HOCKEY

Detroit Catholic Central wins hockey showdown with Brighton, 4-1

Bill Khan
Livingston Daily
Brighton's Will Jentz (10) and Detroit Catholic Central's Brendan Hill (14) go after the puck behind the net on Saturday, Dec. 15, 2018.

LIVONIA — The message from Paul Moggach was the same Saturday night as it was 52 weeks ago.

“Nothing’s ever as bad as it seems,” the Brighton hockey coach said.

For the second straight year, Brighton lost a three-goal decision to rival Detroit Catholic Central in the KLAA-MIHL Showcase, this time by a 4-1 score at Eddie Edgar Ice Arena.

The task for the Bulldogs now will be to turn things around like they did following a 3-0 loss to the Shamrocks in the showcase last season. When the teams met again 83 days later in the state Division 1 semifinals, Brighton earned a 2-1 victory on its way to a second straight state championship.

“It’s not even Christmas,” Moggach said. “We’re still trying to figure out our character and the kind of team we’re going to be. I believe we’re going to get it.”

Catholic Central has been one of many stumbling blocks for the Bulldogs this season.

Brighton is off to a 2-7 start, losing its last four games. Every game has been against a team ranked in the top five in their division in Michigan or Ohio.

Catholic Central, which has lost to Brighton in the last two state tournaments, keeps rolling along. The Shamrocks are 10-1 and riding an eight-game winning streak.

Catholic Central coach Brandon Kaleniecki tries not putting too much emphasis on a regular-season game with Brighton, though he’s not sure his players do the same.

Noah Stanko celebrates after scoring Brighton's only goal in a 4-1 loss to Detroit Catholic Central on Saturday, Dec. 15, 2018.

“I’m sure they were (extra motivated), but we try not to focus on that, because it’s a different team every year,” Kaleniecki said. “What we focus on is you know they’ve got a good program, you know they’ve got a really good team. Try to get them to control their emotions so they don’t get too amped up. I think maybe that’s one of the things they’ve done, get a little bit too amped up and it’s gripping the stick too tight or whatever it is.”

The Shamrocks took a 2-0 lead in the first period on goals by Kyle Gaffney at 11:58 and Dylan Dooley at 14:44.

The Bulldogs cut the lead in half in the second period when Noah Stanko scored at the 8:57 mark.

Brighton goalie Harrison Fleming left the game with 5:49 left in the second period and threw up in a trash can behind the team bench. He returned to start the third period and was chosen his team’s Player of the Game in a postgame award ceremony. Backup Cade Groman didn’t allow a goal during his brief stint.

RELATED:Hartland makes statement with 5-1 hockey win over Brother Rice

RELATED:Howell rides hot goalie to hockey win over Grosse Pointe South

“We won that period,” Moggach said. “We’re just trying to win a period, win a shift. We were feeling pretty good about ourselves. Then we gave up that quick goal in the third and that kind of dampened the spirits. But I don’t think we ever quit.”

Rylan Clemons scored just 47 seconds into the third period to reestablish Catholic Central’s two-goal lead. Joe Borthwick completed the scoring with 7:54 left in the game.

“I thought our first period was pretty good,” Kaleniecki said. “We were really moving our feet. We got up two goals after one; you can’t ask for too much more in a game like that. Our second period was at times a little sluggish, and certainly they came on a little bit; you can expect pushback. So, you go into the third up 2-1 and it’s going to be a dogfight. The goal to start the third period from Rylan, that’s huge. I didn’t feel our second period was a great period. For that shift to come right away at the start of the third swings the momentum back.”

Catholic Central’s victory in the final game of the showcase gave the MIHL the championship trophy for the second straight year, 6-4.

Jason Verhelle (14) and Michael Forfinski (24) of Brighton battle Detroit Catholic Central's Eli Brown for the puck on Saturday, Dec. 15, 2018.

Detroit Catholic Central 4, Brighton 1

First period — 1. Catholic Central, Kyle Gaffney (Joe Borthwick, Mitch Morris) 11:58; 2. Catholic Central, Dylan Dooley (Carter Korpi, Brendan Hill) 14:44 (pp).

Second period — 3. Brighton, Noah Stanko (Lars Erkkila, A.J. Benit) 8:57.

Third period — 4. Catholic Central, Rylan Clemons (Kyle Gaffney) :47.; 5. Catholic Central, Joe Borthwick (Kyle Gaffney, Rylan Clemons) 9:06.

Goaltenders — Brighton, Harrison Fleming (out 11:11 2nd, in 0:00 3rd), Cade Groman (in 11:11 2nd, out 0:00 3rd). Catholic Central, Zach Allan.