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Show 4T Tbe Salt Lake Tribune Wednesday, February 15, 1984 Utah Prep Hockey Tournaments Provide Plenty of Drama By Joe Baird Tribune Staff Writer It is a format in which only two teams can come out on top. But Utah high school hockeys just completed n tournaments actudual ally came away with four victors as each of the clubs which played in 7-- 3 -- post-seaso- 2 the independent and affiliated championship games last week all finished winners in the end. For the record, Ogden defeated Granger 4 in overtime Wednesday at the Cottonwood Rink to take the independent championship (teams whose rosters comprise players from more than pne school), while in the affiliated bracket (teams officially tied in with their schools), East 2Highland stopped arch-rivin two overtimes Thursday at the salt Palace. Even the Junior Varsity squads were not to be outdone in terms of dramatics, as the East JV squad upended Brighton 3 in an nine overtimes. So much for records, however. Plenty of Drama The real stories were how each of .hose varsity teams got to those and how the final two games erdicts were decided. If you wanted drama, the 1984 tourneys provided plenty of it. First, a look at the two runners-ip- ; 4-- 5-- 5-- -l al -I 4-- fi-l- al At East, the young Leopards got eff to a quick start when the regular season commenced in November, as they feasted on relatively weak competition in racing to seven straight opening wins. But injuries hit Mike McCormicks club like a six plague after that quick start front line players were shelved at and when the various points league powerhouses came around on the schedule, the Leopards strugmark gled and finished with an for the season. Ive been coaching longer than anyone in the state and learned that theres nothing you can do about inMcCormick said. When juries, to it you make rationalused youre izations a- - and play JV players. I knew once we got healthy wed be in it until the end. Regained Old Form Which is exactly what happened. The Leopards healed in time for the tournament and quickly regained their old form. After shutting out Brighton 0 in the opener, the Leopards thrashed a good Cottonwood team setting up the first tournament confrontation with Highland. The Rams won that initial conbut East bounced frontation back three days later and humbled to set up the Cottonwood again, finale with the Rams. Likewise, Granger also took the comeback route in the independent albeit in different fashbracket ion. The Skyline-WeValley amalgamation with the Granger uniforms didnt have the injury problems of East, and in fact breezed to an regular season 3-- 4-- 3-- 8-- Tribune Staff Photo by Tim Kelly te , to regroup. Action was part of last Thursdays affiliated prep hockey championship game, which the Rams won Easts Larry Kinnersley spots elusive puck and heads for it while Highlands Stewart Nord and Scott Miller attempt 2-- 1. Certainly a Tantalizing Idea Affiliated-Independe- Prep Hockey Final nt ie 3-- 8-- record. Once they got into the tourney, the fireworks started. Coach Glen Ujifusas club eased in the opening round, past Roy but drew regular season league champion Ogden in the second round and found itself down by two goals with two minutes to play. Enat ter the fireworks. Put Contest in Overtime Granger cut the deficit to 3 at 1 43 of the final period and then again with six seconds left to put the contest into overtime. Don Wack then scored the winner early in the extra period to give Granger the stunning 4 win. The same clubs met a week later on Salt Palace ice, with Granger needing only to duplicate its earlier task to take the independent championship. But Ogden came out with fire, Granger came out flat, and the regular season champs rolled to a 5setting up last Wednevictory sdays finale at the Cottonwood rink. Possibly the best high school hockey club in the state this season, Ogden defeated both Highland and East during the regular season, but team members found themselves with their backs against the wall in the confrontations with Granger, according to Coach James Brown. With that frame of mind, Browns squad went out in the independent finale and raced to a 0 lead after two periods of play. Then it happened again. Lose Concentration Its the same problem weve had all year," Brown said. We get into these high scoring games and build a lead, then we lose our concentration. Taking advantage of Odgens lapse, Granger stormed back for the second time in three tournament meetings with the regular season champs, scoring two goals halfway through the final period to cut the lead to one. Ogden scored again to take a seemingly safe 2 lead with five minutes left in the game. But never-say-dGranger rose from the dead again, sliding a goal at the three-minumark and then tied the game with 47 seconds left. Yeah, it was scary, especially as it came against a team with their talent Brown said of the second It brought Granger comeback. back bad memories. But the team from the north kept its poise this time around, and when Browns son Tim slid the winner past 50 seconds (his second goal of the night), Ogden putlts independent title on ice, so to speak. Granger has nothing to be ashamed of, the elder Brown said in the battles aftermath. Theyre a super bunch of See Page T-- Column One In the aftermath of the two postseason high school hockey tournaments, more than a few people in the Salt Palace were buzzing about the possibility of matching independent winner Ogden and affiliated champion Highland in a final game to determine the best prep hockey team in the state. And although it is certainly a tantalizing idea, the contest in all likelihood wont come off. Right now I wouldnt be in favor of such a game. Wed like to play them, Ogden Coach James Brown said. But on the other hand, Id hate to take anything away from either them or us. The league just isnt set up for such a game. If they went for it though, I think we would. n tour Indeed, the two post-seaso- Highland Coach George MelLng said his team was spent after the emotional win over East, and that a final game with Ogden would be anticlimactic. We really peaked for this East game, Melling said. Match-U- p naments were formulated so as to encourage the independent teams to become affiliated with local high schools. As it stands now, these unaffiliated squads are made up of playg areas. ers from wide-rangin- The idea for an affiliated-indepen-deshowdown this year came about mainly for financial reasons. Paul Leahy League - Unlikely d dream said an would have been used contest mainly to garner more revenues to put the two tournaments past the break even point. 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