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1/9/2010-Hockey
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By KURT MENSCHING/Mining Journal Sports Correspondent
MARQUETTE--If there is one good thing to be taken away from Marquette Senior High School's first loss of the season, it's that it came in January.
The Division 1 No. 2 Redmen fell short in an early season test for two of the state's top high school hockey teams, dropping 4-2 to Orchard Lake St. Mary's at the 11th annual Marquette Classic on Friday night at Lakeview Arena.
"There's a couple teams as good as (OLSM) that you have to beat in order to win a state championship," Marquette coach Joe Papin said. "So especially all our new guys really got a good look at what it's going to take to get to Compuware (Arena) and win a state championship."
With the loss, Marquette fell to 7-1-0 for the season. It will meet Traverse City West at 11 a.m. today in the consolation game. Howell will meet St. Mary's in the championship game at 1 p.m.
Marquette had a chance to tie the game with 8:25 left in the third period, but a goal was waived off because the official blew the whistle just a moment earlier.
"Those are some of the breaks, sometimes you get them, sometimes you don't. Tonight we didn't. But our guys battled hard,"Papin said. "I thought the third period we played a lot better. Orchard Lake is just a very strong team. It's the best team we played year-to-date."
One thing the Redmen will need to tighten up is their penalty kill.
A power-play goal by defenseman Kevin Killian shot from the left circle gave St. Mary's the 1-0 lead at the 15:02 mark of the first period.
It was the first of two power plays allowed by Marquette, which had previously killed off penalties well this season.
"Our power play (kill) was at 97 percent," Papin said. "It shows you that there's a little bit of work that needs to be done obviously on the PK. They did a great job moving the puck. Our guys got criss-crossed up top. One little mistake like that and they make you pay. That's what good teams do."
St. Mary's went 2-for-5 on the power play, while Marquette was 0-for-4 with the extra attacker.
Marquette forward Aaron Leach said the Redmen cost themselves by taking too many penalties in the contest.
"It's a huge change. They're really good on the power play. That's what killed us."
Cooper Ansett had 11 saves for the Eaglets, while Michael McAuliffe had 21 for the Redmen.
The Eaglets who are now 6-4-1 and ranked third in the state by High School Hockey online used their skating ability and forecheck to keep steady control of the puck throughout the night.
"First couple of minutes, you're just trying to do some observation, see how they're going to run," St. Mary's coach Brian Klanow said. "I thought our team played a good solid game tonight."
Forward Cody Loyer skated down the left side and fired a shot from the top of the circle to give St. Mary's a 2-0 lead 3:50 into the second..
Just 56 seconds later, Marquette forward Tony Kroncich found Leach streaking past the last defender and connected with the pass.
Leach took it down the right side, while defenseman Austin Riipi came down the left side.
"I heard Riipi calling for it in the slot and just fed it over to him," Leach said.
The teams traded two more goals St. Mary's coming on the power play at 13:01 in the second and Marquette's even strength 7:01 into the third.
Redmen forward Eric Rizzio kept control of the puck after a St. Mary's defender tried to take it away in the left circle. He shot high to the right for the goal.
An empty-netter late in the game resulted in the fourth Eaglets' goal.
Papin said facing West this morning will give the Redmen another key test this season.
"We're going to see them in our first playoff game in pre-regionals, so it's important to come out and play well against them. I think it's going to be a close game."
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