JESS COLLUM
LINDSAY BERKE
sports HIGHlights
From the JCC Maccabi Games to the Maccabiah Games Junior hockey star Ryan Berke of Farmington Hills earns a spot on Team USA. STEVE STEIN CONTRIBUTING WRITER
ABOVE LEFT: Ryan Berke is in the middle between his Jersey Hitmen linemates Nolan Patrick (left) and Jack Noel. ABOVE RIGHT: Mark Berke (left) was his son Ryan Berke’s hockey coach for many years.
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yan Berke helped make history in 2016. He was a member of the Detroit team that played in the first ice hockey competition at the JCC Maccabi Games. Fast forward six years. Berke is 19, in his third year playing junior hockey. And loving it. “Playing junior hockey has been great for me not only for my hockey career, but also for my personal growth,” he said. The North Farmington High School graduate is a center for the Jersey Hitmen Tier III team in the USPHL’s Premier Division. He had 24 points — eight goals and 16 assists — in 24 games this sea-
son before the holiday break. His coach, Dominick Manochio, raves about him. “If you have 20 Ryan Berkes on your team, you’re in good shape,” Manochio said. “He always wants to be the best version of himself. He always does things the right way.” Berke was the best version of himself when he tried out last summer in Philadelphia for Team USA’s open division (ages 19-40) hockey team that will compete in July in the Maccabiah Games in Israel. Skating against college players and even a professional player, Berke was named an alternate to the team in October, then in November he
learned he made the team. The Farmington Hills resident’s first trip to Israel will be a hockey trip. That’s not a surprise. “Hockey is all I do, but there’s nothing I enjoy more than hockey,” he said. “I love the speed of the game. I love playing a team sport.” Berke is looking forward to his journey to Israel. One of his best memories of the Maccabi Games, he said, was meeting Jewish hockey players from the U.S. and other countries. He played in the Maccabi Games in Stamford, Connecticut; Miami, Florida; and Orange County, continued on page 32 JANUARY 6 • 2022
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