Injury in Past, Escanaba Standout Plays On
January 1, 2016
By Dennis Grall
Special for Second Half
ESCANABA – Speeding down the ice chasing a puck into the corner is just a routine part of hockey.
Don't tell that to Dylan Gauthier of the Escanaba High School hockey team. He knows a lot can go wrong in just an instant as that skidding black sphere bounces along the ice.
As a freshman Feb. 7, 2013, in Chelsea, Gauthier was in hot puck pursuit when he was seriously injured in a freakish, non-contact incident that cost the three-sport athlete the rest of his hockey season. He suffered a broken right leg (tibia and fibula) and severed his right Achilles tendon when his skate hit a patch of ice and he ended up crashing into the boards.
"I was chasing a loose puck and I lost my edge and hit the boards (feet first)," Gauthier said Wednesday in his Soo Hill home shortly before the Eskymos would play Painesdale-Jeffers. "I hit the boards hard. I looked down and saw a hole in my leg. I knew something was wrong."
As he crashed into the boards, the blade on his left skate rammed into his right ankle and severed the Achilles tendon. "No one was there; I just kind of lost it," he said.
He instantly was in pain, "then I didn't feel anything. There was a lot of blood," he said, indicating he soon went into shock and his leg went numb, which was probably a blessing during an aftermath that eventually included a trip to the University of Michigan hospital in Ann Arbor.
"I was kind of out of it at first, but I knew it was bad," he said, recalling teammates would come to him and quickly leave once they saw the damage.
The mother of one of his teammates, T.J. Myrick, came onto the ice and wrapped the completely lacerated wound in her scarf in hopes of stopping the bleeding.
His parents, Mark and Mary, were home listening to the game on the radio and they quickly hit U.S. 2 and headed downstate at 9 p.m., a trip that took 10 hours thanks to a good blizzard. They were approaching the Mackinac Bridge about the time surgery began on the Achilles. Surgery on the broken bones took place a week later, with two screws inserted that will remain in his leg.
Dylan recalls listening to the rest of the game broadcast in the hospital as he awaited surgery. The next day his teammates visited, but were allowed only in small groups and for a brief time. They gave him a hockey stick signed by each player and a team photo with the sister of a teammate, Jaylyn Dagenais, standing where he would have been.
He wasn't aware of the Achilles damage until reaching the hospital, and remembers thinking about what the athletic future held for him. "What happens next, what is the next step," he said, an indication that mentally he was in good spirits despite the major physical injuries.
After the surgery he learned the skate slice was very close to a major artery, which could have created even more serious damage.
Tim McCarthy, then in his final season as Escanaba head coach, said recently "when he went down I remember watching him on the ice, and he grabbed his leg right away. There was quite a bit of blood coming out, and we tried to get anything we could find to wrap his leg and stop the bleeding."
He said Gauthier's leg "snapped over the back of the skate and caught in there and wouldn't come out. There was nowhere to go but in (the tendon)."
McCarthy remembers that up until that injury Gauthier had exhibited typical freshman issues, noting, "Dylan was a little timid going into the corners. I had his cousin (Nick Vandermissen) pushing him to get more aggressive."
Gauthier, one of seven freshmen on that team, was on a line with Vandermissen and Levi Wunder, two of the best players in the program's 30-year history. "He was progressing well. He was starting to make strides. He always had talent, but he needed a mindset to go out and do what was asked of him and not be timid," said McCarthy.
"He is an athlete, and a good one. He is very good at what he does. He rebounded real well and works real hard."
McCarthy said it was fortunate the injury happened at the MPS Showcase, a huge midseason tournament, because it was so close to Ann Arbor. "They took care of him right away," he said.
The Eskymos handled the adversity very well, McCarthy said of winning two of the three weekend games: "We went down there to prove a point and try to get the respect we should have been getting. Nick had a tough time with it, but the team seemed more determined that weekend to do something for Dylan. They played a little harder after that."
Matt Hughes, the current Escanaba head coach, said Gauthier "has responded pretty well to that freak injury. He is not letting it overtake him mentally. Being a young athlete, his body responded well and he was able to get back. The physical part was probably easier to overcome than the mental part, but it will always be in the back of your mind."
Gauthier missed the final 13 games of what became a school-record 24-4 season. He is in his fourth season on the varsity and helped the team reach the Division 2 Semifinals in 2014-15. "The kids are working hard. They want to get back to where we were at last year," said Hughes.
Gauthier has four goals and three assists this season as the Eskymos have built a 7-3 start. They return to Chelsea Jan. 28-30.
Gauthier also plays golf and football for the Eskymos. In fact, he was playing golf 82 days after the injury while wearing a brace and basically playing off one leg. Still, he earned second-team All-Upper Peninsula honors. He has been an all-U.P. first-team all-star the past two years and received some interest from college golf teams.
Golf is his favorite sport, which makes sense because his parents and brother Mark are also excellent golfers. Mark plays at Finlandia University in Hancock.
Playing golf that soon was difficult because it was hard to pivot on his right foot at first. He did not start running until shortly before football practice began, then returned as a running back for the junior varsity and scored three touchdowns against Gladstone.
He played on the varsity the last two years and noted that making cuts on the gridiron was the hardest part of his athletic recovery.
His mother has been pleased with how Dylan handled the injury and rehabilitation. "He has a laid-back attitude. That is why it didn't bother him," she said. "The whole thing affected us more than it did him."
He said, "mentally I was fine. I never thought about it out there (while playing any sport), but it was a little weird at first. I just blew it away. The chance of it happening again is kind of slim."
A fund-raiser directed by Bill LaMarch helped raise money for the team to purchase Kevlar socks, which go up to the knee and should prevent a skate from penetrating to the leg.
After the injury, Gauthier wore a long-leg cast with a window left open for the Achilles and was on crutches for a month, then had a boot cast. He did his rehab at Northwood Rehabilitation in Escanaba under the direction of physical therapist Marge Haslow. "She helped a lot, she got me through it all," he said. "She made you do your stuff. There were no easy days in there."
As his high school career begins winding down, Gauthier realizes he was very fortunate to come through such a freakish and serious injury with missing just over one month of his three-sport career.
"I've accomplished a lot. I know I could not have played at all," he said, relief obvious in his voice.
Denny Grall retired in 2012 after 39 years at the Escanaba Daily Press and four at the Green Bay Press-Gazette, plus 15 months for WLST radio in Escanaba; he served as the Daily Press sports editor from 1970-80 and again from 1984-2012. Grall was inducted into the Upper Peninsula Sports Hall of Fame in 2002 and serves as its executive secretary. E-mail him at [email protected] with story ideas for the Upper Peninsula.
PHOTOS: (Top) Escanaba's Dylan Gauthier controls the puck during his team's game against Painesdale-Jeffers on Wednesday. (Middle) Gauthier (2) suffered a painful injury during a game at Chelsea as a freshman in 2013 that required multiple surgeries. (Top photo and head shot by Dennis Grall; middle photo by Jack Hall.)
Preview: Old Favorites, New Hopefuls
March 8, 2018
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
This weekend’s MHSAA Hockey Finals should provide an intriguing blend of familiar and new for fans packing Plymouth’s USA Hockey Arena.
Reigning champions Brighton and Birmingham Brother Rice are back in Divisions 1 and 2, respectively, with the Bulldogs and Detroit Catholic Central meeting in a Semifinal rematch of last year’s championship game.
On the other side of Division 1, however, Saginaw Heritage and Traverse City West will meet with the victor earning its first appearance in an MHSAA title game in this sport. They are two of six teams this weekend seeking their first Hockey Finals championship.
The pairings are as follows:
Division 2 – Thursday
Hartland (22-6-1) vs Forest Hills Northern/Eastern (18-10-1), 5 p.m.
Trenton (19-8-2) vs Birmingham Brother Rice (17-12-1), 7:30 p.m.
Division 3 - Friday
Riverview Gabriel Richard (18-11) vs Livonia Churchill (15-11-3), 11 a.m.
Hancock (23-6) vs Detroit Country Day (26-2-1), 1:30 p.m.
Division 1 – Friday
Saginaw Heritage (21-4-3) vs Traverse City West (17-9-3), 5 p.m.
Detroit Catholic Central (25-3-1) vs Brighton (22-6-1), 7:30 p.m.
FINALS – Saturday
Division 2 - 10 a.m.
Division 3 - 2 p.m.
Division 1 - 6 p.m.
All Semifinals and Finals will be viewable live per subscription basis on MHSAA.tv, with live audio available on MHSAANetwork.com.
Click for a full schedule of this weekend's games plus full results as they come in. Player statistics below are through the Regional round.
Division 1
BRIGHTON
Record/rank: 22-6-1, No. 3
Championship history: Four MHSAA titles (most recent 2017), two runner-up finishes.
Coach: Paul Moggach, 23rd season (435-150-17)
League finish: Second in Kensington Lakes Activities Association Gold.
Best wins: 3-1 (Regional Final) and 3-2 over No. 2 Orchard Lake St. Mary’s, 5-4 over No. 6 Utica Eisenhower, 5-3 over No. 8 Detroit U-D Jesuit, 7-2 over No. 10 Salem, 3-2 over Division 2 No. 1 Livonia Stevenson, 2-0 over Division 2 No. 4 Birmingham Brother Rice, 3-2 over Division 2 No. 2 Plymouth, 3-2 over Division 3 No. 1 Hancock.
Players to watch: Tim Erkkila, sr. D (6 goals, 28 assists); Adam Conquest, sr. F (24 goals, 16 assists); Mathew Kahra, sr. F (19 goals, 20 assists); Will Jentz, soph. F (11 goals, 20 assists).
Outlook: Brighton will be up to six Semifinals in seven seasons and has played in three of the last four championship games, finishing runner-up to Detroit Catholic Central in 2014 and 2016. Those two see each other in the Semifinal this time, and Brighton is one of few that gave the Shamrocks a game losing their Dec. 16 meeting 3-0. Erkkila made the all-state first team last season and Conquest was among the top scorers last year as well. Sam Brennan (19 G/28 A) is another offensive threat from the defense, and senior Robert Pegrum and junior Harrison Fleming have combined to give up only 48 goals while seeing nearly 90 percent of the action in net.
DETROIT CATHOLIC CENTRAL
Record/rank: 25-3-1, No. 1
Championship history: 13 MHSAA titles (most recent 2016), five runner-up finishes.
Coach: Brandon Kaleniecki, third season (68-16-2)
League finish: First in Michigan Interscholastic Hockey League North.
Best wins: 7-0 (Quarterfinal), 6-3 and 5-1 over No. 5 Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood; 2-0, 7-2 and 6-5 over No. 2 Orchard Lake St. Mary’s; 8-0 over No. 10 Salem in Pre-Regional Final, 6-2 over No. 8 Detroit U-D Jesuit, 7-2 over No. 4 Grandville, 3-0 over No. 3 Brighton, 6-1 and 4-2 over Division 2 No. 5 Trenton, 4-1 and 3-2 over Division 2 No. 4 Birmingham Brother Rice, 8-0 over Division 2 No. 3 Hartland, 2-0 over Division 2 No. 1 Livonia Stevenson.
Players to watch: Brendan West, sr. F (21 goals, 38 assists); Dylan Montie, sr. F (17 goals, 30 assists); Joe Borthwick, jr. D (6 goals, 24 assists); Jared Lee, sr. F (15 goals, 21 assists).
Outlook: After finishing runner-up to Brighton a year ago, DCC is seeking to add a fourth Division 1 title in five seasons. The Shamrocks’ three losses all came to Indiana power Culver Academy. DCC hasn’t given up a goal in its last six games, and junior goalies Zach Allan and Steven Slava have combined for 13 shutouts total. West made the all-state first team last season and is one of seven players who had at least 10 goals entering this week. Juniors Mitch Morris (16 G/13 A), Rylan Clemons (9 G/16 A), Zach Borchardt (12 G/8 A), and Carter Korpi (11 G/8 A) and sophomore Kyle Gaffney (10 G/10 A) are among other scoring threats, while junior Brendan Hill (5 G/10 A) and sophomore Brendan Miles (4 G/14 A) are among other offensively-productive blueliners.
SAGINAW HERITAGE
Record/rank: 21-4-3, No. 7
Championship history: Has never appeared in an MHSAA Final.
Coach: J.J. Bamberger, 10th season (175-83-10)
League finish: Second in Saginaw Valley League.
Best wins: 7-5 over No. 10 Salem, 3-0 over Traverse City West, 5-1 over Division 2 No. 10 Grand Rapids Christian, 5-0 over Division 3 No. 6 Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett, 4-1 over Division 3 No. 10 Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central.
Players to watch: Parker Severson, jr. F (23 goals, 21 assists); Brady Rappuhn, soph. F (18 goals, 30 assists); David Helpap, jr. F (21 goals, 25 assists); Jacob Best, jr. F (17 goals, 22 assists).
Outlook: Heritage has won Regional titles four of the last five seasons and is back at the Semifinals for the first time since 2012-13 when it was in Division 2. The Hawks have outscored their four playoffs opponents by a combined 29-4. Sophomore forward Matt Cole (6 G/13 assists) and junior forward Eddie Symons (14 G/24 A) also add to the attack. Heritage should be excited for next season as well as its top six scorers and three goalies are either juniors or sophomores – the team has only three seniors and only one on defense.
TRAVERSE CITY WEST
Record/rank: 17-9-3, unranked
Championship history: Has never appeared in an MHSAA Final.
Coach: Jeremy Rintala, 11th season (152-122-12)
League finish: First in Big North Conference.
Best wins: 1-0 over Holland West Ottawa in the Quarterfinal, 8-3 over Traverse City Central, 2-1 over Division 2 No. 7 Marquette, 3-2 over Division 3 No. 5 Warren DeLaSalle.
Players to watch: Mark Alekseykov, sr. F (22 goals, 28 assists); Sam Tirrell, sr. D (9 goals, 16 assists); Zach VanAntwerp, sr. F (21 goals, 17 assists); Evan Wilson, sr. F (10 goals, 18 assists).
Outlook: A team with 11 seniors conquered its first Quarterfinal since 2015 to make its first Semifinal since 2010. West is 8-2-1 over its last 11 games and familiar with its Semifinal opponent, losing to Heritage early but then tying the Hawks in the regular-season finale. Senior Elliott Sitkins carries a 2.51 goals-against average and has played about 75 percent of the time, and forward Joel Cerny (8 G/11 assists) is another senior among team scoring leaders.
Division 2
BIRMINGHAM BROTHER RICE
Record/rank: 17-12-1, No. 4
Championship history: Five MHSAA titles (most recent 2017), two runner-up finishes.
Coach: Kenny Chaput, second season (41-16-2)
League finish: Third in MIHL North.
Best wins: 3-2 (2OT) over No. 8 Davison in Quarterfinal, 4-1 over No. 3 Hartland, 3-1 over No. 5 Trenton, 4-3 over No. 2 Plymouth, 5-2 over Division 1 No. 8 Detroit U-D Jesuit, 5-2 over Division 1 No. 5 Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood, 6-1 over Division 3 No. 5 Warren DeLaSalle.
Players to watch: Ethan Nystrom, jr. D (14 goals, 19 assists); Dominic DiPonio, sr. F/D (14 goals, 16 assists); Nick Marone, soph. F (7 goals, 17 assists); Garrett Moore, sr. F (10 goals, 11 assists).
Outlook: Brother Rice has won nine of its last 12 games to push back over .500 and all the way to the Semifinals. The Warriors started 2-6 but have since avenged one of those defeats, to tonight’s opponent Trenton. Nystrom earned an all-state honorable mention last season and is one of a number of offensive threats. Juniors Luke Kafati (7 G/14 A), Keaton Vogel (8 G/12 A) and Chris Andoni (8 G/11 A) all had at least 19 points entering the week.
GRAND RAPIDS FOREST HILLS NORTHERN/EASTERN
Record/rank: 18-10-1, No. 9
Championship history: Division 2 runner-up 2017.
Coach: Tom Bissett, seventh season (107-79-12)
League finish: First in O-K Conference Tier 2.
Best wins: 6-2 (Regional Final), 3-2 and 4-1 over No. 10 Grand Rapids Christian, 6-2 and 4-3 over Division 3 No. 10 Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central, 1-0 over Division 1 No. 9 Northville.
Players to watch: Joshua Boverhof, sr. D (8 goals, 29 assists); Gabriel Gunneson, jr. F (17 goals, 16 assists); Ian Famulak, sr. F (14 goals, 36 assists); Nathan Nickelson, sr. F (26 goals, 25 assists).
Outlook: Northern/Eastern continues to build and will now make its third straight Semifinal appearance after advancing to the championship game last season for the first time. The team is riding an eight-game winning streak and scored five or more goals in seven of those victories – a great finish after a 4-6 start. Boverhof made the all-state first team last season, and Famulak and Nickelson both made the second team. Senior Joel Brandinger (9 G/26 A) also continues to be a key offensive cog.
HARTLAND
Record/rank: 22-6-1, No. 3
Championship history: Division 2 runner-up 2013 and 2014.
Coach: Rick Gadwa, seventh season (144-49-10)
League finish: First in KLAA Gold.
Best wins: 6-5 over No. 1 Livonia Stevenson, 3-2 over No. 5 Trenton, 6-4 over Division 1 No. 7 Saginaw Heritage, 2-1 over Division 1 No. 8 Detroit U-D Jesuit, 4-3 over Division 1 No. 2 Orchard Lake St. Mary, 2-1 and 4-2 over Division 1 No. 3 Brighton, 5-3 over Division 1 No. 10 Salem, 2-1 over Division 3 No. 1 Hancock.
Players to watch: Jake Behnke, sr. F (22 goals, 16 assists); Brendan Tulpa, jr. F (22 goals, 16 assists); Josh Albring, sr. F (7 goals, 32 assists); Joey Larson, jr. F (19 goals, 18 assists).
Outlook: Hartland has reached the Semifinals five of the last six seasons and this time despite a couple of tough losses before the start of the playoffs. The Eagles quickly bounced back with plenty of firepower. Albring made the all-state Dream Team last season (and has more than 100 points combined over the last two), with Behnke earning a Division 2 honorable mention and junior Gabe Anderson adding another 12 goals to those mentioned above. In addition to the notable wins above, Hartland also downed Division 3 No. 3 Houghton and No. 8 Grand Rapids Catholic Central this winter.
TRENTON
Record/rank: 19-8-2, No. 5
Championship history: Fourteen MHSAA titles (most recent 2014), six runner-up finishes.
Coach: Chad Clements, fourth season (65-42-5)
League finish: First in MIHL South.
Best wins: 3-1 over No. 1 Livonia Stevenson in Quarterfinal, 4-0 over No. 6 Saline in Pre-Regional Final, 2-1 over No. 2 Plymouth, 4-1 over No. 4 Birmingham Brother Rice, 4-2 and 4-1 over Division 1 No. 8 Detroit U-D Jesuit, 6-4 over Division 1 No. 10 Salem, 3-2 over Division 3 No. 5 Warren DeLaSalle.
Players to watch: Nolan Szczepaniak, jr. F (16 goals, 12 assists); Drew Welsch, sr. F (32 goals, 20 assists); Cam Blanton, jr. D (8 goals, 15 assists); Joey Cormier, soph. G (1.70 GAA, 9 shutouts).
Outlook: After a first-round tournament exit a year ago, Trenton is back among the final teams playing for the first time since that championship season of 2013-14. Stevenson in the Quarterfinal, with one goal, was the only team to score on Trenton over four postseason games. Ten players total have at least 15 points, with junior Devin Dunn (9 G/17 A) and senior Patrick Bazner (8 G/12 A) also topping 20 heading into the week.
Division 3
DETROIT COUNTRY DAY
Record/rank: 26-2-1, No. 4
Championship history: Class B-C-D champion 1981, two runner-up finishes.
Coach: Frank Novock, seventh season (131-52-8)
League finish: First in Michigan Metro Hockey League East.
Best wins: 3-2 OT over No. 8 Grand Rapids Catholic Central in Quarterfinal, 2-0 over No. 7 Flint Powers Catholic in Regional Final, 4-1 over No. 6 Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett, 7-2 and 3-1 over Riverview Gabriel Richard, 1-0 over Division 1 No. 6 Utica Eisenhower.
Players to watch: Lucas Krol, freshman F (17 goals, 10 assists), Tim Stebbins, sr. F (18 goals, 8 assists), Harrison Dunbar, sr. F (13 goals, 12 assists), Sam Evola, jr. G (0.97 GAA, 7 shutouts).
Outlook: After losses in two straight Quarterfinals, Country Day is returning to the Semifinal for the first time since its most recent runner-up season of 1988-89. The Yellowjackets haven’t lost since Dec. 16, and avenged that most recent defeat to University Liggett two months later. Ten players entered the week with at least 10 points this season; senior forward Carter Elrod (8 goals, 13 assists) was another of four with at least 20.
HANCOCK
Record/rank: 23-6, No. 1
Championship history: Two MHSAA titles (most recent 2016), two runner-up finishes.
Coach: Dan Rouleau, 14th season (247-120-9)
League finish: First in Great Lakes Hockey Conference.
Best wins: 4-0 (Regional Final), 3-1, 5-4, 4-3 and 8-5 over No. 2 Calumet; 3-2 (Pre-Regional Semifinal) and 4-2 over No. 3 Houghton, 5-2 and 2-1 over Division 2 No. 7 Marquette, 6-4 over Division 2 No. 4 Birmingham Brother Rice.
Players to watch: Alex Nordstrom, jr. F (38 goals, 33 assists); Teddy Randell, sr. F (27 goals, 32 assists); Austin Salani, fr. F (19 goals, 25 assists); Dawson Kero, sr. G (2.12 GAA, 4 shutouts).
Outlook: The top three ranked teams in Division 3 all hail from the Keweenaw Peninsula, so emerging from that group is an accomplishment in itself for Hancock – and after falling to Calumet in a first-round game a year ago. The Bulldogs have seen plenty of downstate competition too, also taking one-goal losses to Hartland, Brighton, Orchard Lake St. Mary’s and Plymouth during the regular season. Nordstrom and Kero made the all-state first team last season and Randell made the second. Kero remains outstanding in net, and Hancock can strike in a number of ways. Four more players had 19 or more points entering the week – sophomore forwards Colton Salani (15 G/28 A) and Petr Anderson (7 G/13 A) and junior forwards Bryce Randell (9 G/10 A) and Trevor Tchida (15 G/10 A).
LIVONIA CHURCHILL
Record/rank: 15-11-3, No. 9
Championship history: Has not appeared in an MHSAA Final.
Coach: Jason Reynolds, sixth season (83-71-11)
League finish: Third in KLAA Black.
Best wins: 3-0 over No. 6 Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett in Quarterfinal, 4-3 over Allen Park in Regional Final, 3-2 over Division 1 No. 10 Salem.
Players to watch: Josh Friend, sr. F (21 goals, 14 assists); Carter Swider, sr. F (12 goals, 17 assists); Zack Vendittelli, jr. F (12 goals, 16 assists); Seth Kucharczyk, sr. D (10 goals, 15 assists).
Outlook: Churchill missed the Semifinals with an overtime Quarterfinal loss in Division 2 last season, but broke through to the final weekend for the first time this winter now in Division 3. Playing as one of the smallest schools in the KLAA, Churchill saw a number of contenders in Divisions 1 and 2 during the regular season and tied Hartland and also Division 2 No. 7 Marquette. Seniors Conor Burnette (9 G/14 A) and Adam Sinclair (8 G/6 A) are among additional offensive options.
RIVERVIEW GABRIEL RICHARD
Record/rank: 18-11, unranked
Championship history: Two MHSAA runner-up finishes (most recent 2003).
Coach: Rick Desana, 13th season (172-151-14)
League finishes: Tied for second in Detroit Catholic League Division 1 Group B, fifth in Michigan Metro Hockey League East.
Best wins: 1-0 over No. 5 Warren DeLaSalle, 7-5 over Chelsea in Quarterfinal, 1-0 (Regional Final) and 6-4 over Brownstown Woodhaven.
Players to watch: Josh Wiseman, jr. F (19 goals, 17 assists); Chance Desana, jr. F (8 goals, 15 assists); Nathan Vazquez, soph. F (16 goals, 7 assists); Jake Emery, soph. D (4 goals, 15 assists).
Outlook: Gabriel Richard narrowly missed making the Semifinals in 2010 and 2014, but returns this weekend for the first time since the runner-up season of 2002-03. This run is especially impressive as the Pioneers finished 8-18-2 a year ago, but despite taking losses saw some of the Catholic League’s best during this regular season and were well prepared for the playoffs. They could be building for a big 2018-19 as well – of 20 players, only five are seniors.
PHOTO: Detroit Catholic Central goalie Zach Allan turns away a shot against Orchard Lake St. Mary's this season. (Photo by Hockey Weekly Action Photo.)