide the final score of 5-1 and the Swamp Donkeys winning streak would now reach an astounding 15 games to open the season.

Game #2 would once again find Holbrook on top, but this game was much closer than the previous contest. After a scoreless opening half, the Swamp Donkeys wasted no time getting on the board as they grabbed the lead just :14 in. Just :38 would pass before Holbrook extended the lead to 2-0. After bothe teams made some visits to the sin bin, the Bees came roaring back to tie the game with just over 3 minutes to go in regulation and all of a sudden we had a brand new game. Another Bees penalty allowed the Swamp Donkeys to play with the man advantage and Holbrook would make the most of it with a power play goal to once again give them the lead. After some late scoring chances, the Bees pulled their goaltender in an attempt to once again tie the game but the Swamp Donkeys fired one into the open net with just :27 to go and this one was over. With the win, the Holbrook Swamp Donkeys winning streak continued and the team would now stand atop the New England Division with a 16-0 record.

The Swamp Donkeys return to action in just 2 weeks when they take to the floor of the Holbrook Sports Center on Saturday February 21, 2009 against the 2nd place Hartford Fire Ants. The puck drops at 4:30 PM and tickets are available at the door or via the teams official website www.swampdonkeyshockey.com .