Reynoldsburg-Pickerington team competing in club league

As seen in ThisWeek News
Thursday, November 25, 1998

PETE LOIBL
ThisWeek Staff Writer

A new era began at the Easton Chiller on Oct. 24 when the Reynoldsburg-Pickerington club hockey team tied Gahanna at 2 in its inaugural game.

The first-year team, which is comprised of players from Reynoldsburg, Pickerington, Pataskala and Canl Winchester, competes in the Greater Columbus High School Club Hockey League along with teams from Gahanna, St. Charles, Westerville, Hilliard, Dublin and Olentangy. The league was formed last summer, and all teams are operated as club teams, which are not funded by the schools but rather by sponsors, fundraisers and parents.

Newark is not an official league member, but it will play each league team and participate in the league tournament. However, while the other seven teams will be playing each league member twice, Newark will play each member only once.

The league plays under USA Hockey rules. Eventually, however, it likely will play under the rules of the Ohio High School Athletic Association, which means each team could consist of only players who are at least in ninth grade and who attend the same high school.

"That's our objective," said Bob Fiala, president of Westerville's booster club. "In America, earning a letter is important to the kids. Hopefully, that will happen in the near future."

When it does, an OHSAA-sanctioned high school league probably will be formed in Columbus. Only Upper Arlington, which has had a varsity team since 1977, and Thomas Worthington and Worthington Kilbourne, both of which formed teams this season, play under OHSAA rules.

All three belong to the Southwest Ohio High School Hockey League, along with Beavercreek, Centerville, Troy, Oxford Talawanda, Cincinnati Moeller and Cincinnati Sycamore.

"The league is a concept that started last year in the Columbus area," Reynoldsburg-Pickerington team manager and club president Bernie Ryznar said. "Upper Arlington has had a program for over 20 years, and they are now finally accepted as a letter sport, so everyone is heading in that same direction."

The Reynoldsburg-Pickerington team, coached by Chris Orem, consists of seniors Jon Saxton and Jake Schultz, juniors Brandon Moskal and Jon Michalek, sophomores Matt Shrader, Brandon Ryznar, Kyle Nordaby, Jeff Lambert, Jeff Auberger and Kevin Delucia, and freshmen Stephanie Juhl, Eric Mann, Bobby Montgomery, Adam Beach, Justin White, Jason Saul and Charlie Wilkerson. Eighth-graders Chris Miller (center) and Ben Michalek (wing), both from Pataskala, also play.

"Over the summer it was the Greater Columbus Hockey League," Ryznar said,. "Nine local teams competed, and it gave them a chance to play a greater number of games with less travel time as well as the added competition in the area. Some of the kids from the southeast side were left out of the tournament, and when we started checking around we found 14 Pickerington kids that showed interest... it really surprised us."

With the Ohio State hockey team advancing to last season's NCAA semifinals and the infusion of the Columbus Blue Jackets into the area's market, hockey has become more popular. That was apparent at last spring's Greater Columbus High School Age Tournament at the Easton Chiller, where more than 400 fans attended the championship game and saw Worthington beat Westerville 7-4.

"The tournament was quite successful," Ryznar said. "Worthington, Westerville, Olentangy, Dublin, Hilliard and St. Charles were there, but what surprised everyone was the support for it. It really picked up, and we all realized that was the direction we were heading."

Reynoldsburg-Pickerington, which will play 15 games (in comparison to Westerville's 40), won three consecutive after its opener. It beat Westerville 5-4 on Oct. 28 after trailing 4-1 and won the rematch 6-1 on Nov. 7 before defeating Hilliard 5-0 on Nov. 8.

Miller scored twice, while Auberger, Gill and Brandon Ryznar added one each against Hilliard. Nordaby, who has started every game, was the goalie.

"We'll try this and see if it works in the first year," Ryznar said. "...We're really looking to build something for the future."