PROVIDENCE, RI -- We can officially close the books on the 5th season of the Eastern Hockey League (EHL). This afternoon, the New Hampshire Avalanche knocked-off the Philadelphia Revolution by the score of 3-2 in the EHL Championship Game, claiming their first league title. In their inaugural season operating a junior franchise, the Avalanche rolled to a 39-7-4 record in the regular season. New Hampshire was the first team in the EHL to clinch a First Round bye, as they locked up the New England Division back on January 20th. The Avalanche went on to sweep the East Coast Wizards in the Second Round of the EHL Playoffs, and then proceeded to go 3-1-0 at the EHL Frozen Finals.

"We just had such a great group of guys," said Avalanche head coach and general manager Chris Cerrella. "It took us a little bit to get going, as we obviously didn't have any returning players. We had to recruit very hard to put this group together, and they deserve everything that they earned. They all worked very hard this season, and it was a great battle here in Providence. I want to make sure we give plenty of credit to the Revolution, Little Flyers, and Rangers. Those are some great organizations from the top on down, and this was a great tournament."

When you look at Cerrella's roster from the 2017-18 season, it's filled with talented players. With 18 NCAA commitments and counting, the veteran head coach has crossed off the main goal of helping advance his players to the next level, and now the championship win serves as just a bonus. Mario Martiniello is the Owner of the franchise, and he also is as the team's Assistant Coach. He took some time to reflect on this group of young men, and the memories that they now have for the rest of their lives.

"We knew from the get go that we had a solid team, but it took us fighting through some adversity during the season to find out who we really were," said Martiniello. "A big reason for this victory was our depth. We used 24 of 25 players during the finals, and everybody pushed each other every day. We rolled through all four of our lines and weren't afraid to send out any of our defensemen. We had the two goalies split the games here in Providence, and at the end of the day, I feel like we were the only team with enough in the tank to finish the deal."

Below you'll find period-by-period statistical breakdowns of an epic title game that had everyone on the edge of their seat at Schneider Arena. In a milestone year for the EHL, a new franchise came in and stole the show on their way to winning the Championship. Congratulations to the New Hampshire Avalanche.