Three Clarkston hockey players played a big roll in helping Team USA-Midwest come home with the European Cup.
Steve Morin, Adam Peters and Trevor Johns spent Aug. 8-15 competing at the tournament in Prague, Czech Republic. The team was 5-0-1 with wins against the Czech team, Russian Dinamo, Team USA – East and two wins against the Slovakia Junior National Team.
The team of 20 players won despite playing together just one week before the competition started.
‘In the scrimmage we played you could see we needed some work but we had so much talent that by the second game in Europe we were molding as a team,? Johns said. ‘We were traveling together, eating together and living together. It felt like we had been together for years.?
The three Clarkston players were on the ice together as one forward line. They scored nine total goals which was good for about 33 percent of the team’s scoring. Team USA-Midwest outscored their opponents by a combined 29-4.
‘There were some solid hockey players with a lot of talent but they couldn’t handle the physical play,? Peters said. ‘It was an amazing feeling. It was an unbelievable experience I’ll never forget.?
Team USA-Midwest also overcame illness as eight of the 20 players had to sit out at least one game due to a virus that was going through the squad. The team received their gold medals in an on-ice ceremony.
‘I knew we were a good team, but I did not expect us to be the best,? Morin said.
Peters and Morin are 2004 graduates of Clarkston High School. Johns is scheduled to graduate in 2005.