In The News. Beavers End Tumultuous Season. Nationwide Arena Trip A Big Success

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1 In The News Beavers End Tumultuous Season In a tumultuous season that saw academic suspensions, players quitting the team for various reasons, and more player injuries in one year than over the preceding six Creek Hockey seasons, the players, managers, and coaches should look back on the season with pride. This year s team showed that perseverance is a character trait not to be underestimated or taken for granted, and that personal commitment can overcome any obstacle. Although all remaining members of this year s team displayed these attributes throughout the season, some personal examples are warranted. Senior Captain Mike Janowiecki played the most courageous game witnessed in Creek Hockey program history when, playing in excruciating pain due to a serious knee injury that requires major corrective surgery, he played an inspired game and directly contributed to the Beavers tying goal in the District Tournament game; Sophomore Mike Harshberger showed that size and strength, while desirable, are not mandatory for success as he scored three goals and four assists during the season through sheer determination; and Freshman Ryan Mantia, who received minimal playing time throughout the season, willingly came to practice and diligently worked to improve his game while at the same time ensuring that his teammates were ready for game action through his actions during practice scrimmages. Although the season s results may not have been the best in the Beavers young history, the young men and women of this year s squad brought credit to their school, their community, and themselves with their never quit and team over self attitude. On behalf of the fans that witnessed the play of this year s squad, thanks for the wonderful hockey moments; but most importantly, thanks for giving us the opportunity to be part of your lives. Nationwide Arena Trip A Big Success Continuing a tradition, the Varsity team played their first scrimmage of the year on NHL ice at Nationwide Arena. The scrimmage took place on November 14 against Gahanna Lincoln High School. After the scrimmage, those whose purchased tickets for the event saw the Columbus Blue Jackets take on the Boston Bruins in a NHL clash. Varsity Fee Schedule Established The fee schedule for the Varsity Hockey season has been established. As in past years, the cost of participating in the "on-ice conditioners" (see article below) is $100. This fee is due and payable on the first day of conditioners (October 16). For those players that make the Varsity team, the player fee is $965 (ice and equipment fees of $950 and a $15 award ceremony fee). Team managers will be required to pay the $15 award ceremony fee. All first year Varsity players and managers are also required to purchase a team warm-up jacket. The cost of this mandatory item is $100. All team fees are due and payable by December 1. As in past years, a portion of the player and manager fees can be offset through sale of ads for the Varsity Team program (60% of the ad sales proceeds go to the player or manager making the sale and 40% go

2 to the team fund) and sales of cookie dough (the player making the sale gets a $3 credit for every $7 tub of cookie dough sold). For more information on program ad and cookie dough sales, please contact Gayle Smith ( ) or Natalie Ehrhart ( ), respectively. Varsity Team Tryouts Held Tryouts for the Varsity Hockey Team were conducted on Saturday, November 8 at the Kettering Recreation Center. The Varsity Coaching Staff evaluated prospective team members on their hockey skills as well as their physical conditioning during this session. A large contingent of players tried out for the squad and 20 players were ultimately selected for the team. First Team Dinner and Equipment Issue Scheduled Players that make the Varsity Hockey squad will be issued their game equipment on Thursday, November 13 at the McClure residence. It is requested that all returning players pick up their equipment beginning at 6:00 PM and that first year players begin picking up their equipment at 6:30 PM. Following the equipment issue, the Varsity team players and managers will participate in the first team dinner of the year at the Smith residence (next door to the McClure's) at 7:00 PM. The team dinners are for the players and managers only and are designed to foster teamwork, comradeship, and esprit de corps. Cub Foods Fundraiser Held The annual Varsity team fundraiser at Cub Foods was held on Sunday, November 9. Each player and manager on the Varsity team worked a 3-hour shift bagging groceries to raise money to support the Varsity program. Our thanks to the management of Cub Foods in making this fund raising opportunity available to our program. 3 rd Annual Toy Trick Game Scheduled The 3 rd Annual Toy Trick hockey game will be contested between the Beavers Varsity squad and the Sycamore Aviators on Saturday, December 20 at the Kettering Recreation Center at 3:40 PM. In lieu of paying admission to the game, spectators can bring a small stuffed toy to the game and when their favorite team scores its first goal, the fans can throw the toys on the ice. The toys will be collected and the teams will distribute these toys to children at local area hospitals. The organizers ask that each spectator place their stuffed toy in a plastic bag so that they are not damaged when thrown onto the rink. Please tell your friends and neighbors to come out and enjoy the hockey action as well as helping to bring a little joy to those less fortunate.

3 3 rd Annual Toy Trick Game A Rousing Success The 3 rd Annual Toy Trick hockey game was played on December 20 at the Kettering Recreation Center between the Sycamore Aviators and the Beaver Varsity squads. We collected 58 stuffed toys for the team to distribute to local hospitals during this holiday season. We know that the toys will make a sick child s life a little bit better during this most joyous time of the year. The entire Creek Hockey family sincerely appreciates the generosity of the spectators at this year s event. Come Skate With The Beavers The annual "Skate with the Beavers" will be held at the Kettering Recreation Center on December 30, 2003 from 5:00 PM until 6:00 PM. During this event, old as well as young members of the Beavercreek community can put on a pair of ice skates and enjoy a recreational skate with members of the Varsity and Bantam hockey teams. Admission to the event is free and skates will be provided. So tell your friends and neighbors to come on out and enjoy a relaxing time with the hockey team members and others from the Beavercreek community. Skate With The Beavers A Big Hit The annual "Skate with the Beavers" was held at the Kettering Recreation Center on December 30, During this event, old as well as young members of the Beavercreek community put on their skates and enjoyed a recreational skate with members of the Varsity and Bantam hockey teams. The event started slowly with only members of the hockey squads taking turns on the ice; however, by the time the event ended, girlfriends, parents, acquaintances, and other members of the Beavercreek community were fully energized and skating around the "Rec". Our thanks to all of those who came out and took advantage of this opportunity to show their support for our teams. Senior Night Set for February 7 th The six Seniors on the Varsity hockey team will be honored prior to the final regular season game against the Centerville Elks at 3:40 PM on Saturday, February 7 at the Kettering Recreation Center. The Creek Hockey Booster Committee cordially invites all members of the Beavercreek community to attend this event honoring the young men and women who have brought such great credit to their school and community.

4 Summer On-Ice Conditioners for 2004 Scheduled The dates for the Summer 2004 on-ice conditioners have been established. As in 2003, the conditioners will be conducted at Sportsplus in Cincinnati on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7:00 PM until 9:00 PM and will be held on June 8, 10, 15, 17, 22, and 24, The conditioners are open to all returning and prospective Beavercreek Varsity and Bantam hockey players. So mark these dates on your calendar and skate with some of the best in the region. Accolades for the Frozen Creek Mr. Denton Brower, the Beavercreek School District Athletic Director, received a letter from Mr. Gary Wilson, President of the Western Ohio Hockey Referee Association, concerning the operation of the Frozen Creek tournament this past year. In this letter, Mr. Wilson commended all of the volunteers that made our tournament a success. The Beavercreek Ice Hockey Booster Committee would also like to pass along our sincere thanks to all of those who contributed to this successful venture and we know that the Frozen Creek tournament will continue to be the most professionally organized high school hockey tournament in the region for many years to come. Beavercreek City Schools January 11, Dayton Xenia Rd. Beavercreek, OH Attn: Denton Brower Dear Mr. Brower, I am writing to provide some feedback on the Frozen Creek Hockey Tournament hosted by your varsity hockey team over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. As a hockey official I have had the privilege to officiate hockey games and tournaments both locally and across the Midwest. It is with this experience that I have based the feedback below. The Frozen Creek Hockey Tournament this past year was the most professional tournament I have had the pleasure of participating in. The preparation, organization, game day operations, and support was truly a class act. The activities and actions of those involved in the hosting provided a positive reflection on both the Beavercreek Hockey Team and the Beavercreek City Schools. Sincerely, Gary D Wilson OHSAA#

5 Pre-Season Game Recaps Beavers Begin Pre-Season With A Victory The first pre-season scrimmage of the hockey campaign ended with Creek defeating the Gahanna Lincoln Golden Lions by a score of 2-1 in a game played at Nationwide Arena on November 14. The Beavers began the scoring on their first power play opportunity in the 1st period when Sophomore Judd Steele netted an unassisted goal off of a draw deep in the Lions' defensive zone. The Lions fought back and tied the game when they scored on a breakaway chance midway through the second period; however, the Beavers quickly recovered the lead when Mike Kelley scored the final goal of the game with 41 seconds remaining in the 2nd period. According to the Coaching Staff, this scrimmage was extremely beneficial to everyone in that it highlighted the areas needing improvement while also allowing the players to get a better feel of their teammate s tendencies and capabilities under game situations. Beavers Golden Lions Steele 2 Kelley Boswell Steele Beavers Golden Lions

6 Creek Pre-Season Record Evened At One In a scrimmage that saw a total of 22 penalties between both teams, the Beavers went down to defeat at the hands of the Perrysburg Yellow Jackets by a score of 5-1 in a game played at Hara Arena on November 15. The Yellow Jackets opened the scoring midway through the 1st period and held the lead at the end of the period by a 1-0 score. The Yellow Jackets then added insult to injury when they scored two goals 5 seconds apart on 5 on 3 and then 5 on 4 power plays. Creek rallied to score their only goal of the scrimmage when Mitchel Green chipped the puck on the high stick side of the Yellow Jackets goalie to give the Beavers some hope about the outcome of the contest. However, Perrysburg put the game away for good when they scored two evenstrength goals in the 3rd period. Creek's pre-season record has now been evened at one win and one loss. Beavers Yellow Jackets Green Steele Burns Beavers Yellow Jackets

7 Creek Offense Non-Existent In Final Scrimmage The Upper Arlington Golden Bears soundly defeated the Varsity team by a final score of 2-0 in the final scrimmage of the pre-season at the Kettering Recreation Center on November 21. The Beavers only managed to put 6 shots on net throughout the contest while the Golden Bears peppered the Creek net-minders with 31 shots. Due to a lack of offensive pressure by the Beavers, the outcome of this game was never in doubt from the middle of the 1st period. Beavers Golden Bears Beavers Golden Bears

8 Regular Season Game Recaps Creek Wins First Regular Season Game In the first game of the 7 th Annual Frozen Creek Invitational Tournament, the Beavers shutout the Springboro Panthers by a score of 5-0 in the first regular season game of the year for both teams at the Kettering Recreation Center on November 28, Senior Captain Mike Janowiecki began the Creek scoring at 11:51 of the 1 st period when he deflected a Chris Symonds shot taken from the right point. Junior Mike Kelley scored a breakaway goal at 8:41 of the 2 nd period to begin a Creek offensive barrage. Junior Drew Ehrhart and Sophomore Judd Steele both netted goals during the period to put the game safely out of the Panthers reach. Mike Kelley scored his second goal of the contest at 6:08 of the 3 rd period to end the scoring. Senior Goalie David Smith was superb in net as he stopped 15 Panther shots to record Creek s first shutout of the season. Beavers Panthers Janowiecki Symonds 2 Kelley 2 Ehrhart Janowiecki 2 Steele Burns Green 3 Kelley Burns Steele Smith Panthers

9 Beavers Defeated By Braves In their second game of the Frozen Creek Invitational, the Beavers played a lackluster game and were defeated by the Olentangy Braves by a score of 3-1 at the Kettering Recreation Center on November 28, The high point of the Creek offense came early in the contest when Judd Steele gave the Beavers a short-lived 1-0 lead at 6:31 of the 1 st period off of assists from Mike Janowiecki and Mitchel Green. The Braves quickly tied the game three minutes later and were never seriously threatened throughout the remainder of the game. Senior Goaltender David Folino was extremely solid in net and his play kept the game from becoming a rout. The loss evens the Beavers record at for the season. Beavers Braves Steele Janowiecki Green Folino Braves

10 Beavers Easily Handle Golden Lions For the second time in three games, the Beavers shutout their opponents as they defeated the Gahanna Lincoln Golden Lions by a score of 6-0 in the Frozen Creek Invitational held at the Kettering Recreation Center on November 29, Creek got off to a fast start when Mike Kelley put back a Cody Burns rebound with only 3:07 gone in the opening stanza. Judd Steele got in on the scoring action when he carried the puck past a Golden Lions defender at the blueline and put a low wrister through an open 5-hole. Not wanting to be left out, Mike Janowiecki blocked a shot in the Creek defensive zone and scored a breakaway goal to end the Beavers 1 st period scoring. With only 37 seconds played in the 2 nd period, Chris Symonds blasted a slapshot from the blue-line past the Golden Lions net-minder for the Beavers only goal of the period. Josh Baldwin scored his first goal of the season on a 4-on-4 situation with 13:05 played in the final period and Senior Brett Williamson scored the first goal of his Creek Hockey career on a power play with 56 seconds remaining in the contest. Solid defensive play from his teammates allowed Goaltender David Smith to only face 12 shots while recording his second shutout of the young season. Beavers Golden Lions Kelley Burns Steele 1 Steele 1 Janowiecki 2 Symonds Morandi Harshberger 3 Baldwin Williamson 3 Williamson Smith Golden Lions

11 Beavers End Frozen Creek With Loss The Beavers lost a hard-fought game against the Troy Trojans by a score of 5-2 in their final game of the Frozen Creek Invitational tournament held at the Kettering Recreation Center on November 30, Creek began the game with a lot of energy and enthusiasm, and fought the Trojans to a scoreless tie at the end of the 1 st period even though the Trojans out-shot the Beavers by an 11-1 margin in the period. One minute into the 2 nd period, the Beavers opened the game scoring when Mike Janowiecki netted a goal off of a Brett Williamson pass. The Trojans scored two goals in the final nine minutes of the period to take a 2-1 lead going into the final stanza. The Trojans then scored twice more in the 3 rd period before Mike Janowiecki fired a pass to Josh Baldwin who put one past the Trojan goalie at the near post. The Trojans then salted the game away with an empty-netter with one minute left in the contest. The Beavers were out-shot by a total count of during the game and if not for the great play of Beavers goalie David Folino, the score could have been much worse. The loss evens the Beavers season record at Beavers Trojans Janowiecki Williamson 3 Baldwin Janowiecki Folino Trojans

12 Creek Thumped by Elks Playing with a short bench due to injuries and illness coupled with Varsity play inexperience, the Beavers were soundly defeated by the Centerville Elks at Sportstown in Centerville on December 5 by a final score of 8-1. The game started promisingly enough when Mike Janowiecki opened the game scoring at 3:35 of the 1 st period when he took a pass from Josh Baldwin, fought off a defender at the blueline, and put the puck top-shelf over the Elks goalie. However, that was the only bright spot of the evening for the Creek squad as the Elks then proceeded to score eight unanswered goals throughout the remainder of the contest when the Beavers repeatedly failed to clear the puck out of their defensive zone. Beavers goaltender David Smith faced 57 shots-on-goal, many of them uncontested attempts from point-blank range, throughout the game. According to the Beavers coaching staff, his play in net was the only aspect of the game where Creek out-shined the opposition as the Elks clearly performed better in all other mental and physical aspects of the game. The Beavers now sport a season record of and a SWOHSHL record of Beavers Elks Janowiecki Baldwin Smith Elks

13 Beavers Shutout by Moeller In a hard-fought game played at the Kettering Recreation Center on December 6, the Moeller Crusaders shutout the Beavers by a final score of 2-0. The Creek team came out with much more enthusiasm than they showed the previous night and played a solid game from start to finish. The Beavers defense was substantially improved and except for the last 45 seconds of the 2 nd period and the first 45 seconds of the 3 rd period, the game was too close to call. During that 1:30, the Crusaders scored both of their goals on Beavers' defensive lapses. Although being out-shot 25-18, the Beavers had several quality scoring opportunities but could not find the twine. As a result of the loss, the Beavers season record is now and their SWOHSHL record worsens to Beavers Crusaders Folino Crusaders

14 Panthers Bite The Beavers Creek suffered their third SWOHSHL loss of the young season when they fell to the Springboro Panthers by a score of 4-2 in a game played at Sportstown in Centerville on Friday, November 12. As has been the case in most of the Beavers games this season, Creek opened the game scoring when Josh Baldwin finished off a beautiful centering pass from deep in the left corner by Cody Burns at 9:34 of the 1 st period. Beginning in the 2 nd period, the Beavers played the rest of the game in a manner eerily reminiscent of a Pee Wee soccer match with the players consistently being caught out of position. As a result, the Panthers scored the first of three 2 nd period goals just 22 seconds into the stanza to hold a 3-1 lead at the break. Creek made the game closer when Brett Williamson carried the puck end-to-end and netted a wrister on the low glove side just two minutes into the final period. However, ragged Beavers defensive play enabled the Panthers to score the final goal of the game with eight minutes left and the Beavers could never mount any significant pressure from that point forward. The loss results in the Beavers record falling to for the season and in the SWOHSHL. Beavers Panthers Baldwin Burns Boswell 3 Williamson Smith Panthers

15 Beavers Extract Revenge For Previous Day s Defeat Playing against the Springboro Panthers for the second time in two days, the Beavers gained a measure of revenge for the previous day s loss when they defeated the Panthers by a 5-1 score in a contest played at the Kettering Recreation Center on Saturday, November 13. Creek spread the scoring duties around with goals from Mitchel Green, Marc Morandi, Cody Burns, Judd Steele, and Chris Symonds. The Beavers played a significantly better all-around team game than they displayed the prior evening. The Beavers continually controlled the neutral ice area, consistently provided defensive help when appropriate to do so, and looked to make the opportune pass to open-up scoring lanes for their teammates. This game showed the Beavers fans what this team is capable of doing when selfish play gives way to teamwork and belief in the offensive and defensive system. The win improves the Beavers regular season record to and their SWOHSHL record to Beavers Panthers Green Baldwin Janowiecki 1 Morandi Williamson 3 Burns Baldwin Kelley 3 Steele Kelley Janowiecki 3 Symonds Folino Panthers

16 Beavers Can t Find Net Against Braves The Beavers were unable to find the back of the net in a 4-0 loss to the Talawanda Braves in a game held at the Kettering Recreation Center on December 19. The Braves scored their first goal with only 1:19 elapsed in the 1 st period when Creek misplayed a shot from the low slot. From that point onward during the period, the Creek defense stepped up and effectively shutdown the high-powered Braves offense even though the Beavers were out-shot 17-3 in the period. The Beavers gave up the second goal of the game when an on-edge puck crawled up the net-minder s arm and fell over the goal line with 2:24 played in the 2 nd period. The Beavers turned up their offense and out-shot the Braves 11-8 during the period but could not manage to get the puck behind the Braves goaltender. The Beavers gave up their third goal of the game off of the opening face-off in the 3 rd period when a Braves forward skated in uncontested and wrapped one around the far post for the backbreaking score. The loss results in the Beavers record falling to for the season and in the SWOHSHL. Beavers Braves Smith Braves

17 Beavers Offensive Woes Continue The offensive woes of the Beavers continued as they suffered their second shutout in two consecutive games when the Sycamore Aviators took the contest by a final score of 1-0 on December 20 at the Kettering Recreation Center. The Beavers arguably played their best team game of the season but it seemed that the fates had pre-determined the final outcome. Early in the 1 st period, it appeared that Marc Morandi had scored an in-and-out goal but the game officials did not see it the same as the spectators. Later in the period, the Beavers committed their only penalty of the game and during that single short-handed situation, the Aviators tallied their sole goal of the game at 10:43 of the 1 st period. After a scoreless 2 nd period, the Beavers scored what appeared to be the tying goal when Judd Steele feathered the puck into a wide-open net; however, the officials called a crease violation and that ended the Beavers chances for victory. Even though the Beavers out-shot the Aviators by a margin, limited the opposition to shots from the extreme outside, consistently attacked in the offensive end, and received superior goaltending by David Folino, the fates could not be overcome. The loss results in the Beavers regular season record falling to and their SWOHSHL record to Beavers Aviators Folino Aviators

18 Last Minute Victory For Beavers The Beavers captured a last minute 2-1 victory over the Springboro Panthers in the semifinal round of the Mayor s Cup held at the Kettering Recreation Center on December 26. Even though both teams appeared slightly rusty as a result of not practicing over the Christmas holiday, the fans were treated to an exciting, cleanly played high school hockey contest. The 1 st period ended scoreless with the Beavers holding a slight 8-7 shot advantage. The Beaver s were finally able to break their two-game scoring drought in the 2 nd period when Josh Baldwin put a rebound off of a Marc Morandi shot into the net with 10:00 played to give the Beavers a one goal advantage heading into the final period. The Panthers came out shooting after the intermission and held an 8-1 shots-on-goal advantage in the first five minutes of the period; however, Senior Goaltender Dave Smith was up to the task and held off the offensive barrage. The Panthers tied the game at one goal apiece when they scored on the power play with only 1:58 left in the game after the Beavers penalty-killing unit was unable to clear a stopped shot from in front of the Beavers net. When it looked like the game would have to go to overtime to determine the final outcome, Senior Defenseman Chris Symonds rolled down the slot and put the puck top-shelf off a terrific pass from Mike Janowiecki with only 31 seconds left in the game to seal the victory for the Beavers. As a result of Troy s 5-4 victory over Centerville in the other Mayor s Cup semifinal game, the Beavers will take on the Trojans tomorrow to determine the winner of the Mayor s Cup. The win improves the Beavers season record to Beavers Panthers Baldwin Morandi Williamson 3 Symonds Janowiecki Steele Smith Panthers

19 Beavers Pond Flooded By Trojans The undefeated Troy Trojans (14-0-2) flooded the Beavers pond with unanswered goals in an 11-1 shellacking at the Kettering Recreation Center on December 27 in the finals of the Dayton Mayor s Cup tournament. The Trojans came out firing in the 1 st period and scored their first goal with only 31 seconds played in the contest. This goal seemed to take the life out of the Beavers squad and the Varsity was unable to keep the next four Trojan shots from finding the twine. The lone scoring highlight for the Beavers came when Josh Baldwin top-shelved the puck on a power play halfway through the 2 nd period. The Beavers were out-shot for the game and the outcome of the contest was never seriously in doubt. The loss results in the Beavers record falling to for the season. Beavers Trojans Baldwin Green Folino Smith Trojans

20 Beavers Sluggish in Gartz Opener The Beavers began the Eric Gartz Memorial Hockey tournament at the Columbus Ice Haus in a sluggish fashion on Friday, January 2 when the Worthington-Kilbourne Wolves soundly defeated the Varsity squad by a final score of The Beavers were in one of their typical Friday funks and were never actively involved in the game from the outset. Due to injuries and illness, the Beavers could only field 13 position skaters at the start of the contest and the Beavers suffered two additional injuries in the 1 st period, one of which was season ending to Senior Captain Mike Janowiecki. This situation required the Beavers to double-shift throughout the last two periods as well as forcing the Coaching Staff to give significantly more ice time than normal to the less experienced players on the squad. The loss lowers the Beavers season record to Beavers Wolves Baldwin Murphy Harshberger 3 Steele Baldwin Smith Wolves

21 Beavers Lose in Game Effort Even though faced with a short position player bench for the second time in 12 hours, the Beavers came out fighting in the second game of the Eric Gartz Memorial Hockey tournament held at the Columbus Ice Haus on January 3. Although the Beavers lost the game by a final score of 4-2 to the St. Charles Cardinals (who shut-out the Centerville Elks by a score of 5-0 the preceding day), the Beavers showed a lot of determination and tenacity throughout the entire game. After a scoreless 1 st period, the Cardinals broke on top halfway through the 2 nd period when the Creek defense was unable to clear a rebound from in front of the Beavers goal. The Beavers came back early in the 3 rd period to tie the game when Mike Kelley, from an extremely acute angle, put away the puck off of a Chris Symonds rebound. Unfortunately, before the Creek celebration had stopped, the Cardinals netted another score and then followed that up two minutes later with their third score of the game. Creek cut the lead to 3-2 with five minutes left in the game when Sophomore Judd Steele skated the length of the ice and put the puck top-shelf. Although the Beavers had several more good scoring opportunities in the last three minutes of the game, the Cardinals net-minder turned away each attempt. Senior Goaltender David Folino was outstanding in net for the Beavers and made several great saves on uncontested Cardinals shots. The loss results in the Beavers record falling to for the season. Beavers Cardinals Kelley Symonds 3 Steele Folino Cardinals

22 Fatigue Takes Toll in Gartz Memorial Only having 10 completely healthy position players while contesting their third complete game within 23 hours, the Beavers succumbed to the Upper Arlington Golden Bears by a score of 10-2 in the Eric Gartz Memorial Hockey tournament at the Columbus Ice Haus on January 3. The Beavers came out of the locker room fatigued and that condition allowed the Golden Bears to score three goals in the opening six minutes when the Beavers failed to match the offensive speed of their opponents and were unable to get a body on the puck handler. The Varsity squad managed to increase their intensity in the 2 nd period and Sophomore Judd Steele got the Beavers on the board two minutes into the period when he took a clearing pass from Jason Boswell, skated the length of the ice, and put the puck behind the Golden Bears net-minder. The Beavers lone remaining goal of the game came from Junior Drew Ehrhart when he took a perfect cross-ice pass from Judd Steele, raced by the Golden Bears defender, and shelved the puck high on the stick side. The Beavers season record now stands at Beavers Golden Bears Steele Boswell Kelley 3 Ehrhart Steele Kelley Smith Golden Bears

23 Gartz Memorial Tournament Mercifully Ends The Eric Gartz Memorial Hockey tournament came to a merciful conclusion at the Columbus Ice Haus on January 4 as the tournament champion Thomas Worthington Cardinals defeated the Beavers by a score of The Beavers gave the Cardinals all they wanted during the first 2 periods even though two questionable non-calls resulted in Cardinals goals early in the game. An early Cardinals goal one minute into the 3 rd period seemed to break the spirit of the Beaver squad and the Beavers team defense didn t step up for the remainder of the contest. Although the Beavers had some quality scoring opportunities during the game, the team couldn t manage to put the puck away against one of last year s Ohio high school Final Four teams. Beavers Cardinals Folino Cardinals

24 Creek Wins Penalty Marred Contest The Beavers started the Springboro Shootout tournament on a positive note when they shutout the Springboro Panthers by a score of 3-0 at the STIC on Friday, January 9. In a physical game that saw 40 minutes in penalties between both teams, Creek broke on top in the 1 st period when Junior Marc Morandi scored Creek s first short-handed goal of the season on a terrific backhand shot from the low left slot. Junior Mike Kelley then added to the Creek lead when he put the puck through the 5-hole eight minutes later in the period. The Panther squad showed that they had no quit in their game as they held the Beavers scoreless for the next 20 minutes of the contest. The scoring concluded when Mike Kelley scored his 2 nd goal of the game at 3:34 of the final period off of a great centering pass from Judd Steele. Although the Panthers had several good scoring opportunities, Senior Goaltender David Smith was superb in net and turned away repeated Panther attacks. As a result of the victory, the Beavers season record now stands at Beavers Panthers Morandi Ehrhart 1 Kelley Williamson Morandi 3 Kelley Steele Smith Panthers

25 Beavers Give Yellow Jackets Tussle The Beavers gave the Perrysburg Yellow Jackets all they wanted (and definitely more than they expected) in the 2 nd game of the Springboro Shootout tournament before falling by a final score of 4-2 at the STIC on January 10. After winning the opening face-off, Creek gave the puck away at center ice and the Yellow Jackets capitalized on this mistake to score just 21 seconds into the game. This quick goal served as a wake-up call for the Creek squad but even increased defensive intensity could not stop the Yellow Jackets from tallying two more goals in the period. Creek came out offensive-minded and out-shot the Yellow Jackets in the 2 nd period; however, the Beavers couldn t find the back of the net and the period ended with neither team scoring. The final period was a continuation of the 2 nd stanza until the Yellow Jackets scored a power play goal at 11:29 when the Beavers couldn t clear the puck from in front of their net. Knowing that they needed to win the final period to have any chance of advancing to the tournament Championship game, the Beavers tallied their first goal of the game at 14:02 when Josh Baldwin put the puck behind the Yellow Jackets net-minder off of a great pass from Judd Steele. Not yielding to the pressure of the moment, the Beavers continued to pound the puck toward the net in the last minute of the game and scored the period clinching goal at 14:45 when Drew Ehrhart scored a power play goal with assists from Josh Baldwin and Judd Steele. Although the game counts as a loss for the season, this game proved that the Beavers can match up with anyone if they maintain their intensity level and composure. The Beavers season record now stands at Beavers Yellow Jackets Baldwin Steele 3 Ehrhart Baldwin Steele Folino Yellow Jackets

26 Creek Outgunned Against Bay The Beavers goaltenders faced more shots than Coalition Forces faced in the Gulf War when the Bay Rockets handed them a 9-1 defeat in the Beavers third game of the Springboro Shootout tournament at the STIC on January 10. The game was a cleanly contested affair; however, the Creek squad could not overcome the Rockets size and speed advantage. The lone highlight for the Beavers came when Judd Steele put away a Marc Morandi rebound at 1:23 of the 2 nd period. Were it not for the great play of Beavers net-minders David Smith and David Folino throughout the entire game, the final score could have been significantly worse. As a result of the loss, the Beavers will play a rematch with Springboro on January 12 to determine the third place finisher in the tournament. The loss lowers the Beavers season record to Beavers Rockets Steele Morandi Green Smith Folino Rockets

27 Creek Takes 3 rd Place In Springboro Shootout In a game noted for sloppy play by both teams, Creek defeated the Springboro Panthers in overtime by a score of 2-1 to take 3 rd Place in the Springboro Shootout tournament at the STIC on January 11. After playing two uneventful periods, the Beavers decided to get serious and opened the game scoring at 2:22 of the 3 rd period when Junior Mike Kelley notched Creek s second short-handed goal of the season when he put the puck top-shelf off an unselfish centering pass from Judd Steele skating down the right wing. The Beavers defense continued to hold off the opposition until the Panthers scored on a power play opportunity at 11:27 of the period. It looked like Creek would score their 2 nd short-handed goal of the contest when Freshman Mitch Green stole the puck from a Panthers player at center ice and broke to the net only to have the puck clank off the top right corner of the goal. After regulation play ended with the score tied at one goal apiece, a sudden death overtime period was played to determine the tournament s 3 rd Place finisher. After winning the opening overtime face-off, Creek dumped the puck in deep where Josh Baldwin fought off a Panther defender behind the net and chipped the puck to Mike Kelley deep in the right corner. Kelley sent the puck to Chris Symonds on the right point and he unleashed a powerful slap-shot that was deflected into the net by Judd Steele who was battling for position against two Panther defenders in front of the goal. The game-winning goal was scored with only 16 seconds elapsed in the extra period. 1 st Period 2 nd Period 3 rd Period Overtime Total Beavers Panthers Kelley Steele OT Steele Symonds Kelley Folino Panthers

28 Beavers Lose To SWOHSHL North Leader The Beavers were defeated 6-0 by the SWOHSHL North Division leader Troy Trojans at the Kettering Recreation Center on January 23, Creek started the game on a positive note by playing solid team defense, consistently dumping the puck deep to open areas in the Trojan zone, limiting the Trojans to low percentage shots from the outside, and attempting to capitalize on Trojan defensive errors. Although being out-shot 8-6 in the 1 st period, the Beavers had the better scoring opportunities in the stanza but the period ended with the score at 0-0. The Beavers defense was burned early in the 2 nd period when the Trojans scored on a blistering slap-shot from the right face-off circle when Creek didn t aggressively back-check the Trojan defensemen. This goal energized the Trojan offense and they scored four more goals in the period to take an insurmountable lead. The Beavers played significantly better in the final period; however, it was too little, too late for the Creek squad. As a result of the loss, the Beavers season record now stands at Beavers Trojans Smith Trojans

29 Beavers Mistakes Costly At Troy Beavers defensive mistakes resulted in a 7-2 defeat at the hands of the Troy Trojans in a game played at Hobart Arena on January 24, The Beavers played a more consistent offensive and defensive game than was played the last time the two teams met; however, inability to effectively clear the puck from the defensive zone resulted in 12 Creek turnovers in front of the Beavers net. While net-minder David Folino played a terrific game and stopped numerous Trojan point-blank scoring opportunities spawned by these miscues, these turnovers set the stage for five of the seven Trojan goals. On arguably the best Beavers goal of the season, Sophomore Mike Harshberger scored the first goal of his Beavers career at 1:17 of the 2 nd period. After Creek lost a draw in the right face-off circle, Harshberger beat three Troy defenders to the loose puck and fired the scoring wrister from the hash marks while two Troy defenders were draped over him. Harshberger followed up his first career goal with another tally at 2:41 of the 3 rd period on a hard slap-shot from the high slot that beat the Trojan goaltender on the high stick side. The Beavers record now stands at with only three games remaining in the regular season. Beavers Trojans Harshberger Baldwin 3 Harshberger Baldwin Williamson Folino Trojans

30 Aves Outmuscle Beavers The Beavers were defeated 5-3 by a bigger and stronger Sycamore Aviator squad at SportsPlus on January 30, Although the Beavers totally dominated play in the first five minutes of the game, the Aviators struck first when they put away an uncontrolled rebound in front of the Beavers net at 4:59. Two minutes later, Marc Morandi tied the game at 1-1 when he stole the puck at the offensive blue line and skated past two defenders and top-shelved the puck. While still celebrating the tying goal, the Beavers allowed the Aviators to skate in uncontested and score the go-ahead tally seven seconds after the Creek goal. The 1 st period ended with the Aviators up by a score of 3-1. Creek could never close the two-goal deficit even though Drew Ehrhart and Josh Baldwin each put the puck past the Aviators net-minder in the 2 nd period. Special team play hurt the Beavers as they gave up two power play goals on their only two penalties of the game while being unable to cash in on their five power play opportunities. Because of the loss, the Beavers season record now stands at Beavers Aviators Morandi 2 Ehrhart Williamson 2 Baldwin Steele Ehrhart Smith Aviators

31 Beavers Crater The Bombers In the first-ever meeting between the Beavers and the St. Xavier Bombers at the Cincinnati Gardens on January 31, the Beavers came away with a nail-biting 3-2 victory. Neither team seemed to find a sustainable rhythm throughout the game as the officials called a total of 21 penalties, 12 of which were against the Creek squad. The Bombers opened the scoring when they notched a power play goal at 10:06 of the 1 st period after the Creek penalty-killing unit was unable to kill off the final three seconds of the infraction. However, the Beavers scored a power play goal of their own three minutes later when Drew Ehrhart launched a slapshot from the right point that resulted in a long rebound that was put into the back of the net by Marc Morandi. Creek followed up that score with their second power play goal of the game at 6:30 of the 2 nd period when Drew Ehrhart took a cross-ice pass from Marc Morandi at the red line and fired a wrister past the Bombers keeper from the right face-off dot. Creek s final tally came at 3:03 of the 3 rd period when Mike Harshberger fought for control of the puck in the right corner and sent it to the point where Defenseman Chris Symonds sent a low slapshot through traffic into the net. The Bombers kept battling and closed the scoring deficit to one when they scored on a 5-on-3 situation midway through the final period. Although the entire team played a solid game for the Beavers, the standout player this day was Senior Goaltender David Folino who faced 38 shots and made two absolutely miraculous saves. The last of which occurred with two minutes remaining in the game when a Bombers slapshot from close range was signaled a goal by one official before Folino showed everyone that the puck was firmly held in his glove. The Beavers season record stands at with one game remaining in the regular season. Beavers Bombers Morandi Ehrhart 2 Ehrhart Morandi 3 Symonds Harshberger Folino Bombers

32 Beavers Start Strong, Finish Weak Against Elks The Beavers started the game strong but couldn t maintain a high intensity level, and were defeated 10-1 by the Centerville Elks on Senior Day at the Kettering Recreation Center on February 7. In the final home and regular season game of the year for the Creek squad, the team came storming out of the gate with their most aggressive fore- and back-checking game of this year s campaign. This aggressiveness paid off at 5:31 of the 1 st period as Creek opened the game scoring when Dustin Seeger broke the puck free from an Elks forward with a hard back-check and Mike Harshberger battled an Elk player for 60 feet down the ice before controlling the biscuit and putting it away for Creek s only lead of the game. The Beavers continued to aggressively battle the Elks for the next six minutes but Creek then started to suffer defensive breakdowns as they began to tire as a result of having to play with a short bench. These breakdowns led to three Elks goals in a 52 second span of the 1 st period and the Elks then controlled the game till the conclusion. Although Creek had four power play chances to keep the game close in the early stages of the contest, the Beavers inability to challenge the Elks deep on the power play breakout as well as some sloppy uncontested puck-handling in their own zone, prevented any serious scoring threats. The Beavers finish the regular season with a record of and a SWOHSHL record of Beavers Elks Harshberger Seeger Smith Elks

33 Season Ends With Heartbreak Creek s season ended with heartbreak when they were defeated 4-3 in double overtime by the Sycamore Aviators in the first round of District play at Hobart Arena on February 15. The Beavers contested every loose puck throughout the game and seemed to be in control throughout the vast majority of the contest. Although the Beavers only committed three penalties, the first infraction was costly as they gave up a power play goal at 6:02 of the 1 st period. The Aviators scored their second goal of the game off a 3-shot flurry that resulted in a short rebound being stuffed past Creek net-minder David Folino at 5:15 of the 2 nd stanza. Creek fought back with a power play goal of their own at 11:49 of the period when Drew Ehrhart fired the puck at the net and Brett Williamson put away the rebound. Creek tied the game at two goals apiece when Chris Symonds stole the puck deep in the Aviators zone of off the opening draw, passed the biscuit to Drew Ehrhart on the left point, and Ehrhart walked the puck in deep before sending it high glove-side into the Aviators net at 0:28 of the final period. It seemed the Aviators had the game in control when an alert Aviator forward scored their third goal at 13:46 off a long deflection from the end-board. The Beavers proved again that the game isn t over until the final buzzer sounds when Josh Baldwin tallied the tying goal on a wrap-around with only 50 seconds left in the game. The 1 st eight-minute sudden death overtime period was controlled throughout by the Beavers; however, they could not find the back of the net. The Beavers continued to control the game in the 2 nd overtime stanza, but then fate intervened. As the Beavers were executing a 3-on- 2 situation deep in the Aviators zone, a pass was intercepted and the puck chipped to neutral ice where an Aviator forward gained control. The Aviator player skated in and trickled the puck through the 5-hole at 2:11, the only one of five Aviator breakaway chances that David Folino was unable to corral throughout the game. The Beavers season ends with a final record of st Period 2 nd Period 3 rd Period 2 nd OT Final Beavers Aviators Williamson Ehrhart Harshberger 3 Ehrhart Symonds 3 Baldwin Williamson Janowiecki Folino Aviators