This past week for the Wolves was make or break. After ending a three game losing streak in a rout against West Bloomfield on Jan. 8, the Wolves played four games in six nights, winning three and losing one to push their record to 9-5.
The centerpiece of the Wolves week was a showdown with Birmingham Unified. Having beaten Birmingham 4-0 on Dec. 10, the Wolves were looking to slam the league title door on the team which bested them late last year for the crown.
Clarkston, who came in to this week’s action ranked number six in Division I, emerged triumphant, posting a 5-3 win over Birmingham, who ranked number seven.
?(Clarkston) probably has the bragging rights for the year,? said Birmingham Coach Steve McIntyre. ‘If they take care of their business they should win the OAA.?
Senior Bryan Morin drew first blood against Birmingham banging home a rebound past senior goaltender Bobbie Howe at 10:15 of the first period. Juniors Kyle Chartrand and Mike Medonis assisted on the goal.
A momentary lapse on defense a minute later left Birmingham’s Brian Walsh alone in front of Clarkston goalie Michael Brach, who could do little as Walsh’s shot whistled by his ear and into the net, tying the game 1-1.
The Wolves did not tuck tail after their defensive mistake. At 7:27 of the first, junior Ricky Spano got a feed from senior Trevor Johns and chipped the puck top shelf past Howe for a 2-1 Clarkston advantage.
With 2:37 left in the first period, the game started to get dicey when Clarkston senior Steve Eddy was sent to the penalty box for tripping, shortly following was an interference penalty called on Birmingham’s Khortnal Delvecchio at 2:00 of the first, leading to four on four hockey. As Eddy left the penalty box Clarkston had a man advantage for the final :37 of the period.
Senior forward Mike Fogg stood out from his teammates Eddy leapt from the penalty box. Fogg, on one knee at the end of the bench, his chin perched upon the boards, seemed to know that Clarkston needed a goal.. A save by Howe prompted a line change and Fogg was on the ice, with seven tenths of a second left in the period he had scored a power play goal putting Clarkston up 3-1.
‘When they scored, we came back and scored a big goal and stopped their momentum and kept ours going,? said Clarkston Coach Bryan Krygier. ‘At the beginning of the year when (teams would score) we would go into a shell and we’d play frustrated and we’d take ourselves out of the game. We are starting to respond when they score against us and keep our composure and our discipline.?
Walsh scored shorthanded at the beginning of the third, but true to their coach’s words, the Wolves answered back as senior Alex Handley popped junior Kyle Cummings pass into the net.
Later on in the third, Birmingham tallied a goal on an odd play: the puck ricocheted far above the ice, momentarily nestling in Brach’s glove, before bouncing out and landing on Delvicchio’s stick, before being sent into the back of the net. Clarkston again was not phased and Chartrand made the game 5-3. Junior Matt Prasil and Fogg assisted on the final goal.
‘This is just like a playoff setup, just like a playoff mentality. This will give us a little taste of what is expected at the end of the season,? said Krygier, speaking to the Wolves busy schedule.
Four games in six nights finally caught up with the Wolves. On Jan. 17, when the team lost to number five ranked Farmington Unified, 2-1.
‘I am not disappointed in how we played,? said Krygier. ‘We outshot them 25-17. Their goalie was hot tonight.?
Farmington scored in the first period and that single goal held up until late in the third. Clarkston pulled their goalie only to see Farmington ring up an empty net goal with one minute remaining in the game.
With 0:28 left in the game, Chartrand finally found a chink in the Farmington armor giving the Wolves hope and making the score 2-1. Fogg and Prasil got the assists.
Clarkston kept the pressure high but the Farmington goalie stoned the Wolves twice as time expired.
Clarkston began their gauntlet on Jan. 12 at Waterford Mott with a 9-1 win. Senior Mike Fogg had two goals in the game. Also scoring against the Corsairs was Cummings, Chartrand, Handley, Morin, senior Dan Mutz and Spano.
The Wolves game at Port Huron Northern was a bit closer on Jan. 13. Chartrand netted the winning goal with less than two minutes to go in the game, giving the Wolves a 5-4 victory. Morin had two goals and Johns and junior Maverick Erickson each tallied a goal as well.
Clarkston next plays at Grosse Pointe North on Jan. 26 and plays at Royal Oak the following day.