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1/30/06-Hockey
Orchard Lake St. Mary keeps rolling
By Ryan Doherty
MichiganHockeyOnline
Orchard Lake St. Mary's celebrated their first ever Division III state hockey championship last season, and then decided to jump feet first into Division I for the 2005-06 campaign.
“We don't play to beat teams, we play for the competition, and we certainly wanted to play against the best teams in the state, and now we're doing that,” said St. Mary's coach Brian Klanow.
After going 20-6-1 a year ago, Klanow team catapulted right by Div. II.
“We originally thought about it (Div. II), but the MHSAA thought we should move right to Division I,” explained Klanow.
His team has posted a 9-2-1 record so far, and they've split two games against defending Div. I state champion Catholic Central. The Eaglets lost to the Shamrocks in their first game of the season 8-7, but avenged that loss when they beat CC in a much closer contest 2-1 on December 22.
The two schools will battle it out for the Catholic High School League Championship on February 18, as the Eaglets will be looking to defend their title after knocking off Brother Rice a year ago to capture their first ever CHSL crown.
Moreover, Klanow is confident that regardless of which team they play, his kids are mentally ready to go.
“We have a very competitive and hard working team, and at this level these kids understand how important every game is,” explained Klanow, now in his sixth year behind the Eaglets bench.
Klanow's team traveled to Culver, Indiana on Jan. 20-21 to play a pair of games against Culver Military Academy . The Eaglets tied the first game 4-4, before losing on Saturday, 5-1.
“They're one of the top teams in the country, and those two games told us where we stand heading into the playoffs and what we need to improve on,” explained Klanow.
Sophomore goalies Nick Dries, along with juniors Ryan Dentamaro and Joseph Savona, have been sharing the duties in net for OLSM.
“I think this is the most solid we've ever been in net,” said Klanow. “The competition between them is incredible, and we watch how they play in practice and make our decision based on that.”
In addition, senior captains Shane Dwyer, Jon Connors, and Alex Prough have been taking care of the offense for St. Mary's. The trio has become quality leaders by working hard and expecting the same from their teammates.
Prough leads St. Mary's with seven goals and 22 points, while Dwyer isn't far behind with nine goals and 19 points.
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