Clarkston skates to fifth regional title
BY DAN STICKRADT
SENIOR EDITOR
dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com
FLINT — Clarkston ventured through a little bit of a downward spiral at the end of the regular season. The Wolves boys hockey team proved that was only temporary glitch and have more than rebounded in the state tournament.
Clarkston captured its third straight postseason win Saturday at Flint Iceland Arena, topping Bay City Central, 5-4, for the school’s fifth regional title since launching its program in 1996-97.
Clarkston also won regionals in 1999, 2004, 2005 and 2008 and lost in the regional finals in 2000.
Clarkston, which lost three of its final four regular season games, including back-to-back losses to Waterford Mott and Rochester United where the Wolves gave up a combined eight goals, built a 4-0 lead and hung on for dear life. Clarkston was outscored 4-1 over the final period and a half and staved off Bay City Central’s comeback bid.
“They are a good team. They really applied a lot of pressure on us I n the third period,” said Clarkston coach Bryan Krygier. “I thought we did a good job coming out and controlling the puck and scoring a lot of goals early.”
Dillion Drayer scored the natural hat trick in the first period, with Brad Pizzey, Adam Larkin and Macario Torres all drawing two assists each in that run, as the Wolves skated to a 3-0 lead after the first period.
Larkin made it 4-0 just 54 seconds into the second frame and the Wolves (16-9) looked to pull away.
Bay City Central cut the deficit to 4-1 with a goal by Brad Moses.
Pizzey made it 5-1 Clarkston with 4:23 left in the second period, yet the Wolves could not put Central away.
Chad Nowak netted a goal late in the second period, and Brad Leppek and Aaron Keefer both tallied in the third frame, the last with 1:43 to go, to make it a one-goal affair.
Clarkston freshman goaltender Jake Viazanko netted 21 saves, including a couple of stops in the last minute that prevented overtime.
Todd Gurnee had 19 saves in a losing effort for Bay City Central.
“He’s been very good. I think he’s something like 8-2 this year,” said Krygier of his freshman netminder, who has been receiving increased playing time in the second half of the season. “He’s come up with some great saves. We have confidence in him. He’s been doing a good job. He could be a (special) goaltender.”
Clarkston is 5-2 in regional final games.
“I think we’ve had some good history playing in the regional finals,” said Krygier, whose team had a pair of Final Four appearances and one state runner-up showing during his tenure. The only regional finals losses were to Waterford Mott back in 2000 and Port Huron Northern in 2002.
“We felt that with our draw, that we might have a chance to win (a regional this year),” added Krygier, whose team also defeated Grand Blanc and Flint Kearsley. “We were able to do that.”
WOLVES DRAW NOVI
Clarkston will have a tall order on Wednesday in its state quarterfinal at Perani Arena, as the 6 p.m. contest will be against state-ranked Novi, coached by Bryan Krygier’s brother, Todd.
“We talked about it briefly, but we’re not making a big deal about it. It’s really about the kids, not us,” said Bryan Krygier, who has coached all five of Clarkston’s regional championships. “I think we will have fun with it. But I think the important thing is preparing our kids to play in a state quarterfinal hockey game. I think they understand that the winner goes to the (Final Four).”
The winner will compete at 6 p.m. Friday at Compuware Arena in Plymouth in the state semifinals against the winner of the Lake Orion-St. Clair Shores Unified.
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Category: Clarkston, High School, Prep Wraps
