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2/18/07-Hockey
Rice rallies to tie OLSM for third
By JAKE SHARFMAN Special to The Oakland Press
ORCHARD LAKE-- He wouldn't call it a flaw, but Brother Rice head coach Lou Schmidt knows a bad habit when he sees one.
In the last two weeks of the season, the Birmingham Brother Rice hockey team has had a major tendency of getting down early, then brushing itself off, storming back in come-from-behind fashion.
It was more of the same Saturday afternoon.
Schmidt and the Warriors (14-5-3) came back from two goals down, skating away with a 3-3 tie with Orchard Lake St. Mary's in the Catholic League's third-place game at the Orchard Lake Ice Arena.
"It's tough that we get down early, but we don't panic and we show a lot of character in our comebacks," Schmidt said. "Our guys don't care what the score is. We just continue to play our style of hockey and see what happens."
Down 3-2 midway through the third period, the Warriors were playing short-handed, down a man on a high sticking penalty. Instead of clearing the puck and stalling while the penalty time ticked away, the Warriors had their eyes on the prize -- the Eaglet goal.
Sophomore forward Patrick Haffey broke through the defense of St. Mary's (10-9-5) and dished a beautiful, cross-ice pass to Brett Kroll, who punched in the game-tying goal despite the man-disadvantage.
"I thought we played OK today," St. Mary's head coach Brian Klanow said. "We made too many mental mistakes putting ourselves in tough positions. And continue to have trouble putting teams away when we get a lead."
The Warriors found themselves down earlier than expected when the Eaglets came out with two very quick goals in the first period.
Billy Balent took passes from Jon Falvo and goalkeeper Joe Savona, then fired a shot past Warrior keeper Will Danko for the game's first goal.
Less than 30 seconds, St. Mary's junior forward Tim Hooker kept the Eaglet momentum rolling with a goal of his own, on assists from Kasper Bryniczka and Tony Aukskalnis.
"St. Mary's is an aggressive team that comes out and attacks you from the get-go," Schmidt said.
The lead was there, the intensity was there, but so was an Eaglet let-up. St. Mary's let Brother Rice do what it does best, and storm back in the second period, the rally led by junior captain Nick Tinetti.
Tinetti put the Warriors on his back, and on the board, five minutes into the period with a great move and an even better wrist shot.
With one goal already under his belt, Tinetti was not finished. Five minutes later, he set up John Ebbing nicely for the Warriors' second goal to tie the game at 2-2.
The Eaglets responded early in the third period when Bryniczka fired a one-timer for a goal on another great pass from Aukskalnis, putting St. Mary's back ahead, 3-2.
For the first time in three seasons, St. Mary's did not play for the Catholic League championship. That game took place Saturday night, with Novi Detroit Catholic Central beating Warren De La Salle, 3-0, for first place in the Catholic League Division 1.
However, with the state hockey playoffs right around the corner, both coaches know how important it is to finish the regular season off with good, competitive hockey.
"Our upcoming schedule really doesn't get any easier with Catholic Central on Saturday and Clarkston on Thursday," Schmidt added. "We are participating in some fast-paced hockey games, and that is the speed we will have to play at to be successful in the playoffs. These games can only help."
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