C el eb ra tin g ou r 4 0 y t ea HOCK EY WEEK LY h r! MARCH 12, 2014 Vol. 40, Issue 16 $2. 00 HCelebrW ating our year! 12 PAGES OF TRYOUTS INSIDE - 380 SKATES! 40 th www.hockeyweekly.com JJooyy ttoo tthhee wwoorrlldd ! Yes, it’s March, and that means madness on ice – from AAU Mites to MAHA Midgets and Senior Women who all kicked off the opening weekend of state playoffs Feb. 28-March 2. There will be plenty more celebrations to come like the one at left by the Troy Sting Midget AA players. They defeated the Mt. Clemens Wolves March 2 at the Taylor Sportplex for the state title and a trip to the USA Hockey Nationals. Stories and photos of all the first week’s championships start on Page 3. Photo by ZRPhoto.net Photo by ZRPhoto.net CHAMPS R US: At left, the DSC Civil Warriors U8 Mites celebrate their AAU championship. Above, Victory Honda’s Kyle Trip breaks in on HoneyBaked goalie Katrina Hodgeson in the MAHA Sr. B Women's final. Trip scored a goal en route to Victory Honda’s 3-2 win. The story on the AAU HWAP Photo by Dan Shriner championships with team photos is on Page 9; the Senior Women’s story is on Page 8. RREESSEERRVVEE YYOOUURR HHSS AALLLL--SSTTAATTEE TTIICCKKEETTSS – – DDEETTAAIILLSS OONN PP.. 1111 PAGE 2 HOCKEY WEEKLY MARCH 12, 2014 THE MAHA STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS HOCKEY WEEKLY / MARCH 12, 2014 PAGE 3 Litchard leads Belle Tire Warriors to Squirt A state title By Fred Costello Hockey Weekly Special Writer Scoring one goal in the state championship game would be a thrill for any hockey player. But what about netting four goals in the title bout? “It was awesome.” Those were the words of Brent Litchard, who tallied four times in the Belle Tire Warriors’ 7-2 victory over Compuware in the Michigan Amateur Hockey Association Squirt A final at the St. Clair Shores Civic Arena on March 2. Litchard almost single-hand - edly dominated the game, scor - ing two goals in the second period, sandwiched by one apiece in the first and third. The youngster deferred the credit to his coaches, however. “Our coaches are great,” Litchard said. “He told us to go HWAP photos by George Asay out there and do our best, and Above, a Compuware player tries to get the puck away that he’d be proud of us no mat - from a Belle Tire skater. Right, Belle Tire players pose ter what.” with their MAHA Squirt A state championship hardware. Belle Tire lost to Compuware, 2-1, earlier in the tournament. That game was fuel for the Warriors’ top scorer. between the pipes for Compuware. Belle Tire knocked off USA, 7-1 in the semifinals; “It was fun, especially in the state championship,” Belle Tire coach Brent Wishart admitted he was shocked Compuware dispatched Muskegon 3-2 in the other semifinal. Litchard continued. “To go out and score four goals on a at the outcome, considering the six hard-fought games the Wishart also was impressed with the way his team battled team that is a big rivalry all season.” two teams engaged in this season. back after being beaten by Compuware earlier in the tour - Belle Tire also got a pair of goals from Chase Temple, “The score is a little surprising, because they’re a great nament. From his point of view, the championship game and one from Cole Burke. opponent,” Wishart said. “We told the kids that it’s been a was decided by work ethic. Compuware’s Trent Mailloux hopped on teammate Gavin long year. That’s why we put all the sweat in; it was for this “It’s just confidence,” Wishart said. “We know what our Hayes’ rebound to score his team’s only goal. By that game, today.” team can do. We told the boys if we play our game, and out - point, however, Compuware was down 4-0. Wishart praised his team’s work ethic, and pointed out work them all over the ice, they’ll come out victorious. It Temple’s first of the game came on a long wrist shot, the consistently amazing play of its best player. was just our day today.” which put his team ahead 2-0 in the first period. His second “Brent is our leader on our team,” Wishart said. “When Members of the Squirt A Belle Tire Warriors are: Cole came at 8:24 of the third, when he snared a breakaway pass we’re down a goal or something, you can bank on him being Burke, Camden Carver, Benjamin Catlin, Trent Cobb, from Trent Cobb and buried a deke. that kid. He just works hard every single day in practice, and Nicholas Cole, Gavin Fink, Brent Litchard, Connor Goalie Austin Nowak went the distance for the Warriors; every single game. It’s games like this where he gets reward - Mauritho, Austin Nowak, Ashton Petrarca, Chase Temple both Nathan Azarovitz and Nicholas Lopez saw time ed, and it’s just a testament to what kind of player he is.” and Aiden Wishart. K.V. Rebels capture MAHA Squirt AA crown in 3 OT By Fred Costello of good things. Any given day, we don’t Hockey Weekly Special Writer look to any one person to do anything. On a team where all players are expected We’re not a team of superstars. This is the to contribute, Ryan Richardson didn’t let first year in 26 years of coaching that I his moment to shine slip away. would say this is the ultimate team.” Richardson slammed home a loose puck Jacob Seiter had a couple chances to put with 26.1 seconds left in the third overtime Kensington Valley on the board, including period, lifting the Kensington Valley a second-period deflection and an in-close Rebels to a 1-0 victory over the Michigan shot in the third. Both times, however, Nationals in the Squirt AA state champi - Homer was equal to the challenge. onship game at the St. Clair Shores Civic The Nationals’ best scoring chances of Arena on March 2. the game came with 10 seconds left in the Following a scramble in front of the third, when John Schwartz nearly stuffed Nationals net, the puck squirted out sudden - the puck into the short side. Wozniak, ly to Richardson, who had parked himself though, was not about to yield anything in front of the crease. after such a hard-fought 36 minutes. “My friend was dangling,” Richardson “Chris has been solid the past couple began. “He was about to shoot, and he lost years,” Valente said. “Jacob (Handloser) control. I saw a huge gap in the net. It was has been too. We’ve had great goaltending. wide open, and I was right there, ready to It’s real tough for a goalie to not get that shoot.” much work. But he was big when we needed It was the only shot to beat either goalie him to be.” as both the Rebels’ Christopher Wozniak At the beginning of each season, Valente and Nationals’ goaltender Gibson Homer has his team set a goal. From the onset, he were the clear-cut stars of this game. explained, this year’s Rebels had a singular It was Homer who faced the bulk of the focus: Winning a championship. work, as the Nationals were badly out- “We always put it to the kids, to see what chanced. Homer, however, used his size and their goals are,” Valente said. “Their goal tremendous quickness to thwart a great num - HWAP photo by George Asay was to win a state championship. They’ve ber of opportunities. The Kensington Valley Rebels are the MAHA Squirt AA state champions. been like a band of brothers.” While not tested as mightily, Wozniak Members of the Kensington Valley was solid on several occasions en route to bly going to win it. It usually is. It’s an After trading chances for the first couple Rebels Squirt AA team are: Nicholas Baker, the shutout. unbelievable feeling. For the kids, this is periods, the Rebels really started to pour it Joseph Behen, Owen Carlile, Anthony Rebels coach Jason Valente was beaming something they’ll hold onto for the rest of on in the third period, and through all three Eaton, Carson Finney, Jacob Handloser, with pride following his team’s dramatic their lives.” overtimes. Nicklas Levasseur, Joseph Michaels, victory. Fittingly, the teams had tied earlier in the Finally, Richardson ended it, moments Connor Miller, Shane Paxton, Gabe “On a game like that, it can go any way,” tournament. Kensington Valley topped before a fourth overtime period. Pietila, Ryan Richardson, Jacob Seiter, Valente said. “We said between periods, it Calumet by a 3-1 final in one semifinal; the “Ryan is like much of our team,” Valente Jackson Truchan, Anthony Valente and was going to be an ugly goal that’s proba - Nationals defeated Trenton 4-3 in the other. said. “We have a bunch of guys who do a lot Christopher Wozniak. PAGE 4 HOCKEY WEEKLY MARCH 12, 2014 Wings acquire GP Woods’ Legwand at deadline he Red Wings brought a local product First Star for the week. back home at the NHL's trade deadline. RED WINGS And in a 4-3 loss at New Jersey on March TDetroit acquired Grosse Pointe Woods WINGS STATS 4, Franzen had a goal and an assist. native center David Legwand from the “We need him; all you got to do is look at Nashville Predators just before the 3 p.m.