Bloomfield Hills

Right where they left off

By Mike Moore
C & G Sports Writer

Defending statre champ, Cranbrook hockey, hasn’t skipped a beat

BLOOMFIELD HILLS — When Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook-Kingswood boys hockey coach Andy Weidenbach looked over the early part of his team’s schedule, he hoped his squad would get through it hovering somewhere around the .500 mark.

Surprise, surprise.

“I’m shocked, to be honest,” Weidenbach said of his squad, which was 9-1 overall with a game against Birmingham Brother Rice Jan. 9. “I was hoping we’d be a little bit above .500 at this point. Never in my wildest dreams did I see us winning nine games in our first 10.”

The Cranes haven’t just been winning; they’ve been simply dominant.

Since a 4-2 loss to Trenton High in the second game of the season, the defending state champ and top-ranked team in Division 3 is 8-0 with four shutouts and an average winning margin of 3.5 goals per game. The offense has been downright explosive, scoring 44 times, while the defense has been suffocating, allowing just 10.

“It’s been a great combination of stingy defense, timely goal scoring and excellent goaltending,” Weidenbach said. “Everybody has been good at every facet of the game.”

While lighting the lamp was never much of an issue entering the season — Cranbrook returned a number of front-line scorers — Weidenbach admitted his main concern before the season started was who would step up in goal.

The answer has been a reassuring one, three times over.

Senior Thomas Scoggin has played a majority of the games so far, posting a 5-0 record. Sophomore Aaron Alkema and junior Oliver Stahl, meanwhile, have been very dependable backups, combining to go 4-1 with three shutouts.

“The goalies have been excellent, but it’s been a complete team effort,” Weidenbach said. “Our forwards have back-checked, our defense hasn’t allowed very many shots, and when they’ve needed to, the guys in net have made some great saves.”

Still, even with the 9-1 record and the fact his teams have won three of the past four D-3 state titles, Weidenbach isn’t taking anything for granted.

“Our schedule isn’t going to get any easier,” he said. “As a matter of fact, things are going to get a lot tougher.

“We’ve done well so far, but the key for us is constantly improving. We’ve been able to do that from one day to the next, and I think that’s why we’ve enjoyed the success we have. … Either way, we’re having fun right now. This is the kind of season you dream about.”

You can reach C & G Sports Writer Mike Moore at mmoore@candgnews.com or at (586)498-1038.