Kentwood 3 Howell 0

A week ago, the Kentwood coaching staff was sitting in the bleachers watching Howell play Grand Rapids Catholic Central. They were scribbling notes and after the game, they asked a GRCC parent for a copy of the game DVD. Then, over the past week, the players and coaches studied tape and put together a game plan designed to take the speedy and skilled Howell team off their game. The plan, EK Head Coach Todd Bell told me before the game, was to get Howell out of synch by icing the puck and slowing the pace, but also to fly a guy out of the D zone in an effort to catch the Howell defensemen cheating up.

On Saturday, the Falcons executed their game plan to perfection to pull off an upset against the Howell team and advance to the quarterfinals. The Falcons got goals from Miguel Rodriguez, Matt Herman and an empty netter from Anthony Pino to top Howell 3-0 in the Regional Finals at Kentwood Ice Arena. Herman's goal on a breakaway in the second period epitomized the game plan. He had left the zone early so when the puck came out of a pile he was already at the center line. A teammate banked the pass off the boards and Herman broke in alone on Howell goalie Brad Rutzel and fired it stick-side for the second goal. With a 2-0 lead after two periods, the Falcons could continue to dictate the pace of the game in the third period, adding an empty netter by Pino with 3 seconds left. Falcons goalie Ben Belton was exceptionally sharp in net, turning away 28 shots to earn the shutout and the win.