The state playoffs have commenced and there has been no shortness of excitement from Detroit to the Upper Peninsula. The time of year where all the pre-season preparation coupled with the in-season development is tested in a single game elimination. The time of year when triumph and defeat have no favorites!

The district 19 regional semifinal between the Big Rapids Cardinals and Flint Powers Chargers took place in the backyard of the Cardinals at Ferris State University this past Wednesday. The Chargers came out pretty flat not able to connect the dots with their passing and create shape as they went scoreless on the first powerplay opportunity at 11:05 in the first period. The Cardinals drew first blood when senior captain Grant Kidder made a nice move entering the Charger D zone to get by the Charger defender slipping it top shelf on the glove side of netminder Nick Kurtiak. With 2:50 remaining in the first, Brendan Sly stole the puck from the Cardinal defender just inside their own blueline, flipping it over to Cooper Gerhardt who placed it by goaltender Evan Bowen.

Quickly into the 2nd period, the Chargers executed on the powerplay that extended over from the first, when Gerhardt found Barbour going in all alone beating Bowen to go up 2-1. A few minutes later, Nolan Berner took a 5-minute major for cross checking from behind putting the Chargers on their heels. Chargers Sly with his back to the goaltender Bowen, redirected Barbour’s shot from the point finding the 5 hole to make it 3-1. The Chargers nicely burned off the entire 5-minute penalty with solid efforts from multiple players. At the 7:48 mark, the Chargers found themselves on the powerplay (5v3) once again. Senior Luke Cramer didn’t waste any time as he netted the rebound on Nolan Salayko’s wrister from the point. The final five minutes of the period was all Powers as they poured on the pressure keeping play concentrated in the Cardinal D zone.

The Chargers were tested once again when Sly (roughing) and Cramer (slashing) took back-to-back penalties resulting in a 3v5 penalty kill. It didn’t take long when Cardinals Luke Welch made the Chargers pay being left all alone on the back door re-directing his teammates pass from the high slot. Powers senior Jacque Lavrack closed the game with his 100th career point at the 4:46 mark, when getting hit from behind he was still able to manage snipping the Chargers fifth and final goal sending the Big Rapids Cardinals packing.

Final: Powers 5 Cardinals 2

Next game: Regional Final-Wednesday, March 2nd, 7pm @ Ewigleben Ice Arena, Ferris State University-Big Rapids