Good finish bolsters local team

As seen in ThisWeek News
1998

PETE LOIBL
ThisWeek Staff Writer

Struggling through a sub-par regular season, the Pickerington-Reynoldsburg club hockey team knew the only way to swish away the bad taste of a 7-16-5 year would be an extended run through the Greater Columbus High School Club Hockey League tournament.

Seeded seventh after finishing 3-16-5 in the league, the team faced the first-round task of playing Gahanna - not only the No. 2 seed but a group that eliminated Pickerington-Reynoldsburg from the postseason a year ago.

Revenge, however, would be sweet.

"That was definately a moral victory for the guys," said club president Bernie Ryznar, whose team opened with a 3-2 win over Gahanna and went 2-1 in the tournament to take third. "That was kind of poetic justice. They got us last year, and we were able to get them back early this time. It was a great, great win."

It was the team's first victory over Gahanna, which finished 17-12-1 overall after falling 4-3 to Hilliard Southwest in its next game.

"They had a tough regular season, but they came out ready to play," Gahanna coach Steve Ott said. "Due to the competitiveness of our league with the talent level being pretty equal, the kids who worked the hardest and wanted it the most usually won. That was really evident in the tournament."

After falling 5-4 to Olentangy in the second round, Pickeringto-Reynoldsburg got 37 saves from junior goalie Kyle Nordaby and beat fourth seeded Newark 4-3 in overtime of the consolation final. Leading 2-1 in the second period, the team gave up two short handed goals after a five-minute major penalty but got the equalizer midway through the third period on a goal by senior Seth Sabine.

In the extra period, junior defenseman Brandon Ryznar took a pass at the right face-off circle and had room to maneuver, skating in and burying a shot blocker-side over the goalie's shoulder.

"That was another tremendous game," Bernie Ryznar said. "It's really amazing how we came out for the tournament after what was essentially a rebuilding year. We had some good exhibition games, but pretty much a lousy season. It was nice to see them respond the way they did."

Pickerington-Reynoldsburg, coached by Chris Orem, will lose seniors Sabine, Brandon Moskal, Royce Reeser and Justin Long. Sabine was the team's second-leading goal scorer, finishing with 12 to go along with five assists, while the others all saw time at wing.

"They'll be tough losses, with Seth probably being the biggest," Bernie Ryznar said. "He's a good scorer that had a major impact, especially in the tournament."

Returnees include sophomore Kyle Ahlberg, the leading scorer with 14 goals and eight assists; Brandon Ryznar (5 goals, 9 assists), Nordaby (3.02 goals against average, 88.3 save percentage), juniors Adam Beech (8 goals, 11 assists), Chris Wagner (8 gaols, 7 assists), Eric Mann (7 goals, 8 assists), Todd Harbuck (2 goals, 6 assists) and Matt Schrader (1 goal, 1 assist), sophomores Charlie Wilkerson, Daniel Bauman and Jason Saul, freshmen Chris Miller, Matt Harbuck, Jim Betz and Bo Ross and eighthgrader T.J. Hess.

"We had a number of players step it up," Bernie Ryznar said. "It was a good way to end off a tough year."