Live from the MCRHL Regional Championships

Starting the afternoon session, we had our first Division III match-up of the day, pitting Michigan State White against Grand Valley State. The game started out looking like Grand Valley State might run away with it, netting two goals a mere twenty seconds apart halfway through the first period. Michigan State, however, was not going to go down without a fight, put one on the board in the second. Michigan State continued the push in the third, seeing Joe Burke tie the game at three in what would send the game to our first overtime of the weekend. Although both teams put up valiant efforts in the overtime, it was Garret Polish who would notch the game-winning, powerplay goal at the 10:28 mark of the first overtime.

Miami (OH), looking to continue their winning ways on the weekend, took on 2-seeded Grand Valley State in a hard-fought Division I game. Continue they did as Kevin Putnam posted a hat trick, his second of the weekend, to lead Miami to a 5-1 victory, pushing them one game closer to the Division I Championship Game.

Michigan State's Division I team then took on Michigan in their battle for advancement.  Michigan State came out looking to make a statement that their number one seed was no fluke, and they started quickly against Michigan.  Chase Kallen, Mac Burkhard and Austin Sansom notched first period goals to get them out to a lead they would not relinquish. After putting up two more goals halfway through the second, Michigan finally put one on the board, but by then, Michigan State was rolling, and despite giving up two more, Michigan State cruised to victory, 8-3.

In Division II action, we saw our first game to place a team in the championship pitting #1 Seed Western Michigan taking on #2 Seed Akron.  In a very hard fought game, seeing both sides battling every second of the way, it was Joey Nahay with a hat trick who put the game in Akron's favor to stay early in the third period. However, Western Michigan wasn't going to go down without a fight, and after bringing the game within one with 5:25 left in the third on a goal from Evan Zack. Despite some late pressure, resulting in Western nearly doubling Akron's shot total in the third period, Western could not get the game-tying goal they needed and lost 4-3.

In the second match-up of the Division III series to determine Michigan State Green's Championship opponent, the battle between Michigan State White and Grand Valley State went very differently than the first meeting.  The first period was a scoreless, low-shot total battle that gave no indication of what was to come in the second and third periods.  Grand Valley would open up the scoring on a Brian Makowski goal only 1:16 into the second frame on the way to a 3-1 second period lead. It was the third period where Grand Valley distanced themselves from their opponents as they would add four more (including a hat trick by Derek Reid), cruising to a 7-1 victory and the second spot in the Championship.

Finally was our second Division I elimination game with Michigan and Ohio State battling for their tournament lives.  In what was a very one-sided affair, seeing goaltender Nate Montgomery facing 39 shots, Michigan ran away with this game with Eric Johnson and Matthew Wells each getting two goals on their way to a 6-0 victory, advancing them to our 9 pm game against Grand Valley.