USA

“The heart and character shown by both teams in today’s final was of a magnitude that I’d never seen before,” said Lakeshore head coach Kevin Orr (Pelham, Ala.).  “Chance Sumner was an all-star for Denver today.  He carried his team and made them better as a group.  Collectively, they really made some tremendous plays.”

Denver jumped all over the Demolition from the start, forcing three straight Lakeshore turnovers during a one minute span of the first period.  Denver kept up the intense pressure on defense and the Demolition continued to struggle.  A little more than halfway through the second period, Lakeshore’s Bryan Kirkland (Leeds, Ala.) was called for a flagrant foul, forcing him into the penalty box and giving the Harlequins a penalty goal and a 22-18 lead.  The last play of the second period told the tale of the entire half for the Demolition.  With the clock winding down and having the opportunity to close the gap to three goals, Lakeshore was unable to break the Denver defense and was whistled for a 40 second score clock violation, which put the Demolition down 26-22 entering halftime.

“I thought the time would come that we would be able to wear them down and get some momentum, but it never happened,” said Orr.  “They never bowed down.”

Denver’s stamina and relentless pressure could have beat Lakeshore into submission by the time the final eight minutes came around, but the Demolition was playing in its tenth consecutive national championship game and with that comes the experience of knowing there’s never a time to quit.

A couple Harlequin turnovers early in the fourth period helped Lakeshore get within two goals.  With just under four minutes left in the game, another Denver turnover and subsequent Dan Buckingham (Christchurch, New Zealand/Hoover, Ala.) goal cut the lead to 41-40 and put Lakeshore within reach.  But, the Demolition was never able force that final turnover, resulting in the 47-45 loss and the Denver Harlequins capturing the 2007 USQRA national championship.

About Lakeshore Foundation
Lakeshore Foundation is an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing the lives of individuals with physical disabilities through fitness, recreation, and athletics.  These programs help children and adults with physical disabilities maintain healthy and active lifestyles, as well as develop stronger self-esteem and improve independent living skills.  For more information, visit www.lakeshore.org <http://www.lakeshore.org>.