After going 0-2 and being out scored 1-8 in the High School Hockey Showcase on Feb. 10-11 in Trenton, Clarkston’s hockey team should avoid looking in the rearview mirror as they prepare for a showdown at Farmington on Feb. 15 at 7:30 p.m. with the OAA I league title on the line.
‘If we win (at Farmington), we get first place. There’s other teams that could tie us, but we would at least have a share of first place,? Clarkston Coach Bryan Krygier said. ‘If we lose, we can end up as low as fourth place.?
The Wolves bring a 9-3-1 league record into their game at Farmington. Both Farmington and Troy have 7-3-1 records at this point and are tied for third behind Stoney Creek, who is in second place with a 8-4-0 record.
‘It’s tough playing Farmington ? It’s a tough environment,? Krygier said. ‘We’ve won (against Farmington) the last two years on the road to win the league though.?
With the league title hanging in the balance, the Wolves hope to have linemates Kyle Chartrand and Mike Medonis back in uniform. Chartrand, a senior, leads the Wolves in scoring with 33 points (17 goals, 15 assists). He will play the rest of the season with a cast on his thumb and is suffering from a thigh injury as well. Medonis, who in his senior season is second on the team in scoring with 19 points (8 goals, 11 assists), has been nursing a groin injury.
Both players sat out during the showcase. Krygier felt the team dearly missed their offense as they wer shutout 4-0 by East Kentwood in their first game of the showcase on Feb. 10.
‘We fell apart. We were in the game in the first and second periods but then we ran into some penalty trouble in the third,? Krygier said.
On the second day of the showcase, Clarkston lost 4-1 to Portage Central. Senior Brandon Gibson tallied the Wolves lone goal.
Before their tough times at the showcase Clarkston nabbed an important league victory over Waterford Mott on Feb. 8, by a score of 3-2. Junior Ryan Kenerson and senior Matt Prasil each had a goal and an assist in the win. Senior Ricky Spano added a goal and Chartrand had an assist.
Clarkston’s overall record is now 11-9-1.
After their contest with Farmington, Clarkston only has two games remaining in the regular season: Feb. 18 at home against Walled Lake Northern and Feb. 22 at Brother Rice.
Looking past the regular season, a very tough pre-regional opponent in No.2 Orchard Lake St. Mary’s looms on the horizon on Feb. 27 in a game played on OLSM’s home ice at 6 p.m. Clarkston lost to OlSM 4-1 at the Detroit Skate Center on Feb. 4.
Should Clarkston advance past OLSM, Novi Detroit Catholic Central, the No.1 ranked team in the state, may be lurking on the other side of the regional draw.
Visit www.clarkstonnews.com on Feb. 16 for the outcome of Clarkston’s tilt for the league title with Farmington.