After a loss to a strong Chelsea team and a disappointing loss to Fenton/Linden in overtime, the Skyline hockey team finally skated one into the win column with an easy 10-0 victory over Grosse Pointe North.
Skyline dominated Grosse Pointe North on Jan. 11 from the opening faceoff and scored an easy 10-0 win in a mercy-rule shortened game.
The Eagles were led by Elias Kirschenmann (getting his third start of the season in goal and securing his first career shutout), Landon Wilkerson (scoring his first career goal on a beautiful end-to-end play) and seniors Max Stevens, Aidan Moran, Graham Newton, and Shane Roberts, who all scored two goals in the win. Moran and Stevens each added an assist for three point nights and Roberts had two assists for a four point evening. Colin Barnes had a goal and an assist.
On Jan. 9, Fenton/Linden took a quick 2-0 lead before the Eagles finally found their wings. The quick lead sparked the Grizzlies and they continued to find offensive opportunities throughout the first period as Skyline struggled to gain any kind of momentum. Fortunately, Skyline goalie Bennie Billings stood strong in net and kept the visitors off the scoreboard until the third period.
Early in the second period, Skyline’s Eric Van Alstine found the back of the net on an Eagle power play. But the Eagles were not able to gain much momentum and the second period ended with Fenton/Linden ahead 2-1.
In the third period, Fenton /Linden built their lead to 3-1 on a beautiful shot on the power play that Billings had no chance to save. However, going down by two goals seemed to finally spark the Eagles and goals by Newton and Roberts tied the game sending it to overtime.
Unfortunately, the lackluster play on both ends of the ice that defined most of the game returned in overtime and Fenton/Linden won the game scoring the winning goal after a Skyline turnover in their own zone to complete the disappointing evening for Skyline.
On Jan. 6, Skyline lost to Chelsea 6-2.
Chelsea took an early lead in the first period but Skyline quickly responded with a goal by Nick Stauffer to tie the game at one. Billings played a strong period in net and the score remained tied after the first 17 minutes.
In the second period, the Chelsea team began to dominate the Eagles physically and seemed to throw Skyline off their game. Chelsea knotted two early goals in the period to take a 3-1 lead. Billings continued to make timely saves and midway through the period, senior captain Newton created a turnover in the neutral zone and brought the puck just over the Chelsea blue line where he let go of an absolute rocket that easily beat the Chelsea goalie. Newton, the team’s leading scorer, has had a number of beautiful goals this season, but that shot may have been his best yet.
Unfortunately, while the third period started with the score just 3-2, Chelsea continued to frustrate the Eagles with their physical play and ultimately pulled away.
The Eagles host Jackson United on Tuesday.
