Traverse City Record-Eagle

Hockey

March 10, 2010

Bay Reps lose quarterfinal game in overtime

Mona Shores pulls out win

By JOHN RAFFEL

BIG RAPIDS -- It appeared that the Traverse City Bay Reps might be advancing to the Division 2 ice hockey finals this weekend.

But Mona Shores got the rebound it needed in overtime and Trevor Boyd fired the puck in the net to give the Sailors a 4-3 overtime victory in Wednesday's Division 2 state quarterfinal game at Ferris State University's Ewigleben Ice Arena.

The Bay Reps rallied back from 2-0 and 3-1 deficits to tie the game 3-3 on a goal by Jason Baker just 53 seconds into the third period.

Boyd, assisted by Evan Adkins and Michael Bishop, scored the game-winner 4:42 into the overtime.

The Bay Reps out-shot the Sailors 37-29.

"You get to this point and it's always going to be tough," said Mona Shores coach Charlie Link. "You're going to be battling all the time. We've had a lot of close games. So we expected this. They're a good team."

Bay Reps goalie Saraya Uitvlugt recorded 25 saves while Reed Schlender had 34 for Mona Shores.

"We knew what they were going to do," Link said. "We took care of it right away, it worked, then we got away from it, which is typical of the way we play. We're very inconsistent."

While the season ends for the Reps at 16-11-1, Mona Shores, also 16-11-1, advances to the state semifinals Thursday at Plymouth. The Sailors, plagued with injuries earlier this winter, opened the season 0-5.

Mona Shores fired out to a 2-0 lead in the first period with goals by Austin Pierce at 1:03 and Kyle Hicks at 5:27 on the power play.

"We came out flat," Uitvlugt said. "But I'm glad we came back."

"Once we got our feet going, we were fine," Reps coach Todd Spaulding said. "It's just early on they were all over us and caused some problems for us. Being down 2-0 and then 3-1, that showed a lot to stay after them and eventually tie the game."

Dustin Derrer got the Reps back in the game at 11:09 of the first period on a power-play goal, with Eric Jones and Zach Hill assisting. Early in the second period, Chris Norkus scored to give the Sailors a 3-1 lead. But Jake Peacock, assisted by Michael Elliott and Baker, converted on the power play to make it a 3-2 game.

After Baker scored the tying goal, assisted by Elliott, the Reps had two power-play chances later in the third period but couldn't convert.

"After we tied it, we got some unbelievable chances," Spaulding said. "But that's hockey. You don't always get all the bounces. We didn't quit. We lost in overtime in the quarterfinals and no one expected us to be that far.

"The third period I thought by far was our best. We're a bounce away from going to the Final Four. Someone has to lose, unfortunately."

Mona Shores was looking to get a rebound in the overtime.

"What we told them all game long is to throw the puck on the net, make the goalie make the play and that's what happened," Link said. "It bounced right to our guy and he hit the net. Game over."

"I tried to cover it but I lost it in the scramble," Uitvlugt said. "There was an open guy who snuck in there and got the open net."

"We had everybody back," Spaulding said. "We forgot the late guy. That happens. I thought we made some good plays on the initial guys rushing in. But then we forget about the last guy coming. They did a good job jumping in the play. That's hockey. We missed some good chances and they capitalized on their last one."

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