Kenowa downs young Lowell/Cal team in opener
by Brett Bremer
Sports Editor
Lowell/Caledonia doesn’t quite have the depth or experience it expected to have this winter.
The learning process for the young Lowell/Caledonia varsity hockey team got started Wednesday, as it opened the season with a 7-1 loss to visiting Kenowa Hills at the Kentwood Ice Arena.
“I’ve got a younger team, on an experience level, than what I had last year,” said Lowell/Caledonia head coach Tim Beurer. “We have a JV program, and we pulled ten kids from our JV program in order to play. This was an eye-opening experience for them today. We played a scrimmage, and we played some pretty good teams in the scrimmage, but it wasn’t like playing up here.”
The Knights scored their first goal 56 seconds into the contest, as Austin Lipsey and Jackson Jennette set up teammate Andy Wawrzyniak. Kenowa Hills went on to outshoot the Lowell/Caledonia boys 42-12.
Ian Thompson led the charge for the Knights, notching three goals and an assist.
Beurer said the line of Thompson, Bryce Hill and Totte Moberg gave his team fits until the Knights finally broke up the trio in the third period. Beurer tried to make sure seniors Luke VanLaar and Josh Riemersma were on the ice against that Knight trio whenever possible.
Moberg finished with a goal and two assists.
VanLaar and Riemersma are two of five returning seniors for Lowell/Caledonia, which also includes players from South Christian once again. A handful of underclassmen from the varsity team a year ago decided not to return to the program this winter.
VanLaar scored the first goal of the season for his team, 7 minutes and 45 seconds into the opening period, on the power play. Assists went to Riemersma and Austin Bieri, another returning senior. VanLaar powered through a pair of Kenowa Hills defenders in front of the net and stuffed the puck under Knights’ goalkeeper Riley DeVoogd just inside the left post which cut the Kenowa Hills lead to 2-1 at that point.
The special teams were solid for Lowell/Caledonia, scoring 24 seconds into their first power play chance of the year and not allowing the Kngihts a power play goal on two chances.
Thompson got that goal back for his team five minutes later, then scored 17 seconds into the second period to make it a 4-1 Knight lead. He finished off his hat-trick at the 14:11 mark of the second period, putting one shot off the post then getting the puck back in front to beat Lowell/Caledonia net-minder Nate Winterburn.
Jennette and Travis Charon scored third-period goals for the Knights.
Winterburn made 35 saves in his first varsity start.
“There was some good stuff out there,” Beurer said. “In the first period we struggled in the defensive zone and we talked a little bit about it and it got a little bit better. We ran less on the defensive zone and we started to cover areas of the ice, so we limited some shots on goal for them which was a benefit for us.
“That was probably the one thing. I thought there were times we did a decent job forechecking, but it was hard for us.”
He said his team does need to find a way to put more shots on goal.
“Ten shots on goal isn’t going to win a hockey game. I need ten shots each period. I’ve got to post 30 on a kid. I don’t think we challenged that goaltender,” Beurer said.
DeVoogd had 11 saves in the win.
It’s a busy start to the season. Lowell/Caledonia was slated to host Hudsonville last night. They’ll be in action today at Kentwood Ice Arena against Portage Northern at 6 p.m.. Next weekend, Lowell/Caledonia faces East Grand Rapids at Patterson Ice Arena Friday and Manistee at West Shore Community College Saturday.
