Mercy tops Walled Lake in Suburban Classic

By Brian Kalisher –

FARMINGTON HILLS – Mercy coach Brandon Malinowski said that last year’s loss in the Suburban Girls’ High School Classic Championship was a difficult way to start the season. This year, it’s not something his girls will have to worry about.

The Mercy Marlins posted a 7-5 win over an aggressive Walled Lake Wild squad to win the eighth annual tournament, held at Suburban Ice Arena in Farmington Hills Dec. 2-3. Marlins’ forward and co-tournament MVP Madeline McClain led her team with a hat trick and an assist, while Grace Martin, Alexandra Conner, Lauren Hensick and Jacqueline Murphy all chipped in with goals for Mercy.

“I gave them this task from Day 1 to win this tournament because we knew how losing it was last year,” Malinowski said.  “They hung in there, we did have a 4-1 lead and that will be something we’re going to go to work on at practice obviously is our defensive zone because that’s the big thing we worry about.

“Giving up a 4-1 lead is concerning but obviously, you know, at the end of the day we got the trophy.”

Defenseman Meryll Miller had two goals and an assist for the Wild, while forward Emma Crone had two goals, as well.  Forward Ryann Brier also had a goal and an assist for the Wild, but it wasn’t enough to top the Marlins.

“I thought we played great.  They have an outstanding team and it feels like every time we play up against them it’s one goal,” Malinowski said.  “You know, we had our plan and what we wanted to do, and it worked for about two periods, and some stuff got out of whack and they scored a couple on us.

“You’ve got to pick one of their players to shut down.  You shut down one of them and there’s another one that’s there.”

Grace Martin opened the scoring for the Marlins only 1:26 into the game by beating Wild goalie Sam Carrier through the five-hole.  Madeline McClain assisted on the play.

A few minutes later McClain found the score sheet again, carrying the puck into the zone and putting it past the goaltender.  Mercy took the 2-0 lead into the second period.

Mercy continued their momentum into the second period when Alexandra Conner’s unassisted blast from the left face-off circle made it 3-0 for the Marlins.

The Wild didn’t let a power-play opportunity go to waste when Meryll Miller netted her first goal of the night, putting the Wild on the board.  Ryann Brier assisted.

Mercy’s Lauren Hensick –who was the other half of the tournament MVP duo – scored at the midway point of the second, putting her team back up by a three-goal margin.  The Wild’s Meryll Miller didn’t let that lead sit for too long, as she carried the puck end to end, putting one past Marlins’ goalie Clarissa LeVasseur for her second goal of the night.

The Wild struck again with 32 seconds remaining in the period.  Emma Crone streaked into Mercy’s zone and sniped a shot from the right face-off circle.  Madeline McClain then responded with another goal, making it 5-3 for the Marlins heading into the second intermission.

Ryann Brier opened the scoring in the third period, putting pressure on Mercy in the offensive zone.  Five minutes later Emma Crone had her second goal of the night for the Wild, tying the game with 6:18 left in regulation.

However, Mercy regained control late in the contest, scoring on a power-play and then again with 42 seconds left in the game, when Madeline McClain scored her hat trick goal.

“At the end of the day the girls just, they wanted it, and they got it,” Malinowski said.