A couple of youth hockey players got to experience the thrill of victory as they helped the AAA Squirt Major Detroit Honeybaked youth hockey team win the state championship over rival Little Caesars on Sunday, March 6.
Oxford’s Colin Shea, 10, and Lake Orion’s Andrew Remer, 10, played major roles in Detroit Honeybaked’s 4-3 triple overtime win against Little Caesars.
‘It was a good end to the season,? Detroit Honeybaked coach Trevor Edwards said. ‘The kids worked really hard all year and peaked at the right time and played our best hockey when it mattered the most.?
Edward’s squad previously lost all their regular season games to Little Caesars, but would beat them twice in the same week to win the state championship.
‘They (Little Caesars) only lost two games all year and are very well coached…I was really proud of them to overcome the team we beat in the finals,? Edwards said.
Shea and Remer are two of the top forwards on Detroit Honeybaked, according to Edwards. He said both players would consistently help put points on the board for their team and by seasons end, they were near the top of the team for point totals.
‘They are definitely two of the core pieces of our team,? Edwards said. ‘They are very skilled kids that love to be at the hockey rink.?
Edwards said Shea was a ‘smaller, faster player.?
‘He is a great playmaker; he makes his linemates better,? Edwards said. ‘He is one of those kids with great vision and great hands, very shifty. He makes a lot of plays…he had a great state tournament and was one of our best players throughout the state tournament.?
While calling Shea small and fast, Edwards considered Remer more of a power forward while on the ice. ‘He is real fast with a beautiful long stride and loves to take the puck to the net,? he said.
Remer scored a couple of goals in the championship game, including a shorthanded goal from his backhand that he put underneath the crossbar.
Edwards said that in addition to being skilled with the puck, he considered Remer to be the team’s motivational leader. ‘He has a lot of passion and energy and loves to lead by example.?
According to Edwards, the team’s biggest obstacle was beating the top teams in the league. He said his team was able to beat the teams they were supposed to, but when they squared off against the best teams in the league, his team fell short.
‘It was nice to see at the end when we were faced with that challenge we appeared to have learned how to do that and dig deeper,? Edwards said.
The Honeybaked Hockey Club was started in 1984. Lou Schmidt, the owner of Honeybaked Ham Company, began the Honeybaked AAA Hockey Club. Since then, teams in the club have combined to win 39 State Championships and four National Championships.