Chargers Battle the Soo Blue Devils at the MIHL Showcase

Friday 2/2/24 @ 11:00am

Kennedy Recreation Center, Trenton

What a weekend of hockey! This past weekend was the 19th Annual MIHL Hockey Showcase held at the Kennedy Recreation Center in Trenton. This event is tagged as the biggest high school hockey event in the state…maybe on par with the state playoff weekend. The Showcase brings together 42 of the top high school hockey teams from Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin to battle it out in front of large crowds of spectators and scouts from Junior and College programs.

On Friday, the Powers Chargers (#16) faced off against the Blue Devils (#19) of Sault Ste Marie for the Chargers’ first game of the 2024 MIHL Showcase. The first period began with the two teams getting a feel for one another. The Soo team played physical with speed and grit. Powers struggled to get the puck on net being outshot 13-5. Senior Goaltender Blake Zloto (#33) turned away each attempt keeping the Chargers in the game. After 17:00 the game remained scoreless.

Powers started the second period with a new line-up, shuffling some players around to find that special combination to start putting the puck in the net. The Soo was relentless and finally got a man open to slide the puck past Zloto at 10:22 remaining in the period. Powers was able to improve their shot count, winning the battle of shots 14 to 11 in the second. Unfortunately, that didn’t help as Powers took a penalty with 2:00 minutes remaining in the period that resulted in the Blue Devil’s second and final goal of the game with 0:16 remaining. Goals by the Blue Devils #3 Nick Wood and #14 Garret Gorsuch.

Period number 3 began with Powers going on a power play at 15:32 for a Soo hooking call. The Blue Devils continued their perfect penalty kill and jumped on a mishandled puck for a breakaway that Zloto shut down with 12:02 remaining in the third. The Soo took another penalty with 10:47 to go, giving the Chargers another chance to get back in the game. However, bad bounce led to another one on the goalie opportunity only to be stoned again by Zloto. Shortly after the Soo extinguished the man advantage, they found themselves with a two-man advantage. The Chargers had a strong kill with Berner, Burny, and Parmentier for the majority of 5 on 3. Zloto continued to stand on his head to the final buzzer, turning away 28 of 30 shots in the Powers 2-0 loss to the Blue Devils.

End of game stats:

Soo 2 4 penalties / 8 minutes 30 shots Power Play 1/3

Powers 0 3 penalties / 6 minutes 25 shots Power Play 0/4

Powers Rebounds

Saturday 2/3/24 @ 5:45pm

Saturday evening the Chargers were determined to redeem themselves in a tilt against the Cubbies from U of D Jesuit (#13). Powers did not disappoint. The boys hit the ice with purpose and the scoring was early and often. The first goal came at the 14:35 mark, Andon Harwood from Caleb Doll. Then seventeen seconds later Brody Neelands ripped a wrister from Ayden Cook and Andrew Burny. Brendan Sly closed out the period on a stretch pass from Doll with 4:13 remaining in the period.

Powers' scoring continued in the second period when Cook capitalized on a pass from senior Dru Wendland at 13:40. The game was getting chippy and the Chargers found themselves on the first of four power plays. Score! Doll with Wendland getting the helper to make it 5-0 at 8:33. Sly worked his magic by sliding the puck under U of D netminder Daniel Petrusev at 1:32 for his second of the game. The Chargers were assessed a penalty with 0:42 remaining and U of D #18 Paul Therriault took advantage of the opportunity for the Cubbies’ first tally of the night. End of the second period 6-1.

The Chargers kept their feet on the gas in the third as Parmentier put away a rebound from Sly at 11:39. At 9:51 Powers went back on the man advantage and Neelands netted his second of the night making the score 8-1. With 5:32 left in the game U of D took a 5-minute major penalty that led to Cook scoring his second of the night (4:03) as he streaked through the defenders for the ninth Powers goal and third power play goal of the night…and that’s the game! Final - Powers 9 U of D 1

Goals by Harwood, Parmentier, Neelands (2), Cook (2), Sly (2), and Doll. Assists Harwood, Bendall, Wendland (2) Parmentier, Neelands, Berner (3), Cook, Sly (3), Burny, and Doll (2). Zloto 24 shots, 23 saves.

End of game stats:

U of D 1 4 penalties / 8 minutes shots Power Play 0/2

Powers 9 2 penalties / 4 minutes 24 shots Power Play 3/4