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Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School wins state hockey title, dedicates it to shooting victims

Posted at 4:21 PM, Feb 26, 2018
and last updated 2018-02-26 16:21:42-05

The victory was bittersweet for a school still reeling from a horrific shooting.

But for students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, it was another way to honor the 17 people killed in the massacre there: a state title.

The school’s boys ice hockey team won the state title with a pair of victories on Sunday. The title was considered an upset because the team, which had lost all three of its round-robin games during the weekend, was the lowest-seeded team in the championship bracket.

Even in victory, thoughts of the students and staff killed in the February 14 massacre remained close to the team’s mind.

“This wasn’t for us. This was for the 17 victims,” senior Matthew Horowitz told WPLG. “No one was lacking energy in the locker room. We all came to play. We were all ready.”

In an incredible coincidence, the team received 17 medals, one for each member of the squad. Since that’s also the number of victims who were killed in the shooting, the team will use the medals to honor each victim.