Hockey: Chemics come from behind to beat Hawks

by Cory Butzin

The Midland High varsity hockey team used a solid defensive performance to battle back from a 2-0 first-period deficit Wednesday as the Chemics came back to beat visiting Saginaw Heritage 4-2 at Midland Civic Arena.

“I thought we kind of gave them a couple easy ones in the first period,” said Midland coach Jeff Brown. “And I was glad to get that one back.”

Midland’s skaters came out of the gate flying, hustling to every loose puck and finishing their checks to control the tempo for most of the first period. Unfortunately for Midland, the Hawks didn’t need to control it for long to make an impact.

Midway through the period, a tripping penalty put the Chemics a man down and Heritage wasted no time making them pay. Justin Glance scored six seconds into the power play to give the Hawks a 1-0 lead. Charles Warner and Kyle O’Connor assisted on the score.

Heritage added to its lead five minutes later when Justin Lacy’s slap shot found its way into the back of the net to move the score to 2-0.

“I was thinking ‘here we go, the first game all over again’,” said Brown, whose team was defeated by the Hawks earlier in the season . “We were carrying the play, but they were getting a couple opportunities and capitalizing.”

Those opportunities seemed to wake up the Chemics, though.

With 1:09 remaining in the first, a Heritage penalty put Midland on the power play, and twenty seconds later Garett Curtis and Wes Lacourt assisted on a Nate Scurfield goal to put the Chemics on the board.

Midland outshot Heritage 13-4 in the first period, but still found itself trailing going into the second.

The Chemics continued to dominate the shots on goal in the second period, and it finally paid off. Less than two minutes into the second, Curtis added a goal of his own to tie the score at 2-2. Scurfield and Scott Mitchell were credited with the assists.

At 5:25 of the second, the Chemics would take the lead for the first time when Jamie Sheppard and Matt Alcott assisted on Scurfield’s second goal of the night to make it 3-2.

That’s when the intensity picked up, as both teams drew a couple of roughing penalties. But the Chemics stuck to their game plan and didn’t back down.

“We were finishing our checks, not panicking and keeping with what we wanted to do,” Brown said. “Sometimes you get in panic mode and you start throwing the puck up the boards and we didn’t do that.”

With 2:54 left, it seemed like Midland had put the game away when Nate Huckins put in a rebound, but the officials ruled the puck was kicked in and the goal was disallowed.

As time was winding down, the Hawks pulled their goalie in a feverish attempt to tie the game, but it was unsuccessful. With 35 seconds remaining, Kenny Babinski’s backhand from beyond the blue line found its way into the empty net to preserve the win for Midland.

“They’re a good hockey team,” Brown said. “We always have two tight games with them.”

The win improved the Chemics to 12-2 on the season. They return to action Saturday when they travel to Grand Blanc to take on the Bobcats. Game time is scheduled for 1 p.m.