Following a winners-bracket quarter-finals loss to the Creighton Prep Jr. Jays, the Millard West hockey team battled against the top-seeded Tri-City Storm on Monday, Feb. 28.
Entering the game in a win-or-go-home scenario, the Wildcats had their work cut out for themselves battling a very lethal Tri-City team that dominated the regular season. Millard West faced this exact scenario last season where they previously lost to Prep, and had to face Tri-City who ended their 2022-23 postseason campaign.
Off the opening puck drop, Tri-City immediately had their foot on the gas and outskated Millard West early. It would take only a minute and thirty seconds for the Storm to strike as a rebound off of an initial save from Wildcat senior goaltender Seamus Bygrave landed right onto the stick of an approaching Storm forward who potted the loose puck to put Tri-City up 1-0.
“There was a lot of game left to play,” senior defenseman Easton Akins said. “Going into the game I was in a good mindset, we beat them before and we could do it again. After they scored I honestly still had hope. ”
With the early momentum, Tri-City continued to establish their style of play. Although Millard West did have good spirts of puck control, the Tri-City defensive core stood strong and limited the Cats in shots.
Just seconds before the four-minute mark of the first period, Storm senior forward Garrison Burns received the puck off an intercepted zone clearance attempt. Burns would glide behind Bygrave’s crease, turn on a dime to face the net and fire a picture-perfect shot into the top right of the net right between Bygrave’s ear and right shoulder to double the lead to 2-0.
Tri-City’s speed continued to prove it was too much for Millard West as the period progressed. Both sides were able to maintain control of the puck, but there was a difference in the quality of scoring chances. At the buzzer to signal the end of the first period, Tri-City also dominated the shots category on top of their 2-0 lead, amassing 13 shots against Millard West’s five.
“The shot differential was very lopsided, which ultimately led to our downfall,” Bygrave said. “They have a lot of incredible talent on offense which becomes very difficult to contain once they have a lot of offensive pressure. If we had gotten the same amount of shots in the second half as the first half, we probably would have won the game.”
Heading into the second period, Millard West looked to change the narrative. Almost the entire second period would come with little stoppages as back-and-forth play propelled teams to constantly battle in the neutral zone. Both goaltenders continued to excel and deny every shot they faced but Tri-City would be tested late.
With just over two and a half minutes and Tri-City on the powerplay, a centering pass to the Millard West crease was flung past two Storm defensemen near the point, the puck landed right onto the tape of junior forward and captain Reece Wilson who split the defenders for a breakaway. With speed, Wilson waited and fired his shot high on the glove side but was denied.
Later in the final seconds of the second period, the Storm added to their lead. Tri-City junior defenseman Pete Homan picked up the puck at center ice and entered the offensive zone with speed. As Homan muscled off his defender and went to the crease from the right circle, he shifted the puck to his forehand and fired far-side to beat Bygrave which gave the Storm a commanding 3-0 lead at the second intermission.
“If we wanted to continue on the path to the championship, we had to make sure we gave it everything,” Wilson said. “We knew if we beat them at their own game and skated our hearts out, there was no way we could lose. I told the team the same thing that I said at the beginning of the game, “we don’t want to go home because we worked way too hard to stop now.’”
It took only 30 seconds for Wilson to strike. A misplayed puck by the Tri-City netminder landed on the stick of junior forward Nate Marrinan who passed the puck back to the captain. Wilson dug in the crease and banged low the loose puck past the pad of the Tri-City netminder to cut the lead and make the score 3-1 Storm.
With the momentum on their side, the Cats continued to battle in the early stages of the third. However, there was just one thing Millard West was unable to capitalize on all night long; the powerplay. Even though Storm took three consecutive penalties, the Wildcats couldn’t find great opportunities to score.
Nearing the final minute stick locked in a 3-1 score, Millard West would receive a powerplay after a dangerous hit from behind on Wilson with a minute and fifteen seconds on the clock. Bygrave would also head to the bench for the extra attacker making it a 6-on-4 for the Cats.
After a tie-up behind the Tri-City net to kill time, Tri-City would deny Millard West any room near the crease and forced outside shots. Ultimately this would result in Tri-City gaining the puck off a turnover near the blue line and sealing the game at 4-1 with an empty net goal from Tri-City senior Garrison Burns.
After an impressive start to the season and an undefeated streak of 17 games, Millard West’s season came to a close. The Wildcats now have to face the challenge of replacing their seven seniors in preparation for next year.
