General excellence: Newark gets infusion of fall athletes back on ice

NEWARK ― The Newark Generals are used to waiting on football players to complete their seasons and get on the ice.

You can add the fall golfers to that list.

Two of the best men on the links in the Licking County League, Newark Catholic's Max Vanoy and Heath's David Link, both played key roles Thursday as the Generals blanked the visiting PHA Prowlers 3-0 at Reese Ice Arena. Vanoy scored his fifth goal in Ohio Scholastic Hockey League play and leads Newark with nine points, while Link had two assists in the win which pushed the Generals to 4-2-1 in the conference.

"This is my first year of varsity, and I've had a good start. Everything is clicking," said Vanoy, who starred on NC's Division III state runnerup golf team. "Hockey really helps my golf, with strength in the core and legs, and the hand to eye coordination."

Coach Patrick Brighton now has Granville football players Matt and Mikey Chaykowski and Miles Eckenrode, along with Heath's Ryan Perkins, back in the fold full time along with Vanoy and Link.

"We're getting there," Brighton said. "Every day, every practice, we run through the basics again, try to get them to where they can give us those 30-40 second, even 45-second shifts. It will come. Our 18's, some of them have been playing for 13 years, so it's only a matter of time. They have the potential to be great."

Heath freshman Trevor Enders is only 14, but has been playing since he was six. He's already making his presence felt, scoring Newark's first goal Thursday.

"So eight years I've been playing," Enders said. "I shoot tennis balls against the wall in the basement, like every day, and that helps."

The Generals' coaching staff picked Enders as the Player of the Game against PHA.

"He's consistently giving 100 percent, the whole game, and executed the game plan to a T," Brighton said. "He attacks the puck," Vanoy said. "You tell him to go after it, and he's going to go get it."

"My dad tells me, 'give it all you have out there, because you can rest on the lockerroom,'" Enders said.

It took a while for Newark to get going Thursday against the Prowlers, thanks in part to a stellar performance in goal by Joshua Neff, who stopped 35 Generals' shots. Despite out-shooting PHA 38-13 on the night, the game was still scoreless until the second period, when Enders scored on a rush at the 12:00 mark. Link and Lucas Purington were credited with the assists.

Leading just 1-0 in the third, Newark finally tucked things away. Tanner Wilson stuffed a rebound back home with 13:27 to play as Link got another assist. With 4:17 left, Vanoy slid on his stomach controlling the puck behind the Prowlers' net, but somehow was able to wrap a shot around the goal and it glanced off a skate and past the line. The Chaykowski twins received the assists. Backup goalie Dylan McLean got the shutout with 13 saves.

"We weren't able to get a lot of our passes deep enough, but once we got possessions down low, we were finally able to convert," Vanoy said.

"Our offensive zone was really strong, but we were missing some with our passes," Brighton said.

The Generals traditionally start slow, and look primed to make another late-season push once the holidays are past. Right now, they trail the Dayton Stealth and Hilliard Wildcats in the standings.

"I'm happy with the way things are coming," Enders said. "We have high hopes that we're going to go places. As we practice more together, everyone is going to get better and better."

"This was only our second game together as a (full) team," Vanoy said. "We're still finding that chemistry and improving."

dweidig@gannett.com

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This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Newark Generals shut out visiting PHA 3-0 Thursday at Reese Ice Arena.