The Clarkston hockey team’s Division 1 ranking dropped from second to seventh after losses to Port Huron Northern and Birmingham. Captain Kyle Buzzo called a team meeting and they responded by pounding Royal Oak 9-1 Jan. 29 and beating number-one ranked Division 2 Grosse Pointe North 8-3 on Jan. 31.
Clarkston was down 1-0 to Royal Oak early in the first period, but then the Wolves took over as 12 of the 18 skaters put points on the board.
Trevor Johns got things started late in the first as he backhanded a wrist shot past netminder Rick Hennard to tie the game 1-1.
Clarkston began the second period on a power play and struck early as Griffin Cummings set up Adam Peters, who buried the puck for what proved to be the game winner.
The Wolves added five more goal in the second. Johns scored on a rebound off a Peters shot. On the next shift, Chris Degen found the net as his shot slid under Hennard’s left pad. Cummings assisted.
Dan Mutz scored off a Ricky Spano pass from behind the net and Mike Medonis made it 6-1 as he redirected a Mike Zak slapshot. Adam Stoyek and Morin picked up the assists.
The last goal of the period was a rare beauty. With the Wolves killing a 5 on 3, Johns stole the puck at his own blue line and scored on a breakaway, his fifth short-handed goal of the season. This sent Herrand to the showers early and the Wolves to the locker room with a 7-1 lead.
Buzzo started the third period scoring by burying a shot from the slot on a pass from Morin. Spano finished things off, sending a wrist shot from the right circle just inside the post, for his first goal of the season.
‘We pressured them all night and caused them to make a lot of mistakes,? Ralph Humphlett, CHS assistant coach, said.
CHS netminder Mike Brach did not see a lot of action, but had some big saves.
This win, coupled with Birmingham’s 4-4 tie with Troy, has Clarkston and BU tied for first with three league games remaining.
Saturday, Jan. 31, was Senior Night, and boy, did the seniors shine. Five Wolves played their last home game in a Clarkston jersey and went out with a bang. Adam Peters tallied a hat trick and two assists, playing his best game of the season. Steven Morin had a playmaker, giving him a team high 33 points. Buzzo, with his Kris Draper-style of play, added a goal and an assist. Cummings led the defense in ice time, holding Grosse Pointe North to one goal through the first two and a half periods. Goaltender Aaron Catanese brought his A-game, making several key saves.
The Wolves came out a bit sluggish, but stellar play by Catanese kept GPN off the board.
‘Catanese won the game for us in the first period,? Bryan Krygier, Clarkston coach, said. ‘He bailed us out and allowed us to get back in the game.?
The Wolves were up 1-0 in the first intermission as Peters scored on a wrap around. Mutz and Johns assisted.
It was all Wolves in the second period as Clarkston scored four times, playing physical and crashing the net every time down the ice.
Peters scored his second of the night at the 0:43 mark by sending a backhanded shot past goaltender Jordan Zielke to make it 2-0. Johns and Mutz assisted.
GPN narrowed the gap at 2-1 when Jimmy Solomon dumped the puck into the Wolves zone, only to have it ricochet off the boards and into the net.
Thirty-five seconds later, the Wolves struck again as Buzzo was relentless in the opponent’s zone, battling for the puck and sending a perfect pass to an open Medonis in the slot. Cummings also assisted.
One minute later, Degen scored the game winner as Morin hit him with a cross-ice feed as he waited on Zielke’s doorstep. Matt Prasil also assisted. Buzzo took his team into the locker room with a 5-1 lead after crashing the net and burying the puck off a great pass from Cummings.
Grosse Pointe changed goalies in the third period and the Wolves welcomed him by scoring nine seconds in. Peters notched a hat trick on sharp, cross-ice passes from Morin and Mutz.
The Wolves got a little lax in the last half of the third, allowing two goals, but added two more of their own. Mutz picked up his fourth point of the night, scoring from Peters and Morin. On his next shift, Peters threaded a pass to Mike Fogg, who was flying into the slot and sent the puck top shelf. Cummings assisted, his third of the night.
‘We considered this game to be like a playoff game,? Krygier said. ‘We pressured their defense and caused them to turn over the puck, which created opportunities for us. Peters had a good night. But to have guys score like Mutz and Medonis, who don’t score a lot, that really pumps the team up.?
‘The key to the game tonight was playing physical,? Buzzo said. ‘We knew we had to turn things around, play better hockey, and get ready for March (playoffs).?
The Wolves (13-3-3-) are on the road for the rest of the season. They meet Troy on Saturday, Feb. 7, at 8 p.m. at the Troy Sports Center.