By Jeff Patrus
Sports Writer
Brandon’s hockey program has climbed to the top of the Flint Metro League.
The Blachkawks clinched at least a share of the league championship with a 5-1 win Feb. 4 against Lapeer West at the Polar Palace in Lapeer. One more win in its last three league games will give the Blackhawks their first outright league title in school history. Brandon is currently 7-0 in league play.
Brandon’s Kyle Jackson kicked off the scoring with two goals in the first period. The first came with 13:35 left in the first on an assist from Brandon Newman, while the second came on an assist from Matt Cinader with 10:39 left in the first.
The Panthers? Nick Podgorski scored the lone goal for Lapeer West with 7:57 left in the first to cut the Brandon lead to 2-1, but after a scoreless second period, the Blackhawks would put the icing on the cake in the third period.
Defenseman Scott Thurman tallied two straight goals, with 2:34 and 2:17 remaining in the period, respectively, and Mike Ross wrapped up the scoring with an unassisted goal with 1:07 left.
David Hughes earned the win in goal for Brandon.
A day later, the Blackhawks rolled past Avondale 10-0 in a nonleague game, improving to 17-1-1 overall on the season.
Jackson led the Brandon scoring with three goals and two assists, while Steve Tallman added two goals and two assists, Cinader two goals and one assist, and Mike Cybulski one goal and three asissts.
Tallman scored another goal in the second to put Brandon up 4-0, and then the team iced the victory with six third-period goals.
Three goals in the second period were enough to put the Blackhawks past host Fenton 3-0 in a Feb. 2 contest at the Polar Palace.
Newman kicked off the game’s scoring with 8:43 left in the second on assists from Brendon Moquin and Mark Westphal. Cybulski then followed up by scoring two straight goals.
Cybulski’s first goal came with 7:36 left in the second on assists from Ross and Chris Nuccio, and put the Blackhawks up 2-0. The senior right winger then added his second goal of the game with 4:01 left in the third on assists from Ross and Tallman.
All three goals were at even strength. The game was cleanly played, with only three penalties called the entire contest (two on Fenton, one on Brandon).
Jeff Hammond stopped 10 shots to earn the shutout for the Blackhawks.