2004-2005 Season Preview

After repeating as the GCHSCHL Blue Jacket Cup Champions in 2003-2004 and finishing first place in the regular season with a 20-3-1 record (41 points) there doesn't seem to be much room for improvement for the Ice Prowlers. Instead the 2004-2005 Prowlers, who graduated 5 players from last years lineup (2 forwards, 2 defensemen and 1 goaltender), will try and keep up the status quo under third year coach Marty Laroche.

This season has echoes of the start of last season in that the Prowlers will lose their top two scorers as Captain T.J. Hess (30GP-34G-36A-70PTS) graduated and Pickerington North Senior Brian Kay (31GP-37G-39A-76PTS) moves on to the Columbus Junior B Blue Jackets alongside 2002-2003's leading scorer and Pickerington Central senior, Ryan Markell, and 2003 Pickerington graduate Jimmy Betts (both played last season for the Columbus Stars Junior B team).

The anchor of the team remains in goal with Pickerington Central junior Jesse Betts returning for his third season between the pipes fresh off of his second championship season. He will be joined by freshman Miles McGrew (Pickerington North) who looks to challenge Betts for playing time. Goaltending coach Jay C. Catherines hopes to have the tandem eclipse last year's regular season team goals against average of 2.37 in 24 games played.

The Prowlers blue line which last year returned only 2 starters from the 2003 championship team will this year see 5 players returning. Senior Matt Schuh (Pickerington Central) and junior Jeff Laird (Pickerington Central) return from the 2003 team, while sophomores Cody Berkebile (Pickerington North), Loren Chrisman (Pickerington North) and Brian Rossi (Pickerington North) return for their second season defending the Prowler's goal. They will be joined this year by freshmen Brandon Goettel (Reynoldsburg) and Zach Wiard (Watkins Memorial).

While last year defense was the question mark coming into the season, this year it will be the offense. Seniors Eric Willard (Reynoldsburg), Anthony Kantor (Pickerington North) and sophomore Nick Hess (Pickerington Central) will be looked upon to up their offensive output this season. The Prowlers will also need improvements from Senior Eric Weinhold (Pickerington North) and juniors Nick Miller (Pickerington North) and Ben French (Pickerington Central), while last year's Alternate Captain, senior Mike Miller (Canal Winchester), will need to get back to his offensive output of 2 seasons ago. Newcomers to the Prowlers forward lines include junior Taylor Walcutt (Pickerington North), sophomores Max Matsonoff (Pickerington North), Cory Underwood (Reynoldsburg/Virtual Community School of Ohio) and Geoff Killian (Pickerington North) and freshmen Taylor Markell (Pickerington Central), Tom Newhard (Bishop Hartley), Luke Wilkins (Canal Winchester) and Austin Zurbriggen (Canal Winchester).

The Prowlers have an uphill climb to repeat for a third season with all teams gunning for the two time defending Cup Champs, but Head Coach Marty Laroche and Assistant/Goaltending Coach Jay C. Catherine have led the boys there in their first two seasons at the helm and hope to do so again this season.

Good luck to this year's Ice Prowlers as they begin their quest for a three-peat as the GCHSCHL Blue Jacket's Cup Champions.