Game Recap

Ice Prowlers home versus the Olentangy Braves
Blue Jackets Cup GCHSCHL Championship Tournament
@ the Chiller North
Friday, February 18th, 2006

PROWLERS BEAT OLENTANGY TO ADVANCE TO THE SEMI-FINALS

The Prowlers started their long journey through the Blue Jackets Cup losers bracket with a 6-0 shutout of Hilliard on Saturday morning (2/18/2006). The bad part about the losers bracket is that it forces you to play two games in one day to stay alive. The Prowlers needed to do that when they faced off against the Olentangy Braves Saturday night (2/18/2006).

The Braves were in the same boat having just beat Newark 5-4 in an overtime game Saturday morning. There was no advantage of rest for either team. And there was only a slight 2-1-1 edge in the season series for the Prowlers. The Prowlers earned a 1-0 victory in the final second of the season opener (10/30/2005), then did not see the Braves until splitting a pair around the holiday break with Olentangy winning the first match 4-1 (12/18/2005) before the Prowlers rebounded for a 5-4 victory after the New Year (01/06/2006). The two teams skated to a 3-3 tie in their final meeting of the regular season (1/20/2006). This game would follow suit and would be decided by just one goal.

The Braves got on the board first 4:30 into the game, just seconds after hitting the post behind junior goaltender Justin Lohrman. Josh Dennis got the tally for the Braves, and it would be the only one of the period despite 16 shots against Braves goaltender Sean Wallace, who stood on his head for the Braves through one period of play.

Wallace's heroics would be shattered quickly in the second period though as the Prowlers rattled off two goals in just under two minutes. Senior alternate captain Taylor Walcutt completed a nice tic-tac-toe play with junior Nick Hess and freshman Adam McGrath to get the Prowlers on the board at 12:06 of the second period. Hess then gave the Prowlers the lead at 10:18 when he held onto the puck showing great patience before burying it behind Wallace for the go ahead goal (assists to Walcutt and McGrath). The Braves would get a lucky bounce when a puck bounced off of Berkebile's stick and past Lohrman with 2:11 remaining in the period, but it was a play a minute later that proved to be the play of the game.

The game was a physical one from start to finish between the two clubs. And it was sophomore Luke Wilkins who threw a big hit in the offensive zone, then drove to the net receiving a pass from freshman Brad Noskowiak before burying it past Wallace to give the Prowlers a 3-2 lead going into the second intermission. The play gave the Prowlers the lead on the scoreboard, and was the emotional boost the team needed late in the period.

The third period saw some good chances by both clubs as the penalties added up in this intense contest. Noskowiak opened the game open for the Prowlers with 1:54 remaining though to give them a two goal cushion late in the game (assisted by junior alternate captain Brian Rossi). The Braves got a fluke goal 44 seconds later when David Johnston plowed into the Prowler net and the officials ruled a goal after a brief deliberation, but it was too little, too late. The Braves tried to pull Wallace in the final minutes, but mismanaged the change and were called for too many men on the ice. They never got the final attack, and the Prowlers held onto victory to advance 4-3.

The Prowlers now advance to the semi final round of the Blue Jackets Cup where they will face off against the league's regular season champs, the Athens Bobcats at 8:30 AM on Sunday (2/19/2006) at the Dispatch Ice Haus. The winner of that game will then advance to the Blue Jackets Cup Finals to face the defending Cup Champion Westerville Warcats who advanced after beating Athens 4-3 in overtime Saturday night. The Prowlers won the season series with Athens 2-1-1 and hope to get past the Bobcats for their fourth consecutive Cup Finals appearance.