By Jack Leech
Special to The Clarkston News
BRIGHTON — Rematches are rare for non league teams in a single hockey season, however less than two weeks ago, the Clarkston Varsity Hockey team dropped an overtime shoot out to Brighton. They had a second chance to even up the series last Thursday at the Kensington Ice House.
Fans would expect the game to be close and this contest was no exception, but Clarkston came up short, just one goal down in the final minutes, only to surrender an empty net goal.
They maintained pressure on the Bulldogs’ net, but with 41 seconds left, Brighton forward Freddy Londo, grabbed a rebound off a Wolves’ shot and lifted the puck the length of the ice to score in the vacant net, giving the Bulldogs a 3-1 victory.
“The moral of the story tonight is the reason we have a hard schedule so that we can face adversity before the regional playoffs,” said Nathan Bryer, head coach. “Not necessarily a bad thing, but more of a learning process for our group.”
The Wolves opened the scoring in the first period at the 4:44 mark, Evan Adams slipped a perfect pass across to his blue line partner, Kyle Lynch, who fired a waist high shot, deflecting off the Bulldog defense man, beating goaltender Ryan Nickerson, for their opening score.
The Wolves held tough, killing off a couple of minor penalties to Lynch and Owen Croston, to take the one goal lead into the locker room. The shot edge went to Brighton 11-10.
The Bulldogs came out after the intermission fully charged. Twenty-two seconds in the period, Bulldogs Ryan Watkins knotted the score at 1-1 on a rebound in front of Clarkston goaltender Brady Damian.
The Wolves offense was pouring shots on Nickerson and carried the period shot tally 11-4, but could not convert.
With just 30 seconds left in the second period, Brighton’s Lane Petit walked the puck up Damian’s arm to dribble in the go ahead goal. The Bulldogs drew a high sticking penalty just after the goal, with 30 seconds remaining in the stanza. The Wolves carried the man advantage into the third period with no results.
Down a goal the Wolves went on an early man advantage, when a scuffle along the end boards between Wolf Brendon Rhodes, who was high sticked by Bulldog Petit, who drew an extra minor for the infraction, as both players sat in the penalty box for roughing.
With 7:48 left in the third period, Wolves defender Brady Earing was called for a hooking minor penalty. The penalty killing units held strong, allowing the Bulldogs a single weak shot, but no score.
Damian was pulled with a little over a minute remaining at 1:08, to gain an extra skater, but Londo’s empty net goal sealed the Wolves defeat for a 3-1 final.
Clarkston had a full week to recoup and retool, returning home to Detroit Skating Club after a five game road schedule, to face 11th ranked Salem on home ice.
The Wolves, ranked third in Division 1 by the Michigan High School Hockey Coaches Association, plays on Thursday at 8:15 p.m.
They are back on the road on Saturday when they head to Big Boy Arena in Fraser to play De La Salle, 7 p.m.

  Clarkston High School, Hockey