Click on the image above to see MiHockey's photo gallery from the title game. (Photo by Andrew Knapik/MiHockey)

Brother Rice claims D2 state title Saturday morning at Compuware Arena

Click on the image above to see MiHockey's photo gallery from the title game. (Photo by Andrew Knapik/MiHockey)
Click on the image above to see MiHockey’s photo gallery from the title game. (Photo by Andrew Knapik/MiHockey)

 

By Matt Mackinder –

PLYMOUTH – Nicholas Macina was way out of his position in the Brother Rice crease and Livonia Stevenson had a wide-open net.

William Vanderveen came diving across to save a sure goal and keep the Warriors up 3-2 late in the second period Saturday morning in the Division 2 high school state championship game at Compuware Arena.

That play was a momentum-changer and after Brendan Pyc scored his second of the game minutes later, Brother Rice finished it off in the third period to win 6-3 and take its first state title since 2012.

The second period saw five goals scored between the two teams, with Brother Rice getting three and Stevenson two.

“There was a lot of momentum shifting in that second period,” said Warriors’ coach Lou Schmidt. “We started out with a one-goal lead, then made it two and then all of a sudden, it’s tied. We played pretty well on the power play, so that was good for us, too.

“This was a grind for us. Hockey’s not an easy sport to do every day.”

Nick Bowman put Brother Rice up 1-0 after one and then Joey Vassallo made it 2-0 just 53 seconds into the second.

Alex Allen and Joe Alcantara scored less than two minutes apart midway through the second before Pyc took over with his two goals.

Stevenson’s Vince Glenn brought it to 4-3 at 1:40 of the second, but Nick Rosa’s insurance goal made it 5-3 at 8:02.

Rosa was a member of the 2012 state championship team and said his four years in a Warriors’ uniform have been “such a journey.”

“I got pulled up my freshman year and I got to witness them win a state championship and to see how great of a feeling it was, how special it was,” explained Rosa. “Right there, that moment, I made it my goal to win a state championship before I left after my senior year.”

Macina finished with 18 saves and Cullen Barber made 20 for the Spartans.

For Stevenson, state champs back in 2013, coach David Mitchell said he couldn’t be more proud of what his team accomplished this season, which ironically enough, started with a 4-3 overtime loss to, who else, Brother Rice back in November.

“I don’t know that we ever got into a flow that we wanted,” said Mitchell. “Give Rice all the credit, though, for creating all that inconsistency. Their power play is special and they have some high-end guys in Rosa and (Matt) Manning that swarm the puck and we knew that. I’m so proud of our guys for not letting it get away when it was 2-0. Like we’ve done all year, we answered back and made a game of it.”

Manning broke his collarbone in a preseason scrimmage and after surgery, returned to the ice five weeks later and never missed a beat.

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” Schmidt said. “I mean, he broke it in half and he has a plate and seven screws and back in five weeks. It’s just awesome.”

Mitchell tried to get Barber to the bench for an extra attacker late in the third, but sustained pressure by the Warriors didn’t allow that to happen until there was 28 seconds left on the clock.

Jack Dansbury added the empty-netter at 16:20.

“Every day, our team, we worked so hard,” said Rosa.

“And we got what we wanted,” added Manning.