The Lakeland Prep Eagles Hockey Team struck silver at the JV/Prep Division 1 State Tournament last weekend in Jackson, Michigan. After a season plagued with serious injuries, the team qualified for the final eight and finished as runners-up in the Michigan Amateur Hockey Association tournament. The team entered the tournament as the eighth seed down four players from its full roster. The first game was a hard fought battle against Salem Prep which the Eagles won 2-1 on a goal from Owen Skrelunas with 26 seconds left in the third period. Skrelunas' goal set the tone for the weekend. The Eagles cruised past a tough Alpena squad 7-2 and Grand Blanc 11-3 to earn a spot in the semi finals against Traverse City. The score was tied 4-4 with 1:48 left in the third period when freshman Bryant Cohen scored the go ahead goal. Drew Cook added a 180 foot empty net goal to make the final score 6-4. The Eagles then took on #1 seed Mt. Clemens Wolves for the state title. Mt. Clemens jumped on Lakeland early and went up 2-0 at the end of the first period. The Eagles clawed their way back and tied the score on goals from Matt Kovach and Blake Kocsis. The Wolves ended Lakeland's run with a strong game winning goal late in the third period. An empty net goal cemented the Wolves' state championship 4-2. Brandon Pomerleau was outstanding for the Eagles net minding all five games of the tournament.
