Sports Greatest Rivalries

By Hank Minckiewicz

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Chase Schmittou and his Roosevelt teammates bring an unbeaten record into tonight’s showdown with 11-1-0 Woodhaven.

As far as historical rivalries go, the one between the Roosevelt and Woodhaven hockey team does not have roots that run very deep.

Roosevelt has one of Downriver’s longest running high school hockey programs, but for much of their existence the Bears have not been very good.

Woodhaven did not even have a hockey team until about a decade ago and in the early days the Warriors did not even play the Bears.

In fact, last year’s 4-0 victory over Roosevelt was Woodhaven’s first ever against the Bears.

That’s all changed this year. Roosevelt has one of its finest ever teams and Woodhaven may, too.

The Bears are 11-0 and Woodhaven is 11-1 and something has to give tonight when the teams meet on Woodhaven’s home ice at the Ice Box Sports Arena.

Both of these teams are special and they are having magical kinds of seasons.

This is also a statement kind of a game because the two are paired – along with three-time defending state champion Trenton and Anderson – in a pre-regional tournament to start the Michigan High School Athletic Association playoffs.

“When you play against a team that is in your own regional, the real games start with the (state) tournament,” said Woodhaven Coach Bryan Sullivan.

Sullivan tried to downplay the importance of the game, but had to admit that there was more than usual at stake.

“It is a Downriver bragging rights sort of a thing,” he said. “And it is an important league game. Winning the league is one of our goals and beating Wyandotte helps us achieve that.”

Here is a look at how the two teams stack up as they hit the ice tonight:

OffenseThe Bears are killer on offense. Led by Gerald Mayhew and Nick Kovalchik, this team flat-out gets it in the offensive zone.

Fast, tricky and unselfish, you do not stop the Bears; you can only hope to slow them down.

Woodhaven, led by the likes of Jeremy Klotz and Jordan Nixdorf, is no slouch in the offensive zone, either, but Roosevelt is one of those eye-popping offensive team that come along only every now and then.

Advantage: Bears

DefenseWith and experienced blueline crew, one might expect Roosevelt to have an edge in this area, too, but the Bears have not been rock solid defensively this season.

Roosevelt allowed an astounding nine goals in a winning effort against Canton earlier this year and just before Christmas they had a near collapse against Grosse Ile, allowing five third-period goals.

Defense was supposed to be a soft spot for Woodhaven this year and Sullivan even had to switch some forwards back to “D” to patch some holes.

But the Warriors have played some fine team defense this season and the patched-up blueliners have held up pretty well

Advantage: Warriors

Special teamsGive an edge here to Roosevelt simply because the Bears can be so dynamic and explosive on offense.

The Bears move the puck so well and have so many skilled offensive players that stopping them with the man advantage is difficult, to say the least.

Advantage: Bears

GoaltendingA clear edge here to Woodhaven. Chris Kirk, who showed flashes of brilliance, was a little inconsistent as a sophomore, this year he is more focus, more determined and is one of the best goalies in the area.

He held Trenton and Grosse Ile to one goal each in wins over those Downriver rivals this season.

Roosevelt goalie Chase Schmittou and Ben Mekolon are experienced, but some of the bit numbers other teams have posted against the Bears are troublesome.

Advantage: Warriors

CoachingThis is an interesting battle between two veterans behind the benches.

Both Sullivan and Roosevelt Coach Mike Quint played at Trenton as high schoolers, but each has his own style of play.

Quint’s teams play on the offensive edge, always looking for a chance to put the puck in the net.

Long passes and lots of breakaways are the hallmark of Quint’s teams.

It is a fun style to watch, but always looking to land a haymaker often leaves a club venerable to absorbing one from the other team.

Sullivan is a more conservative coach. He believes in waiting for opportunities and then taking advantage of them.

It is a sound strategy, but if you don’t take advantage of your fewer scoring chances you can find yourself in a hole.

Advantage: Bears

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Article source: http://www.thenewsherald.com/articles/2011/01/12/sports/doc4d2d0cf8d43c3307062042.txt