Highlight Reel: Hockey Finals

March 13, 2016

The MHSAA Ice Hockey Finals at USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth produced plenty of exciting moments over the weekend. Here are some from this year’s Semifinal and Final games. 

Click the final score to watch the entire game and order DVDs.

Division 1 Final – Detroit Catholic Central 3, Brighton 0

A Stop & A Half - Here's a couple of great saves by Brighton goalie Logan Neaton during a first period power play by Detroit Catholic Central. Neaton made 26 stops in the Division 1 Final. 

Streaking In For A Score - Detroit Catholic Central's second goal of the game came off the stick of Nick Macari, who was streaking down the left side.

Division 2 Final – Romeo 6, Livonia Stevenson 4

Stevenson Takes A 4-2 Lead - Livonia Stevenson built a 4-2 lead in the second period on this goal by Nate Sudek.

Jenuwine Breaks The Tie - On the power play, Romeo's Logan Jenuwine scores what proves to be the game-winning goal. Jenuwine had two goals in the contest.

Division 3 Final – Hancock 4, Grand Rapids Catholic Central 2

King of The Hill - In the closing seconds of the first period of the Division 3 title game, Danny Hill of Hancock scores shorthanded to give the Bulldogs a 3-0 lead.

Chase Keeps CC In It - Grand Rapids Catholic Central countered with two goals in the second period, the latter on this power play tally by Chase Madden, which cut the Hancock lead to 3-2 at the time.

Division 1 Semifinal – Brighton 4, Grandville 1

Foran Feeds Clifford - From the left point, Brighton's Nick Foran sets up Joey Clifford for the first goal of this Division 1 Semifinal against Grandville. 

Something To Cheer About - Grandville gets on the board in the third period with this goal by David Breazeale. 

Division 1 Semifinal – Detroit Catholic Central 4, Detroit U-D Jesuit 3

Austin Powers It In - Austin Evans had two goals for Detroit U-D Jesuit in the Cubs’ Division 1 Semifinal against Detroit Catholic Central. Here's the first goal, in the opening period. 

CC’s Fourth Goal - Late in the second period, Michael Considine of Detroit Catholic Central scores what proves to be the winning goal against Detroit U-D Jesuit.

Division 2 Semifinal – Livonia Stevenson 5, Hartland 1 

Kowalske Scores - Livonia Stevenson got two quick goals in the first period against Hartland. Here's the second, by Ben Kowalske with 10:51 left in the first period.

Eagles Get On The Board - After blasting away on the power play, Hartland gets its goal from Luke Cowan with 13:03 left in the second period.

Division 2 Semifinal – Romeo 5, Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern/Eastern 2 

Pretty Feed For Second Bulldogs Goal - Romeo gets a couple of bang-bang goals in the first period 34 seconds apart. Here's the second one, with Frank Ruffino taking a nice centering pass for a tally.

On The Top Shelf - Josh Boverhof gets Forest Hills Northern/Eastern on the board in the second period with a power play goal that goes top shelf. 

Division 3 Semifinal – Hancock 2, Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood 1 

Bulldogs Take Lead - Hancock gets the first goal of the game on a 5 on 3 power play. Luke Rautio was given credit for the goal. 

Cranes Tie It Up - C.J. Regula makes a great play for Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood late in the second period to tie the score. 

The Bulldogs Are Movin’ On - Late in the first overtime period, Alex Nordstrom scores for Hancock on a power play.

Division 3 Semifinal – Grand Rapids Catholic Central 3, Chelsea 2 

Bulldogs Strike Quick - Chelsea scored the game's first goal just 39 seconds in when Sean Cox knocked in a rebound.

Winner! Winner! - Jack Pendery gets the game-winning goal in overtime for Grand Rapids Catholic Central against Chelsea.

PHOTO: Detroit Catholic Central players line up to block a Brighton shot during Saturday's Division 1 Final. (Click for more from Andrew Knapik.)

Team of the Month: Hartland Ice Hockey

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

February 18, 2022

The Hartland hockey team finished the month of January with an 8-1 record since the turn of the calendar year, still ranked No. 1 statewide in Division 2 and having earned the Kensington Lakes Activities Association West and overall championships.

But those achievements didn’t come easily. Not even close.

The MHSAA/Applebee’s Team of the Month for January has had its share of success over the last decade, with Division 2 championships in 2018 and 2019 and runner-up finishes in 2013 and 2014. But the Eagles’ January run made an impressive statement as the team builds toward another possible title run.

Hartland earned five of those eight January wins over ranked teams, improved a 9-3 record after December to 17-4 by the start of February. The lone loss in January came 2-1 to Division 3 top-ranked Flint Powers Catholic.

“It’s nice when it all comes together, because you can say it was part of the plan. But we knew we were going to have to take a step after the new year, and we discussed that as a group,” Hartland coach Rick Gadwa said. “The big thing is our schedule was ramping up even more. December was hard enough, but then if you look at that track that we had in January, we knew it was going to be tough.

“The guys just took that with a little bit of a drive and wanted to try and run the slate. Obviously, it’s a really hard thing to do, and we did have that loss and we could’ve had a couple of others. But we had some great learning experiences in January … and gained some confidence.”

Hartland’s 2-1 win over Division 1 No. 2 Brighton on Jan. 15 paved the way for the KLAA West title, and the Eagles avenged a November loss to Division 2 No. 2 Livonia Stevenson with a 3-1 win Jan. 26 to earn the overall KLAA championship.

Hartland also won the Westside Invitational by defeating Division 2 No. 5 Byron Center 7-3 and No. 6 Muskegon Mona Shore 3-2 in overtime despite missing Gadwa, who was ill. The Byron Center win avenged last year’s Quarterfinal loss to the Bulldogs, and the Eagles didn’t lead against Mona Shores until scoring the deciding goal.

Earlier in the month, Hartland also came back to win 6-4 over Orchard Lake St. Mary’s, the No. 3-ranked team in Division 3.

“These guys just have this calmness about them, and I appreciate that group,” Gadwa said. “They’re a skilled group, and to see how this group stayed the course when things aren’t going well for them, it’s a trait that’s tough to get high school teams to buy into at times. I’m just appreciative for how they’ve been able to grasp that adversity and overcome it and adjust.”

Hartland is up to 19-5, and has received contributions from throughout the roster. Fourteen of 16 skaters have scored, all 16 have at least three points and 10 Eagles have at least 10 points.

Seniors Ashton Trombley (18 goals, 14 assists) and Jack Paweski (17 goals, 12 assists) lead five players with at least 11 goals, followed on the points list by juniors Lucas Henry (11 goals, 17 assists), Ben Pouliot (11/16) and Braden Pietila (11/15) and assists leader Brendan Pietila (7/19). Senior Kameron Ragon is 15-0 in goal with a 1.19 goals-against average and .946 save percentage.

The Eagles face Division 1 No. 6 Saginaw Heritage tonight before beginning Division 2 Regional play next week at Dort Federal Event Center in Flint.

“Every team has to define themselves,” Gadwa said, “and they’re doing a good job of that.”

Past Teams of the Month, 2021-22 

December: Midland Dow girls basketball - Read
November:
Reese girls volleyball - Read
October:
Birmingham Groves boys tennis - Read