Swanson’s goal lifts Clarkston over Kings

PREP HOCKEY

Clarkston’s Cole Gibson (center) celebrates his first-period goal with teammates Drew Swanson (12) and Mike Swader (10) during the game played on Thursday at Detroit Skate Club in Bloomfield Township. The Wolves defeated the Kings 3-2. KEN SWART — For MediaNews Group

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By Michael J. Wallwork

For medianews group

BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP — Drew Swanson scored with 4:41 left in the third period and the fourth-ranked Clarkston Wolves claimed a hard-fought 3-2 win over the Birmingham Unified Kings Thursday night.

Ryan Wilford’s shot from the blue line was hard and high, flying over the Birmingham Unified net, hitting the end glass and bouncing back in front. Swanson bore down on the loose puck and swept it into the open side to break a 2-2 tie and provide the winning margin.

“I was proud of our group for sticking to it,” Wolves head coach Nathan Bryer said. “At times, it wasn’t the prettiest thing. But we stuck with it, and we kept trying to grind it away, grind it away, playing the right way. And finally, we got a puck to go our way at the end of the game there.”

Early on, both teams had the offense going. Clarkston needed less than three minutes to open the scoring as a point shot from Wilford found the net. Nolan Maliszewski tied it for the Kings, chipping in a loose puck with 10:59 on the clock. But Clarkston would get the lead back just past the midway point of the period when Cole Gibson scored as he was falling to the ice at the top of the left circle.

The Wolves probably should have scored more in the opening period. Clarkston had the majority of the pressure and several pucks were loose in front of the Birmingham Unified net. Regardless, the Kings’ defense, anchored by Ryan Brand, won all the battles and cleared the pucks away, keeping the game close.

The Kings played better as the game went on and largely eliminated those loose pucks in front over the final two periods — except for Swanson’s game-winner.

“I really liked our game. We got better as the game went on. It’s kind of a tough way to lose on a bounce like that. But I think for us, there was a lot of good things tonight, a lot of things to build on, so we’re very pleased with our effort,” Kings head coach Zach Warson said. “I thought we had a good adjustment coming into the second period. In the third, I thought we settled in fine as well, and the puck didn’t go in for us. But give them (Clarkston) credit. That’s why they’re a perennial top-10 (team) now.”

With the win, Clarkston (4-2 overall) stays atop the Oakland Activities Association Red Division with a 2-0 league mark.

Birmingham Unified, also 4-2 overall, is now 1-1 in the division.

Both coaches expect a tight battle for the league crown this year.

“It’s a competitive division this year, and we like that. We appreciate that our league is competitive because it helps us out every night,” Warson said. “But we liked our game early in the year to play that well. I wish we came out on the other side of it, but (I saw) a lot of good things from our group tonight.”

“I think the OAA, especially the Red Division, is deep this year,” Bryer said. “I think it’s going to be a battle,” Bryer said. “We’ve been talking about in our locker room since the start of the season that every OAA game is going to be Game 7 playoff hockey mentality because if you lose one, you could put yourself in a bad situation really early in the season.”

In the meantime, each team will be back in action this weekend. Clarkston continues league play with a road game against division foe Rochester United on Friday. Birmingham Unified hosts Wyandotte Roosevelt on Saturday.