Powers Blanks Port Huron Northern 3-0

By: DJ Shubeck:  Powers Hockey Writer

Game Recap- Powers vs. Port Huron Northern 1-18-2020

The Powers Catholic Chargers Varsity hockey team was home at Iceland Arena on Saturday afternoon for a non-league rumble with The Huskies from Port Huron Northern (PHN). The near capacity crowd witnessed an exciting match-up that offered a little of everything for the fans.  Powers would post their second straight shut-out by blanking the visiting Huskies 3-0 and improve to 7-3-2 overall. Senior, Brennan Churchill was tough between the pipes for the chargers turning away everything PHN hurled at him and giving up very few second chance rebounds.

Each team played a very physical, aggressive first period, trading body checks and scoring chances throughout most of the first stanza. Each team would take 2 penalties, but neither could covert on the man advantage.  The period would end scoreless and the shots were even at 10 each.  Although, Powers did have the better-quality scoring chances, PHN Sophomore goalie, Randy Falk was the equalizer, turning away several good opportunities by the Powers offense. 

The second period was as equally physical, tense and entertaining, with several crunching body checks and scoring chances rejected by each net minder.  But as the period continued, Powers would find a seam and score 6 minutes in. Freshman Kyle Barbour’s up ice pass to Sophomore Jacques Lavrack, caught PHN on a line change and he spotted his line mate, Senior Tommy Shubeck, streaking in behind the PHN defense. Lavrack’s saucer pass was right on the tape of Shubeck and he skated in and unleashed a wrist shot low blocker side, beating Falk clean and electrifying the Powers bench and fans!  The momentum was clearly set on the side of the home team after the Shubeck goal and Powers would carry the play for the rest of the game.  Again, the teams had power play opportunities but the penalty killers for each team did an outstanding job, limiting quality chances and clearing loose rebounds.

Powers would continue to carry the play for much of the third session with an aggressive fore-check that seemed to surprise the PHN breakout resulting in defensive zone turn-overs. However, it was a penalty by PHN 5 minutes into the third period that Powers capitalized on. In the closing seconds of the man advantage, Kyle Barbour’s point shot was tipped by Tommy Shubeck, the deflected shot and rebound rolled right outside the blue paint area of the crease for Senior Joey Carpenter, who banged it home making it 2-0. For Barbour and Shubeck that would be their second points of the afternoon.  Powers dominated the last 6 minutes as they played a more ‘dump and chase’ style of hockey and would put the game away with a nifty goal by Brenden Tarpening.  Gritty Senior, Tim Washburn, would set up the play, after an aggressive fore-check by the Chargers created a turn-over at the PHN blue line. Washburn picked up the loose puck and worked it over to Tarpening, who redirected a backhand shot that was stopped by Falk. Tarpening then picked up his own rebound and from an almost impossible angle, from the side of the PHN net, roofed a back hand wrist shot high upstairs over the defenseless Falk, icing the game at 3-0 with just over 2 minutes to play.  The stingy Charger defense didn’t allow anything dangerous on Churchill to help protect the shutout as time expired. Powers would hold the big edge in quality scoring chances for the game 12-5 and overall shots for the game were almost even at 30-28 favoring the Chargers.

Powers Coach, Travis Perry commented after the game that “this was a total team effort today, it was nice to see us play up to our potential against a quality opponent."  Powers will be home vs. Lapeer for a huge league game on Wednesday night.