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Photo by Hiroshi Onuma
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Saline No. 2 Sean MacNeil scored the game-winner as the Hornets eliminated Bedford from the playoffs.
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For the second straight year, the Saline ice hockey team opened the postseason against Bedford. For the second straight year, the Hornets found themselves just minutes away from having their season end at the hands of the Mules.
For the second straight year, the Hornets found a way to turn the tables.
Bedford led 2-1 entering the third period, but Matt Marsh's goal evened the two teams at 2 and junior defenseman Sean MacNeil scored the game-winner with 7:28 to play as the Hornets advanced 4-2 from Monday's pre-regional semifinal.
"It's awesome," MacNeil said afterward. "We really wanted to win this one and give our seniors at least one more game."
"This win was less about what we did this game and more about what we've done all season," said Saline head coach Drew Denzin. "We've played a tough schedule, had a lot of one-goal wins and one-goal losses. We've been in this situation plenty of times before. The coaches told the guys at the second intermission, we completely believe in their ability to come back in that third period."
Skating on their home ice at the Arctic Coliseum, the Hornets outshot the Mules 10-7 in the first period but had to wait for the second minute of the second to get on the scoreboard. Saline held the puck in the Bedford zone for more than a minute before Cory Farrell and Daniel Filipsson worked it to freshman defenseman Doug Mitchell, who scored from the left slot.
Saline continued to carry most of the play but it was Bedford who scored next to turn the game around. Cory Corker was called for roughing and the Mules converted on the power play to even the game at 1 with 5:55 to play in the second.
A second power play late in the period saw Hornet goalie Brad Perino under siege and just as it appeared Saline would escape to the locker room with the tie intact, the Mules punched home from close range with 6.3 seconds remaining before the second intermission.
Denzin said that despite the demoralizing timing of the goal and the deficit, he and his players remained confident their depth would pull through in the end.
"Our assistants Mike (Cramer) and Kevin (Busch) did an excellent job of managing the game. We were able to play three lines the whole game and everyone performed, top-to-bottom," Denzin said. "That made a big difference."
Saline tied the game with 10:03 to play after passes from Corker and Brandon Neeb found Marsh, but despite a handful of opportunities the Hornets would have to wait until 3:24 remained for the breakthrough. A wild scramble in front of the Bedford net saw the puck break free to MacNeil, who made no mistake from close range. Assists on the play went to David Dager and David Spallina.
"It was great work by Dager and (Ryan) Luke," MacNeil said of the game-winner. "They just kept banging away at the puck and luckily it squirted out in front. It feels great. I've only had two game-winners, and they've both come against these guys."
MacNeil turned provider on the clinching goal, clearing the puck up ice after the Mules had pulled their goalie. Filipsson chased the puck down and centered for Randy Schilke to score into the open net, giving Saline a 4-2 lead with 1:25 to play and sealing the victory.
The win advanced Saline to Wednesday's pre-regional final, where they took on Woodhaven, a 4-3 winner over the Hornets in the teams' only regular-season meeting. The game took place after press deadline.
The previous Wednesday, Saline closed out their regular season with a 7-4 home loss to rivals Ann Arbor Pioneer. But even the loss wasn't enough to deny the Hornets a Southeastern Conference Red division title, their second in three seasons, or a winning season after they would finish with a 7-2 SEC record and a 12-11-1 mark overall.
"We kind of backed in," Denzin said of the SEC crown, "but we'll take it. "It's something we've worked towards and it's nice for the guys to get some bragging rights on their friends on those other teams."
MacNeil, Schilke, Corker, and Dager collected the goals against Pioneer with Corker, Farrell, and Mitchell providing assists.
Staff Writer Jerry Hinnen can be reached at 429-7380 or jhinnen@heritage.com.
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