Warren

Something different going on

By Mike Moore
C & G Sports Writer

De La Salle hockey team has the look of a true contender, in league and in playoffs

WARREN — It’s not an experience he particularly enjoyed, nor is it a memory he’s very found of reliving.

But he does relive it, as do his teammates, every time he steps into the De La Salle locker room and sees the photo.

“We see that picture of Trenton winning the state title every day before practice,” said Pilots senior Billy Coole, a St. Clair Shores resident, last week. “It’s been a huge motivation for us. It gives us that daily reminder of just what we want to do.”

In each of the past two seasons, Trenton’s journey to back-to-back Division 2 state championships has included ousting De La Salle.

In 2008, a 3-2 quarterfinal loss spelled the end for the Pilots. In 2009, it was a 2-0 quarterfinal loss.

But as the calendar turned to 2010, the guys in purple-and-gold jerseys have a different attitude about them. They are playing games with a different focus, working at practice with a different intensity and building a sense of confidence.

“Well, yeah, I’d say something different is going on around here,” coach Dan Barry said with a laughed when asked about his team, which was 8-1 overall at press time. “We’re winning like we are used to in the early parts of the season, and the record isn’t all that surprising to me. But the way this team works, the way they focus and practice, it’s something different than I am accustomed to.”

The Pilots’ only loss this season was a 4-3 setback against Novi Detroit Catholic Central, the defending Division 1 champs. In their other eight games, they’ve won four times by at least six goals and have recorded four shutouts.

More or less, they haven’t just been winning, they’ve been dominating, averaging 5.2 goals per game while allowing just 1.6.

“I think this team is closer than ever before,” said senior Matt Gasior of Warren. “The willingness to work hard and be as intense as we are at practice is pretty special. I’ve been here for three years now and never seen anything like this.”

There’s also that little extra bit of motivation.

Sure, the Pilots have ended the past two seasons three wins shy of the ultimate goal, but they’ve also been stuck in the middle of the pack of the Michigan Interscholastic Hockey League ever since joining the elite conference. That too is something the players feel can change.

“We can’t look too far ahead, but we see the standings and we see the other teams who are off to good starts, as well,” said Barry, whose team was third in the MIHL at press time with a 3-1 record, two points back of Catholic Central (4-0). “We’re trying to stay focused one game at a time. But winning the league is one of the guys’ main goals this season.”

“It’s always in the back of your mind,” Gaisor said regarding how the Pilots have fared in the MIHL in recent years. “We want to be better than we have been. If we keep playing like we have, we’ll at least have a shot.”

Then comes that picture, that menacing reminder of just how close these guys have come each of the past two years and how far they still have to go.

“It’s never too early to start thinking about the playoffs and who we may have to face,” Barry quipped.

“It’s pretty simple,” Coole added. “We have some things we’re focused on right now, and some objectives we want to achieve. But when you break it down, our main goal is a state title.”

And hanging a more tolerable picture in the locker room for next year.

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