Mount Clemens

'Many wins'

By Brad D. Bates
C & G Sports Writer

Photo by Tracy Dreslinski Macomb L’Anse Creuse North sophomore Evan Corbett skates up ice against Warren-Sterling United Jan. 23 at Viking Ice Arena in Hazel Park.

L’Anse Creuse North hockey bids farewell to coach

MOUNT CLEMENS — A regional final appearance, a league title and his team overachieving are a few of Macomb L’Anse Creuse North hockey coach Chris Rojem’s favorite memories.

“The first year with Sammy Divozzo and Geoff Clanton, and last year winning the MAC White and losing in a regional championship game to De La Salle,” he said. “Then going into this year, losing all those seniors, I was thinking .500 hockey, and we bettered that by a long shot.”

Rojem coached his final game for the Crusaders in a 4-3 overtime loss to rival Harrison Township L’Anse Creuse March 1 in the first round of the Division 2 state playoffs at Mount Clemens Ice Arena.

While the outcome may not have been what he hoped for, he said the effort was what he grew to expect from his teams.

“I had a good  three-year run here with many wins and very few losses,” Rojem said. “The boys that were with me right now helped me solidify the program.”

The Crusaders (13-8-4 overall, 5-4-1 in the Macomb Area Conference White) came out on the wrong end of a classic back-and-forth rivalry matchup.

Each team took the other’s best shot and answered until L’Anse Creuse junior Ryan Dettloff scored the game winner with 2:14 left in the first overtime.

“When we played last year, it went into double overtime, and fortunately, we had the edge,” Rojem said of North’s 5-4 win against the Lancers in the 2008-09 postseason. “(The rivalry) was one of those things — no matter what the season.”

The Crusaders got goals from senior Adam Ficorelli, sophomore Evan Corbett and senior Brandon Rentz. Senior Nathan Prytula added two assists against the Lancers.

Rojem decided to step down after this season in order to watch his son, Kyle, play his senior season at Macomb Dakota next year. In his time with the Crusaders, his teams averaged 15 wins a season.

“Me and Chris took over head coaching jobs three years ago,” L’Anse Creuse coach Bob Kotowski said. “We knew starting against each other it was going to be a good rivalry.

“Chris’ team played tremendous all year and always played hard. I wish Chris the best. He’s good for the sport and good for the MAC.”

In the three seasons before Rojem took the helm at North, the Crusaders averaged nine wins a season, and their highest finish in the White was third.

Rojem said the biggest key to his success at North was building a winning culture, and he believes the foundation is in place for North to continue that.

“The biggest thing now is to keep LCN hockey on the map, and I think the boys coming back are going to be able to handle that,” Rojem said. “We’re getting a lot of travel kids now that like to play in front of their peers, and they don’t get to do that in the travel ranks.

“And when they come over and see high school games like this, it’s a good recruiting tool for the future.”

You can reach Sports Writer Brad D. Bates at bbates@candgnews.com or at 9586) 498-1029.

You can reach C & G Sports Writer Brad D. Bates at bbates@candgnews.com or at (586)498-1029.