Saginaw Squirt team takes District 5 championship

Note: The following article and photos are reader submissions from a parent, coach, or player. Have your team highlighted on our website and in MiHockeyMag by e-mailing editor Michael Caples at mcaples@mihockeynow.com.

The Michigan Amateur Hockey Association held its Squirt Division District 5 Championship game at the Polar Palace in Lapeer pitting the visiting Flint Icelanders against the home team Saginaw Township Education Association.  In a highly-anticipated return match-up between both clubs, with Saginaw winning the first meeting 4-1 exactly one week earlier, the championship game proved to live up to its billing with Flint wanting revenge for the previous defeat.  Saginaw jumped out to an early 2-0 lead off of goals from Logan VanNest and Michael Merrill, but Flint struck back with a power-play goal of their own to end the first period with Saginaw holding a slim 2-1 lead.  In the second period, Flint came out ready to play and tied the game at 2 midway through the second period.  Saginaw responded with a late goal from Brandon Brandt, his first of the year to take a 3-2 lead to the locker room after two periods of play.  The third period proved to be the difference as Saginaw scored three straight goals off the sticks of Mason Cole,  Andrew Woodcock and Matthew Warby to take a commanding 6-2 lead with less than 4 minutes remaining in the game.  The Icelanders pulled their goaltender with a little over two minutes left and managed to score once, although the game ended with the Saginaw boys earning a hard fought 6-3 victory to capture the MAHA District 5 Championship and a trip to the MAHA State Finals which will be held March 15-17, 2013 in Trenton.

Photo details:

Front Row (laying down) #15 David Smith

2nd row (all kneeling, left to right) #6 Kyle Brown

#18 Andrew Romanowski

#9 Brandon Brandt

#7 Owen Dreyer

#2 Michael Merrill

#5 Andrew Woodcock

3rd row (standing, left to right)  #8 Logan VanNest

#3 Matthew Warby

#4 Mason Cole

#12 Lincoln Emeott

#11 Mark Merrill

Back row:  Chris Erskine, Brian Merrill, Stephan Woodcock

Missing from photo: #10 Camren Howell