Numbers Add Up Nicely for Eisenhower
By
Tom Markowski
Special for Second Half
February 15, 2018
SHELBY TOWNSHIP – The game within the game continues to play out in boys ice hockey as coaches and communities strive to maintain competitive programs in an increasingly competitive world of high school athletics.
Utica Eisenhower is ranked No. 6 in Division 1 this season and seeking its first MHSAA championship game appearance – which would be another fine accomplishment for a program that continues to measure up with the state's best.
Bob Hall is in his 11th season as Eisenhower’s head coach, and his program has maintained a high level of competitiveness and stability throughout his time. The Eagles reached Division 1 Quarterfinals in 2013 and 2016, and last season Eisenhower lost to eventual Division 1 runner-up Detroit Catholic Central, 5-2, in a Regional Final. In 2006, Eisenhower reached the MHSAA Semifinals.
Hall, 48, spent a number of years coaching Bantam-A and Junior-A travel teams before he took over at Eisenhower. He’s seen both sides of the coin as it relates to ice hockey in Michigan. Unlike a sport such as football, high school hockey coaches must compete with travel teams for talent. Some programs succeed; some don’t.
Eisenhower is one of stronger programs in the Metro Detroit area. Despite losing a dozen seniors to graduation last spring, Hall has 25 players on varsity this season, including 12 more seniors.
“High school hockey is the best-kept secret out there,” Hall said. “There’s nothing better than to have 1,000 people yelling for you in a rink and another 500 or so rooting against you.
“Our program, it’s not that we’re developing so much. We see ourselves as the top program in Macomb County. There’s other good programs, too, like (Warren) DeLaSalle and (Macomb) Dakota. We’ve done three showcases this season. Our kids are being recruited. Unless you’re playing in the top three of four elite travel teams, high school hockey is just as competitive.”
Some Metro Detroit high school programs have not been as fortunate. Fraser and Warren Mott high schools eliminated ice hockey after last season. Fraser won the Class A title in 1983, but times change.
Harrison Township L’Anse Creuse and Macomb L’Anse Creuse North used to sponsor their own programs. Now they compete as a unified team. The same can be said of St. Clair Shores Lake Shore and St. Clair Shores Lakeview. Large Class A schools like Sterling Heights Stevenson and Utica Ford no longer sponsor the sport.
The county has been impacted by these changes, and Hall is a bit taken aback by it.
Eisenhower is one of four members of the Macomb Area Conference Red, with Dakota, Romeo and St. Clair Shores Unified. The Eagles (15-3-2 overall, 5-0 MAC Red) will host Dakota (13-8, 4-1) on Saturday in what amounts to a game for the division title.
“Back In the day we had six or seven in the Red,” Hall said. “The more schools we get involved, the better. We want good hockey. There are good hockey players in this area.”
And Eisenhower is fortunate to have a number of fine players. Among the top seniors are centers Luke Geiger, Salvo Cipriano and Michael Acorn, and winger Matt Haist. All played on the team last season and have embraced their roles as leaders and role models for the younger players.
In goal Eisenhower has two sophomores, Salvatore Carabelli and Alex Guzdziol. Carabelli has logged the majority of playing time and sports a 13-3-2 record.
This is Haist’s second season with Eisenhower. Previously, he played for the Oakland Junior Grizzlies. He said that the time was right for him to make the switch after his sophomore year.
Statistically, Haist is the team leader in points (53) and goals (37). Next is Jacob Latorella and Geiger each with 24 points.
“Coach Hall is a great coach,” Haist said. “(Playing at Eisenhower) has lived up to all my expectations. Generally, players don’t think high school hockey is that competitive. I don’t agree. There are a lot of good players. High school hockey has more of a demanding schedule. Yeah, we do play less games, but we practice so much more. In travel you might practice two or three times a week. Here we practice five days a week. The more time on the ice makes you better. It also makes you better conditioned.”
Haist said this team is good enough to make a long run in the tournament. He even said a Division 1 championship is not out of the question.
Hall won’t go that far. It’s not that he doesn’t think his team can win it all. It’s just that he won’t allow himself to look past the Regionals.
Eisenhower begins Pre-Regional play against Rochester Adams on Feb. 26 at Detroit Skating Club.
“We have talent,” he said. “Are we the most talented? No. This team gets along well. They bring their lunch box every day. They want to get better. They want to learn. And when they apply what we’re teaching, they’re a pretty good team.”
Tom Markowski is a columnist and directs website coverage for the State Champs! Sports Network. He previously covered primarily high school sports for the The Detroit News from 1984-2014, focusing on the Detroit area and contributing to statewide coverage of football and basketball. Contact him at [email protected] with story ideas for Oakland, Macomb and Wayne counties.
PHOTOS: (Top) Utica Eisenhower players gather during a break in their 5-1 win over Traverse City West on Jan. 12. (Middle) Goaltender Salvatore Carabelli makes a save against Romeo. (Below) Senior Matt Haist starts a rush at Romeo’s net. (Photos by Lena Carabelli.)
Hartland Adds 3rd Title to Growing Championship Tradition
March 12, 2022
PLYMOUTH — For decades, young hockey players in Trenton have grown up dreaming of playing for the high school team.
That dynamic is playing out these days in Hartland, which has become an elite hockey community during coach Rick Gadwa’s 11 seasons at the helm.
Hartland took the ice for the MHSAA Division 2 championship game Saturday at USA Hockey Arena with a couple dozen youth hockey players hanging over the railing near the tunnel cheering on their heroes.
The Eagles left the ice once again as champions, winning their third MHSAA title in the past five seasons with a 3-2 overtime victory over Trenton.
Hartland has won three championships and been runner-up twice over the past 10 seasons. The Eagles also reached the Semifinals two years ago when COVID-19 restrictions shut down winter tournaments including hockey before its conclusion.
“We’ve had a ton of success,” Gadwa said. “What’s impressive about this group is none of these guys have been to USA Hockey Arena. We had quite a bit of returners who were with us last year when we lost to a very good Byron Center team (in the Quarterfinal).
“So, there’s a tradition of excellence right now. To see them get here this year and fight the way they had to fight and get it done just makes our tradition so much stronger. It’s something for guys coming in next year to try to get to.”
Freshman Ian Kastamo was one of the young Hartland kids who watched the Eagles during their annual visits to USA Hockey Arena. He was particularly riveted to the team in 2019 when his brother Sam was on the championship winner.
“I watched games my whole life,” Kastamo said. “I’ve seen the big crowd, the energy, how fun it looks. This is my dream come true to play for this team, much less win the state championship.”
Kastamo not only won a state championship, but he experienced one of the greatest moments in a hockey player’s life by delivering it with an overtime goal. Kastamo scored 3:22 into overtime when he knocked in the rebound of a shot from the left point by Jorden Haydu.
“The puck was in their zone, and I went straight to the net,” Kastamo said. “Shot from the point, rebound and I just lunged and banged it home. It’s what you dream about on the backyard rinks, acting like you scored the overtime winner.”
The Eagles had to rebound mentally after allowing the game-tying goal late in the third period.
Having taken a 2-1 lead on Ashton Trombley’s goal at 16:08 of the second period, Hartland was two minutes away from winning in regulation time.
A penalty with 1:57 remaining put Trenton on the power play. Moments after Hartland’s Ben Pouliot missed an empty net by inches on a shot from deep in the Eagles’ zone, Trenton tied it on a goal by Hayden Oboza with 1:32 left in the third.
Trenton almost didn’t make it to overtime, but sophomore goalie Noah Miklos came up with an enormous save when Lucas Henry got the puck alone in front of the net in the final minute. Miklos finished with 31 saves.
“I don’t really know what happened,” Trenton coach Chad Clements said. “One of our D got caught up ice. There was a turnover. He’s all alone with a minute left. For him to make that save was unbelievable. Obviously, it allowed us a chance to go into overtime and allowed us a chance to try to win the game.
“In the playoffs, he’s been unbelievable. We have two young goaltenders who split time this year. For Noah to step forward and play well for us in the playoffs was really nice.”
Trenton opened the scoring on a power play goal by Carter Allen at 13:52 of the first period, but Henry tied it 28 seconds later.
Hartland goalie Kameron Ragon made 17 saves, finishing his senior season with a 21-0 record. Hartland lost five games, none with Ragon in net.
PHOTOS (Top) Hartland’s bench empties after the Eagles clinch the Division 2 championship Saturday. (Middle) Trenton goalie Noah Miklos and defenseman Xaver Gradinscak wall off a Hartland attack in front of their net. (Click for more from Hockey Weekly Action Photos.)