MiHockey’s 2018-19 High School Hockey Team Outlooks
Who will be left standing when all is said and done on March 9?
The quest for a state championship is underway for Michigan’s high school hockey programs. Here are MiHockey’s team-by-team outlooks for the 2018-19 campaign.
We wish all of the teams the best of luck as they progress through their seasons, and we look forward to seeing whether Brighton (Boys’ D1), Hartland (Boys’ D2), Detroit Country Day (Boys’ D3), Grosse Pointe South (Girls’ D1) and University Liggett (Girls’ D2) can defend their crowns.
NOTE: Team outlooks constructed by the responses received from emails MiHockey sent via the Michigan High School Hockey Coaches’ Association and the Michigan High School Girls Hockey League. Teams not included can have their head coach contact us at mh@mihockeynow.com.
L’Anse Creuse Unified
The Crusaders will have a lot of new faces in the lineup this year, so a big key will be the need for everyone “to buy in to the system and come together as a team,” said head coach Jon Nader. “We have speed and a lot of hockey sense coming to us this year.” Key players include the leadership group of Jeremy Hayes, Josh Konczak, Jack Rastigue and Josh LuMarque.
University Liggett
Goaltending will be the Knights’ strength this year, with senior Jake Rosenberg and all-state honorable mention Grant Lindsay battling for playing time between the pipes. Head coach Mike Maltese said “with the help of the seniors, the Knights will go as far as they take them.” Other key players also include: forwards Will Nicholson, Luke Zinn, Tristan Reilly, Doug Wood; defensemen Dan Bowen, Darcy Huang.
East Kentwood
Coach Shawn Jensen believes his Falcons should “be right in the thick of things in our conference” this season. Led by Conner Graham and Louis Schultz, East Kentwood has struggled to score goals the past few seasons, but will look to strong goaltending and sound defensive positioning as crucial areas to have success.
Milford
Mavericks head coach Dennis Gagnon sees his team’s compete level and discipline as areas of strength in the 2018-19 campaign. With five freshmen and five sophomores, it’ll be a somewhat young, inexperienced squad, especially after graduating 13 seniors last season. But Gagnon said of his group, “we really like the way our guys get after it at practice, and we’re excited to see how that translates to games.”
Grosse Ile
Team speed will be key for Jason Durbin’s Grosse Ile squad this season, with defense being an early area the team will look to improve upon. Cody Keenan, Chris Mihai, Chase Havens and Evan Napolitan will captain a team that won the Huron league last season.
Saginaw Heritage
After advancing to the state final last season, Saginaw Heritage could certainly make another run at it this season, which a big number of returning players, including six defensemen. Coach JJ Bamberger called his group “extremely determined and hard-working” but that it has “to learn to compete every shift of every game.”
Fenton-Linden
Griffins head coach Kyle Marchand is hoping his team’s youth from a year ago (13 sophomores) will translate to experience and an improved product on the ice in 2018-19. Marchand cites depth up front and a skilled top-nine forward group as a big strength for his club, captained by Andrew Donar.
Howell
The Highlanders lost to eventual D1 state champion Brighton last season, and coach Eric Hirzel has a very positive outlook for 2018-19 because of the “returning experience and enthusiasm.” Team speed should also serve the team well this season, while team defense will be an area the team looks to improve overall. Key players include Graham Hassan, Stefan Franti, Nolan Schick, Dominic Rossi and Josh Farr.
Trenton
“Coming together as a team and putting the team goals first.” That’s what Trojans coach Chad Clements wants to see out of his group this year in order to achieve success. Captains Nik Moody, Devin Dunn and Nolan Szczepaniak will lead an experienced group that hopes to make another deep run in the postseason, one year removed from a D2 championship game appearance.
Royal Oak Unified
With over half the roster standing 6-feet ot taller, coach Gregory Paddison is hoping that translates into a “formidable forecheck and a problematic net presence for opposing goaltenders.” Paddison cited discipline, both on and off the ice, as important points of focus for this year’s team. Royal Oak Unified will be led by captains Ryan Kauffman, Derek Jerzak, Braden Martindale and Stephen Metcalfe. Other key players include: goalie Aiden Engle; forwards Nicky Nagy, Peyton Maliszewski, Sean Kler, Steven Burke, Bryce Dunscombe; defensemen Ben Therrien, Sam Webster and Steven Barvais.
Orchard Lake St. Mary’s
Head coach Brian Klanow will lean on his leadership core of Bryce Kallen, Troy Clark, Jake Dykstra and Keaton Strunk this season. The Eaglets are expected to be a hard-working, competitive group that will look to gain experience quickly in order to be successful. OLSM reached their regional final last season.
West Ottawa
Losing ten players from last season’s squad means the Panthers won’t have the same kind of depth in 2018-19, but coach Nick Biondo believes the “returning players give us a solid core… We expect these players to be able to carry us through our challenging season schedule.” The Panthers’ key players include: Tommy Buis, Ben Gawlik, Luke Linart, Owen Houskamp, Caleb VanHeest and Darin Mihelac.
Cranbrook-Kingswood
Longtime Cranbrook head coach Andy Wiedenbach enters his 26th season behind the Cranes’ bench. This season, he’s expecting team defense and speed to be the MO. “We have several new players that will need to learn the CK on-ice systems and also get adjusted to high school hockey… This year, the team appears to have good chemistry and should be competitive in all games,” Wiedenbach said. Key players include captains Connor McGrath, Kam Hellman and Blake Salesin.
Lake Orion
Adam Krefski enters his first season behind the Dragons’ bench, inheriting an experienced bunch that features ten seniors. Captained by Lucas Barber, Thomas Reath, Jared Stross and Tyler Sutherland, Krefski said he expects to have a solid all-around group, citing goaltending, team defense and team offense as areas of strength.
Rochester Hills Stoney Creek
Team speed, special teams and chemistry should serve the Cougars well this season, led by Evan Gietzen, Spencer Lustila, Jacob Matusik and Nick Faycurry. Coach Steve Emery said he believes that “there will be a direct correlation between their compete level in all three zones and our ability to contend in a relatively deep OAA. The pieces and systems are there, will be a matter of buying in.” Other key players include junior forward Mason Burkhart and junior defenseman Jack Davidson.
Cranbrook-Kingswood (girls)
For a team coming off a state final appearance, coming into the following season with a solid goaltending and defensive base is a good start. Coach Alexis Bohlinger said, “I believe we will improve tremendously with skill work” throughout the season, specifically citing overall skating and vision on the ice as areas the team will look to improve. Key players include Grace Al Sheikh, Regan Malinzak, Kendall McMurray, Paige Gorman, Robin Goldman and Meg Brice.
Notre Dame Prep
The Fighting Irish are returning eight players, including its top four point scorers, so depth will be strong point for the group this season. Coach Aaron Crouse will look to improve the team’s special teams and consistency as the season rolls on. Key players include captain Zach VanSolkema (Sr. D), Will Caton (Sr. F), Ryan Lindsey (Sr. F), Grant Williams (Sr. G), Michael Lau (Sr. D), Vincent Anderson (Jr. F) and Nick Wagner (Jr. F).
Anchor Bay
Coach Dave Koons will lean on the likes of Ryan Saad, Austin Walny, Nic Basirico, Mike Kaiser and Evan Prill this season, citing team offense as a key to game-by-game success for the Tars. Koons said, “We moved up in the MAC Red this year. It will be challenging, but we will compete. Our team’s drive to be successful on the ice and in the classroom is second to none.”
Grand Haven
Coach Keegan Ferris enters his fourth season behind the Buccaneers’ bench and said, “this year’s team looks to carry on the mission of getting better every day. We have a special group that is committed to the idea of process over outcome where every time we are on the ice, it’s a learning experience and opportunity to put forth our best effort.” Leading that charge will be Ethan Pennington, Trevor Kalis, Kyle Eveland, Dylan Murak and Jax Plumert.
Calumet
The Copper Kings return 15 players, including their top five scorers and all six defensemen. “We should have a lot of scoring power up front and be solid on the backside with our returning defense and goaltending,” coach Dan Giachino said. “We were young last year and made critical mental mistakes at key times. We look to eliminate the mistakes” and play with more consistency. Key players include Tanner Rowe, Dean Loukus, Alex Studebaker and captains Brent Loukus, Sam Erkkila and Josh Vandenburg.
Eisenhower
Coach Bob Hall enters his 12th season behind the Eagles’ bench and will look to his team’s goaltending and defensive play as strengths. It makes sense when they’re returning junior goalie Sal Carabelli and four starting defensemen: Blake Kuczaj, Peyton Medovarsky, Jared Kraski and Adam Janicki. “We are improving daily and need to continue to keep working hard on and off the ice,” Hall said. “We are very optimistic for the upcoming season and feel our team has valuable returning, experienced players.” Other key players include Justin Heileg (Jr. F) and Jake Latorella (Sr. F)
Bloomfield Hills (girls)
After a semifinal appearance last season, coach Mick Singelyn will lean on captain Lily Kirkman and the likes of Brooklin Bekolay, Mika Hamady and Olivia Lucia to help the Black Hawks make a similar run again this season. While scoring could be tough to come by, team defense should be a strength for the squad this year.
Dexter
Coach Justin Young enters his first season as head coach of the Dreadnaughts, a team that he believes will be “well balanced, hard-working” and physical, “taking pride in the little things to help make them successful.” Key players include Kyle Knapp (D), Trevor Eisele (F) and Kris Eberly (G)
Flint Powers Catholic
With a good mix of veterans and young players, veteran coach Travis Perry said his team is looking to build off a strong off-season and “will count on all 20 players to contribute throughout the season.” Graduating 13 seniors means the team will look to build chemistry and consistency to make a push at the end of the season. Defensively, the team returns a strong veteran core. Key players include captain Luke Evo, Carson Snyder, Josh Kovach, Mike Wilson, Brent Zloto, Tyler Lawrence, Tim Washburn and Alex Washburn.
Livonia United (girls)
Coach Janine Martinez said each player on her entire team can be considered key players. Incoming freshmen, a returning netminder and new faces are expected to serve the team well, in just its second year as a program. “We are trying to build a program and it takes baby steps, but our goal is to give high school girls in Livonia opportunity to play,” Martinez said.
Ann Arbor Huron
“We have a great offensive lineup and will rely on our goalies to keep us competitive,” said River Rats head coach John O’Leary. “As their coach, I expect this team to come together and excel as a team.” Key players include: Alex Coulter, Wil Downer, Alex Dubn and Alex Cole.
University of Detroit Jesuit
Team depth and senior leadership, beginning with captain Ben Charboneau, are expected to be strong points of U of D’s roster this season. Goal scoring, special teams and defensive zone play will be areas longtime coach Rick Bennetts looks to help his team improve throughout the year. “Our hope is that our seniors and depth will allow us to compete every night no matter who our opponent might be,” Bennetts said.
Saline
Team defense is expected to be a big part of Saline’s game this season, according to head coach Paul Fassbender. After making it to regionals last season, the Hornets will look to captains Gordie Niethammer and Brendan Murphy to lead them back there and beyond in 2018-19. Other key players: Nick Miller, Mason Ausmus, Will Wynn, Logan Dejanovich, Collin Clark, Mikhail Lozovyy.
Regina (girls)
After reaching the Division 2 girls’ championship game last season, Regina enters the 2018-19 campaign with a young squad, looking to compete as head coach Paul Buscemi said. Led by Elizabeth Schaffran, Lydia LaFrance, Haligh Wall and Lilly Harrington, Regina is expected to be strong defensively.
Monroe St. Mary’s Catholic Central
Brian Hughes is starting his seventh season as head coach of SMCC, and this year, he’s counting on captains Cameron Valente, Cole Zalewski and Bryce Lott to carry the load both in the leadership department and in on-ice performance. Hughes likes his team’s goaltending and team defense, but he says they will need to improve their puck possession and puck support to advance in the postseason.
Hartland
The defending Division 2 state champions return key pieces from last year’s squad, which will certainly help as the Eagles try to defend their title. Rick Gadwa has a long list of key players for the upcoming year – Joey Larson, Brendan Tulpa, Gabe Anderson, Owen Pietila, Johnny Druskinis, Dakota Kott, Grant Briggs and Brett Tome. “We return 11 players off last year’s state championship team,” Gadwa said. “Combine that with the new talent acquired we look to be strong this year…on paper. The challenge is, names on paper don’t win hockey games, teams do. Leadership and work ethic will determine the success of our program this season. With 12 seniors on the roster this will be their team. We go as they go…we’ve had success within our program due to returning players carrying on tradition. If this team does that, you never know what can happen come playoff time.”
Bloomfield Hills
“I think that we have the players and potential to have a very good season,” said Bruce McAlister, entering his eighth season with the Black Hawks. “How hard we work, prepare and execute will determine where we finish. I believe this team will get it done.” Helping in the mission this year will be captains Jonah Stone, Eddie Aguilar and Dom Yee, as well as key players Jack Luer, Fletcher Woolley and Jeremy Kahan.
Mona Shores
Dan Quaine has a relatively new group to work with this year at Mona Shores, which is why offensive production and team defense are the two things he said he’s focused on early in the season. “We have a young team with only five seniors, so the underclassmen and the addition of nine new players will have to learn the systems fast and play big roles again this year.” Goaltender Brenden Sullivan will lead the way between the pipes; he’s supported by key defensemen Andrew Swirczek and Jager Kelly, along with key forwards Connor Winegar and Cayden Mollema.
Kenowa Hills
New coach Matt Wiedenhoeft will be counting on captains Logan Granger, Jared Raisanen and Brendan Dineen to help with the staff transition at Kenowa Hills this season. Wiedenhoeft likes his team’s forechecking and scoring abilities, but wants to see growth in their defensive zone play and the team’s overall culture.
Lowell/Caledonia
“We have the talent that if we come together as a team we can be dangerous,” said first-year head coach Phil Wendecker. “We have a great blend of physicality, speed, skill, and work ethic. If we use all of those assets together this season could be a great step forward for our program.” The new bench boss will be leaning on captain Hunter Fridley and key players Davis Zeismer, Ian Milton, Dallas Hainley, Carter Osborn, Nolan Lockhart and Austin Duoma for the 2018-19 campaign.
Brighton
Paul Moggach is starting his 24th season behind the bench for the Bulldogs, and once again, his team is defending a state title. The D1 state champs lost three defensemen, five forwards and a goaltender from last year’s squad, which means new expectations for those who remain. “We will need to work hard and get everyone on the same page to compete,” Moggach said. “We have 12 players returning from a good run last year and they will need to step into new roles.” Captain Tim Erkkila and assistants Jason Verhelle and Harrison Fleming will be in charge of maintaining Brighton’s excellence.
Northville
Gordie Brown is looking at quite the new roster as he moves from assistant coach to head coach of the Mustangs’ hockey program. “Northville graduated 15 players from last year’s roster,” he said. “It will take a few games for players to adjust to the speed and physical play of the game. The players look forward to playing in the [Kensington Lakes Activities Association], the toughest league in the state, competing against three teams who were in the state finals last year – two of which went on to be state champions.” Owen Moruzi played in 18 of Northville’s 26 games last year, and he’s back between the pipes; captain Nick Bogenhagen will be the leader from the blue line.
Birmingham Brother Rice
Last year, Brother Rice reached the state semifinals. Entering his third season as head coach of the Warriors, Kenny Chaput says if his team’s going to spend more time at USA Hockey Arena in March, it will be because of their team depth, senior leadership and strong goaltending. Key players for the Warriors this season include captain Ethan Nystrom, forwards Chris Andoni, Nick Marone and DJ Dixon and goaltender Cooper Duncan.
Gabriel Richard/Greenhills
“We have a team full of hardworking young men,” said head coach Clint Robert. “To a man, they are committed to doing the right thing on the ice and in the classroom. The ceiling is very high for this group.” The Irish will be led by captains Jack DiMarzo, Aidan Brewer, Noah Peters and Vincent Vermuelen this season. Robert said he likes his team’s speed and their passing ability, which will allow for them to push the pace in games.
Alpena
Chris Limback is starting his 21st season as head coach of the Wildcats, and he’s looking forward to “seeing this team grow with a challenging schedule.” Limback will be leaning on captains Owen Limback, Kyle VanDusen, Colby Plowman and Cooper Black for the 2018-19 campaign; he cites his team’s overall strength in all key positions as being a sign of good things to come.
Detroit Country Day
The Yellowjackets begin the 2018-19 season in unfamiliar territory – as defending state champions. How will the program do, fresh off their first hockey state title in school history? “We will be a work in progress at somehow trying to manufacture goals,” Novack said. While they sort things out up front, they’re in good shape at the other end – Mr. Hockey winner Sam Evola is back for another season between the pipes for Country Day. Captains Mickey VanAntwerp, Josh Rice, Nick Thewes and Evan Krol will be helping Evola lead the squad in their quest for a repeat.
Livonia Stevenson
“We are excited for the year to get going,” said coach David Mitchell, entering his 11th season as the Spartans’ bench boss. “I think there has been a very solid and refreshed approach by the staff and players. …We lost some key guys at some key positions – who are off playing juniors or college hockey – but we are excited and confident in those who are stepping in to show what they can do and are ready to leave their mark on Livonia Stevenson hockey.” Mitchell will be counting on big seasons from seniors Austin Adamic, Adam Hillebrand, Patrick McGowan, Steven Hunt, Josh Suzio, Jaydon Spears, Joe Sharkey, Stephen McDonald and Eric Polzin, as well as junior Seth Lause, who joins Adamic as captains of the program.
Walled Lake Western
New coach DJ Fichter has a lots of team speed and overall team effort to work with heading into his first season with the Warriors. He will have Walled Lake Western working on scoring and improving the team’s breakout early in the season. Brendan Estes will be wearing the ‘C’ for WLW, while Trevor Evans, Brad Barta, Nikolay Siratskiy and Ben Bruce will be helping in key roles.
Traverse City West
Jeremy Rintala, entering his 12th season with Traverse City West, likes his team defense and work ethic heading into the 2018-19 campaign, but he says the key to finding success will be creating more offensive opportunities and protecting the puck when they have it. Key players include Nick Beeman, Caleb Barsheff, Andrew Rickenberg, Tyler Herzberg, Josh Reese and Christian Boivin. “Coming off of a successful season last year where we won the Big North Conference, a regional championship, and were state semifinalists, our returning players gained a lot of experience in high pressure games,” Rintala said. “We lost a good deal of our scoring to graduation, so we will be relying on some young players to step in and try to contribute. We have good leadership and the team is committed to working hard and improving every day.”
Salem
“With a commitment to hard work, we have the opportunity to be an entertaining team to watch,” said head coach Ryan Ossenmacher, who is in the midst of his 13th season with Salem. He says its one the most talented teams he has had; the Rocks return six of their top seven statistical leaders from last season. He is counting on Josh German, Anthony Gattoni, Alex Schaumburger, Colin Goleniak and Logan Sowa to have strong campaigns as Salem fights for both Plymouth-Canton Educational Park and state supremacy.
Carlson
Sixth-year head coach Jeremy Klotz says his team’s aiming to build a new culture around the Carlson program, while hoping to surprise some teams around the state in 2018-19. While he’s confident in his goaltending and defensive zone play, early signs show that his team will need to improve at the other end. Key players include senior goaltender Mitch Zielinski, senior forwards Spencer Morrison and Riley Hodge, senior defenseman Collin Samp and junior blueliner Trevor Rekuc.
H. H. Dow
“We will be competing for a league championship and another strong run in to the playoffs,” said Chargers bench boss Dick Blasy, who is in his 16th season. Blasy said he has his Dow squad ready to be a strong skating, hard-working team that competes every day. To excel, however, they will need to learn on the fly as a young team. Leading the charge – pardon the pun – will be Joey Johnson, Shane Astrike, Luke Blasy and Austin Leuter.
Livingston United (girls)
Doug Fowler is guiding a brand-new Livingston United girls’ team through their first season. Skating out of Grand Oaks Ice Arena, the team is made up of girls from Brighton, Hartland and Howell High Schools. Lauryn Rygiel is wearing the ‘C’ for the first campaign, while Erika Beauchamp, Chloe Valente and Lauren Fowler are serving as assistant captains. Other key players include Megan Smith and Meagan Hicks for the new program.
West Bloomfield
At the start of the season, West Bloomfield was working with a roster of 13 players. That’s not keeping coach Logan McLean from expecting success. “We are short benched but ready to work and learn,” said McLean, starting his third season. “If we can stay healthy we could turn some heads.” He wants to make sure the Lakers are getting shots on net and improving their passing, while relying on their physical and motivated play – especially in the defensive zone. The Lakers will be led by John Paul Ayar, Nick Long and Lance Ferenc during the 2018-19 season.
Grosse Pointe North
Joe Drouin is starting his second season with Grosse Pointe North, and this year, he likes his team’s senior leadership and team speed. To have a successful season, however, they will need to improve on their special-teams play. GPN will be led by Connor Albrecht, Chris Lorelli, Dylan Holman and Brian Clogg this year.
Midland
“We will be very solid on defense, returning three solid players and our goaltender Luke Buza,” said head coach Steve Witt. “We are very young up front; we need players like freshman Matthew Witt and Connor Dunlap to step in and play big roles.” Midland will be led by captain Kade Nielsen, as well as key players Ty Pritchett, Travis Grimaldi and the players listed above.
We are young but will compete hard. We have a very tough league schedule with Dow, Heritage and Davison.”
Sacred Heart-Marian (girls)
Amy Shepler guides the new Sacred Heart-Marian girls team into their first campaign. She will have help from captains Adrianna Rugiero and Maelyn Thayer, as well as key players Isabella Lorelli and Claire Jennings. Shepler likes her team’s goaltending and defense, but says the new squad will have to build a solid core of two-dimensional players.
Ann Arbor Pioneer (girls)
New coach Lea Arend likes the Pioneer roster for the 2018-19 season. “PWICE is looking to go far this year,” Arend said. “We have all returning players with many seniors. Experience is key and will can vault this team. We have high expectations.” Katie Pascoe, Ava Millman and Anna Thomas will be serving as team captains for a team that Arend says already has great chemistry.