PRPC hopes to duplicate last season's success

As seen in ThisWeek News
Thursday, November 15, 2007

JEREMY STEWART
ThisWeek Staff Writer

By Andrea Kjerrumgaard/ThisWeek Thomas Newhard (left) of PRPC battles Dublin Scioto's Haydyn Beer for the puck last Sunday in the Dispatch Ice Haus. The Prowlers won 13-1 to improve to 6-1-1. They will play Friday against Westerville at the Ice Haus and Sunday against Hilliard/Southwest in the Chiller in Dublin.

By Andrea Kjerrumgaard/ThisWeek PRPC's Taylor Markell (left) races to catch Dublin Scioto's A.J. Levell last Sunday in the Dispatch Ice Haus. The Prowlers won 13-1 to improve to 6-1-1. Markell is one of six on the roster who attend North. Five players are from Central.

By Andrea Kjerrumgaard/ThisWeek PRPC's Austin Zurbriggen, a senior at Canal Winchester, pokes the puck past Robbie Marietti of Dublin Scioto during a scrimmage last Sunday at the Dispatch Ice Haus.

AT A GLANCE: Coach: Jay C. Catherine, second season Next game: Friday vs. Westerville at Dispatch Ice Haus Key players: Tyler Annetts, Brad Noskowiak, Adam McGrath, Ryan Straker and Zach Wiard

After opening 2-0-5 last year, the Pickerington/Reynoldsburg/Pataskala/Canal Winchester club hockey team went on a tear, winning 24 of its next 25 games and earning its third Blue Jackets Cup.

But the season didn't end there. PRPC advanced to Buckeye Cup final four for the first time and finished runner-up to Medina, which beat PRPC 4-3 in the championship game. The Ice Prowlers finished 28-3-5 overall and 18-1-5 in the Greater Columbus High School Club Hockey League.

They enter this season having to make up for the loss of six graduates, including five whom played in the GCHSCHL all-star game. But that, has been a constant for the PRPC program, which is in its 10th season. Players graduate or elect to play at the junior B level.

"It's the same thing every year," said second-year coach Jay C. Catherine, whose team is 6-1-1. "We lost a few players to travel hockey. This year we have nine new players on the varsity roster."

The biggest change PRPC has been dealing with is in goal, where sophomore Dan Smith was expected to take over full-time after splitting time with graduate Justin Lohman last season. But a knee injury is expected to keep Smith out for the season.

That has left the Ice Prowlers to turn to freshman Erik Heinmiller (Hartley) and Andrew Painter (Licking Heights) and sophomore Jeramiah Holland (Reynoldsburg). Holland, at least, was in the the program as a junior varsity player last year, but all three are expected to get an opportunity to win the job.

"That's definitely a known issue throughout the league," Catherine said. "We're looking for goaltenders. We had only two (Holland and Heinmiller) try out."

Whoever plays goalie will be playing behind a defense led by seniors Zach Wiard (Watkins Memorial), Tyler Annetts (Pickerington North) and Ryan Straker (Licking Heights). Wiard is in his fourth year with the team and Annetts and Straker are in their third. They return to a defense that produced three shutouts in seven postseason games. It's a group that will seek contact.

"We're going to look for the body first and let (opponents) know they're going to get hit every time they touch the puck," Wiard said. "We want to get the puck up the ice, we have some skilled forwards that can find opportunities on anything."

The rest of the defense includes junior Daniel Johnson (Pickerington Central) and sophomores Alex Daniels (Reynoldsburg) and Alyssa Smith (Pickerington Central).

The freshmen on the defense are Trevor Annetts (Pickerington North) and Sean Straker (Licking Heights).

Offensively the Ice Prowlers will look to junior Adam McGrath (Pickerington North), whose 51 goals and 61 assists in two seasons put him sixth on the Ice Prowlers' all-time scoring list.

One of the people that McGrath, a two-time GCHSCHL all-star, is trying to catch is 2007 Pickerington North graduate Cody Berkebile, who set a team single-season record with 55 goals last season and finished as the programs all-time leader in goals (90). Helping McGrath on the attack will be junior Brad Noskowiak, also a two-time all-star.

The other forwards are seniors Bobby Castricone (Pickerington Central), Taylor Markell (Pickerington Central), Austin Zurbriggen (Canal Winchester), Aaron McKenzie (Pickerington North) and junior Tyler Cole (Pickerington North).

Sophomore forwards are Franco Giardina (Pickerington North), Taylor Kantor (Pickerington North), J.D. Klinger (Watkins Memorial) and the freshmen are Kyle Baughman (Canal Winchester) and Jake Miller (Watkins Memorial).

On Friday, the Ice Prowlers will play at the Dispatch Ice Haus against Westerville and then play Sunday at the Chiller in Dublin against Hilliard/Southwest.