Game Recap

Ice Prowlers away versus the Olentangy Braves
@ the Chiller in Dublin
Sunday, January 23rd, 2005

Prowlers get shutout and clinch Buckeye Cup State Tournament Bid

Freshman goaltender Miles McGrew (Pickerington North) registered his 3rd shutout of the season (12-3-0, 1.57 GAA, .908 SV%).

After an emotional 5-2 victory over the Westerville Warcats on Friday (1/21/2005), the Prowlers had to respond with their first meeting in over two months against last year's GCHSCHL Blue Jacket's Cup Final opponent, the Olentangy Braves. The Prowlers won the first match 6-0 back on 11/12/2004, but knew this was the first of three meetings with the Braves in their final eight regular season games. Having just gained first place in the league, a win would clinch their bid for the first ever Buckeye Cup State Championship Tournament.

Freshman Miles McGrew was defending the Prowlers net for his first meeting against Olentangy, while Sean Wallace was facing the Prowlers for his second time this season in goal for the Braves. Both goaltenders were perfect in the first period with McGrew stopping eight shots to Wallace's seven.

The second period started with both teams looking for someone to break the deadlock and it came from Prowler freshman Luke Wilkins who scored his first goal of the season (assisted by freshman Austin Zurbriggen) at 11:25 of the stanza. Despite the goal, Wallace continued to play solid for Olentangy stopping 17 of 18 shots in the period to keep the score at 1-0.

The Prowlers scored two more goals in the third period with junior defenseman Jeff Laird scoring his second goal of the season (assisted by sophomore Nick Hess and senior alternate captain Eric Weinhold) and senior captain Eric Willard scoring his 13th goal of the season and 7th on the power play (assisted by Hess) to give the Prowlers the 3-0 win.

With the win, McGrew earned his 3rd shutout of the season, and the Prowlers clinched a bid to the first ever Buckeye Cup State Championship Tournament as one of the top four teams in the GCHSCHL.

The Prowlers next have a pair of games against the Northeast Storm, away on Friday 1/28/2005 at 9:40 PM and home on 1/30/2005 at 5:50 PM. Both games will be played at the CoreComm Ice Haus. The Prowlers lead the series two games to one with an 8-1 victory on 11/05/2004 and a 6-1 win on 1/07/2005.