PRPC was successful despite postseason woes

As seen in ThisWeek News
Thursday, March 17, 2005

JEFF HUNT
ThisWeek Staff Writer

Just about everything went right for the Pickerington-Reynoldsburg-Pataskala-Canal Winchester club hockey team during the regular season. The postseason, however, was a different matter.

The Ice Prowlers finished the regular season 24-5 overall and defended their Greater Columbus High School Club Hockey League title at 21-3 (42 points).

Then they won only three of six games combined in the Blue Jackets Cup and inaugural Buckeye Cup state championships.

After winning the Blue Jackets Cup a year ago, top-seeded PRPC lost the final this year 4-3 in three overtimes to second-seeded Westerville on Feb. 21. In the state tournament, it didn't accumulate enough period-by-period points in two preliminary games to advance to a semifinal.

The season ended with a 9-0 win over Youngstown Mooney Ursuline on March 5. The Ice Prowlers wound up 28-8 overall.

Medina, which was seeded third out of the Cleveland region and opened the tournament with a 1-0 win over PRPC on March 4, defeated North Royalton 3-0 on March 6 for the state title.

"It was disappointing in the end not winning a third Blue Jackets Cup, but look at all the other things that did go right," third-year coach Marty Laroche said. "We're still very proud."

PRPC led the league in goals scored (139) and fewest goals allowed (39). It finished ahead of Westerville (19-3-2, 40), Athens (17-5-2, 36), Olentangy (10-13-1, 21), Northeast (6-17-1, 13), Hilliard/Southwest (4-17-3, 11) and Newark (1-20-3, 5).

The Ice Prowlers finished the regular season on a 12-game winning streak and won 18 of their last 20.

"We took care of business the way we were expected to do it," Laroche said.

"The 12 games we won in a row to end the season was a record, and 21-3 is the best (league) finish for the program, so we've obviously been doing something right.

"It's pretty positive the way things went. We had a solid first half and saw the things we knew we had to work on. Looking at the schedule, we figured if we'd won every regular-season game, we'd control our own destiny. ... We were really, really happy with that."

PRPC lost four of its seven games against Westerville, including two of three in the Blue Jackets Cup. It lost 3-1 in a winners' bracket semifinal, but then won the rematch 5-2 in the championship game to force a second final in the double-elimination format.

PRPC had the league's top three scorers -- Anthony Kantor (17 goals, 33 assists, 50 points), Nick Hess (22-20-42) and Taylor Walcutt (26-15-41).

Walcutt led the league in goals, and Kantor had the most assists.

Eric Willard (15-21-36) was the league's fifth-leading scorer as Westerville's Sean Hundley (19-21-40) was fourth. Willard also led the league in power-play goals (nine), and Walcutt had the most winning goals (six).

PRPC will lose seniors Willard (18-29-47, Reynoldsburg), Kantor (20-40-60, Pickerington North), Mike Miller (10-11-21, North), Eric Weinhold (10-29-39, North) and Matt Schuh (4-11-15, Pickerington Central).

Expected returnees include juniors Ben French (6-10-16, Central), Jeff Laird (3-5-8, Central), Nick Miller (7-5-12, North) and Walcutt (33-19-52, North), and sophomores Cody Berkebile (14-22-36, North), Loren Chrisman (1-1-2, North), Hess (33-22-55, Central), Geoffrey Kililan (1-0-1, North), Justin Lohrman (backup goaltender, North), Max Matsanoff (3-6-9, North), Brian Rossi (4-14-18, North) and Corey Underwood (0-1-1, Virtual Community School).

Also expected to return are freshmen Brandon Goettel (3-10-13, Reynoldsburg), Taylor Markell (1-0-1, Central), Miles McGrew (23-6 record , 1.57 goals-against average, North), Thomas Newhard (1-2-3, Hartley), Zach Wiard (1-3-4, Watkins Memorial), Luke Wilkins (4-6-10, Canal Winchester) and Austin Zurbriggen (5-6-11, Canal Winchester).