Solid players to return for Moeller hockey By Kyle Burch Community Press Staff Writer
KENWOOD - Sometimes improvement in a team can't be seen in records alone. Such is the case for the 20062007 Moeller hockey team. The Crusaders ended their season with a 5-2, third-round loss to No. 1 ranked Upper Arlington. The loss left Moeller with an overall record of21-11-2 for the season. "Our boys played exceptional all season," head coach Mike Reeder said. "We didn't win as many games
as we did last year, but we went further in the playoffs. Our schedule had a lot to do with that." After advancing to the state final four two years ago, the Moeller program went into last season with high hopes, but the Crusaders were ousted early in the state tournament. ln order to avoid a repeat of that, Reeder felt it necessary to put together a tougher regular season schedule in 2006-2007. The result was more losses, but what Reeder says a more improved team.
"Getting our guys to play a tough schedule was one of our main goals for this season," Reedersaid. "We think it helped us prepare for the postseason a little better." The Crusaders finished 7-2-1 in the South Division of the Southwest Ohio High School Hockey League. That put them third behind first-place Talawanda and Beavercreek. The Crusaders will return a solid group to the rink next season led by juniors Kyle Fitzpatrick, Jon Korst and Jarret lmbrtmyev and
sophomore Nate Han. Those four can expect an even tougher schedule next season, as Reeder hopes to get the program back to the state final four level. "It will probably be an even tougher schedule next year. That's how team's get better, by playing better competition," Reeder said. "The boys learned a lot thi~ year and took some knocks bU1 they'll be better n~ear becausE ofit." 3/_:.L., o 7 ¡ kburcli@co munitypress.con
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¡ Lakota East reaches goal by qualifying team for state gymnastics By Joe Rudemiller jrudemill~enqtfrer.com
~ist ~o~omore
. dta Phoebe Hart will make her second consecutive appearance at the state gymnastics tournament this weekend at Hilliard Darby, but this year she will have a bit more company. Hart was one of two Thunderhawks to qualify for the state tournament last year; she finished 26th (8.225) on the uneven bars. This season, however, Lakota East won the district tournament (136.175) and qualified for the school's first team ap!1earance at state.
Notebook Second-year co-coaches Mardi Sammons and Margi Sammons also will be making their first trip to the state tournament, which begins with the team competition at 3:30p.m. today. "(Lakota East) has been trying to make it for 10 years now," Margi Sammons said. "We've been close, but to actually achieve our goal is just really exciting for everybody involved." The individual competition will begin at noon Saturday and will feature Hart in
the all-around competition and senior Sarah Kachovec in floor exercise. Other locals in the individual competition are Turpin's Kristen Frooman and Mason's Jenna Bookman in the allaround; Turpin's Deven Deans and Cincinnati Country Day's Emily Pruis on uneven bars; and Anderson's Kristin Adam and Turpin's Jess Haynes on balance beam. WRESniNG: Two local coaches are being inducted into the Ohio High School Wrestling Coaches Hall of Fame this weekend. Elder coach Dick McCoy and former Finneytown coach Dave Bean will
be honored prior to the state tournament finals Saturday. Grandview Heights coach Andy DiSabato and former Ohio State coach Russ Hellickson also are being honored. The ceremonies will begin at 5:10p.m. at the Schottenstein Center and will be followed by the Parade of Champions (5:30 p.m.) and the first-place matches for Divisions I, II, and III (5:PO,p.m.) ... HOCKEY:c'Mo~ler forward Matt McDowell, Talawanda forward Drew Hoover and St. Xavier defenseman Sam Bell were named to the Southwest Ohio High School Hockey League first team.
Among those making the second team were Sycamore's Daniel Dukart, St. Xavier's}ordy Kamp, Moeller~s NateHah"and Talawanda goaltender Allan Dowler. Talawanda, the only area team still alive in the district tournament, faces Upper Arlington at 8 p.m. Saturday at NationwideArena. The winner advances to the state tournament. SPRING SPORTS: Monday is the first day the OHSM allows for spring sports practice. Baseball, softball, tennis and track and field can begin, but none can have the first contest until March 26.
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Community IPrep IYouth
~AM Wednesday, Ju~ 26, 2006 SLburban Life
SPORTS & RECREATION
Eric Spangler, Edtior
248-8600 espangler@communitypress.com
Summer work for Crusaders hockey should pay off By Kyle Burch Community Press Staff Writer
CINQNNATI -As the sweltering heat of summer encompasses the Tristate, the Moeller hockey tea.rn is in full swingwithits offseasoc conditioning and practice program. The Crusaders, who practice anC. play out of the Cincinnati Gar-
dens, gather three times a week at the historic venue, throughout the summer, to work on their skills for the winter sport The team skates once a week and is put through a strenuous conditioning program twice a week. Head coach Mike Reeder says that while he doesn't require his
kids attend the conditioning program the turnout has been very encouraging. "We are having a tremendous summer," Reeder said. 'hound 32 kids have come out religiously and we have only 40 spots on our roster. "This is the time of year where you build up your muscles. During the (season) you focus more on maintaining what you've built in the summer." The Crusaders have enlisted the help of Josh Burdick, Lou Cassaro and Matt Wilson this summer, three trainers from Cincinnati Premier Training. The trio have instituted a very demanding conditioning program for the team, running them through hockey specific conditioning drills in preparation for the season. Reeder says the program has helped to make the team more mentally tough and he expects that to pay off down the stretch next season. "If you look at the same kids from last year to this year you can really tell a difference in their bodies and what this program is doing for them," Reeder said. "The transformation of our kids has been tremendous, they are going to a whole other level. We are looking at the third period as being 'Josh' time, because this type of training is going to give them a mental edge." While the training program has been very rigorous, Burdick points out that they aren't just training to get the body in better shape, they are training to get their bodies in better shape to be playing hockey. "We don't want to train these kids like body builders," Burdick said. "We are training them to be hockey players." According to Burdick, the program is focusing on stabilizing the kids bodies through their spine and abdomen. This will allow the players to be more balanced and centered while on the ice. It also is broken up into a conditioning phase that will lead into a strength phase. Burdick knows the intensity of the program and says the kids acceptance of that has made it work that much better. "Not many athletes can go through this type of training,'' Bur., through a strenuous offseason dick said. "We were honored to be 'nq drills induding climbing the asked to help the Moeller program
KYLE BURCH/COMMUNITY
The Moeller hockey team is focusing on working out hockey specific muscles during the offseason program.
and we've enjoyed working with this group." Reeder says the~f the program may cause him to make roster cuts for the first time and that is a reflection of the kids taking the sport more seriously. "1Wo years ago we couldn't have done this," Reeder said. "The mindset of the program has changed." kburch@communitypress.com
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