Port Huron Northern freezes Cougars in their tracks, advance to Final Four
BY DAN STICKRADT
SENIOR EDITOR
dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com
MACOMB TOWNSHIP — In a year where there has been an unusually high number of state-ranked boys hockey teams falling in the earlier rounds, Port Huron Northern has done nothing but back up its top-10 status in the postseason.
The Huskies (17-9-1), ranked third in the state heading into the tournament, made sure their quest for a state title remained very much alive Tuesday night.
Northern scored a goal in the first period, tacked on two more in the second frame and exploded for three additional goals in the third period to skate past Rochester Stoney Creek, 6-1, in a Division 2 state quarterfinal at Suburban Macomb Ice Arena.
The Huskies advance to Thursday’s state semifinals at Compuware Arena in Plymouth at 7:30 p.m., where Grosse Pointe South awaits. It marks Port Huron Northern’s first Final Four since the 2001-02 campaign.
“I think what this group has done the last two years, from where they started two years ago (is amazing). The leadership is great, they have bought into the program and we’re winning,” said Northern coach Daryel McCarrel. “That’s a good thing and we’re successful.”
Northern led 3-1 behind a 16-9 shots edge through two periods of play. Instead of playing conservative in the third period, the Huskies went for the jugular.
Northern scored three times in the period, holding a 19-7 shots edge in the frame, and never allowed the Cougars (13-15-0) a chance at a comeback.
“When we played (Midland) Dow (in the regionals), we played not to lose instead of playing to win,” noted McCarrel. “I told the boys let keep it going and play our system. We knew they would press, so we had to force breakaways and (scoring) opportunities.”
Bryce VanHorn, Nathan Wilson and Jimmy Glombowski all scored in succession in the third period, the first with 10:47 to play which proved to be the back-breaker and final goal with 28.9 second s left. The Huskies were relentless in the final period and at one point fired six shots on the Cougars’ net in a 45-second span.
Port Huron Northern opened up the scoring with 8:49 to go in the first period. Austin Ainsworth was left open 10 yards in front of the net and his high shot found the upper 90 under the crossbar.
Kyle Truscott and Erik Olsen picked up the assists on the play, with Truscott making a nice spin move in the corner before slotting the puck through traffic over to wide-open Ainsworth.
The Huskies scored again with 10:44 left in the second period, this time with Wilson and Olsen setting up VanHorn with a close-range wrist shot from the right side.
Stoney Creek did manage to score with 7:09 remaining in the period, the tally coming on a back-handed shot from Matt Zuelch, courtesy of Brian Gill. That was the last ray of hope the Cougars would enjoy.
Truscott made it a two-goal cushion once again with 3:56 left in the second period. Tyler Johnson’s slap shot from just inside the blue line sailed throw traffic to Ainsworth, who flicked the puck over to Truscott for the redirect.
That set the stage for the third-period onslaught.
Northern outshot Stoney Creek 35-16 on the night, with Matt Fernandez corralling 15 saves for the Huskies. Maxx Grant stopped 29 of 35 shots for Stoney Creek.
“That’s certainly one of the best if not the best team we’ve played this year,” conceded Stoney Creek coach Ian Smith. “They are relentless, they keep you honest, and they are quick (over) all three periods with all four lines. They have a lot of set plays that spread us out. That was the turning point of the game when they that steal and a breakaway and getting a goal off of it.”
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* Have photos or video of this event that you wish to share? E-mail pertinent information to www.northoaklandsports.com Senior Editor Dan Stickradt at dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com or e-mail results@northoaklandsports.com.
Category: High School, High School (M-Z), Most Recently Updated Stories, Prep Wraps, Rochester Stoney Creek, Top Stories, Uncategorized
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ADDITIONAL LINKS:
FALL SPORTS
FOOTBALL: http://northoaklandsports.com/?s=Football&x=12&y=12
SOCCER: http://northoaklandsports.com/?s=soccer&x=0&y=0
CROSS COUNTRY: http://northoaklandsports.com/?s=Cross+country&x=11&y=10
GOLF: http://northoaklandsports.com/?s=Golf&x=9&y=14
TENNIS: http://northoaklandsports.com/?s=Tennis&x=13&y=4
VOLLEYBALL: http://northoaklandsports.com/?s=Volleyball&x=0&y=9
SWIMMING: http://northoaklandsports.com/?s=Swimming&x=11&y=14
WINTER SPORTS
BASKETBALL: http://northoaklandsports.com/?s=Basketball&x=13&y=12
WRESTLING: http://northoaklandsports.com/?s=wrestling&x=10&y=9
SKIING: http://northoaklandsports.com/?s=Skiing&x=5&y=14
GYMNASTICS: http://northoaklandsports.com/?s=Gymnastics&x=10&y=12
HOCKEY: http://northoaklandsports.com/?s=Hockey&x=11&y=14
SWIMMING: http://northoaklandsports.com/?s=Swimming&x=11&y=14
BOWLING: http://northoaklandsports.com/?s=Bowling&x=4&y=13
COMPETITIVE CHEER: http://northoaklandsports.com/?s=Competitive+Cheer&x=6&y=10
SPRING SPORTS
BASEBALL: http://northoaklandsports.com/?s=Baseball&x=16&y=13
SOFTBALL: http://northoaklandsports.com/?s=Softball&x=8&y=11
TRACK AND FIELD: http://northoaklandsports.com/?s=track&x=14&y=11
LACROSSE: http://northoaklandsports.com/?s=lacrosse&x=12&y=9
TENNIS: http://northoaklandsports.com/?s=Tennis&x=13&y=4
GOLF: http://northoaklandsports.com/?s=Golf&x=9&y=14
SOCCER: http://northoaklandsports.com/?s=soccer&x=0&y=0
ADDITIONAL LINKS:
FALL SPORTS
FOOTBALL: http://northoaklandsports.com/?s=Football&x=12&y=12
SOCCER: http://northoaklandsports.com/?s=soccer&x=0&y=0
CROSS COUNTRY: http://northoaklandsports.com/?s=Cross+country&x=11&y=10
GOLF: http://northoaklandsports.com/?s=Golf&x=9&y=14
TENNIS: http://northoaklandsports.com/?s=Tennis&x=13&y=4
VOLLEYBALL: http://northoaklandsports.com/?s=Volleyball&x=0&y=9
SWIMMING: http://northoaklandsports.com/?s=Swimming&x=11&y=14
WINTER SPORTS
BASKETBALL: http://northoaklandsports.com/?s=Basketball&x=13&y=12
WRESTLING: http://northoaklandsports.com/?s=wrestling&x=10&y=9
SKIING: http://northoaklandsports.com/?s=Skiing&x=5&y=14
GYMNASTICS: http://northoaklandsports.com/?s=Gymnastics&x=10&y=12
HOCKEY: http://northoaklandsports.com/?s=Hockey&x=11&y=14
SWIMMING: http://northoaklandsports.com/?s=Swimming&x=11&y=14
BOWLING: http://northoaklandsports.com/?s=Bowling&x=4&y=13
COMPETITIVE CHEER: http://northoaklandsports.com/?s=Competitive+Cheer&x=6&y=10
SPRING SPORTS
BASEBALL: http://northoaklandsports.com/?s=Baseball&x=16&y=13
SOFTBALL: http://northoaklandsports.com/?s=Softball&x=8&y=11
TRACK AND FIELD: http://northoaklandsports.com/?s=track&x=14&y=11
LACROSSE: http://northoaklandsports.com/?s=lacrosse&x=12&y=9
TENNIS: http://northoaklandsports.com/?s=Tennis&x=13&y=4
GOLF: http://northoaklandsports.com/?s=Golf&x=9&y=14
SOCCER: http://northoaklandsports.com/?s=soccer&x=0&y=0
FALL SPORTS 2011 ALL-AREA TEAMS:
ALL-AREA BOYS CROSS COUNTRY: http://northoaklandsports.com/2011/12/20/all-area-boys-cross-country-2011-lead-runners-step-up-to-lead-pack/
ALL-AREA GIRLS GOLF: http://northoaklandsports.com/2011/12/20/all-area-girls-golf-2011-tournament-tested-golfers-headline-talented-squad/
ALL-AREA BOYS TENNIS: http://northoaklandsports.com/2011/12/19/all-area-boys-tennis-2011-top-flight-players-rule-area-courts/
ALL-AREA GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY: http://northoaklandsports.com/2011/12/30/2011-all-north-oakland-area-girls-cross-country-elite-runners-help-set-the-pace/
ALL-AREA GIRLS SWIMMING: http://northoaklandsports.com/2011/12/28/2011-all-area-girls-swimming-and-diving-state-champions-all-staters-ride-wave-to-become-region%E2%80%99s-best/
ALL-AREA BOYS SOCCER: http://northoaklandsports.com/2012/01/03/2011-all-north-oakland-area-boys-soccer-team-gifted-players-deliver-on-the-pitch/
ALL-AREA FOOTBALL: http://northoaklandsports.com/2012/01/03/2011-all-north-oakland-area-football-team-explosive-athletes-seasoned-veterans-anchor-grid-iron-squad/
ALL-AREA GIRLS VOLLEYBALL: Dec. 30
SPRING SPORTS 2011 ALL-AREA TEAMS
ALL-AREA BOYS TRACK AND FIELD TEAM: LINK: http://northoaklandsports.com/2011/07/06/all-area-boys-track-field-power-speed-highlight-postseason-squad/
ALL-AREA GIRLS TRACK AND FIELD TEAM: LINK: http://northoaklandsports.com/2011/07/08/2011-all-area-girls-track-field-team-all-state-athletes-burnt-up-the-grand-oval/
ALL-AREA GIRLS TENNIS TEAM: LINK: http://northoaklandsports.com/2011/07/10/2011-all-area-girls-tennis-these-players-made-quite-the-racquet/
ALL-AREA BOYS GOLF TEAM: LINK: http://northoaklandsports.com/2011/07/11/2011-all-area-boys-golf-state-champion-oakland-christian-headlines-top-linkers/
ALL-AREA BASEBALL TEAM: LINK: http://northoaklandsports.com/2011/07/12/2011-all-area-baseball-diamond-squad-is-armed-and-lethally-dangerous/
ALL-AREA SOFTBALL TEAM: LINK: http://northoaklandsports.com/2011/07/15/2011-all-area-softball-all-around-talents-heat-up-the-diamond/
ALL-AREA GIRLS SOCCER TEAM: LINK: http://northoaklandsports.com/2011/07/20/2011-all-area-girls-soccer-highly-touted-players-showcased-on-postseason-squad/
ALL-AREA GIRLS LACROSSE TEAM: LINK: http://northoaklandsports.com/2011/07/18/2011-all-area-girls-lacrosse-rising-stars-abundant-in-state%E2%80%99s-fastest-growing-sport/
ALL-AREA BOYS LACROSSE TEAM: LINK: http://northoaklandsports.com/2011/07/22/2011-all-area-boys-lacrosse-this-group-snatches-the-opposition-in-its-web/
WINTER SPORTS ALL-AREA TEAMS 2010-2011
Below are the links for the 2011 All-Area teams for the winter sports for the 2010-11 season:
ALL-AREA BOYS BASKETBALL: http://northoaklandsports.com/2011/04/18/2011-all-area-boys-basketball-coachable-players-help-yield-great-success/
ALL-AREA GIRLS BASKETBALL: http://northoaklandsports.com/2011/04/15/2524/
ALL-AREA BOYS-GIRLS SKIING: http://northoaklandsports.com/2011/04/18/2011-all-area-ski-team-clarkston-lake-orion-head-up-talented-cast-of-ski-racers/
ALL-AREA BOYS GIRLS BOWLING: http://northoaklandsports.com/2011/04/17/2011-all-area-bowling-this-group-knocks-them-down-with-precision/
ALL-AREA WRESTLING: http://northoaklandsports.com/2011/03/31/2011-all-area-wrestling-state-champions-head-up-deep-and-talented-group-of-matmen/
ALL-AREA BOYS HOCKEY: http://northoaklandsports.com/2011/04/05/2011-all-area-boys-hockey-state-semifinalist-lake-orion-leads-talented-cast-on-the-ice/
ALL-AREA BOYS SWIMMING: http://northoaklandsports.com/2011/04/16/2011-all-area-boys-swimming-diving-tankers-glide-to-plenty-of-success/
FALL 2010 ALL-AREA TEAMS:
ALL-AREA FOOTBALL: http://northoaklandsports.com/2011/01/21/2010-all-area-football-weapons-on-both-sides-of-the-ball-spark-postseason-accolades/
ALL-AREA GIRLS VOLLEYBALL: http://northoaklandsports.com/2011/01/17/2010-all-area-girls-volleyball-this-team-brings-it-all-to-the-floor/
ALL-AREA BOYS SOCCER: http://northoaklandsports.com/2011/01/20/2010-all-area-boys-soccer-this-talented-group-has-all-the-accolades-to-prove-worth/
ALL-AREA GIRLS SWIMMING: http://northoaklandsports.com/2010/12/30/2010-all-area-girls-swimming-diving-youth-is-served-in-area-pools/
ALL-AREA GIRLS GOLF: http://northoaklandsports.com/2010/12/07/625/
ALL-AREA BOYS TENNIS: http://northoaklandsports.com/2010/12/15/2010-all-area-boys-tennis-team-this-unit-could-surely-swat-away-the-opposition/
ALL-AREA BOYS CROSS COUNTRY: http://northoaklandsports.com/2011/01/19/2010-all-area-boys-cross-country-team-sophomores-pace-pack-of-talented-runners/
ALL-AREA GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY: http://northoaklandsports.com/2011/01/19/2010-all-area-girls-cross-country-runners-join-the-front-pack-to-bring-home-accolades/
SPRING 2010 ALL-AREA TEAMS:
ALL-AREA BASEBALL: http://209.217.228.250/~northoak/pages/posts/all-area-baseball-big-bats-live-arms-headline-postseason-squad-1778.php
ALL-AREA SOFTBALL: http://209.217.228.250/~northoak/pages/posts/all-area-softball-talented-cast-covers-all-the-bases-1773.php
ALL-AREA GIRLS SOCCER: http://209.217.228.250/~northoak/pages/posts/all-area-girls-soccer-talented-cast-can-do-it-all-1779.php
ALL-AREA GIRLS TRACK: http://209.217.228.250/~northoak/pages/posts/all-area-girls-track-field-this-fast-group-more-than-sizzled-up-the-grand-oval-1741.php
http://209.217.228.250/~northoak/pages/posts/2010-all-area-girls-track-and-field-chart-1752.php
ALL-AREA BOYS TRACK: http://209.217.228.250/~northoak/pages/posts/all-area-boys-track-field-these-thinclads-were-fast-to-the-finish-1750.php
http://209.217.228.250/~northoak/pages/posts/all-area-boys-track-field-chart-1751.php
ALL-AREA BOYS GOLF: http://209.217.228.250/~northoak/pages/posts/all-area-boys-golf-consistency-the-key-for-arearsquos-top-golfers-1765.php
ALL-AREA GIRLS TENNIS: http://209.217.228.250/~northoak/pages/posts/all-area-girls-tennis-netters-serve-up-the-right-results-1769.php
ALL-AREA BOYS LACROSSE: http://209.217.228.250/~northoak/pages/posts/all-area-boys-lacrosse-these-players-take-game-to-the-next-level-1774.php
ALL-AREA GIRLS LACROSSE: http://northoaklandsports.com/pages/posts/all-area-girls-lacrosse-talent-level-is-fast-rising-1777.php
WINTER 2009-2010 ALL-AREA TEAMS
ALL-AREA BOYS BASKETBALL: http://209.217.228.250/~northoak/pages/posts/all-area-boys-basketball-the-kings-of-the-court-have-arrived-1213.php
ALL-AREA GIRLS BASKETBALL: http://209.217.228.250/~northoak/pages/posts/all-area-girls-basketball-dominant-players-abound-on-hardcourt-1372.php
ALL-AREA WRESTLING: http://209.217.228.250/~northoak/pages/posts/all-area-wrestling-state-placers-are-the-class-of-this-talented-lineup-1377.php
ALL-AREA BOYS HOCKEY: http://209.217.228.250/~northoak/pages/posts/all-area-hockey-all-state-honorees-headline-postseason-unit-1297.php
ALL-AREA BOYS SWIMMING: http://209.217.228.250/~northoak/pages/posts/all-area-boys-swimming-this-talent-pool-makes-a-big-splash-1419.php
ALL-AREA BOYS BOWLING: http://209.217.228.250/~northoak/pages/posts/all-area-boys-bowling-this-team-knocks-down-the-opposition-1331.php
ALL-AREA GIRLS BOWLING: http://209.217.228.250/~northoak/pages/posts/all-area-girls-bowling-this-group-found-the-right-alley-1330.php
ALL-AREA BOYS SKIING: http://209.217.228.250/~northoak/pages/posts/all-area-boys-ski-team-underclassmen-headline-postseason-list-1095.php
ALL-AREA GIRLS SKIING: http://209.217.228.250/~northoak/pages/posts/all-area-girls-ski-team-these-ski-racers-were-down-hill-in-a-flash-1101.php
FALL 2009 ALL-AREA TEAMS (inaugural launch):
ALL-AREA FOOTBALL: http://northoaklandsports.com/pages/posts/armed-and-dangerous-.-big-offensive-weapons-bone-crushing-hitters-highlight-all-area-football-team-430.php
ALL-AREA GIRLS VOLLEYBALL: http://northoaklandsports.com/2011/01/17/flashback-2009-all-area-volleyball-players-hit-their-points-in-the-right-places/
http://209.217.228.250/~northoak/pages/posts/smack-down-all-area-volleyball-players-hit-their-points-in-the-right-places-1738.php
ALL-AREA BOYS SOCCER: http://209.217.228.250/~northoak/pages/posts/dream-team-honorees-lead-all-area-boys-soccer-team-1739.php
ALL-AREA GIRLS SWIMMING: http://northoaklandsports.com/2010/12/30/flashback-2009-all-area-girls-swimming-team/
http://209.217.228.250/~northoak/pages/posts/adams-stoney-creek-lead-all-area-girls-swimming-team-286.php
ALL-AREA BOYS CROSS COUNTRY: http://209.217.228.250/~northoak/pages/posts/leaders-of-the-pack.frontrunners-head-up-all-area-boys-cross-country-team-279.php
ALL-AREA GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY: http://northoaklandsports.com/2010/12/13/flashback-2009-all-area-girls-cross-country-team-all-american-goethals-leads-talented-all-area-pack-of-runners/
ALL-AREA GIRLS GOLF: http://northoaklandsports.com/2010/12/07/flashback-2009-all-area-girls-golf-team/
http://209.217.228.250/~northoak/pages/posts/super-team-players-highlight-all-area-girls-golf-squad-194.php
ALL-AREA BOYS TENNIS: http://northoaklandsports.com/2010/12/15/flashback-2009-all-area-boys-tennis-powerful-hitters-ace-positions-on-tennis-squad/
http://209.217.228.250/~northoak/pages/posts/powerful-hitters-ace-positions-on-all-area-boys-tennis-squad-337.php
2009-2010 ALL-AREA DIRECTORY: http://209.217.228.250/~northoak/pages/posts/season-in-review-2009-10-all-area-teams-directory-1780.php
NORTH OAKLAND SPORTS VIDEOS: http://www.youtube.com/user/DJMightyRaton?ob=0&feature=results_main