Michigan Hockey April 11, 2011

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Michigan Hockey michiganhockeyonline.com V.21:I.20 | April 11, 2011 FIRST CLASS

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CAL MCGOWAN

JOE JONES Director Massachussettes Institute of Technology

Director Western Michigan University

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Director Oakland University

CHRIS BALLACH

Director Ferris State University

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Table of Contents April 11, 2011 Volume 21 : Issue 20 AMATEUR HOCKEY REPORT Macomb Colts win CCHA Kids College Classic Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice wins J.V. championship Central Michigan wins Division 1 MCRHL Regional Adray Community Hockey League crowns five champions Women’s Ruicci Cup is big fun

6 6 8 9 9

SPEAKING OF HOCKEY What’s the best part of playing girls hockey?

10

STATE OF THE GAME By Lyle Phair Does competing against better players make you better?

12

GET BETTER The Art of Checking

14

YOU SHOULD KNOW Honeybaked’s Megan Keller

15

FROM THE CREASE By Steve McKichan Game Management

16

REEBOK TOURNAMENT CALENDAR

18

HOMETOWN HERO Los Angeles Kings Jack Johnson

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MAHA STATE TOURNAMENT REPORTS Squirt B: Ironwood Polar Bears complete undefeated season Squirt A: Bay County Blizzard wins it all Pee Wee B: Summit Plastics take title in OT Pee Wee A: Grand Rapids Griffins come from behind to win Pee Wee AA: Late goal gives Allen Park third straight crown Pee Wee AAA Major: Little Caesars gets three-peat Bantam B: St. Clair Shores Bruins gets OT winner Bantam AA: Trenton Thunder wins in 3OTs Bantam AAA Major: Belle Tire gets on a roll Midget B: Redford Wolfpack wins second straight title Midget BB: Southgate Capitals comes up big in final Midget AAA Minor: Honeybaked sweeps to title Midget AAA Major: Honeybaked rolls to championship J.V. Tier 1: North Farmington Harrison Flyers come on strong J.V. Tier 2: Hartland Prep dominates in final Adult Tier 3: McCaffrey’s win in OT Adult Tier 2: Detroit Wake takes title in extra time Adult Tier 1: PASI-Belle Tire comes up big Adult Over 30: Van’s Development rolls to title

PAGES 25-35 MAHA State Tournament Wrap Up Final 19 teams crowned state champions

25 26 27 28 28 30 30 31 31 32 32 33 33 34 34 35 35 35 35

JUNIOR HOCKEY NAHL Report: Playoffs in full swing OHL: Whalers and Spirit move on to Conference Semifinals

38 40

COMING IN OUR NEXT ISSUE BANQUET OF CHAMPIONS

PAGES 22-23 20th Anniversary Season MH celebrates 20 years with a look back at 2003

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Michigan Hockey

PAGE 36 High School 2011 Miss and Mr. Hockey

PAGE 42 Red Wings Insider Health the issue as playoffs start

MichiganHockeyOnline.com

In addition to coverage of our 19th annual Banquet of Champions, we’ll have features on Michigan’s USA Hockey National Champions (four so far), introduce our MH Award winners and take a look back at the year 2004 in celebration of our 20th season of Michigan Hockey. Look for it on arena stands, at michiganhockeyonline.com and in your e-mail on April 22, 2011. Contact Lucia Zuzga at (248) 479-1134 or lucia@ michiganhockeyonline.com or Philip Colvin at (248) 479-1136 or phil@michiganhockeyonline.com for more information.

From the Editor

FROM THE EDITOR

Editor-in-Chief Philip D. Colvin phil@michiganhockeyonline.com

Advertising Lucia Zuzga lucia@michiganhockeyonline.com

That’s a wrap

Database Manager Josh Curmi jcurmi@michiganhockeyonline.com

After four weekends, 38 divisions and almost 500 games in Wyandotte, S.S. Marie, Grand Rapids and 11 points in between, the 2011 MAHA state tournaments are in the book. Congratulations to all the players who competed, all the coaches who led their teams, all the parents that cheered win or lose and a hearty thank you to all the volunteers and tournament directors that helped us with our coverage and made it happen. And whether you won or lost, hopefully your state tournament experience was full of fun, friendships and memories that will last a lifetime. Congratulations to the 2011 MAHA state championship teams: Girls 12U T2 Victory Honda; Girls 14U T2 Mount Clemens Wolves; Girls 16U T2 Keweenaw Storm; Girls 19U T2 Marquette AdvantEdge Training; Girls 12U T1 Honeybaked; Girls 14U T1 Honeybaked; Girls 16U T1 Little Caesars; Girls 19U T1 Little Caesars; Squirt B Ironwood Polar Bears; Squirt A Bay County Blizzard; Squirt AA Midland Northstars; Squirt AAA Minor Honeybaked; Squirt AAA Major Honeybaked; Pee Wee B Summit Flames; Pee Wee A Grand Rapids Griffins; Pee Wee AA Allen Park Huskies; Pee Wee AAA Minor Little Caesars; Pee Wee AAA Major Little Caesars; Bantam B St. Clair Shores Bruins; Bantam A Farmington Hills Flames; Bantam AA Trenton Thunder; Bantam AAA Minor Little Caesars; Bantam AAA Major Belle Tire; Midget B Redford Wolfpack; Midget BB Southgate Capitals; Midget A Summit Plastics; Midget AA Troy Sting; Midget AAA Minor Honeybaked; Midget AAA Major Honeybaked, J.V. T1 North Farmington Harrison Flyers; J.V. T2 Hartland; Women’s Sr. B O’Leary Hawks; Adult Men’s T1 PASI-Belle Tire; Adult Men’s T2 Detroit Wake; Adult Men’s T3 McCaffrey’s and Adult Men’s Over 30 Van’s Development. The wrap up of the MAHA state tournament reports start on page 25. We look forward to seeing you at the 19th Annual Michigan Hockey Banquet of Champions, April 13 at Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi.

Design Chuck Stevens Contributing Editor Kevin Allen Josh Curmi Distribution Lucia Zuzga Administrative Director Amy Jones EDITORIAL BOARD: Bob DeSpirt, Christine Szarek, Derek Blair, James Jenkins, Julie Pardoski, Kirk Vickers, Linda Holland Lisa Zarzycki, Mark Vansaw, Nyron Fauconier, Randy Paquette Rob Mattina, Susan Bottrell, Tim Wilson, Todd Krygier LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: MICHIGAN HOCKEY® welcomes Letters to the Editor. They must be signed and include the writer's full home address and day and evening telephone numbers. MICHIGAN HOCKEY is published by SUBURBAN SPORTS COMMUNICATIONS, LLC 23995 Freeway Park Drive, Suite 200, Farmington Hills, MI 48335-2829.

Enjoy the spring,

High School 2011 All-State teams

April doesn’t just bring showers for flowers

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to MICHIGAN HOCKEY®, 23995 Freeway Park Drive, Suite 200, Farmington Hills, MI 483352829. ©2010 by Suburban Sports Communications. All Rights Reserved. The opinions and views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of MICHIGAN HOCKEY or its advertisers. All editorial copy, photographs and advertising materials remain the property of MICHIGAN HOCKEY.

MICHIGAN HOCKEY

Q&A: MHSAA assistant director Randy Allen

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Cover: The Ironwood Polar Bears celebrate their MAHA Squirt B state by Dan Swint/ TSS Photography Photos at left: (from top, L to R): The St. Clair Shores Saints gather after winning the MAHA Bantam B state title by TSS Photography; Miss Hockey Colleen Jacoby of Cranbrook by Philip Colvin/Michigan Hockey and Pavel Datsyuk by Andy Grossman/Michigan Hockey.

MSU women win national title; CCHA Award winners

Cover reprints available email: mh@michiganhockeyonline.com

MichiganHockeyOnline.com

Winner will receive an Easton S19 Helmet ®

Prize winner will be announced April 28th

Michigan Hockey

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Amateur Hockey Report

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SPRING ADULT LEAGUE 2011 2010

CMU CMU wins wins DI DI MCRHL MCRHL Regional Regional The Central Michigan Roller Hockey team defeated Michigan State University 1-0 to win the Midwest College Roller Hockey League (MCRHL) Division I regional title on March 6 in Palatine, IL. Senior Jay Yokubison’s power play goal at 4:13 of the first period was the lone goal as freshman goalie Mason Henige thwarted the Spartans attack with 34 saves. The 1-0 final score was a shock for a regional tournament where previous contests averaged over ten goals a game. The victory earned CMU an automatic bid to the National College Roller Hockey Association (NCRHA) DI National Championship at the Capitol Ice Arena in Middleton, WI, April 5-9. The CMU win also avenged an earlier regional loss to MSU

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and ended a season-long frustration for the CMU squad. MSU pulled out a last minute win and tie in the two regular season contests between the two teams. But, CMU prevailed in the most important game of the season. The CMU roster includes Danny Bara (Northville), Evan Crank (Macomb), Currie DeArmit (Memphis), Mason Henige (Sterling Heights),Tim Henige (Sterling Heights), Mike Kowalski (Plymouth), Kyle Siciliano (Clinton Township), Chad Spezia (Clinton Township) and Jay Yokubison (Novi). The coach is Bob Henige. The following MCRHL teams received at-large invitations to the NCRHA Nationals: Michigan State, Michigan, Eastern Michigan, and Ohio State.

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Michigan Hockey

Allen AllenPark Park Pee Wee AA squad wins third third straight straight title title The Allen Park Huskies ’98 squad won their third straight MAHA state title with a 3-2 win over the Novi Ice Cats in the final of the Pee Wee AA state tournament on March 13 at the Dearborn Ice Skating Center. After a scoreless first two periods that featured 41 shots on goal, Novi’s Brad Halonen broke the ice, but the Huskies’ Jonathan Percopio tied the game, 1-1, a minute later. The two teams battled back and forth, until Allen Park’s Angelo Fusco notched the winning goal late in the final period. �That was a really good team,� said Allen Park goaltender Trevor Porter. “I’m glad I had our defense in front of me and our forecheck took the game to their end of the ice.�

MichiganHockeyOnline.com

The Huskies lost to Novi, 3-1, to open the tournament, but rebounded with wins over Traverse City, Keweenaw and Holland to earn the rematch against the Ice Cats in the final. “Our team responded well and played well under pressure,� said Huskies coach Jeff Mason, who was assisted by Jack DeMarco, Dan Sakowski and Don Alchin. The Huskies are: Donald Alchin, John Ames, Even Breen, Mat Calhoun, Jacob Cyr, Patrick DeMarco, Angelo Fusco, Alex Jarzembowski, Jacob Laurain, Zachary Nichols, Brendon Mason, Trevor Porter, Dakota Potter, Jonathon Percopio, Jeromy Ross, Joey Verkerke and Joshua Wildauer.

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Amateur Hockey Report

April 11, 2011 Volume 21 : Issue 20

PRESENTS

Macomb Macomb wins wins Kids Kids College College Classic Classic

Saturday, April 23

EASTER “ICE� EGG HUNT

The Macomb Colts won the CCHA Kids College Classic Squirt B title with a 3-2 win over the Troy Pirates on March 20 at Detroit’s Joe Louis Arena. Early in the game Colts blueliner Adam Janicki broke up two breakaway attempts and fellow defenseman Joel Papineau stood tall clearing the crease. And Macomb goalie Jimmy Aquisto made five key saves to keep the game scoreless after one period. The Pirates’ Jordan McGowan scored to open the second period and after the Colts Nick Bumbalough hit the post, teammate Reece Martin took a sharp pass from Madison Porter and was robbed by Pirates goalie Ava Thewes. Colts forward Brendan Ronne was a force during the second period, gaining possession by battling along the boards and displaying nifty stick work to keep the Pirates from controlling the game. His linemate Anthony Riachi also made his presence known by setting up scoring chances and winning battles in the corner to try and tie up the game.

Heading into the final period still down a goal, Macomb head coach Tom Porter and assistant coaches John Papineau and Jeff Kraski encouraged the squad to settle down and keep digging. In the final period, the Colts Tyler Kotila slipped the puck past Thewes to tie the game 1-1 on the powerplay. Ronne and Bumbalough drew the assists. About a minute later, forward Rodrigo Gonzalez buried a rebound shot from Martin to give the Colts a 2-1 lead. Then minutes later Kotila slipped a quick pass to Bumbalough, who slammed it home for a 3-1 Macomb lead. Colts defenseman Jared Kraski and his defensive partner Papineau helped hold down the fort in the third period, breaking up Pirates rushes up the ice. Kraski was also key in engineering offensive rushes up the ice and spread the puck around well. McGowan scored his second of the game midway through the final period, but the Colts kept the pressure on the Pirates as time expired.

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Michigan Hockey

Brother Brother Rice Rice wins wins J.V. J.V. championship championship Brother Rice High School’s Junior Varsity team won their first ever MJVHL hockey championship in dramatic fashion on February 26 with an overtime 4-3 victory over rival Novi Catholic Central High School.

MichiganHockeyOnline.com

The Warriors, led by head coach Bill Christie and assistant coach Bruce Wilberding, also defeated Warren De La Salle and Detroit U of D Jesuit en route to their title. The Warriors finished the regular season in third place with a 16-7 record.

Amateur Hockey Report

ACHL CROWNS 2011 CHAMPIONS

MITE DIVISION CHAMPION FRASER ICE DOGS

The Grosse Pointe Chill competed in their first Ruicci Cup women’s tournament this year.

Competition Competition and and camaraderie camaraderie mark mark Ruicci Ruicci Cup Cup

PEE WEE DIVISION CHAMPION GLSC BRUINS

BY STEPHANIE JANSSENS

SQUIRT DIVISION CHAMPION BAY COUNTY 2

Twenty-three years after Gil Ruicci starting coaching a group of first-time female players, the Michigan Senior Women’s Hockey League has grown to 39 teams in five divisions. And each spring, the teams compete in an end of the season tournament, called the Riucci Cup, named after the man who has supported the league from its inception in 1992. This year’s Ruicci Cup tournament took place March 1720 at Livonia’s Eddie Edgar Arena and included 26 teams in five divisions. The level of play in women’s hockey just keeps getting better, but just as important as the on-ice competition the weekend offered the ladies a chance to catch up with old friends and have some fun while playing the game they love. It also meant a lot of laughter, high spirits and very few men. “I could get my exercise anywhere, but the gym doesn’t give me the competitive edge that I get from playing with my

BANTAM DIVISION CHAMPION ST. CLAIR SHORES BRUINS

MIDGET DIVISION CHAMPION MT. PLEASANT

MichiganHockeyOnline.com

team,” said Angie Fielder, who plays for Goody 2 Shoes from Allen Park. “I play because it’s a great time with my friends. I have truly developed a passion for this sport.” In between games, the arena lobby was jammed and teams took advantage of the sunny skies to hang out in the parking lot to tailgate and share stories. Members of the Grosse Pointe Chill took part in the tournament for the first time and were thrilled with the competition and the atmosphere. “Our team is an all-mom team,” said Jane Ann Ruffing with a smile. “We are addicted to playing. It’s so awesome for all of us to come out here and have a laugh. This game is so challenging, we try to play anywhere to can.” On the ice, the 2011 Ruicci Cup champions included the Detroit Revolution (Division 2), the Mag-A-Ritas (Division 3), the Flyers (Division 4), the Ice Picks (Division 5) and the Cyclones (Division 6).

Michigan Hockey

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Speaking of Hockey

What’s the best part of playing girls hockey? “I love it all.” Morganne Holdreith, 11, Madison Hts., Belle Tire U12

“Getting to travel to so many places.” Allison Carter, 17, Canton, Little Caesars U19

“All of my teammates.” Savannah Hainley, 13, Grand Rapids U16

“It’s great to play with only girls.” Morgann Madill, 16, Kansas City, MO, Little Caesars U16

“The intensity and speed of the game.” Jackie Lough, 15, Canton, Victory Honda U16

“There are parties in the locker room.” Josey Crosby, 16, Grand Rapids U16

“Going to tournaments.” Sofie Johnson, 11, Franklin, Belle Tire U12

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Michigan Hockey

“I love going to the rink – everything else goes away when you play.” Elizabeth Kammers, 17, Rockford, Honeybaked U19 “Our team is one big family.” Birdie Shaw, 18, Troy, Belle Tire U19

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2011—2012 Mt. Clemens Hockey Association PLAYER REGISTRATION Return your registration and Association fee to Mt. Clemens Ice Arena Attn: MCHA 200 N. Groesbeck Hwy. Mt. Clemens, MI 48043

Association fee: $125.00, send in your registration Prior to June 1st and receive $25 off. (Envelope must be postmarked on or before June 1st to receive discount) All checks must be payable to MCHA If you have any question, please do not hesitate to contact Kathy Carosella at ice_queen2009@ymail.com, call (586) 630-7488, or log onto www.mtclemenshockey.org

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State of the Game

of the

by Lyle Phair

DOES COMPETING AGAINST BETTER PLAYERS MAKE YOU BETTER? Being challenged is a very important part, and a very healthy part, of every sport, and of life for that matter. Many people, when not challenged, quickly become bored and disinterested in what they are doing. Individually, most players are not capable of really challenging themselves and have to rely on their coach to put them in situations where they are challenged. Team-wise the only way many coaches challenge their players is by whom they are competing against. Ultimately, it’s the competition that becomes the challenge. A strong opponent presents a challenge, a weak opponent probably does not. Most parents want to make sure that their kids are challenged playing hockey. Their thinking is that if their son or daughter is on the ice with better players, they will push themselves harder to become better players themselves. In reality, many players do play to the level of the other players on the ice. It happens all of the time. Very often, a more talented team has difficulty when playing a team that is clearly inferior in talent, yet plays up to the level of a team that is better.

PLAYING UP Individually as well, many players tend to step up to meet the challenge presented by stronger competition. As a result, many parents try to push their kids to play up a level, in age or classification, so they are always playing against better players, and to always be challenged. Is this a good thing? It can be. But it can also be very counter-productive in terms of a player’s development. Year after year, if a player is always pushing just to keep up or be in the middle of the pack on a team, he or she is probably not developing as they could or should. While it is good that they are on the ice with better players, and are pushed to be better by their teammates and the competition, it can also hinder them. Physically, if they are pushing themselves as hard as they can just to play at that level, they will sacrifice development just to survive. They won’t experiment, they won’t try new things, they will avoid their weaknesses and do only what they do best, what allows them to play. While there is something to be said for knowing your strengths and using them to your advantage, to really develop a player also has to know his or her weaknesses and strive to make them better. If not, development will be limited.

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Michigan Hockey

THE CONFIDENCE TO MAKE MISTAKES Mentally, it is a great thing to be the best, or one of the best players on the ice. It is essential to a young kid’s confidence. It allows them to be creative, to try new things, to experiment and even to work on weaknesses that they might have, knowing that if they make a mistake, they will have the opportunity to get back on the ice and make up for it. You don’t improve and learn if you don’t make mistakes and if you don’t have the confidence to try things that might result in mistakes, your growth will be limited. As I grew up playing the game, all age classifications were two years. It allowed you to play with older kids your first year, and most likely be one of the weaker kids on the team, as they were a little bigger and stronger and faster. You had to push yourself to keep up. But the next season, you played with some younger kids, which meant you were probably one of the stronger players. You were relied on by the team to be better, you felt confident, were put in different situations where you could try new things and develop new skills.

GRADUAL DEVELOPMENT At the junior and college levels, my first year was a whirlwind. The game seemed so much faster, the players so much bigger, stronger and more talented. In my first few games, I always wondered how I would survive. But you were able to develop because of the system. The first year or two you pushed yourself to keep up and just play on the third or fourth line. You learned from the juniors and seniors what it took to be the best at that level. And by the time you were a junior or senior yourself, you took on new roles, and developed the confidence to hold onto the puck longer, to play on the power play, and be on the ice in the last minute of the period. A friend of mine, Mike Donnelly, played high school hockey in Detroit, then after a year of junior hockey walked on at Michigan State. In his first year he played minimally and scored 7 goals. His second year he played more and scored 18 goals. His third year he earned more ice time and scored 26. His senior year, he consistently played on the power play and in all key situations and scored 59 goals. That didn’t happen by accident. Over the years, he gradually improved his physical and mental skills and developed his game. There wasn’t a chance that he would have scored 59 goals as a freshman, even with twice the ice time he had as a senior. Ultimately, he played professionally for ten years. But if he hadn’t been allowed to develop gradually, over a period of years, it would never have happened. At the professional level, each NHL team has a minor league system where they can develop their prospects at a level where they can taste success. There isn’t that much difference between a fourth line NHL’er and a first line minor leaguer. What’s important is that they are in an environment where they can be the best, play in key situations and develop completely.

NOT THE WAY WE DO IT Many players have had their careers ruined by being rushed into situations where they had no chance to survive because they didn’t have the confidence or skills to compete at that level. In terms of development, I think we make a big mistake in the way the current A, AA and AAA system is structured in Michigan. By having age groups comprise of only one birth year, we are not allowing our players to completely develop into what they could potentially be by not allowing them to play in different situations. Each year, for the most part, kids play against the same kids. A top player one year is a top player the next year. A third-line player one year is most often a third-line player the next year. Sure, we develop some good players. Our top players move on to the next level. But are they really as prepared, as confident and as skilled as they could be? And couldn’t we produce more “top” players by giving them all a chance to develop completely?

MichiganHockeyOnline.com

PHOTO BY BOB BEGUELIN/LCAHL

State Game

April 11, 2011 Volume 21 : Issue 20

2011 LCAHL Playoff Champions Division Mite A Norris Mite A Adams Mite A Patrick Mite AA Norris Mite AA Adams Mite AA Patrick Mite AA Smythe Squirt A Norris Squirt A Adams Squirt A Patrick Squirt A Smythe Squirt AA Norris Squirt AA Adams Squirt AA Patrick Squirt AA Smythe Pee Wee A Norris Pee Wee A Adams Pee Wee A Patrick Pee Wee A Smythe Pee Wee AA Norris Pee Wee AA Adams Pee Wee AA Campbell Pee Wee AA Patrick Pee Wee AA Smythe Bantam A Norris Bantam A Adams Bantam A Patrick Bantam A Smythe Bantam AA Norris Bantam AA Adams Bantam AA Patrick Midget A Norris Midget A Adams Midget A Patrick Midget AA Norris Midget AA Adams Girls12U Norris Girls 12U Adams Girls 14U Norris Girls 14U Adams Girls 16U Norris Girls 19U Norris Mite B Norris Mite B Adams Mite B Patrick Squirt B Norris Squirt B Adams Squirt B Patrick Squirt B Smythe Pee Wee B Norris Pee Wee B Adams Pee Wee B Patrick Pee Wee B Smythe Bantam B Norris Bantam B Adams Bantam B Patrick Bantam B Smythe Midget B Norris Midget B Adams Midget B Patrick Midget BB Norris Midget BB Adams Midget BB Patrick

Champion Victory Honda 03 Allen Park 03 Livingston 03 Novi Ice Cats 02 Compuware 02 Bay County Blizzard 02 SCS Saints Toledo Cherokee 01 Blue Water 01 Holland Ice Dogs 01 Grand Valley Stars 01 Plymouth Stingrays 00 Oakland Jr. Grizzlies 00 Ann Arbor Wolves 00 KV Renegades USA Eagles 99 Flint Phantoms 99 Livingston Lightning 99 Lakeland Hawks 99 Allen Park Huskies 98 Midland Northstars 98 Ohio Selects 98 Livonia Knights 98 Lakeland Hawks 98 Farmington Flames 97 KV Rebels 97 Ann Arbor Wolves 97 Macomb Mavericks 97 Toledo Cherokee 96 Fort Wayne Komets 96 Allen Park Huskies 96 Allen Park Port Huron Michigan Ice Dogs SCS Saints Grosse Pointe Bulldogs Victory Honda SCS Saints Mt. Clemens Wolves Compuware Michigan Icebreakers Traverse City Northstars Southgate Senators Woodhaven Leafs Trenton Wolves Ann Arbor Red Wings Ann Arbor Warriors Novi #8 Pumas Chelsea Bulldogs Allen Park Huskies Allen Park #3 KV Destroyers Suburban Warriors Trenton Garden City Stars Plymouth Thundersharks KV Eagles Redford Wolfpack Blue Water Ply-Canton Killer Sharks Southgate Novi Sabercats Canton Wings

Runner-Up KV Rebels 03 Birmingham 03 Suburban 03 Allen Park Huskies 02 Jackson Generals#1 02 Orchard Lake Pirates 02 Belle Tire Dearborn KV Rebels 01 USA Eagles 01 Saginaw Badgers 01 Orchard Lake Warriors 01 Birmingham Rangers 00 St Clair Shores Saints 00 Jackson Generals 00 Garden City Gold Wings 00 Toledo 99 Rink Rats 99 Little Caesars 99 Birmingham Rangers 99 Holland Ice Dogs 98 Rochester Rattlers 98 Rink Rats 98 Sylvania Maple Leafs 98 Grand Valley Stars 98 Belle Tire Dearborn 97 KOHA K-Wings 97 Allen Park Huskies 97 Chelsea Chiefs 97 Farmington Hills Fire 96 Michigan Jaguars 96 Grand Valley Stars 96 Summit Plastic 94 Belle Tire Taylor 94 Canton Victory Honda 94 Troy Sting 92 Bloom Hills Gamblers 92 Mt. Clemens Wolves Livonia Michigan Icebreakers USA Wildflowers Grand Rapids Belle Tire Livingston Thunder Plymouth Lightning Wyandotte Warriors Novi #3 Sabercats Novi #6 Tigers Dearborn Blues Grosse Ile KV Generals Ann Arbor Bombers Ply. Great White Sharks Trenton Hurricanes Livingston Lightning Dearborn Hooligans Ann Arbor Leeches Lakeland Moose Fraser Titans Westland Warriors Novi #2 Predators Belle Tire Lakers Ann Arbor Storm Livingston Lightning

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Michigan Hockey

13

Get Better “PRO AMBITIONS HOCKEY CAMPS is one of the top camps in the country” - SPORTS ILLUSTRATED FOR KIDS

The Art of Checking Intentional body contact with an opponent is a very big part of hockey hockey. The purpose of body checking is not to physically injure the opponent, but to eliminate or “take him out of the play”and then beat him back into the play, resulting in a manpower advantage for your team. Hockey is an extremely fast game and if you can get the edge, if even for a split second, it can result in a great scoring chance or an excellent defensive play. Body contact also has a big impact on the “mental” side of the game affecting a player’s willingness to take a hit to make a play. Teaching players the proper mechanics in giving and receiving a check will result in increased confidence when carrying the puck in traffic, reduction in penalties and prevention of injuries due to improper and illegal technique. Open ice body check - Occasionally, a player will carry the puck with his head down or receive a pass from behind him and he becomes a prime target for a body check. In this instance, the checker should be taught to: • Turn to use his shoulder to make contact with the chest of the puck carrier • Maintain good knee bend, stability and balance, driving their shoulder upward into chest of puck carrier • Keep stick and elbows down • After check, beat opponent back into play Along the boards - Most body contact occurs along the boards. Checkers are taught to “angle” puck carriers toward the boards. This checking technique allows the checker to take away the middle of the ice, limiting the puck carrier’s options and eventually running him out of room, at which point the contact is made. Angling – easily the most import aspect of checking. It is important even in leagues where body contact is not allowed as it limits the puck carrier’s options and forces him to an area where it is most difficult for him to make a play. • Checker should approach puck carrier under control and from the side, taking away the middle of the ice, forcing him toward the boards • Checker should keep stick on the ice to take away passing lanes • Checker moves parallel to the puck carrier matching his speed but staying about a step behind. Timing is crucial. The checker can’t get too far ahead allowing the puck carrier to cut behind him to the middle of the ice. At the same time he must

PREPARE FOR

PHOTO BY ANDY KNAPIK/MICHIGAN HOCKEY

Checkers should try to “angle” puck carriers toward the boards.

not allow the puck carrier to get too far ahead where he can beat the checker up the boards and down the ice. Body contact – objective is to knock the puck carrier off the puck to force a turnover and then beat him back into the play. • Checker approaches puck carrier from the side under control • Checker should have two hands on his stick for strength – stick and arms should be down • Knees bent for balance, stability and power • Use upper body (shoulders and arms) to turn the puck carrier toward the boards. This will eliminate him from the play, allowing the checker to control his movement and eventually beat him back into the play. • Once the puck carrier is turned facing the boards, the checker must position his back leg between the legs of the puck carrier squeezing him against the boards so he can’t spin off and escape from the rear. • Once the puck carrier is stripped of the puck and under control against the boards, the checker can either retrieve the puck himself or jump to beat the opponent back into the play. • Timing and control are crucial – checker must not let the puck carrier escape ahead or behind him. Next issue: How to receive a check, avoid a check and checking from behind

Source: Suburban Hockey Coaches Club

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Michigan Hockey

MichiganHockeyOnline.com

YOUR FIRST CAR: My pink bicycle with training wheels

YOUR NICKNAME: Mae-Mae

FAVORITE BREAKFAST FOOD: Chocolate chip pancakes

THREE PEOPLE YOU WOULD HAVE DINNER WITH: Alexander Ovechkin, Angela Ruggiero and Herb Brooks

WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CONCERT: Lady Gaga at the Palace of Auburn Hills

MUST SEE TV: Greys Anatomy and Keeping up with the Kardashians

IF YOU COULD HAVE ANY SUPERPOWER, WHAT WOULD IT BE: Reading minds because I am always curious of what other people are thinking

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE HOLIDAY AND HOW DO YOU CELEBRATE IT: Halloween, and I eat as much candy as possible

PRE-GAME ROUTINE & SUPERSTITIONS: I always do a handshake with my dad before every game

BEST HOCKEY MEMORY: When I was three I refused to take learn to skate lessons unless I was in full hockey gear

WHAT HAS HOCKEY TAUGHT YOU: That I love the game and playing with my friends. Also, that “passes come from the heart,” and “the legs feed the wolf,” as Herb Brooks once said

A standout defenseman on the Honeybaked Girls 16 and Under team, fifteen-year old Megan Keller grew up playing hockey with boys – from Mini-Mites through Squirts in Farmington Hills and Pee Wee in Livonia. She switched to the Honeybaked Girls 14 and Under squad two seasons ago, made the USA Hockey Select Camp last summer and is currently competing at the USA Hockey Girls Tier 1 National Championship Tournament in Rochester and Macomb.

From the Crease

April 11, 2011, Volume 21 : Issue 20

STEVE McKICHAN From the crease Game Management: dealing with referees No one on the ice has closer and more frequent contact with the referee than the goaltender. Think about it. Every defensive zone face off mandates that the referee position himself or herself 10-15 feet away from the goaltender and straddle the goal line on the opposite side of the draw. There is a great opportunity for wise goalies to“manage�the ref. During the course of the game there are peaks and valleys. There are times you detest the ref and times you are thankful for a call or a quick whistle that went your way. Believe it or not, refs are human. They try to be impartial, but we all know and have witnessed refs that do take things personally. Below are some tips to help build your relationship with the officials that will over time help you keep pucks out of the net. Oh, you still will have issues with them, however it is how you handle them that is the message. 1. Always retrieve the puck out of the net after a goal for the linesman. Who cares about the linesman? He can’t hurt you, after all he isn’t a ref. Wrong! All game officials chat during stoppages and during intermissions. These guys are all in the same fraternity. If a linesman thinks you are an idiot for either making him dig out a puck or worse firing it away, he will mention it to the ref and bingo - you can see the ranks closing.

16

Michigan Hockey

2. Regardless of how unfairly you were treated, whether it is crease contact or a late whistle, whatever you do don’t snap verbally or glare at the ref. Even if he is clearly wrong, what has happened is over. Show composure and still aim to keep it light with the ref. I had a clear snowshoe foul happen against me during a game and of course I was scored on as I lay helplessly on my back. I was truly bitter and wanted to take it out on the ref. However, I took a deep breath and dusted myself off and got up. During the next defensive zone face off the ref smirked at me and was looking for me to bark at him. I smiled back and said something along the lines of “I better stop with the whiskey pre-game drinks, I can hardly stand up out here.� He chuckled and we continued on. Within about three shifts an opponent lightly brushed me on the way near the crease. He immediately was called for goalie interference and we scored on the powerplay to tie the game. Will your demeanor always pay immediate dividends? Likely not. However, the potential is there for it to help you. By the way, that ref also proceeded to give me the benefit of a quick whistle during some crease scums a handful of times the rest of the season. It likely saved me 4-5 goals over the course of the games he handled. So learn to manage your game by managing the refs.

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OUT OF STATE Canadian Hockey Enterprises April 10-17 or 13-17, 2011 Florida Cup Ft. Lauderdale, Florida ADULT TOURNAMENT Over 19, 25, 30, 35, 40 divisions Canadian Hockey Enterprises 1-800-461-2161 www.chehockey.com email: goals@chehockey.com Chicago Wolves Windy City Challenge Series Spring Fever Challenge West Dundee, IL April 28-May 1, 2011 Mite-Midget B, A & AA 847-844-8700 Ext. 224 glapato@clubsportconsulting.com www.leafsicecentre.com North American Holiday Hockey Hartford, CT March 18-20, 2011 Adult and Youth Leagues 800-322-NAHH NAHHTOURS@AOL.COM Canadian Hockey Enterprises April 14 - 17, 2011 Gamblers Cup Las Vegas, Nevada ADULT TOURNAMENT Over 19, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45 divisions Canadian Hockey Enterprises 1-800-461-2161 www.chehockey.com goals@chehockey.com Advanced Tournaments

18

Michigan Hockey

April 29-May 1, 2011 Chicago, IL CHICAGO CUP Tournament Series: Chicago Spring Classic Mite through Midget; B, A, and AA, High School Varsity and JV Contact Advanced Tournaments 847-277-7343 advancedtournaments.com Hockey Time Productions Rock ‘n Roll Cup Tournament Cleveland, OH May 13-15, 2011 Mite-Midget House, B, A, AA High School Varsity and JV 216-325-0567 www.itshockeytime.com Chicago Wolves Windy City Challenge Series May Madness Challenge West Dundee, IL May 19-22, 2011 Mite-Midget B, A & AA 847-844-8700 Ext. 224 glapato@clubsportconsulting.com www.leafsicecentre.com Canlan Classic Tournaments Indiana May Sizzler Fort Wayne, IN March 26 -28, 2011 Youth Boys 1-888-422-6526 tournaments@icesports.com canlanclassictournaments.com Advanced Tournaments May 20-22, 2011 Chicago, IL CHICAGO CUP Tournament Series: Seven Bridges Spring Classic Mite through Midget; B, A, and AA, High School Varsity and JV Contact Advanced Tournaments 847-277-7343 advancedtournaments.com OneHockey International 8th Summer Challenge June 30-July 3, 2011 Philadelphia, PA 1993-98’s info@onehockey.com www.onehockey.com OneHockey International 8th Summer Challenge June 30-July 3, 2011 Philadelphia, PA 1999-2003’s info@onehockey.com www.onehockey.com

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Contact Tournament Director Joe Jones at: jjones@suburbanice.com Register by calling 248-478-1600 www.suburbanice.com

MichiganHockeyOnline.com

April 11, 2011 Volume 21 : Issue 20

2011 SPRING TRYOUTS honeybakedhockey.com 2001 Squirt Major

1997 Bantam Major

Coach - Danny Veri: dannyveri@sbcglobal.net

Coach - Tom Anastos: tanastos@suburbanice.com

2000 Pee Wee Minor

Midget Minor

Honeybaked2000@hotmail.com

Coach - Jeff Mitchell: mitch22jo@sbcglobal.net

TUES 4/5 6:00-7:30 pm THURS 4/7 6:00-7:30 pm All skates at Hazel Park Coach - Mike Humitz: mhumitz@yahoo.com 734-626-0523

1998 Bantam Minor

Midget Major

1999 Pee Wee Major

MON 4/4 • TUES 4/5 • THURS 4/7 All skates at Hazel Park at 7:30 pm Coach - Mike Hamilton: coach85s@yahoo.com All tryouts are by invitation only

TUES 4/12 • TUES 4/19 • TUES 4/26 TUES 5/3 • TUES 5/10 • TUES 5/17 TUES 5/24 • TUES 5/31 All skates at Hazel Park at 7:30 - 9:00 pm Coach - Steve Dickinson: sdixie21@aim.com

MichiganHockeyOnline.com

14U Girls TUES 4/12 6:30-8:00 pm THURS 4/14 7:30-9:00 pm THURS 4/21 7:30-9:00 pm All skates at Suburban Ice Farmington Hills Coach - Lyle Phair: lphair@suburbanice.com 248-866-7047

12U Girls MON 4/11 7:30-9:00 pm TUES 4/12 6:00-7:00 pm FRIDAY 4/15 6:30-8:00 pm All skates at Suburban Ice Farmington Hills Coach - Danny Veri: dannyveri@sbcglobal.net

Michigan Hockey

19

Defenseman D effenseman B orn: Jan n. 13 3, 1 987 Ho om Born: Jan. 13, 1987 Hometown: Indianapolis, IN Height/W Weightt: 6-1/210 6-1/210 Shoots: L Height/Weight: Season Seas Se asson n Team Tea am

League

GP

G

A

Pts PIM

2003-04 20 2 003-04 4

U U. U.S. S. National Nat a iona n l U-18 8 Team m

NAHL

29

3

12

15

93

2004-0 05 2004-05

U. U SS.. National Natio onal UU 1 TTeam 18 e m ea U.S. U-18

NAHL

12

7

10

17

57

2005 20 0 -0 05 06 2005-06

Mi M chigan a Michigan

CCHA

38

10

22

32

149

20 2006 006 06-0 07 2006-07

Mi M chigan Michigan

CCHA

36

16

23

39

87

2006 6-0 -07 2006-07

LLo os Angeles Angeles Kings Los

NHL

5

0

0

0

18

20 007 07-0 08 2007-08

LLo ng gs Loss Angeles King Kings

NHL

74

3

8

11

76

2008 20 08 8-0 09 2008-09

Los Lo os Angeles Angele es King gs Kings

NHL

41

6

5

11

46

2009 09--10 09 2009-10

LLo Ange An g les Kings Loss Angeles

NHL

80

8

28

36

48

20 010 10-11 -1 -1 2010-11

LLoss Angeles Ki Lo Kingss

NHL

78

5

36

41

44

22

77

99

232

NHL Totals 278

Full name is John Joseph Louis “Jack” Johnson III…Moved from Indianapolis to Ann Arbor when he was four years old…Played in first hockey game on fifth birthday… Attended ShattuckSaint Mary’s Boarding School in Minnesota… Played there from 8th-10th grade… Totaled 42 points (15, 27) in 48 games in sophomore year at St. Mary’s…Drafted in the 1st round (3rd overall) in the 2005 entry draft…Named to the 2006 World Junior Tournament All-Star Team… Set Michigan school records for points (32) and PIMs (149) by a freshman defenseman on 2005-06… Rights traded on September 29, 2006, along with Oleg Tverdovsky, to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for Tim Gleason and Éric Bélanger…Set the Michigan school record for most goals (16) by a sophomore defenseman in a single season…Named CCHA Offensive Defenseman of the Year in 2006-07… Signed an entry-level contract with the Kings in March 2007… Recorded first NHL point on October 10, 2007… Named to his first Olympic team in 2010 (silver medal)...Marched on behalf of the United States Olympic team in the opening ceremony, becoming the first American-born NHL player to do so…Named captain for 2010 World Championship team… Signed a 7-year contract extension with the Kings on Jan. 8, 2011.

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Train Hard. Play Hard.

MichiganHockeyOnline.com

Michigan Hockey

21

Michigan Hockey 20th Season

20 Years/20 Issues Michigan Hockey Headlines

February 1st Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrates during reentry over Texas January 16th Space Shuttle Columbia is launched on its last flight

JANUARY

22

Michigan Hockey

Honeybaked wins Pee Wee AAA national title. The national title was on their mind from the beginning of the season as they finished the season with a 64-4-2 mark. The 12 and under Honeybaked team won the title with a 4-0 shutout of the Philadelphia Junior Flyers at the Pepsi Arena in Buffalo.

Herb Brooks, head coach of the 1980 “Miracle on Ice” Unites States Men’s Ice Hockey team passes away at the age of 66. Brooks lost control of his minivan on a highway north of Minneapolis and apparently was not wearing a seatbelt. He also won three NCAA national titles while coaching the Minnesota Golden Gophers (1974, ’76, ’79).

Catholic Central Shamrocks win their fifth consecutive Division I state championship. The Shamrocks beat the Clarkston Wolves 3-0 at the Compuware Sports Arena. After a scoreless first period the Shamrocks took control with three second period goals, along with receiving a shutout from goaltender James Blanchard. Catholic Central finished the season with a 26-3 mark and this was the school’s seventh state championship since 1994.

May 1st U.S. president George W. Bush lands on USS Abraham Lincoln announcing the end of combat in Iraq invasion

April 9th U.S. forces seize control of Baghdad, ending the regime of Saddam Hussein February 26th An american businessman is diagnosed with the first case of SARS

FEBRUARY

April 27th Touched by an Angel airs last show

MARCH

February 23rd Fred Rogers, host of Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood dies

January 23rd Nell Carter, singer and actress passes away at the age of 54

Compuware Jr. A decides to cease operations. They were a signature franchise of the North American Hockey League (NAHL) and junior A hockey. Detroit Compuware won 11 NAHL titles in the last 16 seasons and is the only club to win the USA Hockey Gold Cup National Championship four times (1985, ’94,’99, 2002).

March 12th Elizabeth Smart, a kidnap victim, is found alive in the town of Sandy, Utah February 26th David Letterman is forced to take a few weeks off due to illness and a string of celebrities guest host while he’s away

APRIL

June 29th Katherine Hepburn dies

MAY

JUNE June 4th Martha Stewart and her broker are indicted for using privileged investment information

April 14th The Human Genome Project is completed with 99% of the human genome sequenced to 99.99% accuracy

May 20th Buffy the Vampire Slayer ends MichiganHockeyOnline.com

June 12th Gregory Peck dies

Michigan Hockey 20th Season

April 11, 2011 Volume 21 : Issue 20

Flashback: MLB Champion Florida Marlins

#1 NHL Draft Pick Marc-Andre Fleury-Pittsburgh

NFL Superbowl winner Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Vezina trophy Best NHL Goaltender Martin Brodeur – New Jersey

NBA Champion San Antonio Spurs

Hart trophy - NHL MVP Peter Forsberg-Colorado

NHL Stanley Cup winner New Jersey Devils

Cost of a U.S. Stamp $0.37

OHL Champion Kitchener Rangers

Cost of a dozen Eggs $0.90

Memorial Cup Champion Kitchener Rangers

Cost of a gallon of Milk $3.55

CCHA Champion Ferris State

Cost of a gallon of Gas $1.41

NCAA Champion Minnesota

Top Television Show C.S.I

Jack Adams awardTop NHL Coach Jacques Lemaire-New Jersey

Academy Award’s Top Movie Lord of the Rings Return of the King

Ross trophy - Top NHL scorer Peter Forsberg- Colorado

#1 Song Dance with My Father –Luther Vandross

July 4th Barry White, A five-time Grammy Award winner known for his distinctive bass voice passes away

In November 2003, District 3 sled hockey got a fund-raising boost when Great Lakes Sports City owners Bill Cherfoli and Carl Voelker donated $11,000 to help get the team on the ice. “(D3 council member) Bud Kowalski came to talk to me about ideas for raising donations,” Cherfoli said. “At the time he was going to go to all the associations and get them to buy one sled. After talking with him, Carl (Voelker) said we would get all the sleds. It would be a great way for us to give back to the game of hockey which has been very good to us over the years.” The donation will be used to purchase 22 sleds for the team, which director Charlene Trick hopes to put on the ice in January. For Trick, a sled hockey team in the metro-Detroit area is a dream come true. She tried to start a team years ago but was turned down for a grant and didn’t know how else to raise the estimated $20,000 in start-up costs. So the idea moved to the back burner, but never left her thoughts entirely. At the 2003 MAHA Summer Meeting in July, something happened to bring it to the forefront again. “J.J. O’Conner, a quadriplegic, was a speaker there,” Trick said. Kowalski and Sal Giacalone “came back from that meeting all fired up,” said Trick. “J.J. did quite a speech about sled hockey and sports for the disabled.” Trick, now the District 3 Sled Hockey Director, hopes to ice at least one team by January and have the district pay for the sleds, equipment and ice time so that the players and their families won’t have to pay to play hockey. “It’s key that we don’t have any expense out to these kids,” she pointed out. “Those people are already ridden with medical bills.” In sled hockey – or sledge hockey, as it’s known in Canada – players use two shortened sticks with picks on the end similar to figure skating toe picks to propel their sleds down the ice. “You would turn your skate and bend your knees to stop,” Giacalone said.

SEPTEMBER

OCTOBER

July 30th The last Volkswagen type 1 produced September 12th Johnny Cash dies July 14th CIA leak scandal leads to the identification of Valerie Plame Wilson as a Central Intelligence Agency officer

December 24th A mad cow disease outbreak in Washington State is announced

October 10th Facing an investigation surrounding allegations of illegal drug use, Rush Limbaugh publicly admits that he is addicted to prescription drugs

August 15th A widespread power outage affects the northeastern United States and South-Central Canada

AUGUST

“They shift their weight in the sled from one side to the other. That turns the sled, and it pivots and stops.” The sleds consist of skate blades mounted to the bottom of a titanium frame. The sled sits about four inches above the ice and the players are held into the sled with Velcro straps. There are two regular skate blades on the bottom, and they’re adjustable from six inches to one inch apart. Blades that are six inches apart are easier to balance. The closer the blades are, the faster and more agile the players can be. Sled hockey rules are the same as“stand-up hockey”with a few exceptions. The most noticeable is that line changes happen from the ice, not the bench. The players line up between the blue lines along the dasher boards and change on the fly. “We can do anything an able body can do,” U.S. Junior Sled team coach Tom Brake said. By Linley Wartenberg

November 14th Gary Coleman, former star of Diff ’rent Strokes, comes in 8th place in the California gubernatorial recall election

September 22nd Two and a Half Men premieres on CBS

July 27th Bob Hope dies

JULY

SLED HOCKEY GETS BIG LIFT

October 7th Voters recall Californian Governor Gray Davis from office

September 11th John Ritter of 8 Simple Rules unexpectedly dies from a heart defect. Ritter was best known for playing Jack Tripper in the sitcom Three’s Company.

MichiganHockeyOnline.com

NOVEMBER

DECEMBER

November 14th Arnold Schwarzenegger elected in California gubernatorial recall election

November 4th The NFL network launches in America

December 14th Sadddam Hussein, former President of Iraq, is captured in Tikrit by the U.S. 4th Infantry Division Michigan Hockey

23

LCAHL Family and Friends Please join us on Sunday May 15th, 2011 for

LCAHL Detroit Tiger Day Celebrating Playoff Champions 1pm - Comerica Park Detroit Tigers vs. Kansas City Royals All kids 14-and-under get to "Run The Bases" post-game (weather permitting), receive free rides on the Carousel and Ferris Wheel.

Tickets are nontransferable and must be used on game day. 30745-AA

LCAHL Detroit Tiger Day Order Form Detroit Tigers vs Kansas City Royals A portion of the proceeds from each ticket will be donated back to LCAHL. Type of Seat*

Full Price Ticket

Discount

Total Cost Per Ticket

Mezzanine

$15.00

$2.00 off

$13.00

$22.00

$2.00 off

$20.00

(sect. 210-219)

Upper Box Inf. (sect. 321-333) Team Name: Name: Address: City: Phone: E-Mail Address: CREDIT CARD#

Grand Totals: State:

TOTAL COST

# of Tickets

+ $3 S&H

$

(U.S. Funds)

All LCAHL and Affiliates must purchase their tickets with this form in order to receive the special discount on this game. This offer is NOT available at the Comerica Park Box Office or through any Ticket outlets.

Zip:

MAIL OR FAX ONLY.

(Visa — MasterCard — Amex)

/ / EXP. DATE

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* Seats are subject to availability. If you would like to sit together as group please order as one group. Tickets are nontransferable and must be used on game day. Must receive orders no later than May11th. A sales representative will contact you when your order is received.

Fax this form to 313-471-2599 or mail form w/ payment to: LCAHL Detroit Tiger Day Detroit Tigers 2100 Woodward Avenue Detroit, Michigan 48201 Make checks payable to “Detroit Tigers Inc.” (Checks or Credit Card Only) or email Michael.e.ilitch@detroittigers.com

MAHA State Tournaments

April 11, 2011 Volume 21 : Issue 20

Ironwood completes undefeated season with Squirt B state title BY JAY SIMON

In this day of social media and instant communication, it’s difficult to say which is the more impressive feat: an undefeated record, or keeping the undefeated record from being discussed. Well, there is no reason to keep it a secret now. The Ironwood Polar Bears capped a perfect 42-0 season by taking the MAHA Squirt B state title with a 5-1 win over the Cadillac Vikings on March 20 at the Wexford Civic Center in Cadillac. Caleb Baxter broke a 1-1 tie just 14 seconds into the third period off an assist from Brett Heil, and Tyler Morrison notched a hat trick as the Polar Bears used a four-goal barrage to finish the game. “We’re a third-period team,� Ironwood head coach Scott Kellett said. During the season, as the wins piled up, Kellett said he put a moratorium on discussing the Polar Bears’ undefeated mark, whether on Facebook or other sites where parents congregated. After the championship game win, though, Ironwood fans serenaded the players with chants of “42 and 0!� “I’ve been telling these kids, ‘You’re a good team, but you have to work to be a great team,� said Scott Kellett. “This (title) is all about the kids’ work ethic.� Early in the final game it was all about the goaltenders, the Polar Bears’Matthew Clemens and the Vikings Zakk Izzard, who made some terrific stops. The Vikings killed a power play chance midway through the first period, but the high-scoring Ironwood attack got on the scoreboard first moments later on an Ethan Roehm goal, assisted by Morrison and Nathan Garnell. Cadillac, though, responded less than a minute later as Hayden Watkins finished an Allan Scheurer feed to tie it, 1-1, which is how the first period ended. Neither team could find the back of the net in the second period, as both goaltenders stopped several good scoring opportunities. In the third, though, the floodgates opened. Baxter’s goal gave Ironwood the lead before Morrison found the top shelf off an assist from Heil. Morrison iced the contest by securing his hat trick, redirecting a Roehm shot from the blue line past Izzard with just under seven minutes remaining, then scoring again from the slot off a Garnell assist with five minutes to go.

Despite the loss, Cadillac head coach Jeff Izzard was pleased with the way his kids improved over the season. “We had a good group of second year players who started the season carrying us while our first years got going,� he said. “I can’t say enough about the way they grew over the season. “I’m very happy with the way our kids played,� he added. “To look back at the start of the season, I never imagined we’d be here.�

SQUIRT B NOTEBOOK Ironwood blanked Holland, 4-0, in the first semifinal. Tyler Morrison scored twice, Hanna Koivisto notched a powerplay goal, while Sydnee Lorenson assisted on an Ethan Roehm goal ... In the second semifinal, Cadillac came back from two goals down to top Tawas, 4-3. Jacob Cook scored twice, and David Carpenter and Brendan Phillips picked up single goals in the win. Scottie Ulman scored twice and Gavin Evans had the other goal for Tawas‌ Cadillac opened round-robin play with a 2-1 win over St. Clair Shores. Phillips and Allan Scheurer each scored for the Vikings, and Salvatore Sieracki scored for the Longhorns ... Westland’s Donovan Vesey scored twice and notched an assist in the Blazer’s 4-3 win over Livonia. Brenden Preiss lit the lamp twice for the Bruins ... Zachary Stevens, Caleb Van Heest and Ben Gawlik all scored as Holland topped Saginaw, 3-1. Ty Ditmar scored for Saginaw‌ Tawas got two goals from Mason Buresh, a goal and assist from Scottie Ulman and a single goal from Brandon Plawicki in a 7-4 loss to Ironwood. Morrison had a hat trick and Baxter scored four goals in the Polar Bears win... Cook notched his own hat trick for Cadillac as the Vikings beat Saginaw, 6-1. Rebecca Alfano scored for Saginaw ... St. Clair Shores’ Eric Satterlund and Alex McEnroe picked up goals in a 2-2 tie with Holland . Pawlik scored twice for Holland... Tawas came from behind to beat Westland, 4-3, on goals from Ullman (2), Gabe Martin and Mason Burush. Westland goals came from Gabe Sellers, Joey Burton and Jack Mortson. St. Clair Shores got a hat trick from Eric Satterlund in a 4-0 whitewash of Saginaw‌ Jacob Cook scored for Cadillac and Kyle Eveland scored for Holland in a 1-1 tie ... Tawas beat Livonia 9-6 behind a hat trick from Mason Burush. Brandon Priess scored four goals and Adam Sinclair added two in the Bruins loss‌ Ironwood topped Westland 7-1 to close out round robin play.

Hockey Player Hometown Age Height Weight Team Position Coach School Grade Favorite Team Favorite Player

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Hockey Player Hometown Age Height Weight Team Position Coach School Grade Favorite Team Favorite Player

Zachary Fortress

Livonia 8 4'8" 80 lbs Livonia Predators F/D Tim Kielb Grant Elementary 2nd Ottawa Senators Steve Yzerman

Shelby Twp. 10 4' 8" 76 lbs Rochester Rattlers RW Derek Burkhart Morgan Elementary 4th Red Wings Steve Yzerman

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Michigan Hockey

25

MAHA State Tournaments

April 11, 2011 Volume 21 : Issue 20

Bay County edges Kensington Valley for Squirt A state championship BY SUSAN SMILEY

It was a long day for the MAHA Squirt A state champion Bay County Blizzard. Before defeating the Kensington Valley Rebels, 3-2, in the state final at Troy Sports Center on March 20, the Blizzard needed seven overtime periods to beat the Blue Water Stars, 3-2, in a morning semifinal game. The Rebels didn’t have it much easier; they needed five overtime periods to top the Ann Arbor Wolves, 3-2, in their semifinal contest. But Blizzard coach Bill Paige wasn’t worried about his players being fatigued for the final. The excitement of being in the championship contest was enough to give them fresh legs and a big burst of energy. “At this age they are like young race horses,” said Paige. “They are so excited and so happy they are just full of energy. Nothing really slows them down.” Blizzard netminder Parker Sullivan’s outstanding performance earned him tournament MVP honors. Sullivan’s defense also did a fine job protecting the crease and keeping Sullivan’s line of sight clear. “Parker is not only a good player but a good student too,” said Paige. “And our defense has played strong all year. We’ve worked on blocking shots, moving people out from in front of the net, and all of those things that make the difference in close games.” Edison Symons opened the scoring for Bay City two minutes into the game with Mike Reminder and Sam Buckingham logging the assists. Less than a minute later, Trent Krause tied it with an unassisted goal for the Rebels. With the game tied 1-1 everyone started having a sense of déjà vu. “We played each other two other times this year and they won one and we won one,” said Paige. “That is the thing about the (LCAHL) Yzerman Division that we are in. Seven of the eight teams in the division were in the tournament and there were so many close, one-goal games throughout the season. You can’t really say anyone was a loser today; we really were all winners.” The rest of the period the Rebels had the momentum. Brendan Tulpa got off a great shot that was blocked by Bay County’s Parker Kraenzlein when he jumped up and the puck bounced off his thigh. Caleb Yaw also blocked a shot in the late part of the first period to help preserve the 1-1 tie.

26

Michigan Hockey

MichiganHockeyOnline.com

Four minutes into the middle period Krause scored his second of the game to give the Rebels a 2-1 advantage. Tulpa and Niko Raptis were credited with the assists. But that lead didn’t last long. The Blizzards’ Victor Mancini fired the puck and watched it glance off the goalie’s blocker and right into the net to put the game at a 2-2 stalemate. Brady Rappuhn and Morgan Leuenberger got the assists. As the third period got underway, everyone was wondering about the possibility of another marathon overtime. But a goal four minutes into the period by Noah Hayward gave the Blizzard the edge they needed to win the game. Colt Van Wormer made the pass and Hayward put it into the net. The Rebels came close to scoring in the last minute of the game but Sullivan blocked the shot and his team cleared it from the Bay County zone. “I’ve been coaching for 39 years and just when you think you’ve seen it all, you are amazed again,” said Paige. “This may be at the top of the list today. I’m really proud of everything these kids did today. It just says so much for our league, its player and its coaches.”

SQUIRT A NOTEBOOK Tucker Harris scored twice for the Blue Water Stars in their 3-2 semifinal loss to Bay County. Michael Andriot scored two goals for the Blizzard in the game before Noah Hayward got the game winner in the seventh overtime period… Brendan Tulpa scored the game winner for Kensington Valley in the fifth overtime of the semifinal game versus the Ann Arbor Wolves. Tulpa and Dalton Duhart had the other goal for Kensington Valley. Mason Ausmus and Alex Trombley notched the Wolves goals… Patrick Guzzo had a hat trick in Blue Water’s 4-1 win over the Trenton Timberwolves. Andrew Blanchette scored for Trenton… The USA Eagles beat Trenton, 3-1, behind goals from P.J. Price, Jimmy Akouri and Paul Gibbs. Chris Mihai scored for the Timberwolves… The Troy Sting tied Ann Arbor, 1-1, with the goal coming from Brian McKenna assisted by Trevor Tosto… Brett Bush scored twice, and Shane Percefull added a single goal in the Macomb Mavericks 3-3 tie against Bay County. Noah Hayward scored twice for the Blizzard in the tie… Troy got goals from Cam Chrisman and Brian McKenna in a 2-2 tie with Macomb. The Mavericks goals came from Brett Bush and Connor Lisko.

MAHA State Tournaments

TM

Summit Flames score overtime win for Pee Wee B MAHA state title BY CARL CHIMENTI

With the stands at Wyandotte’s Yack Arena jammed with fans, Joseph Tabbi scored in overtime to give the Summit Plastic Flames a 2-1 victory over the St. Ignace Saints and the MAHA Pee Wee B state title on March 20. Tabbi, known for his end-to-end rushes, scored the game winner on what looked to be an innocent play. After holding the puck in at the blueline he whirled and let go a shot that got past screened Saints’ goaltender Dylan Danielson. “Joseph never gets tired and his stamina on the ice is one of a kind,� said Mark Shalawylo, head coach for the Flames. “He loves to play and thrives on all the ice time we give him so it was just fitting that he scored the winning goal.� Tabbi scored both goals for the Flames but the MVP honors went to Danielson, who was outstanding and kept the Saints in the game. “I saw the puck very well and I thank my teammates for that,� said Danielson. “Their duo of Tabbi and Paul Goemaere were just amazing. It was a tough game to play, but I just tried to stop everything I could.� The Flames made the final by beating Iron Range, 6-2, behind a pair of goals from both Tabbi and Goemaere. Gio Procopio added two assists. The Saints needed an overtime goal from Toby Ferguson to eliminate the Blue Water Bombers, 3-2, in the other semifinal. Jack Styes scored twice while Sawyer Kulman and Kody Rickley contributed a pair of assists each for the Saints. The Flames started strong and Tabbi made a nice move one-on-one past a defender and beat Danielson to give his team a 1-0 lead five minutes into the game. The sluggish start was not a surprise for Saints head coach Sean Tallaire. “We always seem to start slow,� said Tallaire. “We did not play well in the semifinal game but we found a way to win that game. The tournament and state final is a first for most of the kids, but I give them credit they kept battling until the very end.� The Saints picked it up the second period, as the Flames were forced to kill three straight tripping penalties that hampered their attack. “We had to overcome a lot of penalties in that period and that messed up all of our line rotations,�said Shalawylo.“Some of the

guys on the PK were getting tired being constantly on the ice and it made it tough trying to get everyone equal playing time.� Flames goaltender Aakash Patel was a big difference, especially when his team was shorthanded. Time after time Patel stood strong, stopping eight quality chances including a series of pointblank saves at the half way point of the period. The Flames also had their chances, but Danielson made some nice glove saves and got some help from the cross bar and the goalpost. “Both of our goalies who split the netminding duties this year have played extremely well,� said Tallaire. “Danielson’s a big goalie who covers a lot of net and he made a number of great saves today.� The one goal held up through most of the third period, but with 1:30 left in regulation the Saints struck as Rickley scored unassisted and it stayed that way until Tabbi’s overtime heroics. “We fell short in a number of tournaments and could have taken a back seat the rest of the season,�said a smiling Shalawylo during the on ice celebration.“After the holidays the boys really picked it up and everything fell into place.�

PEE WEE B NOTEBOOK In the semifinals, Darien Davis and Conner Campbell scored for the Blue Water Bombers in their loss to St. Ignace‌ Donny Schultz and Jeffrey Mathews scored for Iron Range in their semifinal loss to Summit ‌ In Wyandotte’s 10-1 loss to the Flames, the Warriors’William Wilson scored from Jacob Cole and Seth Farrah‌ Brandon Hall scored all four goals for the Livonia Bruins as they lost 5-4 to the Allen Park Huskies. Spencer Mullins had the hat trick and Amor Martinez added a pair of assists for the Huskies‌Tyler Nunez potted both goals for Blue Water in a 2-0 victory over the West Shore Wolves‌Trevor Borlace and Donny Schultz tallied once and Jeffrey Mathews added an assist in Iron Range’s 3-2 loss to St. Ignace‌Christian Mihuc, Jimmy Solomon and Jack Trombley scored for Wyandotte in an 8-3 loss to the Blue Water Bombers‌The West Shore Wolves tied Summit behind three goals from Austin McCarthy and three assists from Barry Seymour‌Gage Estes and Ryan Matey scored for the Livonia Bruins as they lost 12-2 to Iron Range‌Spencer Mullins scored Allen Park’s only goal as the Huskies fell to St. Ignace 7-1.

TS

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27

MAHA State Tournaments

Grand Rapids needs Fusco’s late goal gives Allen overtime to win Pee Wee A Park third straight title state championship BY MATT BISHOP

BY MATT BISHOP

With his team off to a sluggish start and behind 1-0 in the second period of the MAHA Pee Wee A state title game against Troy, Grand Rapids head coach Jeff Thiessen called timeout to settle his team down. The move paid incredible dividends as his Griffins came out and immediately scored twice to take the lead before winning the state championship with a 3-2 overtime win on March 13 at the Dearborn Ice Skating Center. “The kids, I don’t know if they were nervous or what, but they just were not putting in the effort that we expect,”Thiessen said.“They weren’t executing what we wanted them to execute. It was a matter of getting them to settle down and focus, or refocus, and we were lucky to pop two in right after that.” During the timeoutThiessen and his staff reinforced concepts they’d been talking about all weekend, only a bit louder. “We’re a really quick team,”Thiessen said.“I knew if we could get them moving a little bit faster, get their feet moving faster, we would be able to create some opportunities.” After a scoreless first period, Troy’s Joshua Norris really took off. The Sting forward zinged a shot over the net on a 2-on-1 and then went end-to-end and scored to give Troy a 1-0 lead and force Thiessen to call timeout. “(Joshua) has been our best player all year,” said Troy coach Len Tosto said. “He played like a champion during the game.” After the timeout, Reed Lebster tied the game for Grand Rapids when he slammed home a rebound. Then, less than 90 seconds later, Noah Lindhout put the Griffins ahead on a tough goal. His shot from the blue line bounced in front of the net and over the glove of the goaltender, giving Grand Rapids a 2-1 lead. With the momentum fully shifted, the Griffins kept buzzing but could not find the back of the net. Norris tied the game, 2-2, in the third period when his rocket from just inside the blue line found its way through the five-hole and trickled into the net with nine minutes to go. “You have to stop them in the offensive zone and we weren’t putting enough pressure on them in the first place,” Thiessen said. “That’s really what our goal was.” Both teams had some quality chances during the remainder of regulation, but nothing went in.

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Michigan Hockey

Tensions didn’t stay high for long as only 22 seconds into the extra frame, Grand Rapids’ Will Kortz took a shot from the left side that caught the goalie by surprise and in the ensuing scramble, put in his own rebound, sending gloves, sticks and helmets flying everywhere as the Griffins captured the title with a 3-2 win. “We just wanted to create a lot of traffic, create a lot of chaos,”Thiessen said. “It wasn’t pretty but it’s exactly how you beat a good goaltender.” Tosto said sometimes the breaks just don’t go your way. “It was one of our goals for the year to be able to play in the state championship game and we were able to do that,” Tosto said. “We won a thrilling game in three overtimes in the semifinals, so the emotions were extremely high. We played a good, solid game in the final and ended up a goal short. It happens.” After losing in their district final to Holland, the Griffins were able to rebound all the way to the state title. “This has really been our year of second chances and we really took advantage of it,” Thiessen said.

PEE WEE A NOTEBOOK Henry Gabriel scored the game-winner at 1:40 of triple overtime as Troy beat the USA Eagles 3-2 in one semifinal game … Will Kortz scored in overtime to give Grand Rapids a 3-2 win over Holland in the other semifinal … Darren Johnson and Reed Lebster each had a goal and an assist as Grand Rapids beat Allen Park 2-0 …Ben Essensa had two points as USA beat Saginaw 5-1…Joshua Norris had two goals and three assists as Troy beat Midland 9-1…Carter O’Neil had three goals and two assists as Holland beat Dearborn Belle Tire 10-1…Mac Brice had three assists to help USA to a 3-0 win over Grand Rapids…Carson Nichols had a goal and two helpers as Allen Park blanked Saginaw 3-0…Travis Blackhurst scored twice to lead Midland over Belle Tire 6-0…Hunter Jamieson had two goals as Holland beat Troy 5-2 … Riley Murphy scored twice for Holland in a 5-1 win over Midland… Allen Park rallied from a 4-1 deficit with 6:18 remaining to tie USA 4-4 … Grand Rapids came back from 2-0 down to beat Saginaw 3-2… Norris had a hat trick as Troy routed Belle Tire 9-0 in the opener.

After opening the MAHA Pee Wee AA state tournament with a loss to Novi, the Allen Park Huskies had some work to do if they wanted to capture their third straight state title. But the Huskies regrouped and fought back to earn a spot in the state game against the same Ice Cats that had beaten in their first game. In the rematch, Allen Park and Novi were tied 1-1 late in the third period when the Huskies’Angelo Fusco broke the deadlock with 2:41 remaining in regulation. The Huskies held on for a 2-1 win over the Ice Cats and claimed their third straight state championship on March 13 at the Dearborn Ice Skating Center. “I’m just happy for the boys,” Allen Park head coach Jeff Mason said.“We won the last two years, (when the tournaments have) been upstate, so this is great for them to share with the rest of their family. I’m really proud of them. We started out with a loss, so to come back and redeem ourselves in the championship game, it feels great.” Novi coach Wade Stevenson told his team in the locker room that it was the best game his team played all season. He said not much was different this time around than from his team’s win earlier in the tournament. “It just came down to a couple scoring opportunities,” Stevenson said. “Their goalie made some outstanding saves and they took advantage of some scoring opportunities they had. They were very similar games.” The first two periods of the final might have been scoreless, but they weren’t without chances. Early on Novi took two consecutive penalties to give the Huskies a 5-on-3 for 1:14, but the Ice Cats killed off both. In the second period Allen Park turned up the pressure as Fusco got a breakaway but couldn’t convert. Then Jonathan Precopio sliced through the defense but his big drive was stopped. The rebound went to Dakota Potter but he didn’t get everything he wanted to on it and hit the base of the post. Tensions were high to start the third period with no score. Instead of things tightening up, though, things got loose. Just 33 seconds into the period, Novi’s Brad Halonen won a race to a loose puck on the boards, spun into the slot and scored to give Ice Cats a 1-0 lead. Then, seconds later, Allen Park’s Donald Alchin was sent to

MichiganHockeyOnline.com

the penalty box for tripping. The Huskies, though, turned that negative into a positive as Precopio broke in down the right side, cut to the left and fired a wrist shot that went off the goalie’s glove and into the net to tie the game, 1-1. “Johnny’s been our leader all year long and he’s got a real heavy shot,” Mason said. “I thought that put a lot of emotion back in our team. That goal was huge.” Stevenson said the goal “really put the momentum back on them.” Both teams were cautiously looking for the potential game winner, and it was Fusco who grabbed a loose puck in the slot and fired it in to put Allen Park ahead. “We were stuck on a long shift,” Stevenson said. “We had two guys out there for over two minutes and we had a couple of turnovers. He made a nice shot, turned around and shot it quick.” After a timeout, the Ice Cats called pulled the goalie with just under a minute to play but were unable to get a good scoring chance. “Novi’s a great team,” Mason said. “They’re very fast and their speed posed a problem for us, but I thought we stuck with it, got some strong goaltending and some timely goals. It was a team effort.”

PEE WEE AA NOTEBOOK Novi’s Anthony Esser has two goals, including the overtime winner, to beat the Midland NorthStars in a semifinal … Jonathan Precopio scored the winner as Allen Park beat Holland 2-1 in the other semifinal … Dakota Potter scored twice as Allen Park blanked Copper County 5-0 … Three second period goals lifted Novi to a 4-1 win over Traverse City … Tyler Sevenson had two goals as Midland handled Grosse Pointe 7-2 … Alex Klekotka had three goals and an assist as Holland beat Belle Tire Dearborn, 9-2 … Kyle Mulka had a hat trick as Novi beat Copper County 7-0 … Precopio had a hat trick as Allen Park blanked Traverse City 7-0 … Severson netted the game winner as Midland beat Belle Tire 2-0 … Craig Ramsdell scored twice but Grosse Pointe fell 3-2 to Holland … Dustin Manz had a goal and an assist as Traverse City beat Copper County 5-1 … Mulka scored twice in Novi’s 3-1 win over Allen Park … Terry Ryder scored the winner as Holland beat Midland 3-2.

Joe Conners / 616-805-9883 joeconners@gmail.com

MAHA State Tournaments

April 11, 2011 Volume 21 : Issue 20

Little Caesars gets threepeat with Pee Wee AAA Major state title BY CARL CHIMENTI

Behind the goaltending of Michael Latorella and a hat trick from Luke Cowan, Little Caesars rolled to a 5-1 win over Honeybaked and the MAHA Pee Wee AAA Major state title on March 13 at the Taylor Sportsplex. Collin Adams added a goal and two assists to help Little Caesars to their third straight state title. “It’s been us and Honeybaked for years and both teams are very good, but in the end it comes down to effort and the team that makes the least amount of mistakes,” said Little Caesars head coach Frank Scarpaci, during the championship celebration. “Our guys really dug down deep and gave a great effort.” After a scoreless opening period, Little Caesars scored twice in the middle period and iced the win with three goals in the third. Honeybaked head coach Mike Hamilton said his kids played well despite what the final score read. “We did not take advantage of our scoring opportunities, especially in the early moments of the game,” Hamilton said. “The goaltending at the other end was the difference and they are a very explosive offensive team and we knew we had to score some goals to stay in the game.” Both teams had their chances in the first period, and Honeybaked goaltender Alec Roye matched Latorella save for save. Roye made a big stop on Little Caesars’ Drake Rymsha on a breakaway and got help from the goaltender’s best friend when Sean Day rang a shot of the goal post. Little Caesars opened the scoring early in the second period when Cowan’s shot from inside the face off circle hit the goal post and went in over the goal line. Cowan connected again with five minutes left in the period. He took a perfect pass in front from Adams, who was parked behind the net. Honeybaked got on the board with just over a minute left in the period when Bobby Lynch flipped a shot past Latorella after taking a pass from behind the net from Noah LaLonde. Brandon Morgan was awarded the second assist. Little Caesars responded with a strong third period and mostly kept Honeybaked on their heels. Cowan completed his hat trick four minutes into the period, with Adams picking up the assist. Adams made it 4-1 three

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minutes later with Cowan getting the assist and Little Caesars closed out the scoring with an unassisted goal from Michael Robertson with 4:05 left to play. “Our team has been pretty unbeatable with a third period lead,” said Scarpaci. “We have played seventy games this year and have only lost five games with the lead going into the final period.” Scarpaci felt his confident with the one-goal lead and Cowan’s third goal really made a difference. “Going into the third period with a one goal lead we knew that we were in pretty good position,” Scarpaci said. “We just wanted to get through the first five minutes and when we scored the third goal within that time frame that kind of broke their backs.” Hamilton pointed towards a couple of factors in the game’s outcome. “I think the kids got a little tired and discouraged when they couldn’t get anything past Latorella.”

PEE WEE AAA MAJOR NOTEBOOK Ian Rush and Alex Andonoff scored goals for Belle Tire in the opening tilt of the four-game round robin, losing to Little Caesars 5-2…Victory Honda lone goal was scored by Riley Hestwood from Tryson Fink and C.J. Regula in a 4-1 loss to Honeybaked…Brandon Kruse had a goal and two assists and Brendan Prappas a goal and an assist for Victory Honda as they beat Belle Tire, 6-1. The lone Belle Tire goal came from Jack Olmstead with the assists going to Logan Jenuwine and Ian Rush…Honeybaked posted two shutouts in four games beating Compuware, 3-0, and Belle Tire, 7-0…Victory Honda’s Aryan Batra and Brendan Prappas scored single tallies and Riley Hestwood added an assist but came up a goal short in losing to Little Caesars 3-2…Kyle Blom registered a three-point game including a pair of goals and Nick Macari and Austin Grzenia each scored once to power Compuware to a 4-3 win over Victory Honda. Brandon Kruse had two goals and Aryan Batra two assists in the loss...Jay Denman had a four-goal game and added an assist to lead Compuware to a 9-1 win over Belle Tire. Keeghan Howdeshell contributed one goal and five assists. Alex Andonoff scored for Belle Tire with the assist going to Daniel DeBlouw.

St. Clair Shores gets OT win and Bantam B state title BY SARAH ZIENTARSKI

Behind 32 saves from Jenna Pleva and the game winning goal from Trevor Pode, the St. Clair Shores Bruins beat the Livingston Lightning, 4-3, in overtime to capture the MAHA Bantam B state title on March 13 at Eddie Edgar Arena in Livonia. Pleva’s performance earned her MVP honors. “I just do what I do and hope my team does the same thing,” she said. Pode finished with two goals and two assists in the game and netted the game winner early in the extra period when Tyler Quatrine picked up a loose puck in the neutral zone, moved along the sideboards and sailed a shot wide of the net. Pode corralled the loose puck and stuffed it past Livingston goalie Emily Barnowski. “I don’t really know what happened because it happened so fast,” Pode said. “It feels pretty good though. It was a team effort and I think we deserved to win.” The final featured two female goalies in Pleva and Barnowski. “I was just shocked that there was another girl goalie because you usually don’t see that often,” said Pleva. “It was a competition between us. She did really good though.” Livingston peppered Pleva with shots early on, but she keep the Lightning off the board until Pode took advantage of a Lightning defenseman losing an edge to blast a shot past Barnowski and give the Bruins a 1-0 lead. In the second period Pode gathered the puck behind the net and found Matthew Lenhardt in the slot who wristed the puck over a crowd and past Barnowski for a 2-0 lead. Down two goals Livingston picked up the pace. Their persistence paid off when right off the faceoff Aaron Eskola one-timed a pass from Kody Fletcher past Pleva to cut the lead in half on the powerplay. Then Brett Daavettila tied it up, 2-2, four minutes later with a wristshot to the back of the net. The Lightning’s speed and puck control forced another Bruins penalty early in the third period, and Daavettila broke the tie seconds after the puck drop to make it 3-2. “We lost kind of our mindset in the second period when they tied it up,” said Bruins’ coach Stewart Gardner. “We wanted to go back to our original gameplan, wait to create opportunities and then capitalize.” Pleva turned away ten shots in the final minutes and kept the Bruins in the game. Then with just 17.3 seconds left in the

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regulation, Pode found Quatrine in front and he put the puck between the legs of Barnowski to send the game into extra time. Before Pode’s heroics, Gardner told his players that overtime in the state finals was pretty exciting, so “let’s have some fun with it.” After the game, Pleva’s coaches and teammates couldn’t say enough about her play in the final and all year long. “She earned (the MVP) for sure,” Gardner said. “Without a doubt, between this game and the last, she’s done that throughout the season. She’s been that pillar when we went through districts standing up strong and making the saves necessary to propel us to a victory.” Pode added: “She played excellent all season. She’s a good goalie and we love her.”

BANTAM B NOTEBOOK The St. Clair Shores Bruins’ Trevor Pode posted two goals including the game winner in a 2-1 win over the Livonia Sharks… The Livingston Lightning’s Kody Fletcher chalked up a goal and two assists and Alex Montrose added a goal and an assist when the Lightning beat the Southgate Stars 5-2… Midland’s Austin Irrer posted a hat trick including the game winner and an assist in a 5-4 victory over the Rockford Rams. The Rams Jeff Benda had a hat trick and an assist… The Cadillac Vikings’ Samuel Denman scored twice in a 5-4 win over Ontonagon-Ironwood 5-4… The Lightning’s Aaron Eskola netted four goals in the Livingston’s 5-4 win over Cadillac… Ontonagon-Ironwood’s Justin Niemi had five goals and Brady Guilbault added four goals and an assist in their 10-8 defeat of Southgate…The Bruins’ Trevor Pode scored all three goals in Jenna Pleva’s 3-0 shutout of Midland…Livonia’s Greg Bo posted two goals and Alex Regish added a goal and an assist in the Sharks 4-2 win over Rockford…Livingston’s Adam Daavettila netted two goals in their 6-1 defeat of Ontonagon-Ironwood… Southgate’s Nick Youngheim chalked up two goals and Tim Witz had a goal and three assists in the Stars’ 6-1 defeat of Cadillac… St. Clair Shores’ Pode scored two goals and two assists with Jeffrey Kochanski adding another two goals in the Bruins’ 7-5 win over Rockford… Livonia’s Benjamin Abdo and Alex Regish each netted two goals in a 5-3 victory over Midland… Livingston’s Brett Daavettila posted a goal and two assists in the Lightning’s 3-1 victory over Livonia.

MAHA State Tournaments

Trenton takes Bantam AA state title with 3OT win over Farmington Hills BY SARAH ZIENTARSKI

After Trenton scored two early goals against Farmington Hills in the MAHA Bantam AA state final, the game could have developed into a blowout. Instead the championship game went to triple overtime before Trenton’s Domenic Fusco scored 36 seconds into the sixth period to give the Thunder a 5-4 win over the Fire and the state title on March 13 at Livonia’s Eddie Edgar Arena. Left all alone to the side of Fire goalie Brennan Overway, Fusco picked up a loose puck and fluttered it into a wide-open net to propel the Thunder to a spot at the USA Hockey National Tournament in New York. “It’s unbelievable,” Fusco said. “I blacked out when I scored it. I didn’t know what to do.” “(I was thinking) If I miss this, my team’s going to hate me forever so I was like, ‘I’ve got to put it’ in and luckily I did.” The goal capped a great back-and-forth final that could have went either way. “We couldn’t have been happier,” said Trenton coach Scott Peffer.“These kids worked hard all season to get here and to see them pull it off at the end like that brings you to tears a little bit.” Trenton opened the scoring on a breakaway goal from Mitchell Galea just four minutes into the game. And when Andrew Sawyer converted a 2-on-1 pass from Jeremy Ryan just minutes later the Thunder were on a roll. In the middle period Galea’s second goal of the game off a scramble in front of net extended the Thunder lead to 3-0. The lead seemed to put Trenton into a defensive mindset and the Fire capitalized. Following a timeout - and a few Thunder penalties - the Fire got on the board on a goal from Matthew Manning. Then in the final period the Fire stormed back on goals from Matthew Riggleman and MatthewTaliaferro four minutes apart to tie the score, 3-3, with less than five minutes remaining. “We did go into a 1-2-2 for a while there,” Peffer said. “We were shorthanded for a little bit and that kind of took our momentum away. That was probably the changing point of that game in the second and third periods.” The Thunder snapped out of it when Fusco blasted a shot over the glove of Overway to give Trenton a 4-3 lead with just over three minutes remaining. But again Farmington Hills didn’t give up. With 26 seconds left in regulation, Manning netted his second goal of the game

to tie it back up, 4-4. Both goalies battled in the two overtimes and turned away quality chances by each team. It looked like the Fire’s Manning might get a hat trick and win the game, but the Thunder’s netminder John Lethemon robbed him – bobbling the shot with his right shoulder three times before making the save. “That an awesome save,”Thunder assistant coach Bob Dunn said of the second overtime heroics of Lethemon. “It’s a timely save. Both goaltenders played really well.” “It was a tough loss,”said Farmington Hills coach Tom Moran. “We’ve had good, competitive games against them this season. Our kids played well and we had a great season.” MVP Fusco’s winning goal in the third extra period was the 38th shot on net for Trenton to Farmington Hills’ 37. “I think the kids really believed the whole game that we were going to win that game and I think that was the difference,”Dunn said. “They never thought we were going to lose that game.” That mindset was something the Thunder developed all year long. “There was never a time this season, even if we’re down a couple of goals, that we said we can’t get back in it,”said Peffer. “These guys have persevered through a lot of stuff, they work hard, they don’t get down, and they keep playing.”

BANTAM AA NOTEBOOK Marquette’s Jake Phillips netted the game winner in the Sentinels’ 2-1 win over Traverse City… Kentwood’s Alex Birkman, Cullen Beaufait and Mitchell Hawes each scored in a 3-0 shutout of Port Huron…Trenton’s Jake Barnes had a goal and two assists in the Thunder’s 7-2 defeat of Farmington Hills… Trenton’s Justin Dunn put up two goals and an assist in the Thunder’s 7-1 victory over Marquette… Livonia’s Andrew Puishes scored two goals as Knights beat Kentwood 6-1… Rochester’s Sean Rewold scored the game winner and Austin Featherstone had two assists in the Rattlers’ 5-3 win over Port Huron… Rochester’s Brady Tomlak racked up a goal and two assists in the Rattlers’ 4-1 defeat of Kentwood… Livonia’s Dante Seychel and Evan Rochowiak each had two goals in the Knights’ 9-1 win over Port Huron… Trenton’s John Lethemon shutout the Knights 3-0 with Brandon Robert posting a goal and an assist for the Thunder.

Belle Tire beats Little Caesars to take Bantam AAA Major state title BY CARL CHIMENTI

Last year the 1996 Belle Tire team could do no wrong in championship games. This year had been a different story – until the MAHA Bantam AAA Major state final where Belle Tire knocked off Little Caesars, 7-2, on March 13 at the Taylor Sportsplex. “Last year we won every championship we went for,” said Belle Tire head coach Joe Smaza. “This year has been a bit of a struggle winning the big game. We fell short in the final game of the Bauer Invitational. We lost in the Honeybaked tournament. So we got focused on our two main goals of winning the (TOEHL) championship and the state championship.” Mission accomplished and Belle Tire earned a trip to the USA Hockey National Tournament with the state championship. “I’m proud of the guys. The nationals are now the new focus and third piece of the puzzle,” said Smaza. Both teams were impressive in their semifinals. Little Caesars won, 9-1, over the West Michigan Warriors as Zach Zech and Grant Dukas each scored two goals and Austin Ahlgren had a goal and three assists. David Tomasek scored the only goal for the Warriors from Jacob Gammicchia. Belle Tire advanced to the title game by blanking Victory Honda 5-0. Dylan Pavelek had a goal and an assist and Jared Gardner and Dylan Larkin added a pair of helpers. The two teams were closely-matched this season, but in the state final Belle Tire scored quickly and opened up a fourgoal first period lead that was too much for Little Caesars to overcome. Austin Kamer scored twice, with the first one coming 39 seconds into the game from Larkin and Darby Llewallyn and the trio repeated the feat at the 2:34 mark. Belle Tire increased the lead to 3-0 when Pavelek, stationed right in front of the net, tapped in a pass from Kamer. Llewallyn padded the lead when he slipped a shot past Little Caesars goaltender Quentin Prokopetz as he was falling down in front. “We knew that they were a good team and they came at us with their guns blazing,” said Little Caesars head coach Bob Mantha. “It took us two periods to try and figure things out and unfortunately we picked a bad game to play a poor

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first two periods.” Llewallyn finished with two goals and four assists and was selected as the game MVP. Kamer scored twice with two assists and Dylan Larkin had a three-point game that included a goal. Evan Gizinski also scored unassisted on an end to end rush. Joshua Dakota put Little Caesars on the board in the middle period with a 5-on-3 powerplay goal from Nathan Kwiecinski. “We had a tough draw and I was concerned about having any gas left in the tank,” recalled Mantha. “I could see it in our previous two games. We kind of got down in the dumps and sometimes different plays and different goals can be real momentum movers in big games like this.” Gordon Helmuth added an unassisted third period goal for Little Caesars to close out the scoring. “Little Caesars beat us the last two times we played them and they are a great team,” said Smaza. “Once we got going we just wanted to put the pedal to the medal and go hard on them.

BANTAM AAA MAJOR NOTEBOOK Chase Whallon had two goals and two assists, Logan DeJong and Carson Comar two goals each and Dakota Wilson a goal and three assists to power the West Michigan Hounds to a 9-0 win over the Lansing Capitals…Tom Luzynski scored the lone goal and Tyler Pietrowski added the assist in Compuware’s 8-1 loss to Little Caesars…Victory Honda whitewashed Honeybaked 4-0 behind a pair of goals from Kyle Burhman and single markers from Dennis Cain and Connor Houle. Mike Behm and Keegan Miller each had two assists…Nathan Bryer provided Compuware their only goal and Kyle Perkowski the lone assist as they lost to Honeybaked…Peter Stewart and Austin Robbins each scored in Victory Honda’s 4-2 loss to Little Caesars. The only assist was credited to Cameron Collins...Victory Honda beat Compuware 4-3 in a very closely contested game on the last day of round robin play. Keegan Miller had a goal and an assist and Jackson Overlund, Connor Houle and Trenton Kulczyk scored one goal each for Victory Honda. Jordan Gallop scored a pair for Compuware.

Michigan Hockey

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MAHA State Tournaments

Redford wins second consecutive MAHA Midget B state title BY LARRY O’CONNOR

In the Redford Wolfpack’s case, friendships end up in championships. The close-knit outfit secured its second-consecutive MAHA Midget B state title, beating Marquette Main Street Pizza, 5-2, in the final at Jackson Optimist Ice Arena on March 20. Jerry Gagnon scored a hat trick, including a third-period tally on deftly placed penalty shot. Logan Bennett scored the game-winner in the final period while Nick Weigand added an empty-netter with 51.8 seconds left to punctuate the win. Joseph Knight and Jacob Peterson scored for Marquette, which rallied from a two-goal deficit to tie the game, 2-2, entering the final 20 minutes. Wolfpack goalie Camrin Wolford earned tournament MVP honors, garnering shutouts against Livonia, 7-0, and Westland, 10-0, in divisional play. Wolford also stood tall during the third period in Marquette’s attempt at a comeback. Bennett’s strategically launched wrist shot dashed those hopes. The winger deked the defenseman before depositing what turned out to be the deciding goal. “I went top shelf,” Bennett said. Gordey Sparks and David Smith assisted on the goal at 4:17 into the third period. Gagnon’s penalty shot added drama to the final. The referee immediately pointed to the center dot after Gagnon was hauled down on a breakaway scoring chance. He faked with the forehand before rounding Marquette goalie Nathan Edwards and slotting the puck home. Redford killed off two penalties – including one for too many men on the ice – in the last five minutes to preserve the victory. “They are playing with all their friends – that’s what it is all about,” said Redford Coach Jerry Curtis, who missed the final game due to the team’s accumulation of penalties in the semifinal win over Fraser. Gary Maples handled the bench duties for the title game. “At this level, there are a lot of emotions at times. It’s all about memories.” The team cruised through the state tournament divisional play, going 2-1. Redford squeaked past Port Huron, 4-3, in the semifinals. Daniel Bleyaert scored the game-winner with 3:36 left in the penalty-filled contest. Redford was whistled for 38 minutes in penalties, which included a 10-misconduct to Michael Dibble. Port Huron received 14 minutes in penalties while Trevor Goodwin got

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a game misconduct. The District 3 representatives went undefeated in Little Caesars Amateur Hockey League play, going 8-0-1 and was 2-1 in the LCAHL playoffs, losing to Fraser, 4-3. The team also won Big Bear and Motor City Cup tournaments. Marquette beat Redford, 2-0, in divisional play en route to the finals. Jacobs Marks and Doug Ohman scored for the Main Street Pizza-sponsored outfit, which went 2-1 in pool play. The team arrived in Jackson on Thursday night after an eight-hour journey from the U.P. and skated Friday morning to prepare for the state tournament. Marquette edged Fraser, 3-1, in the semifinals. Cameron Place, Joseph Knight and Marks scored for Main Street Pizza; Anthony Agrusa had Fraser’s lone marker. The District 8 representatives beat Manistique in a two-game series to earn a trip to the state tournament. “We put together a team we felt could compete for a state championship,” Marquette coach Blake Rieboldt said. “That’s what we did. Win, lose or draw, we’re proud of the kids. “We came up a little short today. We didn’t get the puck to bounce our way a few times. It wasn’t for a lack of trying. The kids left everything on the ice.” Afterwards, Marquette’s Cote Marshall, Collin Fleury and Connor Remsburg consoled their goalie, Nathan Edwards, who backstopped his team to a shutout over the same Redford squad two days prior. “That’s indicative of this team,” Rieboldt said. “Through the whole process, our team has been professional, courteous and they’ve played the game the way it should be played.”

MIDGET B NOTEBOOK Fraser’s 3-0 run in divisional play was highlighted by a pair of one-goal victories over Port Huron, 7-6, and Ann Arbor, 6-5. Nick Bordeaux scored the game-winner against Port Huron while Rob Skelton’s goal was the decider against Ann Arbor… Adam Slingerland and Eric Hudolin both had a pair of goals in Port Huron’s 8-4 victory over Ann Arbor in divisional play… Bryce Lane’s two goals paced Port Huron to a 3-2 victory over tournament host Jackson Generals. Vincent Opperman and Timothy Holleque replied for Jackson, which finished 0-3… Travis Lopus’ four-goal outburst led the Livonia Blackhawks to an 8-2 victory over the Westland Warriors… Andrew Kitto scored a hat trick while Evan Grimme netted two goals in Ann Arbor Storm’s 6-4 triumph over Jackson.

Southgate holds off Marquette for Midget BB state championship BY JOHN RAFFEL

Southgate picked a fine time to enjoy some revenge over Marquette in the MAHA Midget BB state tournament at Grand Rapids Patterson Ice Center over March 18-20. After losing to Marquette in the preliminary round, the Capitals prevailed 5-3 in the final to take the state championship honors. Southgate was 4-1 for the weekend. Overall, Southgate finished 40-9. “We had a lot of penalties in that game,”said Southgate coach Curt Gustafson.“And we felt if we didn’t have so many penalties we could compete with them and maybe even beat them. “I told my players we’d have to stay out of the penalty box, be very disciplined and make sure all our shots were on net.” The Capitals listened well – and ended up having just three penalties in the title game. “The key to success was work hard in practice and practice like you play and play hard,” Gustafson said. “These boys gave it their all.” The tournament’s MVP was goaltender Zach Zilch, the team’s only goalie all season. “Obviously this weekend he was outstanding,” Gustafson said. “He let a few in, but overall, he kept the team up and did an awesome job keeping the puck out of the net in the final. That’s why he was MVP.” Mike Salyers, Steve Shariak and Jim Saltalamacchia were Kollias’ assistants. “It feels great,” Zilch said. “This is my second year in a row here. I lost in the semifinals last year so it’s a good feeling to win.” Against Marquette, “we knew we had to stay out of the box since every one of their goals the last time was on the power play,” Zilch said. Southgate took early control of the title game with a 2-0 lead in the first period. Brandon Obourn scored at 13:43, assisted by Matt Salyers and Brian Bokun. Then Zach Chapman converted unassisted at 5:55 of the opening period by beating Marquette goalie Chris Nebel. Both teams scored three goals in an explosive second period. Southgate went up 3-0 on an unassisted power play goal by Johnny Guerrero. But Marquette came back to tie the game, 3-3, on evenstrength goals at 13:26 by Hayden Gray, assisted by Jake

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Robinson, at 12:18 by Ian O’Neill, assisted by Chase Genschas and at 10:57 by Adam Brugman, unassisted. But Southgate responded with two more goals in the second period at 13:14 by Chris Bujacki, assisted by Chapman and at 3:48 by Obourn, assisted by Jake Keehn. “They came out and scored some quick goals early and we were playing catch up the whole game,” said Marquette assistant Jamie Patterson. “We out-shot them 41-17. Their goalie just stood on his head. He came up big.” Zilch made 38 saves in the final. “I stayed with my original game plan,” Zilch said. “Rest in between game helps. My teammates in front of me helped me a lot.” Marquette fell to 53-4-1.

MIDGET BB NOTEBOOK In other action during the weekend, Marquette beat Mount Clemens, 3-1, in a semifinal game with Jake Robinson notching one goal and one assist… In the other semifinal, Jason Kollias had two goals to lead Southgate to a 4-3 win over Flint… Marquette had a 4-1 win over Southgate earlier in the tournament with Robinson getting a goal and assist… Steve Smith scored three goals and had one assist while Kenneth Novak had two goals in Livonia’s 10-4 win over St. Ignace…. Grand Rapids lost to Ann Arbor 9-2. Ann Arbor got two goals apiece for Brandon Neeb and Tyler Weng… Nick Letizio picked up two assists in Southgate’s 5-3 win over Livonia… Kyle Marsh had two goals and Kyle Mundy added a goal and assist in Flint’s 3-1 win over Mount Clemens… Mark Ellison had two goals and Jake Robinson had two goals and one assist in Marquette’s 8-0 win over Livonia… Grand Rapids had a 4-2 win over Flint, sparked by Keith Howell with two goals and Kam Kilbanek had a goal and two assists… Rony Attard had two goals in Southgate’s 5-0 blanking of St. Ignace… Michael Graham had a goal and assist for Mount Clemens while Greg Miller had a goal and assist for Ann Arbor in a 3-3 tie… Marquette blanked Livonia 8-0 with Mark Ellison and Jake Robinson collecting two goals apiece…. Mount Clemens netted two goals apiece from Parker Gould and Travis Jacques plus a goal and two assists from Franciso Erace in a 12-1 win over Grand Rapids…Tony Campbell had three goals and one assist in Flint’s 5-4 win over Ann Arbor.

MAHA State Tournaments

April 11, 2011 Volume 21 : Issue 20

Honeybaked sweeps Little Caesars for Midget AAA Minor state title BY CARL CHIMENTI

After losing 3-2 in overtime to Honeybaked the night before, Little Caesars came out flying the next day in game two with the hopes of tying the best of three MAHA Midget AAA Minor state final series. The pressure paid off as Little Caesars took an early 1-0 lead when Mitch Wedding’s wrist shot from a big angle glanced off Honeybaked goaltender Jared Sauve’s shoulder and rolled over him and into the net. But two Honeybaked goals 19 seconds apart at the end of the opening period changed the momentum, and Honeybaked went onto a 5-2 game two victory and the state title on March 13 at the Taylor Sportsplex. “They came out and took it to us early but we hit them with a little more depth,” said Honeybaked head coach Mike Hamilton after the game. “We bounced back with a little fury for about five minutes that produced a couple of nice goals that put them on their heels.” Sauve was very sharp and turned aside 23 of 25 shots in the game. And Hamilton believed that his team’s experience was a key in the turnaround. “Our guys have been in those situations before,” Hamilton revealed. “We found a way to get pucks to the net and our goaltending, which was phenomenal, kept us in the game.” Down 1-0 Honeybaked responded with two quick goals. Following a scramble in front of the net, David Parrottino found the loose puck and deposited in past a sprawled Little Caesars goaltender Kevin Aldridge. Tyler Motte had the lone assist. Moments later Bewick did it again. He took a great pass from behind the net from Mitch Maloney and he made no mistake to put Honeybaked in the lead for good. “The whole game was full of highs and lows just like our season this year,” said head coach Jeff Helmuth, who has been with the Little Caesars organization for 14 years. “They are a very good team and you just can’t make mistakes against them.” Helmuth felt both teams matched up evenly against each other. “You play 70 games a year and these are two of the top five teams in the country,” stated Helmuth. Motte scored what proved to be the winner just two minutes into the second period when he let go a shot that Aldridge got a piece of but the puck managed to trickle into the net for an

unassisted goal. Evan Allen made it 4-1 on a pass from Parrottino at 2:41 and Honeybaked capped off a three-goal middle stanza with a 5-on-3 powerplay goal from Parrottino. Little Caesars was awarded a penalty shot and Colin Horton made it count to close out the scoring. “It was just their day,” said Helmuth, as his team departed the ice for the final time this season. “We wish Honeybaked all the luck in the Nationals.” In game one, Donovan Bewick’s second goal at 7:36 of overtime put Honeybaked up 1-0 in the series. Bewick also had an assist as part of a three-point game and Adam Ulfsax also scored once for the victors. Anthony Mousseau had a goal and Colin Horton a goal and an assist for Little Caesars.

MIDGET AAA MINOR NOTEBOOK The Midget AAA Minor tournament had eight teams split into two divisions, American and National, with four teams advancing to the playoffs following round robin play… In the first semifinal Little Caesars beat Compuware 4-1. The lone goal for Compuware was scored by Zach Born from Alex Marcinek and Leo Lumm…In the second semifinal Honeybaked advanced with a 5-1 win over the Detroit Falcons. Scoring for the Falcons was Bryan Lubin from AJ Bradley and Chase Matson…Joel Cochran scored the lone goal in the Detroit Falcons 6-1 loss to Little Caesars. The assist went to Lubin… The Michigan Warriors beat the Lansing Capitals, 3-2, behind a pair of goals and an assist from Michael Pelino, while Ethan Stafford and Dillon Schuyler tallied once for Lansing and Antonio Diaz added two assists…Cochran scored four goals and one assist in the Detroit Falcons 5-2 win over Belle Tire, who got two goals from Vito Aluia…Alex Pawelczyk had a goal and an assist to lead Compuware to a 4-1 win over the Lansing Capitals. Scoring for the Capitals was Cole Sibley from Cameron Hite…Leo Lumm had four points including two goals and Henry Berger scored twice for Compuware in a 6-2 victory over the Michigan Warriors, who received goals from Brendan Benedetto and Johnathan Lekosiotis…Ryan Cusin and Brian Sanchez scored the only goals as Belle Tire shut out Victory Honda 2-0… Victory Honda lost to the Detroit Falcons, 3-2, with goals from Kyle Ruggles and Jake McNamara.

Honeybaked takes two over Compuware for Midget Major state title BY CARL CHIMENTI

After battling to four ties in four games during the regular season, it was only fitting that the Honeybaked and Compuware Midget Major squads were tied after regulation in game one of the best of three MAHA state final March 12 at the Taylor Sportsplex. The game was finally decided at 2:11 of double overtime when Honeybaked’s Joe Pizza scored unassisted after picking up a rebound and depositing it past Compuware goaltender Zach Nagelvoort. The goal gave Honeybaked a 1-0 win, and the squad came back the next day with a 6-2 win over Compuware to win the state title. “Zach delivered an outstanding effort and kept us in the game,” Compuware head coach Derek Szajner said about his netminder. “Honeybaked dominated the first two periods and we finally got our act together in the third period and overtime. From that point on it was anyone’s game.” While the two teams were evenly matched, game two belonged to Honeybaked from the opening faceoff. Nick Schilkey scored three goals for Honeybaked and Andrew Mayer, who was named MVP, potted two along with adding an assist. Alex Smith rounded out the scoring and Brett D’Andrea contributed with a pair of assists. Mike Ferrantino and Nino Romita scored for Compuware. “Obviously winning the first game in overtime gave us a lot of momentum for the next game,”said Honeybaked head coach Steve Dickinson. “Going into game two we knew that we had to play hard for the entire game and we did that.” After playing almost five periods the night before, Honeybaked wanted to get on the board quickly in game two. Schilkey opened the scoring at 2:25 with D’Andrea drawing the only assist. Five minutes later, Honeybaked increased their lead to 2-0 on a goal by Mayer from Derek O’Flynn. Compuware got one back at 5:54 as Ferrantino lit the lamp with Joe Cox and Josh Arnold adding helpers. Smith restored Honeybaked’s two goal lead with 2:44 left in third period after being set up by Alex Archibald. “The three first period goals put them in a big hole,” said Dickinson, who is completing his first season as head coach after spending three years with the team as an assistant coach. “From there we increased the pressure on the forecheck and continued to play hard to maintain our lead.” Honeybaked built their lead to 5-1 on two goals from

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Schilkey in the middle period, the first unassisted early in the stanza and the second with 1:52 left from Mayer and D’Andrea. “We tried to get some momentum going but we just continued to spin our wheels,” said Szajner, who took over the team in January. “They pretty much shut us down, from there goaltender on out.” Any comeback bid was stymied by Compuware’s nine minor penalties in the third period. “That was pretty much the game,” said Szajner. “The run of penalties hurt. You can’t play Honeybaked shorthanded and expect to win.” The two teams traded goals with Mayer scoring for Honeybaked from Pizza and Romita for Compuware with the assist going to Jon Farkas. After the game Dickinson spoke proudly of his team. “We are the youngest team to win a state title with three 15-year olds and twelve 16-year olds,”revealed Dickinson.“We had a lot of growing pains this year and it took some time for the kids to mature but we kept getting better and better.” “The boys were going on all cylinders today.”

MIDGET AAA MAJOR NOTEBOOK In one semifinal, Honeybaked beat the Detroit Falcons, 5-2. Matt Buccellato had a goal and an assist and Michael Munoz also scored for the Falcons with single assists going to Alex Miller and Nick D’Agostino… Compuware beat Victory Honda 5-1 in the second game. Dominik Patocka scored the lone goal with Max Shuart and Joshua Henke picking up the assists…In Little Caesars 5-1 loss to Compuware, AJ English scored the lone goal with assists from CJ Reuschlein and Jack Ridgeway…Victory Honda shutout the Capital Centre Pride 2-0 behind goals from Kyle Gattelard and Cutler Martin. Blake Butzow and Joshua Henke drew assists…In the Falcons 4-3 win over Belle Tire seven different players scored. The Falcons goals were scored by Drew Savage, Nick Serafini, Vlad Shalimov and Nick D’Agostino. Scoring for Belle Tire were Omar Mullan, Alex Globke and Sheldon Dries…The Lansing Capital’s Nick Beaune scored twice in a 4-2 victory over Capital Centre. Jason Fernsler scored both goals for the Pride…Chad Morgan’s two goals and a pair of assists from Alex Miller lifted the Falcons to a 3-0 win over Little Caesars…In Victory Honda’s 7-2 win over Lansing, Kyle Gattelaro had three points, including a pair of goals. Matt Williams and Trevor Cope contributed a goal and an assist each. Myles Maltz scored both goals for the Capitals.

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MAHA State Tournaments

April 11, 2011 Volume 21 : Issue 20

North Farmington Harrison wins MAHA J.V. Tier I state championship BY SUSAN SMILEY

North Farmington Harrison started the MAHA JV Division 1 JV state title game slowly, picked up speed, and then went on a bona fide roll to top Sault Ste. Marie, 6-2, on March 13 at Great Lakes Sports City in Fraser. Matt Goldin opened the scoring for Farmington four minutes into the first period when the puck deflected off the goalie’s shoulder and into the net. From then on, Farmington just kept firing away at the Sault Ste. Marie net. “We like to come out strong and set the tone,” said Farmington coach Bill Devlin. “We want to show everyone that we are serious and that we are here to play.” Sean Devlin scored a smooth goal later in the period by slipping the puck low through the crease into the net. Farmington’s third goal came late in the period when Eric Stanis was pushed into the Soo’s goaltender. Stanis was still able to pass the puck to Noah Downs who ultimately scored. Sault St. Marie fans were looking for an interference call, but the goal stood and no penalties were called on the play. “I felt scoring early was very important for us,” said Farmington’sPaul Schneider. “It kept the momentum going from our previous games and gave us momentum in this one.” Downs scored again at the midway point of the second period when some extracurricular action developed after the whistle. The result of the tussle behind the net was a 10-minuite penalty and a game misconduct for Sault St. Marie’s Tony Bonacci. That should have been a huge bonus for Farmington, but instead, the long stoppage in play seemed to disrupt their scoring surge and instead sparked the Soo. “It really disrupted our flow,” said Farmington’s Eric Miller. “We were on a roll and that just really stopped it.” When play resumed, Farmington failed to take advantage of its 10-minute power play and for the first time in the game, the momentum swung in Sault Ste. Marie’s favor. “It definitely threw us off our game – the long stoppage in the game,” said Stanis. “We weren’t expecting anything like that at all and we seemed kind of off after that. We were able to regroup a little after the period ended.”

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Michigan Hockey

Devlin saw that his players seemed to be sitting back a little after the stoppage and told his players to stick to their game plan. That resulted in a goal from Miller, but after that goal, Farmington went into its defensive shell again. Sault Ste. Marie scored two quick goals just eight seconds apart and appeared to be starting on a roll of their own. Speedy Seth Gruenberg wove through the Farmington defense to score the Soo’s first goal and was quickly followed by a goal from Zach Eitrem. Now it was Sault Ste. Marie that had the momentum and Devlin took the opportunity to give his team a breather and regroup. “I called a time out after that second goal just to remind everyone to stay calm and just keep playing the way they had in the first period,” said Bill Devlin. “That seemed to help and we were able to get back on track.” The Farmington players credited the break with helping them catch their breath and get back on the ice with a better attitude. “During the time out, coach told us to settle down and we focused and just settled ourselves,” said Eamon Devlin. “Things got a little crazy there in the third period and we just needed someone to remind us to relax and play our game,” said Schneider. Gruenberg skated like a man on fire and tried several more times to score but to no avail. Instead, Farmington’s Goldin added an insurance goal to finish the game. “We had a little period there where we sat back,” said Bill Devlin. “But fortunately we were able to bounce back from that and win the game.”

J.V. DIVISION 1 NOTEBOOK Sault Ste. Marie’s Seth Gruenberg was the Division 1 Tournament MVP. He had a goal and five assists in his teams last two games… In the Division 1 semifinal games, Sault Ste. Marie topped Traverse City 5-3 and Farmington Harrison shut out Chelsea Prep 6-0. . . .Farmington’s Eric Stanis had three assists in the championship game. . . .Frankie Awdish had a goal and two assists in the semifinal game against Chelsea.

Hartland dominates in MAHA J.V. Division 2 state tournament final BY SUSAN SMILEY

Hartland displayed a solid all-around game on both sides of the puck and rolled to a 6-1 win over Midland in the MAHA J.V. Division 2 state final on March 6 at Great Lakes Sports City in Fraser. Hartland quickly set the tone with two first period goals and finished with goals from six different players. Midland didn’t get on the scoreboard until late in the third period. While the firepower was impressive, a stellar performance by goaltender Matt Caris and the seasoned Hartland defense was equally so. Trevor Sudbay was channeling Detroit Red Wings forward Tomas Holmstrom by setting up in front of Midland’s crease, getting jostled by the opposition and doing his best to screen Midland net minder Mike Klug. In front of his own net, he was busy clearing opposing players out of Caris’ way. “That is Trevor’s role and he has been effective all season long,” said Hartland head coach Kevin Travers. “This is a team that we’ve built from the net out so defense has always been important.” It’s what Sudbay has been doing all year long - giving his teammates the best opportunity to score. “Most of what I do is just get a wide stance,” said Sudbay. “My goal is to get in front of the net. They cycle the puck and get it in. I’m just trying to screen the goalie because what he can’t see, he can’t save.” Jordan Lutz opened the scoring for Hartland less than two minutes into the first period. Chris McRae netted the second goal midway through the period when he tipped a rebound through the crowd in front of Midland’s crease. “I think scoring those first two goals was huge,” said McRae, who had a goal and two assists on the night. “It got the momentum going which really helps. I think we had the momentum the whole game, but I didn’t really feel comfortable until late in the third period.” Midland had a two-man advantage midway through the second period with a chance to cut the two-goal deficit in half. But instead of capitalizing on the opportunity, they gave up a shorthanded goal when Hartland’s Austin Flores scored on a breakaway. “Even though the first two goals definitely set the tone for the game, I think it was that breakaway that really gave is

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the momentum,” said Travers. “It was the result of us taking advantage of an opportunity - which is something we did well throughout the game.” Hartland’s Eric Parry and Justin Bailey also scored in the second period. Bailey fired the puck in from the blue line to put Hartland up 5-0. Midland had chances to score but simply could not penetrate Caris. Hartland’s netminder made several stellar saves to stymie the Midland offense. “A good team relies on good offense and good defense,” said Caris. “Even if you can score a lot of goals, you need good defense to diminish their scoring. It really helps me to stay on my game when I’ve got my defense playing so well in front of me.” Midland got a power play late in the game and swarmed the Hartland net, but Caris was up to the task. The first shot went wide of the net; the next shot was deflected off Caris’glove and onto the glass and Caris snagged the third shot with his glove. “He was the backbone of the team,” said Travers. “He really was a brick wall for us.” Finally, Alex Goodwin scored the lone goal for Midland to spoil Caris’ shutout. “It was really a total team effort tonight,” said Travers. “We really did a good job of controlling the neutral zone and that helped to create scoring chances and we took advantage of that.” Hartland also won the conference playoff tournament and the regular season title and finished the year with a 56-6-4 record. “They are a tight-knit group,”Travers said. “They do a lot of things outside of hockey. They hang out and do stuff together and it translates back into the game.”

DIVISION 2 NOTEBOOK In the semifinal games, Hartland topped Shamrock Prep 9-5 and defeated Trenton 5-1.Trevor Sudbay scored two goals just nine seconds apart in the second period of the semifinal game versus Trenton. Chris McRae also had a goal and four assists in the game… Hartland goaltender Matt Caris was MVP of the Division 2 tournament. . . .D.Spiegel scored two goals for Shamrock Prep in the semifinal game. . . . Hartland scored six of its nine goals in the third period.

MAHA State Tournaments

McCaffrey’s wins Adult Tier 3 state championship in OT Wyandotte-based McCaffrey’s won the MAHA Adult Tier 3 state championship with a 3-2 overtime win over the Kalamazoo Wings on March 13 at Great Lakes Sports City arenas in Fraser. Chris Brazen scored twice to give Kalamazoo a 2-1 lead after two periods, but McCaffrey’s Matt Mosely scored his second goal of the game with 1:19 remaining in the third period to send the game into overtime. It took almost six minutes for Steve Sabo to net the game winner from close in on goalie Andrew Karie. In the first semifinal, McCaffrey’s skated past perennial

finalist Quantum Graphics (GLSC) by a 6-1 margin. Byron Giacchina led the way with a goal and two assists. Sabo had three assists for the winners. The Wings beat Malarkey’s (Trenton), 4-1, to make the final, with Brazen scoring twice and Mike Gauthier adding a goal and an assist for the Wings. This was the 14th year of the Tier 3 state championship and twelve teams competed in the tournament.

Van’s Development takes Adult Over 30 state title Van’s Development defeated the St. Clair Shores Coyotes, 5-1, to win their first MAHA Adult Over 30 Division state championship on March 13 at Great Lakes Sports City arenas in Fraser. Van’s, who play out of the Onyx Rochester Ice Arena, had previously been victorious in the Tier 3 state tournament division. Van’s got goals from five different players in the final of the eight team tournament, with Nick Poliski, Mike Smith, Guy Vanittersum, Jon Gruden and Jon Finstrom all notching goals in the win. George Schaeffler had the only score for the Coyotes. The two teams tied, 3-3, in the preliminary round. “We had a great season,” said Van’s Guy Vanittersum. “Most

of our guys are over 40 and we all got along – there were no primadonnas. The competition at the tournament was really good and we had a great experience.” In the first semifinal, defending champion Zaschak Enterprises (UM Dearborn) lost to the Coyotes, 4-3. Zaschak built a 3-1 lead after two periods, but the Coyotes erased the lead and took a one goal advantage that stood up. Van’s beat the Michigan Sting (Troy Sports Center) 9-1 in the other semifinal behind two goals from both Marcus Hughes and Vanittersum. This was the fourth year of the Over 30 recreation division championship and the growing talent level may require a split into Over 30 Tier 1 and Tier 2 divisions in the future.

PASI Belle Tire takes Adult Tier I state championship PASI Belle Tire won their second MAHA Adult Tier 1 state championship in five years by defeating Ragold Lucent, 3-1, in the final on March 6 at the Summit at Capital Centre Arena in Dimondale. After a scoreless first period, PASI Belle Tire took control in the middle period on goals from Ryan Zack, Dustin Wischmeyer and Marc Norrington. Jeff Lupu’s late second period score rallied Lucent, but PASI’s stellar team defense and the goaltending of Mike Brusseau kept the seven time state champions at bay for the remainder of the game. “We’ve lost to them the past few years, so it’s nice to finally beat them,” said PASI Belle Tire’s Dan Bennetts. “Our games are

always good battles.” In the first semifinal, Lucent twice gave up two goal leads to the Downriver Leafs (The Peak). Tim Osburn put Lucent in the lead for good converting a pass from Steve Ferranti with 5:38 remaining in the game. The 4-3 victory sent Lucent to the state championship game for the ninth time in the last eleven seasons. In the other semifinal PASI Belle Tire took a 3-1 lead on a strong Tuscola Energy team from Saginaw. A quick goal by Tuscola’s Kevin Wesolek tightened the game before PASI’s Kirk Gurney sealed the win with an empty net goal.

Detroit takes Adult Tier 2 state championship in OT The Detroit Wake won their first MAHA adult state championship by defeating the defending state champion Shamrocks (GLSC), 2-1, in overtime on March 6 at the Summit at Capital Centre Arena in Dimondale. Six minutes into the extra session, Jordan Podsiad jumped on a rebound of a Boby Nelson shot and buried it to send the Trenton-based Wake home with the trophy. Mike Lukawski drew the other assist on the game winner. Both teams failed to score in the first period with each team blocking several shots. Lukawski opened the scoring for the Wake midway through the second period with a power play

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goal. Ryan Lemke brought the Shamrocks back two minutes later with a power play shot just under the cross bar. The Wake hit the post late in the game, but the puck stayed out of the net to set up overtime. Wake handled Cariera’s (Mt. Clemens), 5-2, in the semifinals behind two goals from Patrick Lee and single goals from Austin Shaw, Josh Bussel and Chris Abraham. Cariera’s goals came from Jeff Onofrey and Brian Raymond. The Shamrocks made the final with a 3-0 win over Concord EMS from Melvindale. Ryan Glover earned the shutout and Robert Harrison had two goals in the win.

Michigan Hockey

35

Miss Hockey PHOTO BY PHILIP COLVIN/MICHIGAN HOCKEY

MEALS for

Hockey Moms STICKY CHICKEN WINGS WITH BLUE CHEESE DIP

nce Finding the right insura . program just got easier

Ice Rinks Roller Rinks

Sports Complexes Hockey & Figure Skating Adult &Youth Leagues Special Events Civic Centers Exhibitions Workers Comp

12 chicken wingettes, separated at the joint and tips discarded 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1/4 cup sour cream 2 ounces (1/4 cup) cream cheese, at room temperature

1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese Salt and pepper 1/4 cup store-bought tangy barbecue sauce 1/4 cup honey 1 clove garlic, finely chopped 1/4 cup sesame seeds, toasted

Position an oven rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 450°. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil. In a large bowl, toss together the chicken, oil, 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Arrange the chicken on the prepared baking sheet and roast for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mash the sour cream and cream cheese with a fork; season with salt. Stir in the blue cheese and 1 tablespoon water. Refrigerate until ready to use. In another large bowl, stir together the barbecue sauce, honey and garlic. Transfer the partially cooked chicken wings to the sauce with tongs and stir to coat. Discard the foil and line the same baking sheet with parchment paper. Return the wings to the baking sheet and roast in the oven for 8 minutes. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds and roast until the wings are nicely browned, about 5 minutes more. Serve with the blue cheese dipping sauce.

Submit your recipe & photo to: lucia@michiganhockeyonline.com Contact Lucia @ 248-479-1134 if you would like to sponsor this unique program.

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Michigan Hockey

Cranbrook’s C ranbrook’’ss Jacoby Jacoby iiss Miss M iss H Hockey ockey Colleen Jacoby started playing hockey because her older brother needed a goalie to practice with. Twelve years later, the Cranbrook-Kingswood junior is still playing between the pipes – and playing well. So well that she was named the 2011 Miss Hockey award winner. Winning the honor wasn’t something Jacoby was expecting, but once she was named the winner, reality set in. “I was in complete shock,� said Jacoby. “It took a few minutes for it to really hit me, but afterwards, I could not stop smiling.� Jacoby joined the Cranes three years ago and has seen her share of not only team and individual success, but something more that will last a lifetime. �Cranbrook-Kingswood girls hockey is the best team I’ve ever been a part of; we’re like a huge family,� Jacoby beamed. “We are always together and no matter what happens during the school day, we all come together in the locker room. It’s truly a team where I can tell anyone on the team anything. It’s not the kind of team where people start yelling when something goes wrong and I believe that kind of sportsmanship is what truly makes a successful team.� Earning individual honors is obviously a feather in Jacoby’s cap, or goalie helmet, but she also showed a humble side by crediting the Cranbrook staff. �Coach (Terry) Brooks, along with Coach (Tom) Lagrasso, Coach Sam (Antonucci) and Coach Andy (Weidenbach) have all been an extremely positive influence on my career,� said Jacoby. “They have always been more than willing to help me work on a specific skill.� Looking back on how she practically started playing hockey to assist her brother, Jacoby said she used to get upset when he would put one past her on the ice. “When I was really little, I would watch my brother play and I was always intrigued by how one person had their own place on the ice,� explained Jacoby. “I wanted to try it and my brother wanted someone to shoot on. So from the time I was five, I played goalie. I used to get really upset when my brother would score on me, but after all these years, I’ve realized that all his shots made me a much better goalie now.� Looking ahead to next year, Jacoby said she simply wants to help the Cranes to get back to the state title game. After next season, Jacoby should have her pick of Division I college teams. “This past spring break, I visited Boston College, Boston University, Quinnipiac University, Providence College and Wisconsin, but I’m just getting started with the college process,� said Jacoby. “I hope to find a college where I can play hockey, but also have as many memorable college experiences as the high school ones I have been lucky enough to have so far.� By Matt Mackinder

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866-223-2112

Mr Hockey

April 11, 2011 Volume 21 : Issue 20

PHOTO BY PHILIP COLVIN/MICHIGAN HOCKEY

PHOTO BY PHILIP COLVIN/MICHIGAN HOCKEY

Wyandotte’s yand dott otte’s M Mayhew ayhew Ben B en JJohnson ohnson n named ame ed d W is Hockey is cco-Mr. o-Mr. H ockey co-Mr. cco o-Mr. H Hockey ockey When Ben Johnson was announced as the 2011 Michigan High School Hockey Coaches Association co-Mr. Hockey award winner (along with Wyandotte’s Gerald Mayhew), the Calumet junior forward didn’t know what to say. “It was a shock and I’m still in shock,” said Johnson, who led the Copper Kings to the Division 3 state final. “I didn’t expect it, but it’s an honor.” Johnson, who finished the season with 35 goals and 77 points in 30 games, had put the award on his pre-season list of attainable goals. “I figured that if I won it, it would show people that I had a good season,” said Johnson, who becomes the second Calumet player to win the award after Bob Rangus in 1998. “It’s a perfect ending to a good season.” It’s also the ending to his high school career, as Johnson figures to be playing junior hockey for the Fargo (ND) Force of the United States Hockey League next fall. Johnson saw action in Fargo early this season before returning to Calumet. “I’ve played three years of high school hockey and I think I’m ready to make the jump,” Johnson said. “When I was up there, I realized that the USHL is great hockey. I hope it goes well next year, but I also know there are no guarantees. I think playing in Calumet, where we have great fans, got me ready to play juniors, too.” After getting drafted by Fargo, Johnson went to the Force’s summer tryout camp and witnessed firsthand what the USHL exemplifies in terms of talent. “Getting drafted was something else that definitely wasn’t expected, but I was pleased I was taken by a team like Fargo,” said Johnson. “When I went to camp, I saw what it took to take that next step in hockey. I just need to keep working hard.” Johnson has aspirations of playing Division I college hockey and hopes playing in Fargo will help him reach that goal. He’s already had “a couple offers,” but is in no hurry to have too much of his future planned out. “I’m in no rush to pick a college,” explained Johnson. “I just want to weigh all of my options and make the right choice. I’ve wanted to play D-I since I was a little kid and I hope that dream comes true one day.” For the present, though, Johnson is little by little accepting his Mr. Hockey accomplishment. “You look at all the names of guys who have won this before me and they’ve all succeeded in college and some in the NHL,” said Johnson. “When something like this happens, you have to thank those around you and my coaches and linemates really helped me out and become the player I am. I couldn’t have done all this myself.” By Matt Mackinder

44-goall season andd a state his bbelt, Wyandotte With a 44 t t championship h i hi under d hi lt W d tt senior i forward Gerald Mayhew was an easy choice for this year’s co-Mr. Hockey award (along with Calumet’s Ben Johnson). “I was actually hoping to win, but I really didn’t think I would,” said Mayhew. “There are a lot of good players out there that also could have won it. I didn’t even think I would come close.” The Bears captain is the first Wyandotte player to receive the individual honor and the third player in four years from the Downriver area to win the award. In 2008, Trenton’s Josh Miller was named Mr. Hockey and in 2009 Trenton’s Cam Wojtala earned the honors. “Gerald is a proven leader,” Wyandotte coach Mike Quint told Wyandotte Patch. “He’s the kind of kid everyone would want on their team. He’s a hard worker and very dedicated. He’s quite a young man.” Mayhew deflecting any individual attention to his team and their state championship run. “The support we had this year was unreal,”said Mayhew.“And everyone contributed. This year was perfect and it all came together for us.” At Christmas Mayhew realized that a state title was well within Roosevelt’s sights. “We were all at a Christmas party and as I looked around, there were no individual groups, no isolation,” noted Mayhew. “Everyone was all at one table and that made me think that this could be our year.” Mayhew, who teamed with senior Nick Kowalchik to form one of the state’s top 1-2 punches this season, has signed a tender to play next season with the Junior A Kalamazoo Jr. Wings, an expansion team in the North American Hockey League. “This award is a tremendous honor for Gerald,” said Kalamazoo head coach and general manager Marc Fakler. “It’s a result of his consistency and hard work. He demonstrated sportsmanship and leadership, and he is a very skilled player with a strong desire to win. His character and state championship experience will be an asset as we build our program.” Mayhew has aspirations of playing Division 1 college hockey and knows he has a couple of years of junior hockey ahead of him. “I talked to my parents and then I made my decision to sign the tender,” said Mayhew. “I’m also hoping to be drafted by a USHL team, but I know that if I don’t, I’ll get the opportunity to contribute in Kalamazoo. It’s pretty much the best of both worlds when it comes to the NAHL and USHL. Both leagues send a ton of guys to college and both get scouted, so I’ll be seen and will have the opportunity to move on. “Playing D-I is my dream, but I have a few years of juniors ahead of me. There’s no rush at all.” By Matt Mackinder

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Michigan Hockey

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NORTH AMERICAN HOCKEY LEAGUE 2010-11 NAHL Standings (FINAL) CENTRAL yAlexandria xCoulee Region xOwatonna xBismarck Austin Aberdeen

GP 58 58 58 58 58 58

W 33 33 32 31 23 20

L OTL PTS 19 6 72 20 5 71 19 7 71 22 5 67 31 4 50 34 4 44

PCT 0.621 0.612 0.612 0.578 0.431 0.379

GF 208 204 175 179 151 166

GA 177 180 179 156 186 219

PIM 923 982 985 1100 1233 829

NORTH ySt. Louis xTraverse City xMichigan xJanesville Springfield Motor City Chicago Port Huron

GP 58 58 58 58 58 58 58 58

W 41 40 35 35 31 31 9 6

L OTL PTS 13 4 86 17 1 81 17 6 76 19 4 74 24 3 65 25 2 64 45 4 22 46 6 18

PCT 0.741 0.698 0.655 0.638 0.560 0.552 0.190 0.155

GF 215 211 202 170 191 228 132 127

GA 120 159 141 121 170 188 286 312

PIM 764 952 899 938 976 1377 883 1408

SOUTH zTopeka xAmarillo xTexas xWichita Falls Corpus Christi New Mexico

GP 58 58 58 58 58 58

W 43 36 35 26 19 19

L OTL PTS 12 3 89 16 6 78 15 8 78 27 5 57 34 5 43 35 4 42

PCT 0.767 0.672 0.672 0.491 0.371 0.362

GF 237 209 213 189 158 141

GA 146 171 164 190 238 220

PIM 1706 1637 1321 1527 2079 1268

WEST GP W L OTL PTS PCT GF GA PIM yFairbanks 58 40 15 3 83 0.716 245 171 1219 xWenatchee 58 34 21 3 71 0.612 207 148 1208 xAlaska 58 32 22 4 68 0.586 193 173 1479 xKenai River 58 27 24 7 61 0.526 189 191 1076 Dawson Creek 58 24 31 3 51 0.440 160 209 1669 Fresno 58 19 34 5 43 0.371 158 243 1635 x - clinched playoff berth; y - clinched division title; z - clinched league title TOP SCORERS TEAM POS GP G A Wydo, Cody MCM F 58 40 51 Nagtzaam, Nardo ALX F 58 36 51 Brancheau, Steve MCM F 55 28 43 Kleiman, RJ STL F 50 28 41 Ciotti, Chris STL F 57 31 37 Hussar, Justin TOP F 58 33 33 Hill, Michael TOP F 43 37 29 Linnell, Jared FAI F 58 34 31 Frischmon, Zac COU F 58 31 34 Kolb, Andrew MIC F 44 31 34 Beck, Doug KNR F 55 28 36 Lubanski, Brett KNR F 57 15 48 Nauman, Ethan SPR F 58 23 39 Osborn, JT FAI F 56 37 25 Walker, Beau COR F 56 21 41 Gaarder, Connor COU F 58 24 37 Smoot, Zack AMA F 58 24 37 Opie, Tim TVC F 58 24 36 Prince, Jack TEX F 51 26 34 Leef, Jackson TEX F 57 22 37 Altenbernd, Alex ALX F 57 26 33 Fallon, Mike SPR F 58 17 41 Mauermann, Ross JNE F 56 26 32 Gates, Matthew BIS F 56 27 31 Zierke, Steve ALX F 56 26 32 Levin, Gabe FAI F 55 16 42 Ward, Cory ABD F 58 32 25 Christie, Brian TOP F 57 20 37 Barber, Jacob WEN F 59 34 22 Vandercook, DJ WEN F 52 22 34

PTS 91 87 71 69 68 66 66 65 65 65 64 63 62 62 62 61 61 60 60 59 59 58 58 58 58 58 57 57 56 56

TOP GOALIES Comunale, Tom Tadazak, Robert Green, Matt Jacobson, David Bolton, Steve Jaeger, Brandon Kruger, Jimmy Tirronen, Rasmus Faragher, Ryan

GA 41 74 45 88 47 86 89 79 124

TEAM STL MIC STL JNE TVC WEN TEX TOP BIS

GP 25 45 23 43 22 39 40 36 52

MIN 1403:42 2508:39 1321:52 2555:00 1252:36 2258:31 2267:35 1962:49 3049:59

SO 6 9 3 8 2 5 3 4 3

PIM 47 59 76 34 56 20 109 58 39 34 83 26 52 27 30 75 75 22 21 17 20 20 12 51 105 28 44 80 26 25 GAA 1.75 1.77 2.04 2.07 2.25 2.28 2.35 2.41 2.44

PPG 14 13 10 12 7 13 14 11 8 8 13 5 4 10 7 9 4 7 13 8 7 3 8 9 8 4 13 4 13 9 SV 503 1244 443 988 545 822 948 776 1392

SHG 1 3 4 0 3 0 0 2 4 1 3 2 0 0 0 0 1 4 0 0 2 0 2 1 2 1 0 2 4 1 SV% 0.925 0.944 0.908 0.918 0.921 0.905 0.914 0.908 0.918

North Stars, Warriors kick-off NAHL playoffs BY MATT MACKINDER

scoring title by racking up 91 points with a league-leading 40 goals … Topeka The playoff matchup wasn’t determined until the end of the regular season, forward Brian Christie and Fairbanks Ice Dogs forward Gabe Levin finished tied with but the Traverse City North Stars and Michigan Warriors battled one another in the an NAHL-best plus-38 rating … St. Louis goaltender Tom Comunale finished with opening round of the North Division playoffs. the league’s lowest goals-against average (1.75), while Warriors netminder Robert The series was as intense as one could expect Tadazak (Lapeer) registered a league-high .944 this time of year and each team came out on the save percentage. Tadazak’s 27 wins were also winning end of things in the first two games of tops among NAHL netminders, as were his nine the five-game series, April 1-2, in Traverse City. shutouts … The Minot (N.D.) Minotauros will The Warriors got third-period goals from Tyler begin play next season as an expansion team, Perpich and Dave Johnson in a 3-1 victory over while the Owatonna Express have relocated to Traverse City in Game 1 before Mike Szmatula’s Odessa, Tex., for next season and will change overtime goal in Game 2 the following night in a its name to the Odessa Jackalopes … Kenai 5-4 win salvaged a split for the North Stars going River Brown Bears defenseman Chris Rial has into this weekend in Flint. committed to Minnesota for next season and “Tyler is a clutch goal scorer and when the Coulee Region Chill forward Zac Frischmon will game is on the line, I know Tyler can be counted be off to Mercyhurst … The Springfield Jr. Blues on for a goal,” said Warriors coach Moe Mantha named Ryan Hardy the team’s new head coach, after the opening game. “The boys played hard replacing Joe Dibble, who will remain with the tonight and stuck to the game plan.” team as the associate head coach. Traverse City coach Anthony Palumbo said basically the same thing after Game 2. HITMEN WIN NA3HL’S HURSTER CUP “It was a big game and we had to win,” The Chicago Hitmen were crowned the Palumbo added.“We got pucks to the net, played North American 3 Hockey League’s Hurster Cup with intensity, and responded well to that playoff champions after blanking the Queen City Steam The Michigan Warriors celebrate a goal against adversity late in the game. We’ve had some in the championship game, 4-0, on March 27 Traverse City in the NAHL playoffs. success here and there down in their building, in Toledo. but we’ll have to maintain the energy we showed (Saturday) night.” Hitmen goaltender Nick Kohn stopped all 19 shots he faced, Tony Domico had two The rest of the series: Game 3 – Friday, April 8 in Flint, Game 4 – Saturday, April goals and a pair of assists and Matt Spica and Joe Spitzer scored the other Chicago goals. 9 in Flint, Game 5 (if needed) – Monday, April 11 in Traverse City. “We came together as a team at the most important part of the season and put it all together at the right time,” Domico said. NAHL NOTEBOOK “The feeling is surreal,” Chicago coach Brent Dolan said. “I am proud of the team The Topeka RoadRunners were crowned the Presidents Cup champions after for coming together and playing their best hockey at the right time. As a coach, you finishing with 89 points at the conclusion of the regular season on a 43-12-3 record want your team to peak at playoff time. We have fought through some adversity … Motor City Metal Jackets forward Cody Wydo (Wyandotte) won the league’s which I felt brought us closer as a team.”

2011 NAHL PLAYOFFS CENTRAL DIVISION (1) Alexandria vs. (4) Bismarck Series tied 1-1 1. Bis 1 at Alx 6 2. Bis 5 at Alx 1 3. Alx at Bis Apr 08, 7:15pm 4. Alx at Bis Apr 09, 7:15pm *5. Bis at Alx Apr 11, 7:00pm

NORTH DIVISION (1) St. Louis vs. Janesville Series tied 1-1 1. Jne 2 At Stl 3 2. Jne 4 At Stl 3 3. Stl At Jne Apr 08, 7:30pm 4. Stl At Jne Apr 09, 7:00pm *5. Jne At Stl Apr 11, 7:05pm

SOUTH DIVISION (1) Topeka vs. Wich Falls Series Tied 1-1 1. Wfs 1 At Top 5 2. Wfs 1 At Top 0 OT 3. Top At Wfs Apr 08, 7:05pm 4. Top At Wfs Apr 09, 7:05pm *5. Wfs At Top Apr 11, 7:05pm

WEST DIVISION (1) Fairbanks vs. Kenai River Fair Leads Series 2-0 1. Knr 1 At Fai 5 2. Knr 1 At Fai 6 3. Fai At Knr Apr 08, 7:30pm *4. Fai At Knr Apr 09, 7:30pm *5. Fai At Knr Apr 12, 7:00pm

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CENTRAL DIVISION (2) Coulee vs. Owatonna Series tied 1-1 1. Owa 2 At Cou 1 2. Owa 3 At Cou 4 Ot 3. Cou At Owa Apr 08, 7:30pm 4. Cou At Owa Apr 09, 7:30pm *5. Owa At Cou Apr 11, 7:00pm

NORTH DIVISION (2) Traverse City vs. Michigan Series tied 1-1 1. Mich 3 At Tvc 1 2. Mich 4 At Tvc 5 Ot 3. Tvc At Mich Apr 08, 7:30pm 4. Tvc At Mich Apr 09, 7:00pm *5. Mich At Tvc Apr 11, 7:00pm

SOUTH DIVISION (2) Amarillo vs. Texas Amarillo leads series 2-0 1. Tex 5 At Ama 7 2. Tex 3 At Ama 5 3. Ama At Tex Apr 08, 7:30pm *4. Ama At Tex Apr 09, 7:30pm *5. Tex At Ama Apr 11, 7:00pm

WEST DIVISION (2) Wenatchee vs. Alaska Wen Leads Series 2-0 1. Ak 1 At Wen 4 2. Ak 3 At Wen 4 Ot 3. Wen At Ak Apr 08, 7:30pm *4. Wen At Ak Apr 09, 7:30pm *5. Ak At Wen Apr 10, 5:00pm

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April 11, 2011 Volume 21 : Issue 20

Plymouth’s Scott Wedgewood made 37 saves in Game 7 as the Whalers knocked out Kitchener in the OHL playoffs.

Whalers oust Kitchener, move onto Conference Semis BY MATT MACKINDER

It came down to Game 7 on the road in Kitchener, but the Plymouth Whalers, after having been up three games to one in the series with the Rangers, eliminated Kitchener and advanced with a 4-2 win on April 4. Plymouth now moves on to the Western Conference semifinals against the Owen Sound Attack. Goalie Scott Wedgewood stopped 37 shots for the Whalers, while Michael Whaley, Robbie Czarnik, James Livingston and Tyler Brown scored the goals, with Livingston’s game-winner coming with just over four minutes to play in the third period. “We’ve proven we can beat any team in this league,” Plymouth forward Stefan Noesen said. “The third period is our period. We seem to get off to slow starts, and we have to work on that, but we seem to pick it up.”

SPIRIT ALSO ADVANCES TO CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS Guelph gave Saginaw all they could handle in the first round of the OHL playoffs, but the Spirit won Game 6 on the road, 6-5, on April 3 to knock out the Storm and advance to the conference semifinals. Saginaw will home ice advantage and will face Windsor/Erie in a second round series. After splitting the first four games of the series, Saginaw took control with a big 5-4 win over Guelph at home on April 2. Captain Jordan Szwarz led the way with two goals and an assist, earning the game’s first star honors. Winger Vincent Trocheck scored the game winner and Mavric Parks posted 29 saves. In the series clincher the next night, Trocheck had two goals and Josh Shalla four assists as Saginaw held on after taking a 6-2 lead. Parks made 33 saves, Szwarz notched his fourth goal of the post season, and Ivan Telegin, Brandon Saad and Dalton Prout also scored for the Spirit.

OHL DRAFT TO FEATURE ‘EXCEPTIONAL PLAYER’ Not since John Tavares entered the Ontario Hockey League one year ahead of his normal draft year in 2005 has the OHL had a player granted“exceptional player”status. That will change with the first pick of the OHL draft May 7 when Windsor-area defenseman Aaron Ekblad is expected to be selected by the Barrie Colts. Ekblad applied to the Ontario Hockey Federation to be eligible to play this season as a 15-year-old and was approved by the OHL in late March. The process, administered by Hockey Canada, used a special panel to evaluate Ekblad’s hockey and academic documentation and assess his level of maturity in reaching their decision. While Ekblad may have celebrated his latest birthday in February, during a recent

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Michigan Hockey

MichiganHockeyOnline.com

conference call with reporters he exhibited a vocabulary and maturity level not typical of most 15-year-olds. “The pressure will be there, it’s what I make of it,” Ekblad said. “It’ll motivate me. “This summer, on and off the ice, I’ll be involved in rigorous activity to prepare for the physicality (of the OHL). I’ll work hard to be able to compete with the older players. “I like to keep away from being egotistical, I don’t think that should be part of anyone’s repertoire and I don’t want to have it be part of mine. I don’t like to be labeled as egotistical and it can only help your character if you see yourself as equal with everyone else.” Born Feb. 7, 1996, Ekblad is already 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds. This past season, he played for the Sun County Panthers Minor Midget AAA program, recording 34 points in 30 regular season games before producing 21 points in 18 playoff games. “It was a family decision,” said Ekblad, who originally had opted not to pursue the exemption. “At first, I thought I’d play another year at my own age, but I’ve been dreaming a long time about this opportunity.” As for possibly going to Barrie, a team that finished last overall this year after a trip to the OHL finals last year, Ekblad said he doesn’t mind what team drafts him. After Barrie, the Peterborough Petes and Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds draft second and third, respectively. “Whatever team takes me, I’ll go and honor their request to have me,”Ekblad said. “I’ve been give this label (exceptional status), but I don’t see myself as an exceptional player. People say I have a strength in reading the play and that I have some offensive and defensive ability, but none of these things are perfected. My personal goal is to consistently find my way on the ice. I don’t plan to overachieve next year, just find my way in the league and help my team succeed.” Ekblad isn’t a total stranger to the OHL as his older brother, Darien, was drafted last May by the London Knights. What will be strange is moving away from home at 15. “My family and I will find a way to stay connected,” Ekblad said. “If I’m far away, it does pose a problem, but our family dynamic, it’s never going to be corrupted.” Ekblad also doesn’t see playing against players who may be as much as five years older than him an issue once next season gets going, even if he will be playing on a rebuilding team not expected to produce much in the way of wins. “The biggest challenge will definitely be playing against more mature players,”he said. “I’m going to seek my way in and out of the danger zones. I know how to protect myself. Everyone’s defined by how they go through the tough times. “With the tough times of losing, everyone comes together and they find a way to win. Being a part of that will help me in the future.”

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Red Wings Insider

Health the issue as playoff streak continues

BY DAVE WADDELL

Nick Lidstrom has never experienced it. Darren Helm was three the last time it happened while the Soviet Union was on its last legs before disintegrating and taking the Cold War with it. Twenty years. That’s how many consecutive seasons the Detroit Red Wings have made the NHL playoffs. It’s the longest streak of qualifying for the post-season by far in any of the four major sports leagues in North America. “I’ve been fortunate because I’ve never missed the playoffs here,” said Lidstrom, whose arrival in Detroit in 1991 is no small coincidence when discussing reasons for the Wings prolonged excellence.“Ownership and management have done a great job.” The consistency as much as the four Stanley Cups the Wings have won during that same period is one thing Wings senior vice president Jimmy Devellano said he’s most proud of in his Detroit career. Devellano arrived in Detroit trying to snap a streak of ineptitude nearly as long and as consistent as the current streak. “I don’t think people understand how hard that is to do,”said Devellano, who was the architect of the foundation upon which the Wings were built. “You know there’ll always be ups and downs and you aren’t going to win the Stanley Cup every year. But for us to be in the mix to win it every year, that’s something I’m very proud of.” Current Wings general manager Ken Holland feels such streaks will become unachievable as the salary cap era tightens its grip on the NHL. In the post-lockout era, which began in 2005, only the Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins have reached more than one Stanley Cup Final. Buried within the 20-year-streak is another one that may be even more impressive. By reaching the 100-point mark for the 11th consecutive season with their win over Nashville April 2, Detroit extends its NHL record in that category. “It’s always been about winning and about the team,”Wings coach Mike Babcock said. “I’m really glad we were able to get that (100 points) for Ken Holland.”

In addition, Detroit has won nine Central Division titles in 10 years and 14 divisional crowns since 1991-92. You add it all up and the Wings have won more games, more Stanley Cups, more President’s Trophies and played more playoff games than any franchise in the league. However, this year has been a particularly challenging one for Detroit. The Wings haven’t been as dominant in games as in the past. They’ve battled persistent injuries. They’ve been lousy at home since Christmas and they lost nine of 14 games in March. The miserable month ended with the worse loss at Joe Louis Arena (10-3 to St. Louis) since 1993. Lidstrom called it the worst performance by a Wings’ team in his career in Detroit. “Two weeks to playoffs, we should be playing a lot better than this,” Henrik Zetterberg said. “We did things today that were a disgrace. “If we play like this in the playoffs, it’s going to be an early exit. We have to do things better. “We have to stick together and not focus on what people are saying.” Fittingly for a team that knows the season is a marathon not a sprint, the Wings bounced back with two very solid performances to clinch their post-season berth and first place in the division. If the Wings go on to enjoy a substantial playoff run, they may well look back to the weekend of April 2-3 as a turning point. Not only did they pick up a two victories in 24 hours, they got Pavel Datsyuk and Jimmy Howard back from injury. And for all the moaning and groaning about special teams, defensive zone coverage or goaltending, it’s going to be the health of this team that likely will be the key factor in the playoffs. The Wings haven’t fielded a full line-up since Nov. 26 and when they did have a complete roster they were very impressive. “We like our team,” Holland said of Detroit’s playoff prospects. “We feel we’ll be in the conversation as possible contenders, but that doesn’t guarantee anything.

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With Pavel Datsyuk back in the lineup, the Red Wings made the playoffs for a record 20th consecutive season.

There’s a lot of luck and other things that goes into winning. “Staying healthy is one of them.” Babcock was even more blunt when answering what he hoped to see out of his club in preparation for the playoffs. “We just want to get healthy,”Babcock said.“That’s the most important thing for us.” With that in mind, the Wings have been extremely cautious in making sure their injured players take all the time they need to freshen up. Datsyuk, Johan Franzen and Howard all missed a week to two weeks with nagging injuries that wouldn’t have kept them out of a playoff game. Mike Modano is now getting the same rest for a lingering tender groin. Only goalie Chris Osgood will likely remain a question mark as to when he could return when the regular season ends April 10. Osgood is currently on the long-term injured reserve list and is eligible to return April 8. However, having not played since early January due to sports hernia surgery, Osgood’s ability to be ready for the post-season may force the Wings to dress career minor leaguer Joey MacDonald, who has been very effective when called upon, as Howard’s back-up.

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