Team Finder
Could 2013-14 finally be the year where the Salem Rocks get over the playoff hump?
Veteran Salem varsity boys hockey coach Ryan Ossenmacher is optimistic his team features enough talent to go along with intangibles such as work ethic and desire to make a serious run.
“The expectations are high,” said Ossenmacher following a recent practice at Plymouth Cultural Center. “We finished ranked in top 10 two of the last three years.
“I think that we reached a point that that’s an expectation. We have guys who come in here and they want to win. It’s not just a place to come play hockey.”
That was evident at practice, where players such as senior forward Jake Sealy battled along the half-wall with junior forward Noah Willer during a drill.
Or where senior netminder Parker Godfrey flicked his pad at a low shot, showing the kind of dexterity that helped him finish 2012-13 with a 12-2 record after taking over the top job at mid-season.
Ossenmacher stressed that now is the time for the defending KLAA South Division co-champs (18-6-2 last year) to serve notice that they are team to be reckoned with when the stakes are raised. The first test is 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at PCC against Novi.
“We’ve had success within our league, we won three division titles in the last six years,” Ossenmacher continued. “... That’s the expectation. But the last three years we beat the eventual state champs. Last year, we beat Brighton and a couple years ago we beat Novi. And so, we just now have to push through in the playoffs.
“That’s something we haven’t been able to do the last couple years, and that’s just the next step for our program to really move up.”
Salem should be bolstered by the fact there “something like seven of our top nine scorers from last year” are back in the fold, Ossenmacher estimated.
“I think we have a good blend this year of veteran guys and some young guys coming in,” the coach noted. “This is probably the oldest team I’ve had in (seven) years in terms of the number of seniors and juniors.
“And so a lot of these guys came together as sophomores a couple years ago, and now are seniors. They’ve seen what this is all about and hopefully they’ll put that to use this year.”
Although all-state forward Alek Zultowski graduated, the Rocks still have elite-level players such as Sealy (co-captain) to pester opposing netminders.
“Jake was an all-state player last year,” Ossenmacher said. “The hope is that he would improve upon that and he’s more than capable.
“He’s a dynamic player, he has great vision, moves the puck really well and I’d be hard-pressed to find another kid around in high school hockey that’s as good along the walls as he is. He comes up with more pucks, more 50/50 pucks than probably anyone around does.”
Sealy will center senior forwards Jack Driscoll (also a co-captain) and Jason Newell on the formidable top line.
“From a talent standpoint and what they each bring to the table, it’s a pretty dynamic line,” Ossenmacher said. “I expect them all to have very good seasons this year. They had very good seasons last year, I think all three were in the top five in scoring last year.”
Junior Rich Corso will center the second line, also comprised of junior winger Noah Willer and senior winger Nick Danis.
“It’s a good combination,” he went on. “Nick Danis is probably one of our faster players. Noah is arguably one of our smartest players and Rich is a new player this year. He plays a lot like Jake, he’s heavy on the puck, he’s a big body, I think he’s really good defensively.”
For the first month or two, the Rocks will only have 11 eligible forwards (transfer student Liam Walker, moving over from Novi-Detroit Catholic Central, will join the squad in January).
Seniors Steven Homrich, Cam Nixon and Taylor Burris are penciled in for the third line while promising sophomore Evan Newell and senior Trevor Mac will look to force Ossenmacher into giving them plenty of ice time.
The Rocks return physicality, mobility and experience on the blueline, with three key returnees — seniors Colin Pietron, Cam Clark and junior Noah Saad. All are assistant captains to augment the leadership of Sealy and Driscoll.
“Every one of them brings something a little different to the table,” Ossenmacher said. “Saad’s arguably one of our better skaters as a defenseman, all three of them are extremely strong. They’re going to see their chance on the power play and on the penalty kill.”
They will be called upon to move the puck quickly out of Salem’s zone and onto the sticks of forwards as they motor toward the opposite end of the rink.
“We ask our D to get up into the play, to create,” he said. “And every once in a while they’re going to be caught. But the benefit of that outweighs the risk.”
Expected to follow the script will be the other defensemen, juniors Nick Smith, Nate West and sophomore Bailey Thompson. “They bring the same thing to the table. The other three are also good skaters.”
Another plus for the Rocks, Ossenmacher explained, is having a proven netminder in Godfrey back between the pipes.
“When he’s confident, which is what he was last year, he’s a very good goalie,” Ossenmacher said. “I don’t see why anything would change this year. He knows what he can do and we know what he can do.”
Backing up Godfrey will be junior newcomer Dillon Phillips, who has “a chance to be a good goalie. He’s got some pretty good size on him.”