High school hockey: Amherst powers past Avon Lake to win third straight SWC championship

NORTH OLMSTED — The semifinals were dramatic, the championship was clinical. Amherst dominated the game from the first drop of the puck until the final horn Sunday, winning its third consecutive Southwestern Conference Tournament title with a 6-0 win over Avon Lake at the North Olmsted Ice Rink. While both teams won by a goal in their semifinal games, the Comets (18-4) scored five times in the first period to take control Sunday, then relied on their defense and goaltending to hold the lead for the rest of the game. Jacob Kramer scored four goals and assisted on two while defenseman Avery Winkelman scored a goal and added two assists for the Comets, who became the first team to win three straight SWC titles since the Shoremen won three in a row from 2004-06. The Shoremen (20-7-1) didn't help themselves in the first period, being whistled for three minor penalties and one five-minute major. Of the Comets' five first-period goals, three came on the power play and two came with two Avon Lake players in the box and Amherst playing five-on-three. "We want them to come out with intensity, to come out wanting to win and having intensity, but if they're not having fun and enjoying themselves the intensity immediately goes back on themselves," Avon Lake coach Steve Burns said of his team's penalty woes. "It's a tough thing when you're playing that many minutes shorthanded. Five-on-three against Amherst is like swimming with sharks ... eventually you're going to get bit." Amherst added a goal in the third period, also on a power play. The Comets, meanwhile, were called for just one penalty, an interference minor on Thomas Hall midway through the third period with the game well in hand. "We stress trying to stay within what we can do, and try to do it better every game," Amherst coach Steve Morris said. "We try to stay very disciplined. If you can stay disciplined at this level, and not take a lot of stupid penalties, you have a tendency to have success." The Comets went to a neutral zone trap midway through the second period to protect its lead, with Kramer chasing the puck at the Avon Lake blue line, three Comets strung across center ice and one defenseman back at the Amherst blue line. Avon Lake mustered just three shots in eight minutes against the trap. "We don't have a lot of guys so we do it mostly to try to save some legs," Morris said. "We control the game and slow the game down to our pace. At the same time, you can get some turnovers off of it and get some good scoring opportunities from it." The frustrations mounted for the Shoremen. In the third period they where whistled for three minor penalties, one major and a 10-minute misconduct. "Even-strength it was a 2-0 game," Burns said. "If we would have had more even-strength time maybe we could have rolled out our three lines and used our depth as an advantage. Hopefully we see them again and we can stay out of the penalty box." Amherst goalie Brady Grove stopped all 17 shots he faced to record the shutout. "It boosts your morale after playing a couple of games that were real close," Grove said. "It meant the world to me that my defense could help me like that." Winkelman and Michael Hughes spearheaded the Comets' defensive effort. "When we see the shutout we know we did our part and did everything we could have," Winkelman said. "This feels really good, especially for me and some of the newer guys that haven't been here for all three. It's really big and now we're really looking forward to the Baron Cup." Morris said winning three straight conference titles was not a goal the coaches set for the players. "I think they set goals like that amongst themselves because we don't ever talk about things like that," he said. "That's a player-driven situation and give them credit ... they stayed really disciplined, worked really hard and it showed. We're actually really, really lucky that we have some classy kids." Contact Mike Perry at 329-7135 or macsportstalk@gmail.com. Amherst 6, Avon Lake 0 FIRST PERIOD: (A) Joey Kramer (Nick Ciura, Jacob Kramer), 12:23; (A) Jacob Kramer (Joey Kramer), power play, 7:54; (A) Avery Winkelman (Jacob Kramer, Joey Kramer), power play, 3:45; (A) Jacob Kramer (Nathan Harmych, Joey Kramer), power play, 2:54; (A) Jacob Kramer (Ciura, Winkelman), :08. Penalties: (AL) Konner Nilson (2:00 - hooking), 9:15; (AL) Thomas Kacmarcik (5:00 - elbowing), 7:54; (AL) Jacob Schaltenbrand (2:00 - cross-checking), 4:55; (AL) Luke Farthing (2:00 - slashing), 2:54. SECOND PERIOD: Penalties: (AL) Nilson (2:00 - interference), 10:41. THIRD PERIOD: (A) Jacob Kramer (Joey Kramer, Winkelman), power play, 3:23. Penalties: (AL) Brian Walasinski (2:00 - hooking), 9:00; (A) Thomas Hall (2:00 - interference), 7:12; (AL) Justin Share (5:00 - checking from behind), 6:38; (AL) Share (10:00 - game misconduct), 6:38; (AL) Nilson (2:00 - interference), 5:21; (AL) Nilson (2:00 - slashing), 5:21; (AL) Adam Jento (2:00 - unsportsmanlike conduct), 3:23; (AL) Nick Ospelt (2:00 - slashing), :29. Amherst 5 0 1 - 6 Parma 0 0 0 - 0 Shots on goal: Amherst 26 (12-8-6), Avon Lake 17 (7-5-5). Goalies: Amherst – Brady Grove (17 shots, 17 saves), Avon Lake – Dillon Aslaksen (26 shots, 20 saves). Faceoffs won: Amherst 33, Parma 14; Power plays: Amherst 4-6, Avon Lake 0-1.