Though preserving their status as the top team in the OAA II remains the top priority for Lake Orion Hockey Coach Pat Cherry, he was pleased with how his team responded to two non-league games last week.
The Dragons won a pair of home contests, first shutting out Waterford Mott, 4-0, on Jan. 4, then topping Utica, 4-2, last Saturday.
Cherry put together the tough schedule in the off-season to see how his team would stack up with some of the state’s elite.
The team is 8-2-1 overall, but with the two victories last week, Lake Orion has evened its record at 2-2 in non-league games.
‘Hopefully that will translate into the rest of our league games,? Cherry said.
The Utica game had the feel of a league contest, with hard-hitting and extra-curricular activity throughout.
At one point in the second period, the benches looked anemic, as there were seven different players in the two penalty boxes.
Utica scored twice in the game’s opening eight minutes, which prompted Cherry to use his team’s timeout early.
‘We really came out flat, so I just put it back in their hands,? he said. ‘You just hope it works. I don’t know why they were so flat.?
The Dragons slowly turned the tide, and, with just under five minutes left in the second period, got on the board with a power play tally from David Wurst.
That opened the floodgates for LO, which got another goal 1:19 later from Drew McLane, and a third score 1:15 after that from Brad Berschbach.
Lake Orion outshot Utica 14-7 in the period to take a 3-2 lead, and the frustration showed from the side of the visiting Chieftains.
‘High school hockey is all about emotion,? Cherry said. ‘Sometimes all it takes is that one goal to get it going.?
The coach said putting Wurst back on defense, where he also anchors the power play, has provided a big spark for the team.
‘He’s such a good athlete that he can really help our team defensively,? Cherry said.
Cherry also credited his third and fourth offensive lines for giving the team energy after they fell behind early.
‘I was really proud of those guys,? he said.
Kevin Kranker, who assisted on the Wurst goal, added a goal of his own midway through the third for insurance, and the Dragons killed off a pair of late penalties to hang on.
Jason Stross made 26 saves for LO, just two days after he stopped all 26 shots he faced in the Mott win.
Cody Wendell and Wurst each had a goal and an assist for LO, while Matt Milliman and Ken Klooster also scored, as the Dragons beat the first of thier two OAA I opponents this season.
‘It was kind of a boring game,? Cherry said of the Mott contest, where his team again looked slow out of the gate.
‘In the second and third periods, we played much better,? he said.
Cherry said he is not worried about the slow starts because it’s hard to ‘get up? for every game.
‘I’d be more concerned if we were coming out flat in a league game,? he said.
The Dragons will get back to league action this week, as they continue their longest homestand of the season with an 8 p.m. puck drop Thursday against Avondale.
‘It’s tough to believe, but if we lose one league game, we could lose the whole thing,? Cherry said. ‘We can’t take a night off.?