Plymouth Township — Northville made history Friday night, defeating Utica Eisenhower, 3-2, in the Division 1 semifinals to advance to its first state finals appearance.
Northville will face No. 1 Detroit Catholic Central in the Division 1 finals on Saturday. Catholic Central is the defending champion, boasting a dominant six-season championship streak.
Catholic Central had a strong 8-0 victory over No. 4 Rockford that induced the eight unanswered goals mercy rule. Myles Schlack and Kristian Marchese led the win with three points each, while 10 other players posted at least one point with a combined 35 total shots, showcasing the attacking depth of the reigning champs.
The first period of the metro Detroit semifinal showdown was nothing short of a defensive showdown, with little budging from either side when tested. Northville had strong control of the puck for a good portion of the period, but a stout Eisenhower defense would not give.
The defense was a key emphasis for Northville heading into the matchup, and was executed quite well to start the game.
“They scored the most goals in Division 1 this year, so we knew we had to defend,” Northville head coach Ryan Ossenmacher said. “Our message this entire week in practice was that we have to defend away from the puck. So to hold a terrific team like that to the opportunities they had is a complete group effort.”
Packed student sections from both sides were waiting for the moment to erupt in cheer, which was only fueled by a second period that showcased more of the same story of intense defense.
The chance finally came, however, as a 5-on-3 power play advantage led to a Northville score with just over two minutes left in the second. Ethan Egelski and Graham Ryba were able to find Jordan Sziraki for a goal.
Ossenmacher credited the early goal as the tone setter for the team early on.
“Anytime you can play from ahead, it allows you to play maybe a bit looser with a little bit more confidence.” Ossenmacher said.
Similar to the first period, Northville had large control of the puck and 27 shots on goal compared to Eisenhower’s 15 going into the final period. That defensive difference gave Northville the 1-0 advantage heading into the final period of play.
The third period brought a complete change of pace to the game. Three goals turned a defensive battle into a late game thriller that would be decided in overtime.
Eisenhower came out of the intermission hot, with Bode Farr finding Joey Zelenak for the game-tying goal with 14:30 remaining. The goal unsettled Northville, but not for long, as Sziraki and Egelski were able to find a wide open Tommy Marinoff to once again give Northville the advantage at 2-1.
In the third period, Eisenhower got a goal from Nathan Shickley via Farr and Zelenak to even up the match at 2-2. Both teams managed to stand firm on defense in the remaining minutes, leading to extra periods to determine the winner.
“You know, we gave up two leads, that happens in a game,” Ossenmacher said. “Sometimes you have a tendency on the bench to get down and let up, but we didn’t. We still ended up on top again.”
The first overtime saw both teams revert back to its shutdown defense of early game, as neither team was able to find the goal in the first attempt in sudden-death. It was the second overtime where a victor was finally crowned, as Griffin Peters scored the game-winning goal off of an assist from Sziraki to seal the win and send Northville to its first finals appearance.
“Our players love each other,” Ossenmacher said. “We extended this party for one more day. We came into today knowing that no matter what happened, we used every single moment of the season to get better, win or lose. The win in overtime goes to show this group has what it takes.”
Division 1 hockey
Friday’s semifinals
Detroit Catholic Central 8, Rockford 0
Northville 3, Utica Eisenhower 2 (2OT)
Saturday’s finals
Detroit Catholic Central (28-1-1), Northville (23-8), 7 p.m., USA Hockey Arena
Doug Doty is a freelance writer.
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Northville hockey makes first state final after win in double overtime
Reporting by Doug Doty, Special to The Detroit News / The Detroit News
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