Ice Prowlers can't find net against state champ

As seen in ThisWeek News
Thursday, March 10, 2005

JEFF HUNT
ThisWeek Staff Writer

By David J. Yunker/ThisWeek Anthony Kantor of PRPC maintains control of the puck after being knocked to the ice by Westerville's Sean Hundley (left) and Tony Franco during their game Feb. 20. The Ice Prowlers lost 4-3 in three overtimes and lost 1-0 to eventual champion Medina in the first round of the state tournament last Friday at Wooster.

The Pickerington-Reynoldsburg-Pataskala-Canal Winchester club hockey team averaged 5.5 goals per game and had the top three scorers in the Greater Columbus High School Club Hockey League during the regular season.

However, the Ice Prowlers couldn't score a goal in preliminary-round action of the inaugural 12-team Buckeye Cup state championships last Friday at the Alice Noble Ice Arena in Wooster.

The Ice Prowlers outshot the eventual state-champion Medina Bees 32-20, but lost 1-0. It marked the first time PRPC had been shut out since falling 8-0 to Mishawaka (Ind.) Marian on Nov. 26 in the Midwest Thanksgiving Classic at St. Charles.

"We don't expect to be shut out," coach Marty Laroche said. "Although we came out flat in the first period, we came alive in the second and then in the third as well, but ran into a hot goaltender. We did crack two off the post. It was not our normal-type game. It was a matter of, as soon as we get one, we'd get two or three. But that didn't happen.

"Even having the top three goal-scorers in the league and the right guys in the right situations, we couldn't find the net," he added. "But hockey is a game of inches."

To make matters worse, because of the tournament's period-by-period scoring system and being held goal-less, PRPC was mathematically eliminated from qualifying to the semifinal round before even playing its second preliminary game last Saturday against Youngstown Mooney-Ursuline at the Center Ice Sport Complex in Canton.

"Because of the format of the tournament, the chances of advancing were slim to none," Laroche said. "And then just minutes before playing Mooney-Ursuline, we did find out we were already eliminated. It was tough to swallow because against Medina we played a decent game, but we were basically flat. The travel didn't help and we got there late."

All wasn't lost, however. as the Ice Prowlers defeated Mooney-Ursuline 9-0 to finish 28-8.

PRPC earned five points from that victory, giving them six total, which was well behind Athens (9), Jackson (9), North Royalton (8) and Medina (7.5) -- the top four teams to advance to semifinal action.

"Not too many teams get to end their season with a win," Laroche said. "We wanted to end it on a high note. We had a game plan set because, essentially, we didn't know until minutes before that we were eliminated.

"They were down, for sure (after the loss), and a little disappointed, but we owed it to the seniors," Laroche added. "We had five guys playing their last high-school game and wanted them to earn a win."

The Ice Prowlers received the No. 1 seed out from Columbus after winning the league's regular-season championship. They had two goals apiece from Austin Zurbriggen, Nick Hess and Taylor Walcutt. Eric Willard, Mike Miller and Anthony Kantor also scored.

Cody Berkebile had three assists and Brian Rossi added two.

Walcutt and Hess ended the season having both scored a team-high 33 goals.

HOW THE GCHSCHL FARED -- Of the four teams representing the league, Athens was the lone squad to move on to the semifinal round.

But the Bobcats, the No. 3 seed out of Columbus, were eliminated with a 3-1 loss to North Royalton, which then lost to Medina 3-0 in the championship game last Sunday in Canton.

Medina was the Cleveland No. 3 seed after having finished third in the North Coast High School Hockey League (NCHSHL).

Olentangy went 1-1 to finish 18-17-1, while Westerville -- which beat the Ice Prowlers 4-3 in triple-overtime to win the league's Blue Jackets Cup title -- also split its two games to finish 27-7-2.

Olentangy, which lost 5-2 to PRPC in a Blue Jackets Cup semifinal, opened the state tournament with a 4-3 loss to Canton Jackson, the top-seeded team out of Cleveland.

"We showed immense character," said Olentangy coach Don Lewis, whose team lost 7-6 to PRPC in the Blue Jackets Cup championship game a season ago. "The No. 4 seed facing (the) No. 1 (seed) from Cleveland. Cleveland hockey is strong hockey. ... "It's harder hitting and faster hockey than in Columbus. We went up there with quite frankly nothing to lose and we showed so much character. We had to fight and scratch for every inch of ice. We lost 4-3 and it was the most entertaining hockey I've watched in two years as coach."