Manning Up for Brother Rice Title Run
March 14, 2015
By Bill Khan
Special for Second Half
PLYMOUTH — For Matt Manning, there were no hard feelings.
From his standpoint, it was a clean hockey play, even though a penalty was called on his opponent.
He just happened to be on the wrong end of a devastating hit that nearly deprived him of his senior season at Birmingham Brother Rice and the opportunity to lead his team to an MHSAA championship.
In a scrimmage on Nov. 17, two days before the season opener against Livonia Stevenson, Manning was forechecking on a penalty kill when he got the puck and slipped it behind a defender. With his head down as he was chasing the puck, Manning never saw what was coming.
"This kid just came from my blind side," the 5-foot-6 Manning recalls. "He got me in the right spot. He was a lot bigger than me. He won that battle."
But Manning and his teammates were the ultimate winners Saturday. He was in the stands as a freshman when Brother Rice won its last MHSAA title, in 2012, but was a key reason why the Warriors won their fourth with a 6-3 victory over Livonia Stevenson at Compuware Ice Arena.
Manning didn't immediately realize he was injured back in November, but he felt sharp pain when he tried to move his left arm on his way back to the bench. His left collarbone had been broken in half, an injury that required a plate and seven screws to repair.
Manning experienced some dark days in the immediate aftermath of the injury.
"It killed my confidence, basically, because we were just starting the season," he said. "We hadn't played our first game. It was the first scrimmage, the third shift. I was getting down about it. After that, and getting through the therapy, realizing it was going to get better with all the sessions we had, it just got much better a lot quicker."
Manning was back in the lineup on Jan. 7, adding a high-end talent to a team already ranked No. 1 in Division 2.
Manning had only one assist Saturday, but makes an impact as a tenacious, high-energy forechecker that isn't always quantified on the scoresheet. Stevenson coach David Mitchell agreed that Manning's presence was a huge plus for Brother Rice, which beat Stevenson 4-3 in the teams' season opener on Nov. 19 in Livonia.
"You saw some things around the net today where he made plays that were special hockey plays," Mitchell said. "It's tough playing an opponent like him, but I'm thrilled he's in high school hockey and he's helping high school hockey grow. Having a player like that in our game makes our game better and makes the level of competition better for everybody and more enjoyable for people to watch."
Brother Rice coach Lou Schmidt, in his 12th year with the Warriors, said Manning's comeback from a major injury was remarkable.
"I've never in my years seen anybody come back like he did," Schmidt said. "Usually, there's this very cautionary period where you don't want to get hit. He started skating five weeks after the injury; you never would've known he was out. He was a huge addition to our team. He made us deeper, he made us better."
Brother Rice wouldn't have had the opportunity to play for the title on Saturday had Manning not scored on a backhander 25 seconds into the fourth overtime to give the Warriors a 4-3 victory over Hartland in the Quarterfinals on Tuesday. It was one of two one-goal victories for the Warriors on their march to the championship.
Although Brother Rice won by three goals, the Warriors found themselves in another tough battle against a Stevenson team that was two years removed from an MHSAA championship.
Brother Rice dominated the early going, outshooting Stevenson 10-2 in the first period and taking a 2-0 lead just 53 seconds into the second period on a goal by Joey Vassallo.
The Warriors swarmed the Spartans' net after that in search of a knockout blow, only to be thwarted by junior goalie Cullen Barber.
After going without a shot on its first two power plays, Stevenson injected some life into the building when Alex Allen scored on the power play at 8:41 of the second period. The Spartans quickly tied it when Joe Alcantara scored at the 10:36 mark.
"I'm so proud of our guys," Mitchell said. "I think everybody saw it had the potential to get away when it was 2-0 and they were still carrying the play. But like we did all year, we answered back and made a game of it, which was great not only for us, but for the game of high school hockey. That second period was exciting. It's good that it was a good, solid hockey game that I hope did high school hockey proud."
Brother Rice regrouped and regained its two-goal lead on goals by Brendan Pyc at the 12:58 and 16:19 marks of the second.
"It was a big momentum shift when they scored their first one," said Brother Rice senior Nick Rosa, the only player remaining from the 2012 championship team. "When they got the second one, we knew we had to get the next one; that was big."
Stevenson got back within striking distance when Vince Glenn scored on the power play 44 seconds into the third period. Rosa's team-leading 25th goal of the year with 8:58 remaining in the game re-established Brother Rice's two-goal cushion.
Stevenson failed to click on two late power plays before the Warriors put an exclamation point on the championship with an empty-net goal by Jack Dansbury with 20.3 seconds to go.
"It's the longest journey ever," Rosa said. "Nine months ago, we started working out in the summer five days a week. We never stopped. This was our ultimate goal. We achieved it. Every day we came to practice and tried our best. I'm really proud of the boys."
Brother Rice was 3 for 4 on the power play, while Stevenson was 2 for 6.
"It was a special teams kind of day," Schmidt said. "We played well when we had to. We made it interesting there in the second — maybe for the fans, but not so much for the coaches."
PHOTOS: (Top) Brother Rice celebrates one of six goals Saturday against Livonia Stevenson. (Middle) Stevenson’s Nate Sudek drives into the Warriors’ zone during the Division 2 Final. (Photos by Andrew Knapik/Southgate).
Performance: Hartland's Brenden Tulpa
February 1, 2018
Brenden Tulpa
Hartland junior – Hockey
Tied for third in points for one of the top-ranked teams in Michigan, Tulpa considers himself a playmaker setting up Hartland’s potent offense. But he’s driven the Eagles’ three-game winning streak as a scorer, putting in two goals versus Northville in a 3-0 win, another against top-ranked Livonia Stevenson in a 6-5 victory and Tuesday the game-winner to down Brighton 2-1 and earn the Michigan Army National Guard “Performance of the Week.”
The junior left wing has nine goals and 11 assists this winter for Hartland, which sits 12-4-1 and ranked No. 4 in Division 2. This recent run has been one of the most impressive by any team in the state this season; in addition to Stevenson holding down the top spot, Northville now is ranked No. 8 in Division 1 and Brighton is No. 3. The win over the Bulldogs clinched the Kensington Lakes Activities Association Gold title.
Tulpa has nearly equaled his nine goals and 12 assists from last season, when he helped the Eagles reach the Division 2 Semifinals in his first season of high school hockey after making the switch from AAA travel. He hopes to play junior hockey after high school and then eventually at the college level. Tulpa is interested in studying radiology and working in the medical field – he carries a 3.8 grade-point average with math and science among his favorite subjects.
Coach Rick Gadwa said: “What's great about Brendan is that the more success he has individually, the more he compliments his teammates. There's a culture we've built at Hartland, and Brendan has done an exceptional job putting his team before himself. When you look at his individual ability, the way Brendan scores big goals in big games is something every coach prays for in their lineup. He can be straight up lethal. When you combine that with his attitude and work ethic, you have yourself a really good hockey player. Brendan came to our program last season as a sophomore and like most, there was some maturing to do. Watching him take that big step this year not only as a hockey player. but as a human being, is what excites me most. As a coach, I like to focus on the game within the game and attributes like respect, humility, discipline, etc., are all things we look for in our players. Seeing a player like Brendan mature the way he has and continue to follow the process to become the best player, student, and person possible is really what it's all about.”
Performance Point: “Those are all KLAA games, and they’re rivalry games, and we needed them to make it to the (league) championship. We went on a little cold spurt there and didn’t win in three games, and these last three we’ve been on a winning streak against top, top teams in the state, and it’s awesome finally coming together as a team.”
Surrounded by standouts: “I’ve just been trying to keep my pregame rituals the same, keep my mindset the same, and I just think I’ve been getting lucky putting the puck in the net. I guess it’s not luck; playing with Josh Albring (6 goals/23 assists), who was (all-state) Dream Team last year; he’s a Mr. Hockey contender. And Jack Behnke (17 goals/9 assists), he’s just been killing it since last year with points and goals. And Joey Larson (8 goals/12 assists) too; playing with those three guys, it’s kinda hard, honestly, not to perform well. Because they’re so good. Playing with them makes everyone else play better. When they bring energy and make good plays, it starts building up throughout the team. I love playing with them.”
Ready for another run: “Our coach Rick Gadwa pretty much built this program from the ground up, with the help of our athletic office. We really didn’t have a very high-ranked team at all. Before (the goal) was just kinda winning a Regional championship, but the past couple of years, when we don’t win the state championship, it’s a letdown because we feel like we can do it. … We’ve just learned that we can’t be comfortable. Like last year, we only lost two games all regular season. Most of us thought we’d just waltz right in and win it. This year we know we can’t get comfortable. We’ve beaten these last three teams; there’s still work to be done.”
Looking up to Luke: “(2016 graduate) Luke Cowan … he put Hartland on the map his senior year. He was unbelievable to watch, one of the best players I’ve ever seen. He was a skill guy, he got a ton of points, but he also worked his butt off all the time in corners, he was a grinder, he rarely made mistakes and he was just a great role model to play after.”
Proud to wear blue & gold: “(Playing high school hockey) was the best decision I’ve ever made in my life. I have enjoyed hockey so much more in these last two years than I ever have. We get to skate every day. I’ve built great relationships with kids just seeing them every day after school. And then playing in front of students at your school, the big crowd, it’s awesome.”
- Geoff Kimmerly, Second Half editor
Every week during the 2017-18 school year, Second Half and the Michigan Army National Guard will recognize a “Performance of the Week" from among the MHSAA's 750 member high schools.
The Michigan Army National Guard provides trained and ready forces in support of the National Military Strategy, and responds as needed to state, local, and regional emergencies to ensure peace, order, and public safety. The Guard adds value to our communities through continuous interaction. National Guard soldiers are part of the local community. Guardsmen typically train one weekend per month and two weeks in the summer. This training maintains readiness when needed, be it either to defend our nation's freedom or protect lives and property of Michigan citizens during a local natural disaster.
Previous 2017-18 honorees:
January 25: Brandon Whitman, Dundee wrestling - Read
January 18: Derek Maas, Holland West Ottawa swimming - Read
January 11: Lexi Niepoth, Bellaire basketball - Read
November 30: La'Darius Jefferson, Muskegon football - Read
November 23: Ashley Turak, Farmington Hills Harrison swimming - Read
November 16: Bryce Veasley, West Bloomfield football - Read
November 9: Jose Penaloza, Holland soccer - Read
November 2: Karenna Duffey, Macomb L'Anse Creuse North cross country - Read
October 26: Anika Dy, Traverse City Central golf - Read
October 19: Andrew Zhang, Bloomfield Hills tennis - Read
October 12: Nolan Fugate, Grand Rapids Catholic Central football - Read
October 5: Marissa Ackerman, Munising tennis - Read
September 28: Minh Le, Portage Central soccer - Read
September 21: Olivia Theis, Lansing Catholic cross country - Read
September 14: Maddy Chinn, Pontiac Notre Dame Prep volleyball - Read
PHOTOS: (Top) Hartland's Brenden Tulpa starts a rush during last season's Division 2 Semifinal against Birmingham Brother Rice. (Middle) Tulpa looks to line up a shot on goal.