TRENTON — After splitting a pair of games out on the west side of the state this past weekend, the Grosse Ile ice hockey team was right back on the ice Monday night at the Kennedy Recreation Center.
The Red Devils resumed Metro League West Division play with a big showdown vs Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard. Monday was actually the first of two meetings scheduled between the two programs this week.As far as Monday’s tilt was concerned, the locals from the island made a strong statement and maintained a stranglehold of first place in the league with a convincing 9-2 win over the visiting Fighting Irish.
The win gives Grosse Ile now five consecutive wins head-to-head over Richard going back to the start of the 2023-24 season. The matchup during that time has consistently come with title implications for the Metro’s West Division, which the islanders have won each of the last two seasons.
Monday was also the third game in four days for the Devils, hence why head coach Scott Sebastian was maybe even anticipating a bit of slow start to the contest. Sebastian though was encouraged with the response after a “stern message” was sent.
“We knew that we’d probably come out a little sluggish today,” Sebastian said. “So we made some adjustments and sent a pretty stern message after that first period. We needed to pick our game back up to how we want to play. They responded and took full control in the second period.
“That’s what I’m most proud of.”
To Sebastian’s point, it was a slow start on Monday for Grosse Ile, who did score the first period’s only goal on just nine shot attempts. That is when that aforementioned message was delivered.
A stretch of seven unanswered goals in the middle stanza turned helped the Devils carry an advantage by that same margin through two periods of play. Included in that stretch were a pair of goals in the span of 21 seconds, and another two consecutively in a 30-second stint with under a minute to go in the frame.
Perhaps more importantly, the seven straight goals came after Richard evened up the score in the first minute on the second. It came on a power play that began in the final moments of the opening period.
Sebastian attributes that quick answer to another sign of “maturity” by his team.
Two months ago, we may have put our heads down,” Sebastian said. “We would worry about what just happened as opposed to the next play. We’ve been telling them that since November. When you’re trying to implement a new system, not only are you trying to get rid of old habits, you’re also trying to instill good ones.
“All of those good habits then turn into positive outcomes.”
Grosse Ile slowed down their frentic scoring pace come the third period. It wasn’t until there was less than six minutes to go when Richard got back on the board. The Devils, though, countered that and capped the night’s scoring with one more in the final minute of regulation.
The nine goals scored match a single-game season-high mark for the folks from the island.
On the night, seven different players find the back of the net and nearly a dozen players tally at least one point. Erik Hovis and Max Myers each had two goals while Colten Dwarzski, Bryce Wood, Adalar Hovis, Evan Raithel, and Noah Cole each scored once.
The depth of scoring and play-making options, Sebastian says, is a continued byproduct of their system overhaul that began back in the fall and is rounding into form.
“It’s awesome to see,” Sebastian said. “The style at which we’re playing warrants everyone an opportunity to get on the scoreboard. Earlier in the season, they were still adjusting to how we wanted them to play. It was a lot of individual effort versus a team effort.
“Now that we’ve had them for two and a half months, they have bought in,” Sebastian continued. “We’re moving the puck as well as we have all year.”
UP NEXT
Grosse Ile (13-10-1, 7-1 Metro-West) has just two games remaining on its regular season schedule, both coming against league opponents.
The Devils will first run it back with Richard on Saturday, Feb 7 in Ann Arbor before returning home to host Ann Arbor Pioneer on Feb 11. A win in each contest would solidify the islanders their third consecutive Metro League West Division crown.
Results aside, Sebastian said the focus revolves around their current E.A.T. mantra of effort, attitude, teamwork.
“We carry a lunch pail around for every game,” Sebastian said. “Our identity is we play hard, play fast, and play smart. It’s the only way you’re going to win in the playoffs. Unless you’re a high-flying, highly-skilled team, it all starts on the defensive end.
“When we stay structured, we’re a pretty good hockey team,” Sebastian added. “We’re maturing at the right time and playing the style that we need to be playing in the next couple of weeks.”
