Powers Wins Big Against Bay Area Thunder 9-0 

 By: DJ Shubeck:  Powers Hockey Writer

 Game Recap- Powers vs. Bay Area Thunder 1-15-2020

The Bay Area Thunder rolled into Flint for a league game with the Powers Catholic Chargers at Iceland Arena Wednesday night. For the Chargers, this was a complete, dominant performance! They were good in each end of the ice, with and without the puck. They shook off the loss to Davison the week before with a lopsided victory 9-0.   Powers improved their record to 6-3-2 overall and 2-1-1 in the Saginaw Valley League.

Coach Travis Perry would mix up the forward units, hoping to spark more offense. That decision would prove spot-on, as Powers would dominate the game from the initial puck drop storming into the Thunder zone and grabbing a 1-0 lead just 30 seconds into the contest.  Senior, Tim Washburn started the play with a crunching hit while Freshman, Michael Tucker, would pick up the loose puck and set up shop behind the Thunder net. Tucker then maneuvered around the side of the net and spotted Sophomore Brenden Tarpening in the slot. Tarpening would sneak a backhand shot along the ice that beat Bay Area Thunder Sophomore goalie, Tobias Pobanz short side. Tim Washburn would also assist on the Tarpening goal.  Powers would continue the relentless offensive zone attack the entire period, cycling the puck and getting a massive amount of shots on Pobanz, who stood tall and made several good saves, keeping the game 1-0 for most of the first period.  With just under 4 minutes to play in the period, Powers would win a faceoff in the Thunder zone and work the puck back to point man, Nolan Salayko. Salayko’s shot was kicked out by Pobanz and Sophomore Jacques Lavrack pounced on the rebound and buried his first of 2 goals of the night. Salayko and fellow Sophomore Gunner Birmingham would add helpers on the Lavrack goal.  The period would end with Powers leading 2-0 and they out-shot the Thunder 21- 4 in the 1st period. 

Powers continued the assault in the 2nd period and after constant pressure in the Thunder end, Nolan Salayko would make it 3-0 as his bullet from the point beat Pobanz glove side! Freshman Jack Dawley and Junior, Marcus Pahl, would assist on the goal by Salayko.  Then, 3 consecutive goals in 5 minutes (a natural hat trick) from Senior Tommy Shubeck would break the backs of the visiting Thunder.  Shubeck’s first goal was set up beautifully by hard working Senior Joey Carpenter, who would steal the puck deep in the Thunder end and feed Shubeck cruising in the slot. Pobanz had no chance as Shubeck ripped a one-time cannon just 10 feet in front of him!  Off the ensuing faceoff, Shubeck would get his 2nd goal as a 2-1 developed off a broken play at the Powers blue line. Freshman, Kyle Barbour, would also assist on the play as he head manned the puck up ice to Jacques Lavrack creating the 2-1 opportunity. Lavrack’s cross ice pass was slightly behind the breaking Shubeck, who with an acrobatic spin-o-rama type move, kicked the puck from skate to stick and scored blocker side on the defenseless Pobanz.  Shubeck would complete the natural hat trick on his next shift with an unassisted goal, robbing a Thunder defenseman of the puck and bolting in from the Thunder blue line, snapping in a quick wrister short side on the bewildered Pobanz.

Powers would continue attacking, and less than a minute later Joey Carpenter would get his 2nd point of the night on a tick-tac-toe passing play in the Thunder zone started by Sophomore, Andrew Wurtz. Wurtz would feed Junior, Tyler Lawrence, who touch passed the puck to Carpenter, and from 15 feet in front of the net, he made no mistake making it a 7-0 game.  The Chargers smelled mercy and kept coming as they made it 8-0 on a goal by Marcus Pohl, his second point of the game. Nolan Salayko would earn his 3rd point of the game and Senior Ben Siwek would also get an assist.  The scoring would end as Jacques Lavrack netted his 2nd goal of the game and 3rd point of the night on a shot off another rebound opportunity.  Gunner Birmingham earned his 2nd assist of the game and Tommy Shubeck earned his 4th point of the night on the Lavrack goal. Powers would outshoot the Thunder 20-4 as the game ended due to the 8 goal or more mercy rule after two periods.

Powers Coach, Travis Perry, commented that “This game came at the perfect time for us. We needed a game like this to get our confidence up and have different guys contributing.” Powers will be home vs Port Huron Northern this Saturday at 3pm.