Though the bitter taste of a 2-1 loss to Farmington United on Feb. 15 may still linger for Clarkston’s hockey team there is no time to ruminate now for the MHSAA playoffs are upon the Wolves and their regional draw is brutal.
Clarkston has drawn the No. 2 ranked team in the state, Orchard Lake St. Mary’s, in the first round of the pre-regional tournament, which kicks off on Feb. 27 on OLSM’s home ice at 6 p.m.
The Wolves lost to OLSM 4-2 at home on Feb. 4. The game was tied with less than four minutes remaining in the third period before the Eaglets tallied two goals late.
‘The guys in the back of their heads know we can give St. Mary’s a good run … We need to play better in our defensive zone and not give up odd man rushes,? Clarkston Coach Bryan Krygier said.
The talent found in the Wolves regional this year is enough to make a college scout gush.
OLSM won the DIII title last year before moving up to DI this year. Clarkston has advanced to the division I state quarterfinals in each of the past three years, last year losing in the semifinals.
On the other side of the regional bracket lurks defending DI state champions and No.1 ranked Detroit Catholic Central, the team who eliminated the Wolves last year. Farmington has drawn DCC in the pre-regional tournament this year after losing to the Shamrocks in last year’s regional finals.
The winner of the OLSM-Clarkston game will face Rochester Adams in the pre-regional finals on March 1 at 6 p.m. at OLSM. The regional final is scheduled for March 4 at the Detroit Skate Club at 6 p.m.
The Wolves have a final tuneup game at Brother Rice on Feb. 22 at 6:30 p.m. before entering the regional gauntlet.
‘I just want to see good consistent play throughout. Not up during the first period and then down in the second period and up again in the third,? said Krygier, speaking to both Clarkston’s final regular season game and their playoff matchup with OLSM.
Another disturbing trend Krygier hopes the Wolves can put behind them soon is the lack of production on offense with players not named Kyle Chartrand or Mike Medonis.
‘When they don’t show up nobody else wants to put the puck in the net,? said Krygier, referring to the senior linemates.
Chartrand scored Clarkston’s lone goal against Farmington after the Wolves trailed 2-0 in the third period. In a 3-2 win against Walled Lake Northern on Feb. 18, Chartrand tallied two goals while Medonis added one.
On the season Chartrand leads the Wolves with 37 points (20 goals, 17 assists) while Medonis is second in scoring with 22 points (9 goals, 13 assists).
Clarkston’s record going into their game at Brother Rice stands at 12-10-1 (9-4-1). If Farmington, 13-7-3 (9-3-1), can defeat Waterford Mott on Feb. 22 they will win the OAA I title. Should Farmington lose or tie, Stoney Creek, 14-7-2 (10-4-0), would win the league title in their first year in the OAA I.
The Wolves can finish no worse than third place in the league and as high as second place.