After facing several strong non-conference teams in the first half of the season, the Clarkston Wolves were hoping to improve their winless league record.
The Wolves hosted Royal Oak at Detroit Skating Club in Bloomfield Hills on Dec. 21 in the first of two regular-season meeting for the two. Clarkston (2-6-2) sought its first points in the OAA after dropping to Waterford Mott, Birmingham and Stoney Creek prior to skating against the Falcons (1-6-2, 1-4-2 OAA).
A 1-1 tie is not what they were hoping for, but after an offensive onslaught withstood by young Ravens goaltender Richard Hennard, the Wolves took their first point of the OAA schedule.
‘I thought we moved the puck well and I thought we played pretty well. Their goalie (Hennard) came up pretty big. I feel good about the way we played, there’s not much more we could do,? Clarkston Coach Bryan Krygier said.
‘We moved the puck well and created odd-man rushes and worked the puck down low and beat them to the puck and I think that helped create opportunities. Unfortunately we couldn’t get the second and third rebounds to put it past the goaltender.?
Hennard stopped 35 shots to keep the Ravens, who only dressed 13 skaters due to injuries, playing in a competitive game throughout.
‘He’s been seeing a lot of shots and that’s pretty typical with us because, we have such a young team. He’s the backbone of our defense. Typically when he plays well, we do well,? Ravens Coach A.J. Plastey said.
‘We struggle offensively because we’re physically small and we’re young,? Plastey said. ‘Our biggest thing is if we can play and practice good defense and work on (it) we will survive these types of games. But, we definitely need more offense all the way around.?
The game was spent mostly in the Ravens? zone, so under the circumstances, Plastey was happy with the outcome.
‘I’m happy with a tie, it could have gone either way tonight,? he said.
Plastey said each time the teams meet, the Ravens have a tough time handling the Wolves, whom the Ravens squad has yet to beat. That factor could be the driving force in the game when the two meet on Jan. 27 in Royal Oak.
‘We’ll be hungry definitely. There are a few seniors who would like to get a win for the first time against them.?
The Ravens scored first in the opening period when Kevin Filthaut put back a rebound from Billy Iannello’s shot for a power-play goal with 6:24 remaining. The put-back caught Wolves? goalie Garrett Knappe out of position.