Christian vs. Macomb Dakota
Friday night action brought a game between Grand Rapids Christian Eagles and Macomb Dakota Cougars. Macomb would open the scoring with a goal by Kevin Maddox assisted by Conner Frederick and Carson Lulich. Before the end of the 2nd Period, Eagles’ Nick Workman would feed Senior Forward Cole Stenstrom, who would put a slapshot in the back of the net. Score was tied 1-1 at the end of the 1st period.
The Eagles were killing a penalty at the beginning of the second period when Junior Forward Brad Baysore scored a short-handed goal, assisted by Joe Maier and goalie Gabe LaGrand. Macomb would respond with a goal by Alec Porzondek (Lulich assist) to tie the score 2-2.
GR Christian then closed out the second half of the game with 4 unanswered goals by Eagles’ Maier (Josh Hartlein/Workman assist), Graham Kormash (Hayden Heys, Kenlee Dome assist), Dome (Nate Jones, Heys assist) and Austin Brown (Maier assist) for a final score of 6-2.
The game was hard fought and physical as each team ended with 11 penalties.
Christian vs. Romeo
Romeo would open the scoring with a Power Play goal by Brett Lanski, assisted by Frank Ruffino and Jake Petri. The first period ended with Romeo leading 1-0. Romeo’s Ruffino (Lanski and Alec Lindecker assist) and Petri (Lindecker and Harrison Hunt assist) would add two more goals in the second period as the Grand Rapids Christian Eagles were trailing Romeo 3-1. Christian’s only goal to that point was scored by Nick Workman, who scored off a rebound from Brad Baysore’s shot on a breakaway. Romeo outshot Christian 20-12 through two periods.
“Romeo is a very skilled team, and it took a bit for our players to adjust to their skill and speed,” said Christian’s Head Coach, Shawn Zimmerman.
A goal by Senior Forward Cole Stenstrom with 40 seconds left in the 2nd Period would be the start of a momentum shift for the Eagles. Still behind in shots, they were able to tighten the score at 3-2.
The Eagles came out in the third period with a jump as Workman (Josh Hartlein and Baysore assist) scored his second goal of the game to tie the score.
Christian took over with 4:21 remaining by scoring three goals in less than 2 minutes to take the lead, 6-3. “We played better in the second, and came out really strong in the 3rd and controlled the rest of the game. Holding Romeo to two shots in the third was a great way to respond,” said Zimmerman.
The flurry of 3rd period goals was scored by Hayden Heys (Hartlein assist), Nate Jones (Hartlein and Heys assists) and Workman (Heys and Kavanaugh Kane assists). Junior Forward Nick Workman finished the game with a hat trick.
Romeo goalie Nolan Kare faced 26 shots, while GRC goalie Gabe LaGrand faced 22 shots. “Gabe LaGrand had a great weekend. He powered through and played well in both games, despite having a badly sprained ankle,” said Zimmerman.
