Powers Takes SVL Title Fourth Year in a Row

Saginaw Heritage @ Flint Powers

Saturday 2/10/2024 @ 3:00pm

The battle for the Saginaw Valley League (SVL) championship played out last Saturday at Flint Iceland Arena in a very one-sided matinee. Powers fans got quite a show honoring the teams 9 Seniors as the Chargers put on a dominating show sending the Saginaw Heritage Hawks back home after two periods in an 8-0 blow-out. Powers for the win and the 4th Consecutive league Championship. Expectations were high entering the clash between two of the league’s top teams.

The squads tested each other, and the energy was extreme. Early on, the quick pace of the Chargers led to the Hawks #9 Owen Gohm taking a tripping penalty at 12:33. Powers’ Nolan Berner had a quality scoring chance thwarted by Saginaw’s netminder Trevor Selk. The Hawks successfully killed off the balance of the man advantage and looked to regain their composure. A minute after the penalty expired Ayden Cook broke loose on a pass from Andrew Burny. Cook closed the deal with a crafty backhand to the top shelf, stick side of Selk for Powers first goal with 9:06 remaining in the first period. A minute and a half later Berner sent a pass to Caleb Doll who blasted a shot through Selk for Powers second goal at 7:42. The teams physically battled with big hits from Powers’ Dru Wendland and Doll as the period was winding down. But the scoring wasn’t over. Cook got loose with the puck in tight and fooled Selk by unloading another backhand with 1:34 to go. Brendan Sly finished the first period scoring with a beauty “clanger” off the corner pipes over the blocker with 0:48 remaining. It was a dominant performance by the Chargers to say the least.

After the intermission, it was more of the same. Saginaw couldn’t gain any momentum and Powers never let up. In fact, at 15:33 of the 2nd period junior Brody Neelands received a pass from Cook and slipped down the right side of the zone for the fifth goal of the game. The Chargers’ Berner was called for tripping at 13:21. On the PK, Cook gained control of the puck in the Hawks zone and fed a missile pass to Burny breaking across the front of the net for Powers’ 6th goal. The penalty was successfully killed, both teams back to full strength. Cook continued to be a playmaking machine as he found Berner to make it 7-0 with 7:33 to go. Finally with 5:10 to go in the 2nd, it was Sly who intercepted a pass in the neutral zone and capitalized on his effort with his second of the night. There was a physical altercation with a little over a minute remaining, but the clock ran to 0:00 and the period ended. With an eight-goal differential the game was officially over and the Powers Chargers earned their 4th consecutive SVL Championship. Outstanding performances by the (9) Seniors -#5 Dru Wendland, #8 Matt Lavoie, #9 Tom Lavoie, #10 Mike Wenzel, #15 Nolan Berner, #18 Alex Rinoldo, #19 Brendan Sly, #22 Caleb Doll, and #33 Blake Zloto.

Powers 8, Saginaw 0.

Powers goals: Cook (2), Sly (2), Doll, Neelands, Burny, Berner

Assists: Cook (3), Berner (2), Parmentier (2), Bendall, Burny, Harwood, Sly, Wendland

Goaltending: Powers – Zloto Stopped 12/12 shots Heritage – Selk stopped 16/24 shots