Although its previous games were letdowns for the team, the Ranger Hockey team dominated the Rams from Rockford in all 51 minutes on the ice. This game was exactly what the team needed to bounce back from two upsetting losses leading up to it. The Ranger offense was able to bombard the nylon more than any other game this season.

After being unsuccessful in their last couple of games the team was determined to do whatever it took to get back on track.

“We had a good week of practice and workouts,” coach McSween quoted.

The hard work leading up to the game very well may have been the game-changer, and you could see it paying off on the ice. Throughout the whole game, everyone on the ice with a white Forest Hills Central jersey on always seemed to be in shape and aggressively fought for the puck, which lead to longer possession for FHC.

The first period was a defensive battle the whole way, and the goalies were perfect the whole way through. The Rangers possessed the puck more than Rockford did, which led to more shots on goal and scoring opportunities, but the puck was unable to find the net.

The second period was just a little more exciting, with many different Rangers updating the scoreboard. Michael Hazzard was the first to put it to bed, rebounding a saved shot to take the lead in the game. Not too long after was an outstanding, shifty wrap-around goal by senior rookie Colin Wojczynski to make it a 2-0 game. The third goal for the Rangers came from a Sammy Mielock assist to Rocco Gonzalez for an easy redirect. Not only was the offense clicking, but the defense was impenetrable. Peter Nemmers, the goalie for the night, was in the zone all game blocking shots left and right, and in the final seconds of the second period, he made an immaculate series of saves that led to a breakaway 1 on 1 goal for Sammy Mielock. That goal concluded the second period, but not the goal-scoring frenzy for the Rangers.

4-0 was the score at the beginning of the third period, and it soon changed in favor of FHC. Senior Anthony Ott goes to the upper deck for a long goal over the shoulder of the Rockford goalie. Then Sammy finds himself making yet another play, speeding around the Rockford defense and dropping the puck back to Gibby Grendel in the slot for a graceful wrist shot goal, giving FHC a 6-0 lead. Unfortunately, the Rams responded quickly with two goals from two power plays that were too much of an advantage for the Ranger defense to handle. Luckily Sammy wasn’t having any of it, so he went and scored his second goal of the night in his first game back. The game ended shortly after with the Rangers on top 7-2, ending their losing streak and gaining more confidence for the rest of the season.

“We played really well as a team compared to the last game,” Wojczynski mentioned. “Smooth passing and great offensive pressure all game led to a nice win.”

The team played very well together, being selfless and taking the best route for the team rather than the player.

Coach McSween was very happy about the win and reflected on what changed between the games.

“We have been stressing holding on to the puck and using each other,” he explained. “Our power play was sizzling today as well, it was nice to see us get the results.”

The Rangers are looking to keep seeing these results as they work their way through the season, starting with Granville this Wednesday at 7 pm at Georgetown Ice Center. If you are looking to watch this last game against Rockford, the link to the live stream is https://www.team1sports.com/highschool/mi/?B=468474.