×

Marquette Redmen win ‘rematch’ of never-played 2020 state hockey semifinals vs. Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice

Marquette’s Joe DeMattia grabs the puck during a game against Canton on Dec. 28, 2019, at Lakeview Arena. (Journal file photo)

BLOOMFIELD HILLS — More than a year and a half in the making, the Marquette Senior High School hockey team finally got to play Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice on Friday night.

It was worth the wait as the Redmen scored a come-from-behind 4-3 victory, scoring the only three goals of the third period.

These two teams were supposed to have met in the MHSAA Division 2 tournament semifinals on March 12, 2020, but the onset of the coronavirus pandemic canceled that game and every other MHSAA winter and spring sports event starting on that date until the following school year.

“This was our first game of the season and this game was 18 months in the making,” MSHS head coach Doug Garrow said as the wait was actually more than 20 months. “We were scheduled to play Brother Rice … in the state semifinals until we were shut down due to COVID, so for our players that were on that team this was a sweet victory.

“It was definitely a character win coming back in the third period from a 3-1 deficit and getting the win against the defending state champs in Division 2.”

Marquette scored its trio of third-period goals in the final nine minutes, erasing a two-goal deficit.

Theo Adams scored the first one goal of the comeback near the midpoint of the period with 8:36 left with assists going to Joe DeMattia and Colin Nemacheck. That was each of the latter pair’s second assist of the game.

Drew Dellies scored the game-tying goal on the power play with 5:43 left, assists going to Kody Moyer and Nash Riipi.

The game-winner also was a power play goal and scored with 1:36 left by Ethan Phillips as Nemacheck and DeMattia both completed their three-assist playmakers.

MSHS outshot Brother Rice 30-15, though information on goaltenders wasn’t available.

After a scoreless first period, the Warriors opened the scoring when Andrew Marone scored 4:19 into the second period.

Marquette’s Jack Sides evened the score at 1-1 just over two minutes later on a goal assisted by Nemacheck and DeMattia.

But Brother Rice put the visitors in a big hole as Peter Rosa scored a pair of goals seven minutes apart later in the period.

Information compiled by Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee. His email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.

Newsletter

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper *
   

Starting at $4.62/week.

Subscribe Today