PRPC set to lose eight seniors

As seen in ThisWeek News
Thursday, March 13, 2008

ANDERS LARSON
ThisWeek Staff Writer

By Ann Tormet/ThisWeek PRPC's Ryan Straker controls the puck while keeping an eye on defender Jake Metcalfe of Newark on Dec. 16. The Ice Prowlers won 2-1 and won the regular-season title in the GCHSCHL, but did not repeat as Blue Jackets Cup champion. Straker, a defenseman, is one of eight seniors the Prowlers will lose.

By Andrea Kjerrumgaard/ThisWeek PRPC's Thomas Newhard (left) skates past the checking of Dublin Scioto's Jonathan Le. Newhard is one of three four-year letterwinners the Prowlers will lose.

At a glance # Record: 22-9-4 overall, 17-3-4 with 38 points (first) in GCHSCHL # Seniors lost: Tylor Annetts, Bobby Castricone, Taylor Markell, Aaron McKenzie, Thomas Newhard, Ryan Straker, Zach Wiard and Austin Zurbriggen # Key returnees: Kyle Baughman, Alex Daniels, Jeremiah Holland, Taylor Kantor, Adam McGrath, Jake Miller, Brad Noskowiak and Sean Straker

For the first time, a team from the Greater Columbus High School Club Hockey League was able to emerge from the Buckeye Cup as state champion.

Unfortunately for Pickerington/ Reynoldsburg/Pataskala/Canal Winchester, despite the fact that it entered as the league's top seed, it wasn't the one hoisting the trophy last Saturday at Ice Land USA in Strongsville. Instead, as the Athens Bobcats celebrated a 6-0 win over Lakewood in the championship, the Prowlers already were back home after going 1-2 during pool play on the two previous days.

Coach Jay C. Catherine acknowledged that it was difficult to see his team come up a bit short after another good regular season, but he said he didn't see the season as a disappointment.

"It's always tough when you get knocked out of the playoffs and you have that bad taste in your mouth," Catherine said. "But when you have some time to reflect on it, we'll see if was a pretty successful season."

The Prowlers finished 22-9-4 overall. In league play, they finished atop the regular-season standings for the fourth time in five seasons, going 17-3-4 with 38 points.

The Prowlers were unable to defend their Blue Jackets Cup title, however, as they went 0-2, including a 3-1 loss to eventual champion Olentangy.

In the Buckeye Cup, the Prowlers did not play their best hockey, but they were short-handed. Brad Noskowiak, the team's second-leading scorer, and Zach Wiard, a four-year starter and the captain, missed the tournament with injuries.

The Prowlers also were missing Adam McGrath for the first game as he sat out a mandatory one-game suspension for misconduct points.

The Prowlers lost to Rocky River 3-1 in their opener last Friday, but Catherine couldn't be too disappointed with that result. Without their two top scorers, the Prowlers still were in the game until an empty-net goal with just seconds to play. Rocky River ended up reaching a semifinal.

The next day, the Prowlers opened with a 6-4 win over Cincinnati Anderson, giving themselves a shot to reach a semifinal. In the third game, however, they suffered injuries to two more players and lost to Riverside 3-1.

"We had a few bad bounces, especially in that last game," Catherine said. "We hit a few posts and had a few unfinished chances. It was just an unfortunate weekend of hockey for us."

The Prowlers will lose eight seniors, all of whom were "definitely key guys for us," according to Catherine.

Wiard, a defenseman, was a four-year varsity player along with forwards Taylor Markell, Austin Zurbriggen and Thomas Newhard.

Defensemen Ryan Straker and Tyler Annetts were three-year varsity players and were alternate captains this year. The Prowlers also will lose forwards Bobby Castricone and Aaron McKenzie.

Zurbriggen was third on the team in points (29) and Straker was fourth (26). Wiard led the team in hits (124) and Straker was second (113).

The Prowlers are prepared to potentially lose Noskowiak and McGrath, both juniors. Catherine said there is a significant chance that each could wind up playing travel hockey. McGrath led the team in goals (58) and assists (21) and is second in career points (170) behind T.J. Hess (187). Noskowiak was second in goals (29) and assists (20).

"We'd definitely compete for first place with those two in the lineup (next season)," Catherine said. "Without them, there's a lot of unknowns. But we've lost a lot of kids like this in the past, and there have always been other players able to step up and fill those shoes."

Catherine said the team still will have a solid group of underclassmen returning next season to keep it on solid footing moving forward. Sophomore Alex Daniels and freshman Sean Straker should be the cornerstones of the defense next year, and freshman Jake Miller was an all-star selection at forward.

Catherine said he also expects freshman Kyle Baughman and sophomores J.D. Klinger and Taylor Kantor to be major contributors at forward. From the junior class, forward Tyler Cole played a key role as a faceoff man and on the penalty kill unit this season, and Daniel Johnson saw action in every game on defense.

The Prowlers also have excellent depth expected back at goalie. Sophomore Jeremiah Holland and freshman Erik Heinmiller saw most of the action, with Holland playing in 21 games with a .881 save percentage and Heinmiller playing in 10 with a .885 save percentage. Freshman Andrew Painter and sophomore Dan Smith each played in at least three games as well.