Houghton Never Stops Believing, Rallies Late to Claim 1st Finals Title Since 1982
By
Keith Dunlap
Special for MHSAA.com
March 7, 2026
PLYMOUTH — When entering the town of Houghton in recent years, there is one sign that seems to stick out more than others – at least to the Houghton High School hockey program.
“When you came into town, it said for years and years ‘State champs 1982,’” Houghton head coach Micah Stipech said, referring to the year Houghton last won an MHSAA Finals championship in ice hockey. “Now we can put a new one up.”
Indeed, as the Gremlins can finally once again call themselves Finals champions following a 5-2 triumph over Orchard Lake St. Mary’s in Saturday’s Division 3 championship game at USA Hockey Arena.
It’s difficult to fathom that one of the state’s premier programs had gone 44 years without a title, with its last championship the Class B-C-D crown in 1982.
Getting to the Final in recent years certainly wasn’t a problem for Houghton (25-6-1), as it was a runner-up in 2012, 2015 and 2019.
There just always was a downstate powerhouse it couldn’t overcome. But that wasn’t the case this time, thanks in large part to senior forward Jack Sayen.
Entering the game with 15 goals on the season, Sayen accounted for more than 25 percent of that total in the championship game, scoring four times for the Gremlins.
“I guess I was kind of in the right spot at the right time for some of them,” Sayen said. “I don’t care that I scored. I’m just happy our team won.”
Stipech said it was a slow start to the season, with his team breaking in a huge influx of underclassmen and losing six out of its first 10 games.
“We were supposed to be down,” Stipech said. “We had 10 underclassmen. It wasn’t going to be our year. We only won four out of our first 10. We’re on a three-game skid and this group right here are like ‘We got this. We just need some time, and we’re going to be all right. They still believed.”
That self-belief really came to the forefront after St. Mary’s took a 2-1 lead with 14:27 remaining on a goal by senior Dominic Pizzo, who fired a shot from between the face-off circles into the net.
Houghton got only stronger at that point, blitzing St. Mary’s with a four-goal surge over the next 10:54.
Sayen started the rally, tying the game at 2-2 when he stationed himself in front of the St. Mary’s goal, took a pass sent behind the net from senior Noah Maillette and buried the chance under the crossbar.
Sayen then gave Houghton a 3-2 lead with 11:16 remaining, charging the net and jamming the puck past the pads of the St. Mary’s goalie.
Just 1:23 later, Houghton took a 4-2 lead when senior Connor Arko took a neat pass from Maillette, skated in on the St. Mary’s goal and lifted a backhand below the cross bar.
Houghton kept the pressure on and added to its lead, going up 5-2 with 3:33 remaining when Sayen pounced on a rebound and fired the puck in.
From there, the final minutes were a happy skate for Houghton.
St. Mary’s was attempting to repeat as champion, but had to settle for a runner-up finish and a 25-5 record to close the season.
“We just got a little lax down low in front of our net,” St. Mary’s head coach Brian Klanow said. “They took advantage of some not-so-good positioning and they were able to get some shots off the line.”
Houghton opened the scoring on a power play with 12:53 remaining in the first period when Sayen charged toward a loose puck in front of the St. Mary’s goal and buried the chance underneath the crossbar to make it 1-0 Gremlins.
St. Mary’s tied the game with 1:59 remaining in the second period on a goal by junior Thaddeus Raynish, who found a loose puck to the left of the Houghton goal and placed a shot into a half-open net to make it 1-1.
PHOTOS (Top) Houghton players celebrate at the end of the Division 3 Final at USA Hockey Arena. (Middle) The Gremlins’ Noah Maillette (13) moves toward a loose puck in front of the St. Mary’s net and goalie Thomas Reeber. (Photos by Adam Sheehan/Hockey Weekly Action Photos.)
Numbers Add Up Nicely for Eisenhower
By
Tom Markowski
Special for Second Half
February 15, 2018
SHELBY TOWNSHIP – The game within the game continues to play out in boys ice hockey as coaches and communities strive to maintain competitive programs in an increasingly competitive world of high school athletics.
Utica Eisenhower is ranked No. 6 in Division 1 this season and seeking its first MHSAA championship game appearance – which would be another fine accomplishment for a program that continues to measure up with the state's best.
Bob Hall is in his 11th season as Eisenhower’s head coach, and his program has maintained a high level of competitiveness and stability throughout his time. The Eagles reached Division 1 Quarterfinals in 2013 and 2016, and last season Eisenhower lost to eventual Division 1 runner-up Detroit Catholic Central, 5-2, in a Regional Final. In 2006, Eisenhower reached the MHSAA Semifinals.
Hall, 48, spent a number of years coaching Bantam-A and Junior-A travel teams before he took over at Eisenhower. He’s seen both sides of the coin as it relates to ice hockey in Michigan. Unlike a sport such as football, high school hockey coaches must compete with travel teams for talent. Some programs succeed; some don’t.
Eisenhower is one of stronger programs in the Metro Detroit area. Despite losing a dozen seniors to graduation last spring, Hall has 25 players on varsity this season, including 12 more seniors.
“High school hockey is the best-kept secret out there,” Hall said. “There’s nothing better than to have 1,000 people yelling for you in a rink and another 500 or so rooting against you.
“Our program, it’s not that we’re developing so much. We see ourselves as the top program in Macomb County. There’s other good programs, too, like (Warren) DeLaSalle and (Macomb) Dakota. We’ve done three showcases this season. Our kids are being recruited. Unless you’re playing in the top three of four elite travel teams, high school hockey is just as competitive.”
Some Metro Detroit high school programs have not been as fortunate. Fraser and Warren Mott high schools eliminated ice hockey after last season. Fraser won the Class A title in 1983, but times change.
Harrison Township L’Anse Creuse and Macomb L’Anse Creuse North used to sponsor their own programs. Now they compete as a unified team. The same can be said of St. Clair Shores Lake Shore and St. Clair Shores Lakeview. Large Class A schools like Sterling Heights Stevenson and Utica Ford no longer sponsor the sport.
The county has been impacted by these changes, and Hall is a bit taken aback by it.
Eisenhower is one of four members of the Macomb Area Conference Red, with Dakota, Romeo and St. Clair Shores Unified. The Eagles (15-3-2 overall, 5-0 MAC Red) will host Dakota (13-8, 4-1) on Saturday in what amounts to a game for the division title.
“Back In the day we had six or seven in the Red,” Hall said. “The more schools we get involved, the better. We want good hockey. There are good hockey players in this area.”
And Eisenhower is fortunate to have a number of fine players. Among the top seniors are centers Luke Geiger, Salvo Cipriano and Michael Acorn, and winger Matt Haist. All played on the team last season and have embraced their roles as leaders and role models for the younger players.
In goal Eisenhower has two sophomores, Salvatore Carabelli and Alex Guzdziol. Carabelli has logged the majority of playing time and sports a 13-3-2 record.
This is Haist’s second season with Eisenhower. Previously, he played for the Oakland Junior Grizzlies. He said that the time was right for him to make the switch after his sophomore year.
Statistically, Haist is the team leader in points (53) and goals (37). Next is Jacob Latorella and Geiger each with 24 points.
“Coach Hall is a great coach,” Haist said. “(Playing at Eisenhower) has lived up to all my expectations. Generally, players don’t think high school hockey is that competitive. I don’t agree. There are a lot of good players. High school hockey has more of a demanding schedule. Yeah, we do play less games, but we practice so much more. In travel you might practice two or three times a week. Here we practice five days a week. The more time on the ice makes you better. It also makes you better conditioned.”
Haist said this team is good enough to make a long run in the tournament. He even said a Division 1 championship is not out of the question.
Hall won’t go that far. It’s not that he doesn’t think his team can win it all. It’s just that he won’t allow himself to look past the Regionals.
Eisenhower begins Pre-Regional play against Rochester Adams on Feb. 26 at Detroit Skating Club.
“We have talent,” he said. “Are we the most talented? No. This team gets along well. They bring their lunch box every day. They want to get better. They want to learn. And when they apply what we’re teaching, they’re a pretty good team.”
Tom Markowski is a columnist and directs website coverage for the State Champs! Sports Network. He previously covered primarily high school sports for the The Detroit News from 1984-2014, focusing on the Detroit area and contributing to statewide coverage of football and basketball. Contact him at [email protected] with story ideas for Oakland, Macomb and Wayne counties.
PHOTOS: (Top) Utica Eisenhower players gather during a break in their 5-1 win over Traverse City West on Jan. 12. (Middle) Goaltender Salvatore Carabelli makes a save against Romeo. (Below) Senior Matt Haist starts a rush at Romeo’s net. (Photos by Lena Carabelli.)