Eisenhower hockey fulfills potential with league title By Brad D. Bates FRASER — Pressure doesn’t affect the Utica Eisenhower boys hockey team. In fact, the Eagles seem to thrive under it. With 16 seniors back from Eisenhower’s 2008-09 Macomb Area Conference White Division third-place squad, the pressure was on the Eagles to win the 2009-10 title from day one. And all they had to do to clinch it Feb. 26 at Great Lakes Sports City in Fraser was come from behind against rival Utica Stevenson with less than seven minutes to play. “Hopefully, they learned from their junior year,” Eisenhower coach Bob Hall said after the Eagles improved to 19-4-0 overall, 9-0-0 in the White, with a 4-3 win. “Most of these guys were here last year, and a lot of these guys had the experience last year. That senior leadership is what brought us here to this point.” While it was the experience of the Eagles’ seniors that drove them to the championship, those veterans got a little help from one of the new players to beat the Titans. Sophomore Zach Halloran tallied the game winner — his 17th point in 18 varsity games — against Stevenson with 3:34 to play and clinched the program’s first league title since winning a share of the 2005-06 MAC Red title. Seniors Eric Simurdiak and Adam Nimtz assisted on the winning goal. “I just try to do what I can to help the team win,” Halloran said. “Simurdiak made a nice saucer pass over to me. I just shot five hole, and it went in.” The come-from-behind win was nothing new for the Eagles, who have made a practice of saving the best for last. “It’s the hard work we put in off ice,” senior captain James Czarnik said. “It’s working hard and getting into condition for that third period, so we can wear people down.” The win against Stevenson was Eisenhower’s 11th in 12 games. During that time, the Eagles outscored opponents 65-27. “This roll of us starting to play good hockey started with the (Jan. 9) loss to Chippewa Valley,” Czarnik said of the streak, which included a 2-0 record at the prestigious Michigan Interscholastic Hockey League Showcase and wins against defending MAC Red champ Dakota and 2009-10 MAC Red champ St. Clair Shores Unified. “After that, we came together. That was the turning point of our season. Everyone just started buying into the systems. After that game, everything started clicking.” Along with Halloran’s goal, the Eagles got scores from senior Kyle McCuen, senior Justin Whitson and senior Ryan Maloney. To top Stevenson, which was 6-2-0 in the White and in second place, Eisenhower had to shut down arguably the top offensive line in the MAC in senior wingers Drew DeMarti and Justin Zyvon, and center Mitch Brinker. Brinker scored one goal, but the MAC’s top scorer, DeMarti, was held off the score sheet. “We had a big focus on the DeMarti line,” Hall said. “We really weren’t matching people up against them. When they were on the ice, we just wanted to make sure our guys knew (DeMarti) was on the ice and (to) keep an eye on him. He’s a great player.” Eisenhower also had to contend with the White’s top goalie in Stevenson senior Mason Henige, who entered the game with a 2.25 goals against average in league games. All of that — and winning the league title against their top rival — made it all the sweeter for the Eagles. “It’s a great feeling,” Czarnik said of topping Stevenson for a league title. “We played them three times last year and didn’t beat them once, and it was real nice to come out and beat them twice this year.” You can reach Sports Writer Brad D. Bates at bbates@candgnews.com or at (586) 498-1029. |
