Bay celebrates a goal in their 9-2 win over rival Olmsted Falls. ( Photo by Larry Bennet)

Unlikely maybe, but Bay finds a way
to win fourth straight Blue West title
By Zachary Dzurick
Sports
Published Feb 2, 2005

All season, Jan. 30 had been circled as the day the Blue West would be decided. Then Parma played with everyone's emotions. First the Redmen nearly beat Bay, but the Rockets salvaged a tie. However they figured any chance to win a fourth straight Blue West title was gone. Bay needed Parma to go out and beat Olmsted Falls in a late Saturday night game.

"After the tie, we didn't think there was any chance, but we thought we would come out and try to win our last home game as seniors," Bay captain senior Derek Lindsay said. "I had never lost in my high school career here at Winterhurst."

"I was thinking about second place so we could go to the Baron Cup," fellow captain junior Dan Wise admitted. "I got the call from Coach last night that Parma won and I called everyone I knew to tell them to get home and go to bed. We had an chance."

Lindsay was already asleep and he didn't find out until morning

"This morning I woke up and found out that Parma won," Lindsay said. "I was psyched all day."

Bay coach Terry Chadwick was at the game. Parma won 6-4 in a very emotional contest. Chadwick was glad for the opportunity, but still had mixed emotions for the coach he had come into the league at the same time with.

"It was hard to watch," Chadwick said. "I didn't want any bad luck on Olmsted Falls. Craig is a good coach and their team is a good rival of ours. There were mixed emotions because I have so much respect for Craig and Olmsted Falls, but obviously we wanted a chance to win the Blue West."

The circled game was to determine the outright championship after all. Olmsted Falls just needed a tie while Bay needed the win. Everyone one of these games seems to go down to the wire. It looked to be a clasic.

Olmsted Falls had talked about needing to control Bay's first line of Lindsay, Wise and senior Scott Abraham. They didn't and Bay's impossible dream became Olmsted Falls' nightmare.

Abraham scored two first period goals, the first unassisted and the second assisted by both line mates. Wise added a power play goal just over a minute into the second period to make it 3-0. Olmsted Falls captain Dan Turner got his team on the board with a power play goal with nine and half minutes remaining in the period. It appeared that momentum would shift and then Wise made the play of night.

The puck was left behind Olmsted Falls goal for a defender. Wise came and just took the puck and found Dan Kana at the goal's doorstep. That made it 4-1, but Bay still did not relax.

"Last time, they came back and beat us when we were up 4-2 after two," Lindsay said. "We knew that they could come back. So we knew we had to step it up and come out flying."

That they did. Bay scored five times in the final period and won 9-2. Wise and Kana each notched a second goal. Abraham completed his hat trick and Cam Gibbons and Cam Skinner also lit the lamp. Jason Kolar scored a power play goal for Olmsted Falls.

Count Bay the most surprised at the final margin.

"Never would have believed it," Chadwick said. "We just played the best we have all year. The key is to keep it there."

Bay lost every game in the opening SWC tournament including the opener 6-1 to Olmsted Falls. The seniors admitted at the time they did not believe they could repeat as Blue West Champions.

"No way I thought we could win it again," Abraham said. "We had so many freshman and had lost so many seniors. To come all the way back and beat Olmsted Falls 9-2, that is a great achievement."

And the youngsters played their part as well.

"Most of the season, it has been mostly our line scoring all of the goals while the others lines been stopping other teams but not scoring as much," Lindsay said. "Tonight they stepped up and scored some big goals."

Chadwick said that this year has been one of his most satisfying as a coach.

"Without a doubt, this year has been a lot of fun," Chadwick said. "It has been a frustrating year because we felt like we were close and could not get over the hump. The Baron Cup will be fun if we can keep it at this level."

It was an emotional weekend for Olmsted Falls. First they lost a hard fought battle that could have clinched the Blue West late on Saturday night. Turning around to play your biggest rival is one thing but many of the players were at the hospital late. Freshman Buddy Gerus was injured against Parma.

"Buddy Gerus busted up his jaw and had a concussion," coach Craig Patton said. "The kids rallied around him and had a late night at the hospital. Today they just didn't have it."

Patton still has the Baron Cup II and the playoffs. Can he get his team to bounce back?

"We have to get ourselves together," Patton said. "Right now it is crumble or come back and play the best hockey you can. I have faith in these guys. They will bounce back."

Bay finished 8-1-1 in the Blue West and 14-11-3 overall. Olmsted Falls was 8-2 in the Blue West and 14-6-3 overall.

Bay won their Baron Cup II opener Monday night 12-2 over Kenston. Lindsay had 5 goals and two assists. Wise scored once but had 7 assists. Kyle Knight also played well. He scored once and had 5 assists.