PRPC falls short in Buckeye Cup final

As seen in ThisWeek News
Thursday, March 12, 2009

ANDERS LARSON
ThisWeek Staff Writer

By Adam Cairns/ThisWeek Prowlers coach Joe Tonello shouts instruction from the bench Feb. 12 in a game at Newark. PRPC finished second in the GCHSCHL standings with 26 points. Newark won with 28 points. The Prowlers will lose six seniors.

AT A GLANCE: Record: 20-11-8 overall, 10-4-6 with 26 points (second) in GCHSCHL Seniors lost: Tyler Cole, Michael Hutton, Daniel Johnson, Adam McGrath, Ryan McMullen and Orlando Ruiz Key returnees: Kyle Baughman, Erik Heinmiller, Jeremiah Holland, Taylor Kantor and Sean Straker

The PRPC club hockey team's deepest postseason run came to a frustrating end with a 4-1 loss to Newark in the Buckeye Cup state final last Sunday at the Chiller North.

Newark had beaten the Prowlers 3-1 in the final of the Blue Jackets Cup on Feb. 22, but coach Joe Tonello said both games could have gone either way. Last Sunday, he said it seemed the Prowlers simply couldn't catch the breaks they needed.

"One (Newark goal) went off our defenseman's skate, one went off our defenseman's stick and the same with the fourth goal," Tonello said. "A goal is still a goal. They got them, we didn't. But it doesn't matter, a goal is still a goal."

With Tonello taking over for Jay C. Catherine and bringing a new system with him, the Prowlers weren't expected to contend for the state title. They finished second in the Greater Columbus High School Club Hockey League at 10-4-6 with 26 points, behind Newark (13-5-2, 28), they were 20-11-8 overall, and most importantly, they played their best hockey late in the season.

"When the team starts to play as a team and it starts to click, that's how you win hockey games," Tonello said. "We don't have the most talented team in the world, but we had a good mix of kids and we started working together, and that's how you have success. We made it to the league championship game and now we made it to the state championship. I can't complain."

PRPC went 2-0-1 during pool play at the Buckeye Cup last Friday and last Saturday to earn a spot in the semifinal round last Sunday. The Prowlers beat Liberty Township Lakota East 4-3 to advance to the final against Newark, which beat West Chester Lakota West 5-4 (OT) in its semifinal.

In the final, the Prowlers kept the action in Newark's end for most of the game but they were unable to get the puck past goalie Andrew Clark until Jake Miller scored with 1:32 left. The Prowlers converted on just one of seven power plays.

Newark scored three of its four goals in a seven-minute span in the first period, and it added a fourth goal with 7:05 left in the third period.

"We were confident going into the game, but we knew we were up against a great club," Newark coach Don Jennings said. "We're really thankful that the four best teams in the tournament got through to the semifinals."

Tonello said he feels confident about the prospects for next season, but the Prowlers will have to deal with the loss of some of their best players. The biggest shoes to fill are those of forward Adam McGrath, a four-year starter and the program's all-time leading scorer with 218 points. McGrath led the team with 47 points this season (24 goals, 23 assists). The Prowlers also lose forwards Tyler Cole and Michael Hutton and defensemen Daniel Johnson and Ryan McMullen.

PRPC does expect to return most its top scorers as well as its top two goalies. Tonello said he expects sophomore Jake Miller to be "the new Adam McGrath" next season after scoring 25 goals with 16 assists, sophomore Kyle Baughman was third on the team with 24 points (12 goals, 12 assists) and junior Taylor Kantor was fourth with 17 points (5 goals, 12 assists).

Junior Jeremiah Holland started in goal most of this season and allowed 2.6 goals per game. Sophomore Erik Heinmiller also saw action in 12 games and allowed 2.77 goals per game.

Among the top defensemen expected to return are sophomore Sean Straker and junior Alex Daniels.

"I feel just as confident coming back next year after losing (in the final), because I'm gaining three or four guys from the junior varsity that played for me tonight that will be playing next year, so they'll fill the void of those five seniors," Tonello said.