For the second time in a week, the Clarkston Wolves hockey team played close, but lost the game in the end.
Waterford Mott pounded its way to a 4-2 victory over the Wolves on Nov. 30 at Detroit Skating Club in Bloomfield Hills in the Wolves? home opener.
The Corsairs? physicality was actually not as much as coach Marty White had expected coming into the contest.
‘We didn’t play as physical as I would have liked to have seen,? White said.
The Olympic size rink the Wolves play on is larger than the Corsairs are used to.
‘They had to adjust to playing on a bigger sheet of ice.?
Mott’s checking and in-your-face tactics landed several members in the penalty box throughout the game, while Clarkston committed zero penalties. Unfortunately, the Wolves also threw up another zero, zero conversions on the power play.
Wolves Coach Bryan Krygier was upset by the team’s first loss in his nine seasons of regular season matches (16-1) with their Oakland Activities Association foes.
‘They controlled every zone of the game and we literally handed them the game,? he said.
‘They beat us to the puck. Even if we run good plays and we do this and we do that, there’s no excuse for not working hard and not being the first one to the puck and not playing with some enthusiasm.
‘If you’re not going to beat them to the puck, bad things are going to happen,? he added.
The loss was the second of the league schedule for Clarkston (0-2 OAA, 1-3 overall) and evened the Corsairs? league record (1-1 OAA, 3-2 overall).
Mott held a 24-16 shot advantage in the game.
The teams went scoreless in the first. Clarkston’s Scott Cameron scored first, assisted by Chris Salo at 11:32 of the second period. Less than a minute later, however, the Corsairs evened things as Chris Drake scored.
Nick Posawatz would add the other Wolves? goal with 8:07 remaining in the second, assisted by Ryan Kenerson.
From there on out, the scoring belonged to Mott forward Ryan Phillips, who scored a natural hat trick, including an empty-netter with 1:05 remaining in the game.