All season long, Ian Brawn remained confident that he and his Northampton teammates would get back to the Lehigh Valley Scholastic Hockey League (LVSHL) Cup finals.

They all also had little doubt that they could win a championship

Recently, they confirmed their beliefs.

The Konkrete Kids defeated the Saints, 5-2, to win their fourth LVSHL Cup in the past six years in the best-of-three series. In the first game, the Kids grinded out a 2-1, overtime victory.

Last season, the Kids were knocked out in the semifinals.

“This season I had a great time with my teammates, especially the seniors I’ve been playing with for years who have helped me a lot along the way,” said Brawn, a junior, who had 19 goals and 20 assists. “As a team, we were on a mission to reclaim our title as champions. The overtime game was huge for us, but it was also a wake-up call that these games weren’t going to be easy.”

During the regular season, the Kids provided a good indication that they could win the Cup, as they produced an unblemished 14-0-1 season. Sophomore goalie Austin Wolfe had a 2.22 goals against average, and fellow sophomore Tye Tomasic posted a 2.64 GAA. The Kids scored 101 goals and allowed 36.

Junior Derek Raudabaugh, the Kids’ leading scorer with 16 goals and 29 assists, didn’t have any doubts and saw great team chemistry all season. He saw their 5-5 tie against Emmaus Feb. 23 as a reminder on how successful they could be.

“I was thinking we had the talent from the start to go on the run, and we did,” said Raudabaugh. “The tie against Emmaus was definitely a wake-up call. We knew Game One was going to be a tough game. This was one of the tightest teams I’ve ever been on.”

From the start, head coach Brian Ruff had a good feeling about the season. He watched a strong, steady sense of teamwork.

“I thought we could do it,” said Ruff. “We always were pointed in the right direction. They really pulled it together. They went in as the number-one seed, and they felt like they had something to prove. They were resilient.

“They weren’t trying to do everything by themselves. They really worked together as a team.”

The opening overtime game definitely set a tone.

“That was a tough game,” stated Ruff. “It easily could have went either way. We caught a break and took advantage of it. But the kids got a boost with the win, and they were confident coming into the second game.”

In addition to the varsity victory, the Kids’ middle school team won its third consecutive cup, and their JV team also won a title.

A key to the Kids’ success has been attributed to their feeder system, which has been successful for many years.

“We have been able to restock our teams,” said Ruff. “Our numbers have been good at all our levels, and we have been able to bring up a number of JV kids when we needed them.

“Another reason it has been easy is because we have one system at all the levels. Everyone knows what is going on.”

The Kids will lose six seniors, but they will bring the majority of their team back. Brawn is already anxious to make another run at the Cup next season.

“I am grateful for the Northampton team and all the memories I have made,” said Brawn. “The job’s not over yet, and I’m looking forward to next year to try to go back to back