Defense a key to PRPC's success

As seen in ThisWeek News
Thursday, March 13, 2003

FORREST CLARKE
ThisWeek Staff Writer

photo by K.F. Hawking/ThisWeek Andy Shank of PRPC has the puck knocked away by Westerville's Joe Salerno during an early-season game. PRPC finished 21-5-2 overall and won the Greater Columbus High School Club Hockey League tournament title.

AT A GLANCE: *Record: 21-5-2 overall, 17-5-2 (second) in GCHSCHL *Seniors lost: Jim Betts, Matt Harbuck, Mike Laird, Jim Ozamiz, Bo Ross, Andy Shank and Chris VanOoyen *Key returnees: Jesse Betts, T.J. Hess, Anthony Kantor, Ryan Markell, Josh Martyn, Mike Miller, Nick Miller, Matt Schuh, Eric Weinhold and Eric Willard "It's much more gratifying when it doesn't come easy. It doesn't matter what anybody else thought. When you have 20 guys believing it, good things can happen." Marty Laroche first-year coach

An emphasis on defense paid off for the Pickerington/Reynoldsburg/Pataskala/Canal Winchester high school club hockey team this season.

That emphasis happened about midseason, and when it was all over, PRPC beat defending champion Athens 2-1 in the Greater Columbus High School Club Hockey League tournament final Feb. 24 at the CoreComm Ice Haus. The Ice Prowlers finished a league-best 21-5-2 overall after concluding the regular season second at 17-5-2 (36 points) to Athens (18-4-2, 38) in the seven-team league.

PRPC entered the tournament final with a little bit of confidence after having tied Athens at 4-all on Dec. 15 and 3-all on Feb. 9.

"That let us know they weren't unbeatable," said senior Jimmy Betts, who scored the winning goal in the second period of the final after sophomore Ryan Markell had tied it earlier. "I didn't know we had such a good team, but everybody wanted it and really took it to them."

PRPC was guided by first-year coach Marty Laroche, who was a forward for the Columbus Chill of the ECHL in their final season, 1998-99. He said the turning point was a 6-2 loss to Athens on Jan. 24 in the Easton Chiller.

"We had a one-way meeting after that and I installed a new defense-first system," he said. "It's not about how hard you fall, but how you get back up."

Laroche said the objective was to limit odd-man situations and rushes for the other team, don't let the forwards get caught in the offensive zone, and not give up breakaways.

Freshman goalie Jesse Betts finished the tournament with a league-leading 1.36 goals-against average. Athens led the league with a GAA of 2.14 during the regular season, ahead of Westerville (2.43), Olentangy (2.82) and PRPC (3.0).

The Ice Prowlers, who placed sixth in the tournament last year and finished 16-10-4 overall as Athens was 31-0-0, did have some problems with which to deal.

Sophomore Anthony Kantor broke his collarbone in the first period of the championship game, but still had the assist on Markell's goal. Senior Chris VanOoyen broke his collarbone in an 18-2 win over Newark in the first round of the double-elimination tournament Feb. 20.

"It's much more gratifying when it doesn't come easy," said Laroche, whose team also defeated Bexley 4-2 behind two goals from sophomore Eric Willard in a winners' bracket semifinal Feb. 21. "It doesn't matter what anybody else thought. When you have 20 guys believing it, good things can happen."

"Even when we were down, (Laroche) never doubted we could win," Jimmy Betts added.

Laroche, whose team scored a league-best 156 goals as Olentangy was second at 128, said he had a premonition during a Christmas party that his team could win it all.

"We knew we had the system that could put up the numbers," he said. "It was just a matter of putting it on the ice."

For the third year in a row, five players finished with 10 or more goals.

Markell had 37 goals and 34 assists for 71 points, followed by junior T.J. Hess (24-34-58), Jimmy Betts (20-18-38), sophomore Mike Miller (13-15-28), Kantor (12-10-22), VanOoyen (15-6-21), senior Bo Ross (9-23-32) and Willard (8-13-21).

The Ice Prowlers will lose seven seniors, also including defensemen Andy Shank (8-12-20), Matt Harbuck (2-4-6), James Ozamiz (1-10-11) and Mike Laird (0-7-7).