Division 1: For Brighton, 11 is Enough
March 10, 2012
PLYMOUTH – Brighton had only 11 shots on goal in Saturday’s Division 1 Final.
But the Bulldogs needed only four to go in – including senior Chet Daavettila’s game-winner with 1 minute, 32 seconds to play.
Brighton claimed its second MHSAA title and first since 2006 by outlasting Grosse Pointe North 4-3 in the season’s final game at Compuware Arena.
“My brother won it last time. He was on the team in 2006,” Daavettila said. “He was giving me ribs about if we lose. And we won, so it was a great relief.”
How Brighton (24-4-2) won was similar to how it advanced with a 2-1 double overtime win over Orchard Lake St. Mary in the Semifinal. In that game, and despite the extra time, the Bulldogs had just 15 shots on goal.
Sophomore Troy Marrett, junior Zach Morgan and senior Tommy Kivisto all scored Saturday as Brighton opened a 3-1 lead four minutes into the second period. But senior Joe Aluia scored two of his three goals to pull Grosse Pointe North (15-15) even less than four minutes into the third period.
“He’s been one of our guys that had the heart and soul of our team all year long, and especially in the playoffs he really came to play and put the team on his back,” Norsemen coach Scott Lock said. “Tonight he was fantastic. He could’ve probably had two or three more goals with some luck on his side.
"I thought he was going to get us over the top. But even after we tied it up we had all the chances again, and we made a bad mistake in our own zone. We leave a guy free, and it ends up in our net.”
Brighton closed the season on a 10-game winning streak and gave up just six goals total in six playoff games.
“I thought today and yesterday we had a tough time finding a way,” Brighton coach Paul Moggach said. “But we found a way to do it. And I’m really proud of how they did it. It was a tough road, but they came through at the end.”
Click for the Division 1 Final box score.
PHOTO courtesy of Hockey Weekly. Brighton sophomore Brett Pietila moves the puck ahead during Saturday's second period.
Cranes Land 16th MHSAA Finals Win
March 9, 2013
By Bill Khan
Special to Second Half
PLYMOUTH — Sometimes it seems like a given that a hockey player at Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook-Kingswood will win at least one MHSAA championship during his career.
When a program has won nine titles in the last 17 seasons and 16 in the last 35, championships are an expectation for the Cranes.
But it's not always as easy as it may look to outsiders.
Alex Alger took the ice for the final game of his brilliant three-year career with Cranbrook-Kingswood still searching for his first MHSAA championship. He made sure he wouldn't leave the program empty-handed, scoring back-to-back second-period goals in the Cranes' 4-2 victory over Sault Ste. Marie in the Division 3 Final on Saturday at Compuware Arena.
Alger wasn't on the team his freshman year when the Cranes won their last title in 2010. He experienced a 3-1 semifinal loss to Grand Rapids Catholic Central as a sophomore and a 2-1 overtime loss in the regional final to unheralded Marysville as a junior when he made second-team all-state.
"I felt like if we didn't go out on top — you can't say it was a failure, necessarily — but it's just we're always expected to do so well," Alger said. "For me to go three years without a title, I just wouldn't feel comfortable with myself, knowing that with such a strong team we couldn't pull together and make it happen."
Alger not only went out as a champion, but was a standout on a team that is arguably one of the greatest in Cranbrook-Kingswood's rich history.
The Cranes set a school record for victories, finishing 28-2-1. Ten of Cranbrook-Kingswood's previous 15 championship teams lost at least seven games. Only the 1982-83 team (24-2-1) had as few losses, while only the 2006-07 squad (25-4-1) may challenge this one as the greatest in coach Andy Weidenbach's 20-year tenure.
"If it isn't (the best), it's pretty close," Weidenbach said. "I've had two very special teams with really highly skilled players. This is definitely one of our most highly skilled teams."
Sault Ste. Marie gave the Cranes their closest game of the postseason, getting outshot 38-10 in the process. Cranbrook-Kingswood outscored six playoff opponents by a combined score of 47-4.
"At the end of the day, you've got the two best teams in the state here," Sault Ste. Marie coach John Ferroni said. "I've seen most of the D3 teams in the state this year. I feel we're the next-best team.
They're obviously the best team in the state. To be honest with you, I think they're better than Division 2. They obviously can play with the Division 1 teams. They're a wonderful-looking hockey team, just so
poised and mature out there with the puck."
A goal by Austin Alger at 8:11 of the first period and Kevin Shand at 7:23 of the second gave the Cranes a 2-0 lead. Sault Ste. Marie got back in the game at 8:51 of the second on a goal by Alex Teneyck, but
Alex Alger quickly turned the momentum back in Cranbrook-Kingswood's favor with goals at 10:10 and 11:26 to make it a 4-1 game.
Sault Ste. Marie (22-9) added the only goal of the third period when Chase Gamelin scored with 11:26 remaining, but it was the only shot on goal by the Blue Devils during the entire period.
"We had our spurts in the game, but just not enough of them to create offense," Ferroni said. "When you get it close like that, you think maybe we'll get lucky with another shot and score a goal and put some pressure on them, even though the shots on goal were a vast difference. I knew we were going to give up between 30-35 shots. I thought if we could keep the penalties down, that would keep the shots
on goal down. That didn't happen too well for us."
Cranbrook-Kingswood was 1-for-7 on the power play, while Sault Ste. Marie was 0-for-2.
The Cranes have a 16-2 record in MHSAA finals, emerging victorious in their last eight appearances.
PHOTOS: (Top) Cranbrook-Kingswood senior Billy Young (19) charges up ice during Saturday's Division 3 Final at Compuware Arena. (Middle) The Cranes celebrate their first championship since 2010. (Photos by Andrew Knapik.)