'TBF' Backstopping Bay Reps' Title Hopes as Exciting Future Takes Shape
By
Tom Spencer
Special for MHSAA.com
February 27, 2026
Tyler Boynton-Fischer knows his high school ice hockey career could end any day now.
He also knows, or at least hopes, his playing days are far from over. Many, including his coaches, believe he’ll play at the next level and just maybe in the National Hockey League.
Boynton-Fisher is the record-setting goalie for the Bay Area Reps, a hockey co-op hosted by Traverse City St. Francis that includes athletes from Charlevoix, Elk Rapids, Kalkaska, Kingsley, Lake Leelanau St. Mary, Mancelona and Suttons Bay. He’s a senior at Traverse City St. Francis, and he finds himself in a familiar position.
The Reps are in the Quarterfinal for the second time over three years with Boynton-Fisher as their starting goalie. They advanced to the Regional Finals last season with Boynton-Fischer in net and his older brother Thomas, a senior then, and Grant Lucius leading an explosive attack.
Regardless of what happens when they take on Freeland on Saturday in Gaylord, the 6-foot-2 and growing goalie should play on. He’s been dreaming of playing in the NHL as far back as he can remember – and maybe longer.
“If I can, playing in the NHL would be really cool,” Fisher-Boynton said. “I am just excited to see what I can do and see what level I can play at.”
The dream could have begun as an infant when he was literally placed in the Stanley Cup as it visited Traverse City in 2008. From a photo, it almost looks like he was dreaming about making a kick save.
And while scientists continue to debate exactly when children start dreaming, Boynton-Fisher’s started in or before he was in first grade. His first-grade teacher, Kim Tumey, and his mother, Alysia Boynton-Fischer, recall having a follow-up discussion on a lesson at Willow Hill Elementary School in Traverse City.
Fisher-Boynton declared to his entire classroom he was going to play in the National Hockey League. Tumey, now retired, said the declaration was in response to how the students thought they could make money when they’re older. Tumey recalled further questioning Boynton-Fisher, and he said his mom would provide financially for him if he didn’t.
Boynton-Fisher is already making arrangements to play juniors – competitive amateur level for players aged 16–21 (but primarily 18–19) designed to develop skills for college and or professional hockey. His older brother Thomas went on to play for the juniors team in Saskatchewan after setting the Reps’ single-season assists record at 38 and finishing his high school career high on the Reps’ all-time career assists and scoring lists.
Their cousin, Dyson Drake, is playing juniors right now in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League. Drake is the son Dallas Drake, a member of the 2008 Stanley Cup-winning Detroit Red Wings. Fisher-Boynton often gets ice time with his uncle and cousin.
The former Red Wing was the first to hoist the cup on the ice, and he brought it to his Traverse City residence late that summer. He believes Boynton-Fischer has what it takes to play at the next level. The family and doctors believe the senior is still growing, giving him even more puck stopping capabilities.
“Tyler’s very athletic, and he's had a great high school career,” Dallas Drake said. “I know he wants to move on. I'm looking forward to see what he does.”
Drake is quick to point out Boynton-Fisher and his entire family has had to overcome challenges to get to today.
“We had a big loss in the family with his dad passing away,” Drake acknowledged. “He's gone through a lot in the last four or five years, and he's obviously adjusted very well, and he's a great kid. He works hard.”
Boynton-Fisher’s father Toby died unexpectedly before he started high school, causing him to step away from hockey briefly. He returned to the game with his brother knowing their father would want it that way.
“Everything was perfect – I was playing hockey, having so much fun. … We were in the summertime, and then he passed away,” Boynton-Fisher recalled. “It’s pretty traumatic when you realize you're not going to have a dad.”
Keeping the brothers playing hockey, and his sister Izzy in travel volleyball, has been a priority and a challenge for his mother.
“My number one goal after Toby passed away was to make sure that the trajectory of the kids’ sports wouldn’t change – Toby would hate that more than anything,” Alysia Fisher-Boynton said. “I could have never done that without all the help and love we received from all of our sports families.”
The loss led to Boynton-Fisher’s life motto.
“Through some rough things you can still have fun and live life to the fullest,” he explained. “(Dad) was a good guy, always was having fun joking around. If he wanted us to be happy, why would we just grieve him all the time when you can laugh instead of crying?”
Boynton-Fisher – who earned Division 3 all-state honorable mention last season – is known as “TBF” by many. He’s taken the nickname in honor of his father’s initials. Toby was the owner and operator of the Traverse City Golf Center. He also was known for his sense of humor.
Today, TBF’s coaches describe him as a pretty loose, easy-going kid loved by his teammates. They are quick to add he has prototypical goalie build features – long arms and legs – with incredible hand-eye coordination.
Competitiveness is his major strength, along with his demeanor and character. His coaches believe he’s the best Division 3 goalie in Michigan. Continuing the Reps’ run will bring Boynton-Fisher much deserved recognition, they say.
“His best quality is just his competitiveness, and he's very athletic too,” pointed out Reps coach Mike Matteucci, who also played in the NHL and was on the 1994 NCAA national champion Lake Superior State hockey team. “He loves the heat of the moment. He's just a very fiery, competitive person who wants to win.”
Matteucci grew up in the same area of British Columba as Drake and played against Drake as well. He too believes TBF can play professional hockey someday.
“It takes being in a situation where everybody's doing well and you get noticed,” he said. “He's durable, and I think he does have a good opportunity to continue to play with the attitude that he has and not getting too rattled in that spot.”
Fisher-Boynton leads Division 3 goalies in most stat categories. He’s top in goals-against average at 1.22, save percentage at .929, and shoutouts with six. He’s the Reps career shutout record-holder and the winningest goalie in the co-op’s history.
He’d like to add a Finals championship too.
TBF is a captain, rare for a goalie in Reps history. He owns the program record for most wins for a career, now at 38, the career shutout record of 12 and the single-season shutout records of five.
Really, the only program record he doesn’t own is for wins in a season. He had 16 his sophomore year, which is second all-time.
Boynton-Fischer and his older brother Thomas were both selected as Rookie of the Year by the Reps’ coaching staff after their respective first years in the program, and their names are stacked on the plaque.
Longtime assistant coach and former Reps head coach Ryan Fedorinchik recalls vividly the first time TBF was exposed to high school hockey. His new teammates, led by Thomas, gave him a quick orientation during a summertime skate.
They pretty much scored at will that day, but never again. It didn’t take long for Fedorinchik to believe the Reps had a top-notch goalie.
“I didn't know to what level Tyler's competitive nature was, and once the season started, it became immediately apparent that he was not only incredibly athletic, but extremely competitive,” Fedorinchik said. Fast forward to the end of the season and we go to the final four, and Tyler had a great year.”
Matteucci is hoping the Reps continue to improve with their record-setting goalie. Marquette, Houghton, Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett, East Grand Rapids, Orchard Lake St. Mary’s and Dearborn Divine Child are the other Division 3 quarterfinalists.
“As a coaching staff we like to talk about improvement and putting us in a situation where at the end of the year we've improved, and we have a chance,” Matteucci asserted. “If we're playing like we can, we have an opportunity for sure.”
The Reps are 15-12-1 on the season, coming off a 3-1 win over Petoskey in the Regional Final. Colton Davidson, Thatcher Beaudoin and Madden Pateman all scored against Petoskey. Picking up two assists was Chase Kent, while Luke Schulte, Jake Ingersoll and Nolan Ziecina each had one helper.
Boynton-Fisher stopped 22 shots in the Regional Final.
Tom Spencer is a longtime MHSAA-registered basketball and soccer official, and former softball and baseball official, and he also has coached in the northern Lower Peninsula area. He previously has written for the Saginaw News, Bay County Sports Page and Midland Daily News. He can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Manistee, Wexford, Missaukee, Roscommon, Ogemaw, Iosco, Alcona, Oscoda, Crawford, Kalkaska, Grand Traverse, Benzie, Leelanau, Antrim, Otsego, Montmorency, Alpena, Presque Isle, Cheboygan, Charlevoix and Emmet counties.
PHOTOS (Top) Traverse Bay Reps goalie Tyler Boynton-Fischer guards his team’s net during a game this season. (Middle) Boynton-Fischer “kick-saves” in the Stanley Cup in 2008. (Below) Boynton-Fischer stands tall for the Reps, who have advanced to a Saturday Quarterfinal. (Action shot courtesy of the Traverse City Record-Eagle. Other photos are courtesy of the Boynton-Fischer family.)
Preview: Old Favorites, New Hopefuls
March 8, 2018
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
This weekend’s MHSAA Hockey Finals should provide an intriguing blend of familiar and new for fans packing Plymouth’s USA Hockey Arena.
Reigning champions Brighton and Birmingham Brother Rice are back in Divisions 1 and 2, respectively, with the Bulldogs and Detroit Catholic Central meeting in a Semifinal rematch of last year’s championship game.
On the other side of Division 1, however, Saginaw Heritage and Traverse City West will meet with the victor earning its first appearance in an MHSAA title game in this sport. They are two of six teams this weekend seeking their first Hockey Finals championship.
The pairings are as follows:
Division 2 – Thursday
Hartland (22-6-1) vs Forest Hills Northern/Eastern (18-10-1), 5 p.m.
Trenton (19-8-2) vs Birmingham Brother Rice (17-12-1), 7:30 p.m.
Division 3 - Friday
Riverview Gabriel Richard (18-11) vs Livonia Churchill (15-11-3), 11 a.m.
Hancock (23-6) vs Detroit Country Day (26-2-1), 1:30 p.m.
Division 1 – Friday
Saginaw Heritage (21-4-3) vs Traverse City West (17-9-3), 5 p.m.
Detroit Catholic Central (25-3-1) vs Brighton (22-6-1), 7:30 p.m.
FINALS – Saturday
Division 2 - 10 a.m.
Division 3 - 2 p.m.
Division 1 - 6 p.m.
All Semifinals and Finals will be viewable live per subscription basis on MHSAA.tv, with live audio available on MHSAANetwork.com.
Click for a full schedule of this weekend's games plus full results as they come in. Player statistics below are through the Regional round.
Division 1
BRIGHTON
Record/rank: 22-6-1, No. 3
Championship history: Four MHSAA titles (most recent 2017), two runner-up finishes.
Coach: Paul Moggach, 23rd season (435-150-17)
League finish: Second in Kensington Lakes Activities Association Gold.
Best wins: 3-1 (Regional Final) and 3-2 over No. 2 Orchard Lake St. Mary’s, 5-4 over No. 6 Utica Eisenhower, 5-3 over No. 8 Detroit U-D Jesuit, 7-2 over No. 10 Salem, 3-2 over Division 2 No. 1 Livonia Stevenson, 2-0 over Division 2 No. 4 Birmingham Brother Rice, 3-2 over Division 2 No. 2 Plymouth, 3-2 over Division 3 No. 1 Hancock.
Players to watch: Tim Erkkila, sr. D (6 goals, 28 assists); Adam Conquest, sr. F (24 goals, 16 assists); Mathew Kahra, sr. F (19 goals, 20 assists); Will Jentz, soph. F (11 goals, 20 assists).
Outlook: Brighton will be up to six Semifinals in seven seasons and has played in three of the last four championship games, finishing runner-up to Detroit Catholic Central in 2014 and 2016. Those two see each other in the Semifinal this time, and Brighton is one of few that gave the Shamrocks a game losing their Dec. 16 meeting 3-0. Erkkila made the all-state first team last season and Conquest was among the top scorers last year as well. Sam Brennan (19 G/28 A) is another offensive threat from the defense, and senior Robert Pegrum and junior Harrison Fleming have combined to give up only 48 goals while seeing nearly 90 percent of the action in net.
DETROIT CATHOLIC CENTRAL
Record/rank: 25-3-1, No. 1
Championship history: 13 MHSAA titles (most recent 2016), five runner-up finishes.
Coach: Brandon Kaleniecki, third season (68-16-2)
League finish: First in Michigan Interscholastic Hockey League North.
Best wins: 7-0 (Quarterfinal), 6-3 and 5-1 over No. 5 Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood; 2-0, 7-2 and 6-5 over No. 2 Orchard Lake St. Mary’s; 8-0 over No. 10 Salem in Pre-Regional Final, 6-2 over No. 8 Detroit U-D Jesuit, 7-2 over No. 4 Grandville, 3-0 over No. 3 Brighton, 6-1 and 4-2 over Division 2 No. 5 Trenton, 4-1 and 3-2 over Division 2 No. 4 Birmingham Brother Rice, 8-0 over Division 2 No. 3 Hartland, 2-0 over Division 2 No. 1 Livonia Stevenson.
Players to watch: Brendan West, sr. F (21 goals, 38 assists); Dylan Montie, sr. F (17 goals, 30 assists); Joe Borthwick, jr. D (6 goals, 24 assists); Jared Lee, sr. F (15 goals, 21 assists).
Outlook: After finishing runner-up to Brighton a year ago, DCC is seeking to add a fourth Division 1 title in five seasons. The Shamrocks’ three losses all came to Indiana power Culver Academy. DCC hasn’t given up a goal in its last six games, and junior goalies Zach Allan and Steven Slava have combined for 13 shutouts total. West made the all-state first team last season and is one of seven players who had at least 10 goals entering this week. Juniors Mitch Morris (16 G/13 A), Rylan Clemons (9 G/16 A), Zach Borchardt (12 G/8 A), and Carter Korpi (11 G/8 A) and sophomore Kyle Gaffney (10 G/10 A) are among other scoring threats, while junior Brendan Hill (5 G/10 A) and sophomore Brendan Miles (4 G/14 A) are among other offensively-productive blueliners.
SAGINAW HERITAGE
Record/rank: 21-4-3, No. 7
Championship history: Has never appeared in an MHSAA Final.
Coach: J.J. Bamberger, 10th season (175-83-10)
League finish: Second in Saginaw Valley League.
Best wins: 7-5 over No. 10 Salem, 3-0 over Traverse City West, 5-1 over Division 2 No. 10 Grand Rapids Christian, 5-0 over Division 3 No. 6 Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett, 4-1 over Division 3 No. 10 Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central.
Players to watch: Parker Severson, jr. F (23 goals, 21 assists); Brady Rappuhn, soph. F (18 goals, 30 assists); David Helpap, jr. F (21 goals, 25 assists); Jacob Best, jr. F (17 goals, 22 assists).
Outlook: Heritage has won Regional titles four of the last five seasons and is back at the Semifinals for the first time since 2012-13 when it was in Division 2. The Hawks have outscored their four playoffs opponents by a combined 29-4. Sophomore forward Matt Cole (6 G/13 assists) and junior forward Eddie Symons (14 G/24 A) also add to the attack. Heritage should be excited for next season as well as its top six scorers and three goalies are either juniors or sophomores – the team has only three seniors and only one on defense.
TRAVERSE CITY WEST
Record/rank: 17-9-3, unranked
Championship history: Has never appeared in an MHSAA Final.
Coach: Jeremy Rintala, 11th season (152-122-12)
League finish: First in Big North Conference.
Best wins: 1-0 over Holland West Ottawa in the Quarterfinal, 8-3 over Traverse City Central, 2-1 over Division 2 No. 7 Marquette, 3-2 over Division 3 No. 5 Warren DeLaSalle.
Players to watch: Mark Alekseykov, sr. F (22 goals, 28 assists); Sam Tirrell, sr. D (9 goals, 16 assists); Zach VanAntwerp, sr. F (21 goals, 17 assists); Evan Wilson, sr. F (10 goals, 18 assists).
Outlook: A team with 11 seniors conquered its first Quarterfinal since 2015 to make its first Semifinal since 2010. West is 8-2-1 over its last 11 games and familiar with its Semifinal opponent, losing to Heritage early but then tying the Hawks in the regular-season finale. Senior Elliott Sitkins carries a 2.51 goals-against average and has played about 75 percent of the time, and forward Joel Cerny (8 G/11 assists) is another senior among team scoring leaders.
Division 2
BIRMINGHAM BROTHER RICE
Record/rank: 17-12-1, No. 4
Championship history: Five MHSAA titles (most recent 2017), two runner-up finishes.
Coach: Kenny Chaput, second season (41-16-2)
League finish: Third in MIHL North.
Best wins: 3-2 (2OT) over No. 8 Davison in Quarterfinal, 4-1 over No. 3 Hartland, 3-1 over No. 5 Trenton, 4-3 over No. 2 Plymouth, 5-2 over Division 1 No. 8 Detroit U-D Jesuit, 5-2 over Division 1 No. 5 Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood, 6-1 over Division 3 No. 5 Warren DeLaSalle.
Players to watch: Ethan Nystrom, jr. D (14 goals, 19 assists); Dominic DiPonio, sr. F/D (14 goals, 16 assists); Nick Marone, soph. F (7 goals, 17 assists); Garrett Moore, sr. F (10 goals, 11 assists).
Outlook: Brother Rice has won nine of its last 12 games to push back over .500 and all the way to the Semifinals. The Warriors started 2-6 but have since avenged one of those defeats, to tonight’s opponent Trenton. Nystrom earned an all-state honorable mention last season and is one of a number of offensive threats. Juniors Luke Kafati (7 G/14 A), Keaton Vogel (8 G/12 A) and Chris Andoni (8 G/11 A) all had at least 19 points entering the week.
GRAND RAPIDS FOREST HILLS NORTHERN/EASTERN
Record/rank: 18-10-1, No. 9
Championship history: Division 2 runner-up 2017.
Coach: Tom Bissett, seventh season (107-79-12)
League finish: First in O-K Conference Tier 2.
Best wins: 6-2 (Regional Final), 3-2 and 4-1 over No. 10 Grand Rapids Christian, 6-2 and 4-3 over Division 3 No. 10 Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central, 1-0 over Division 1 No. 9 Northville.
Players to watch: Joshua Boverhof, sr. D (8 goals, 29 assists); Gabriel Gunneson, jr. F (17 goals, 16 assists); Ian Famulak, sr. F (14 goals, 36 assists); Nathan Nickelson, sr. F (26 goals, 25 assists).
Outlook: Northern/Eastern continues to build and will now make its third straight Semifinal appearance after advancing to the championship game last season for the first time. The team is riding an eight-game winning streak and scored five or more goals in seven of those victories – a great finish after a 4-6 start. Boverhof made the all-state first team last season, and Famulak and Nickelson both made the second team. Senior Joel Brandinger (9 G/26 A) also continues to be a key offensive cog.
HARTLAND
Record/rank: 22-6-1, No. 3
Championship history: Division 2 runner-up 2013 and 2014.
Coach: Rick Gadwa, seventh season (144-49-10)
League finish: First in KLAA Gold.
Best wins: 6-5 over No. 1 Livonia Stevenson, 3-2 over No. 5 Trenton, 6-4 over Division 1 No. 7 Saginaw Heritage, 2-1 over Division 1 No. 8 Detroit U-D Jesuit, 4-3 over Division 1 No. 2 Orchard Lake St. Mary, 2-1 and 4-2 over Division 1 No. 3 Brighton, 5-3 over Division 1 No. 10 Salem, 2-1 over Division 3 No. 1 Hancock.
Players to watch: Jake Behnke, sr. F (22 goals, 16 assists); Brendan Tulpa, jr. F (22 goals, 16 assists); Josh Albring, sr. F (7 goals, 32 assists); Joey Larson, jr. F (19 goals, 18 assists).
Outlook: Hartland has reached the Semifinals five of the last six seasons and this time despite a couple of tough losses before the start of the playoffs. The Eagles quickly bounced back with plenty of firepower. Albring made the all-state Dream Team last season (and has more than 100 points combined over the last two), with Behnke earning a Division 2 honorable mention and junior Gabe Anderson adding another 12 goals to those mentioned above. In addition to the notable wins above, Hartland also downed Division 3 No. 3 Houghton and No. 8 Grand Rapids Catholic Central this winter.
TRENTON
Record/rank: 19-8-2, No. 5
Championship history: Fourteen MHSAA titles (most recent 2014), six runner-up finishes.
Coach: Chad Clements, fourth season (65-42-5)
League finish: First in MIHL South.
Best wins: 3-1 over No. 1 Livonia Stevenson in Quarterfinal, 4-0 over No. 6 Saline in Pre-Regional Final, 2-1 over No. 2 Plymouth, 4-1 over No. 4 Birmingham Brother Rice, 4-2 and 4-1 over Division 1 No. 8 Detroit U-D Jesuit, 6-4 over Division 1 No. 10 Salem, 3-2 over Division 3 No. 5 Warren DeLaSalle.
Players to watch: Nolan Szczepaniak, jr. F (16 goals, 12 assists); Drew Welsch, sr. F (32 goals, 20 assists); Cam Blanton, jr. D (8 goals, 15 assists); Joey Cormier, soph. G (1.70 GAA, 9 shutouts).
Outlook: After a first-round tournament exit a year ago, Trenton is back among the final teams playing for the first time since that championship season of 2013-14. Stevenson in the Quarterfinal, with one goal, was the only team to score on Trenton over four postseason games. Ten players total have at least 15 points, with junior Devin Dunn (9 G/17 A) and senior Patrick Bazner (8 G/12 A) also topping 20 heading into the week.
Division 3
DETROIT COUNTRY DAY
Record/rank: 26-2-1, No. 4
Championship history: Class B-C-D champion 1981, two runner-up finishes.
Coach: Frank Novock, seventh season (131-52-8)
League finish: First in Michigan Metro Hockey League East.
Best wins: 3-2 OT over No. 8 Grand Rapids Catholic Central in Quarterfinal, 2-0 over No. 7 Flint Powers Catholic in Regional Final, 4-1 over No. 6 Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett, 7-2 and 3-1 over Riverview Gabriel Richard, 1-0 over Division 1 No. 6 Utica Eisenhower.
Players to watch: Lucas Krol, freshman F (17 goals, 10 assists), Tim Stebbins, sr. F (18 goals, 8 assists), Harrison Dunbar, sr. F (13 goals, 12 assists), Sam Evola, jr. G (0.97 GAA, 7 shutouts).
Outlook: After losses in two straight Quarterfinals, Country Day is returning to the Semifinal for the first time since its most recent runner-up season of 1988-89. The Yellowjackets haven’t lost since Dec. 16, and avenged that most recent defeat to University Liggett two months later. Ten players entered the week with at least 10 points this season; senior forward Carter Elrod (8 goals, 13 assists) was another of four with at least 20.
HANCOCK
Record/rank: 23-6, No. 1
Championship history: Two MHSAA titles (most recent 2016), two runner-up finishes.
Coach: Dan Rouleau, 14th season (247-120-9)
League finish: First in Great Lakes Hockey Conference.
Best wins: 4-0 (Regional Final), 3-1, 5-4, 4-3 and 8-5 over No. 2 Calumet; 3-2 (Pre-Regional Semifinal) and 4-2 over No. 3 Houghton, 5-2 and 2-1 over Division 2 No. 7 Marquette, 6-4 over Division 2 No. 4 Birmingham Brother Rice.
Players to watch: Alex Nordstrom, jr. F (38 goals, 33 assists); Teddy Randell, sr. F (27 goals, 32 assists); Austin Salani, fr. F (19 goals, 25 assists); Dawson Kero, sr. G (2.12 GAA, 4 shutouts).
Outlook: The top three ranked teams in Division 3 all hail from the Keweenaw Peninsula, so emerging from that group is an accomplishment in itself for Hancock – and after falling to Calumet in a first-round game a year ago. The Bulldogs have seen plenty of downstate competition too, also taking one-goal losses to Hartland, Brighton, Orchard Lake St. Mary’s and Plymouth during the regular season. Nordstrom and Kero made the all-state first team last season and Randell made the second. Kero remains outstanding in net, and Hancock can strike in a number of ways. Four more players had 19 or more points entering the week – sophomore forwards Colton Salani (15 G/28 A) and Petr Anderson (7 G/13 A) and junior forwards Bryce Randell (9 G/10 A) and Trevor Tchida (15 G/10 A).
LIVONIA CHURCHILL
Record/rank: 15-11-3, No. 9
Championship history: Has not appeared in an MHSAA Final.
Coach: Jason Reynolds, sixth season (83-71-11)
League finish: Third in KLAA Black.
Best wins: 3-0 over No. 6 Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett in Quarterfinal, 4-3 over Allen Park in Regional Final, 3-2 over Division 1 No. 10 Salem.
Players to watch: Josh Friend, sr. F (21 goals, 14 assists); Carter Swider, sr. F (12 goals, 17 assists); Zack Vendittelli, jr. F (12 goals, 16 assists); Seth Kucharczyk, sr. D (10 goals, 15 assists).
Outlook: Churchill missed the Semifinals with an overtime Quarterfinal loss in Division 2 last season, but broke through to the final weekend for the first time this winter now in Division 3. Playing as one of the smallest schools in the KLAA, Churchill saw a number of contenders in Divisions 1 and 2 during the regular season and tied Hartland and also Division 2 No. 7 Marquette. Seniors Conor Burnette (9 G/14 A) and Adam Sinclair (8 G/6 A) are among additional offensive options.
RIVERVIEW GABRIEL RICHARD
Record/rank: 18-11, unranked
Championship history: Two MHSAA runner-up finishes (most recent 2003).
Coach: Rick Desana, 13th season (172-151-14)
League finishes: Tied for second in Detroit Catholic League Division 1 Group B, fifth in Michigan Metro Hockey League East.
Best wins: 1-0 over No. 5 Warren DeLaSalle, 7-5 over Chelsea in Quarterfinal, 1-0 (Regional Final) and 6-4 over Brownstown Woodhaven.
Players to watch: Josh Wiseman, jr. F (19 goals, 17 assists); Chance Desana, jr. F (8 goals, 15 assists); Nathan Vazquez, soph. F (16 goals, 7 assists); Jake Emery, soph. D (4 goals, 15 assists).
Outlook: Gabriel Richard narrowly missed making the Semifinals in 2010 and 2014, but returns this weekend for the first time since the runner-up season of 2002-03. This run is especially impressive as the Pioneers finished 8-18-2 a year ago, but despite taking losses saw some of the Catholic League’s best during this regular season and were well prepared for the playoffs. They could be building for a big 2018-19 as well – of 20 players, only five are seniors.
PHOTO: Detroit Catholic Central goalie Zach Allan turns away a shot against Orchard Lake St. Mary's this season. (Photo by Hockey Weekly Action Photo.)