Petoskey served heartbreaker in game's final seconds vs. Cadillac
PETOSKEY — When it’s even hockey, Petoskey head coach Mike McKillip likes his group against anyone on the schedule.
The problem so far for the Northmen, through the first six games of the season, is it hasn’t been an even five on five on the ice most of the time.
A rash of power play goals given up have plagued Petoskey lately, though they worked on cleaning that up when Cadillac visited the Petoskey Ice Arena Wednesday for a Big North Conference matchup.
Good things happened when Petoskey cleaned up its play, right up until the final 1.7 seconds of the game, when a 2-2 tie that looked in the bag turned into a 3-2 Cadillac victory.
“The way we lost, it definitely sucks, but there’s a lot of good things to take out of this game and there’s a lot of young guys stepping up and getting better and it’s happening fast, as far as their development,” said McKillip. “It’s a tough loss, but they did a lot of good things in this game for sure.”
Petoskey collected just three total penalties on the night, two coming on one play when a pair of players came to the defense of goalie Joseph Wolfe, who took some hits past the whistle.
“I tell these guys, ‘We can play with anyone on our schedule five on five.’” added McKillip. “Any game that’s been close or we’ve done fairly well in, we’re out of the box. We’re our own worst enemy right now.”
Petoskey wasn’t against the Vikings and nearly came away with at least a tie, though instead fell to 1-6 on the season. Cadillac remained unbeaten and moved to 8-0.
“It’s no secret they were undefeated and playing great hockey,” said McKillip on the Vikings. “Scott’s (Graham) got a great team this year. They’re well coached and they come to play every game. This was a good challenge for us. These guys have come a long way since last week, let alone the start of the year.”
Both teams played a competitive first period, with the Northmen leading in shots and held much of the action in the Vikings’ zone.
Cadillac picked up five minutes of box time late in the period, giving the Northmen a chance to take advantage of a five on four, though they couldn’t.
The Northmen twice hit the post then the period closed with the puck finding the back of the net, though the horn had rang out just a second prior.
The second came with all the scoring, though leads lasted just minutes and, in one case, just seconds.
Cadillac opened things with a goal from Jackson Hilt, assisted by Henry Schmittdiel, but Petoskey answered back less than three minutes later, with Dylan Robinson notching a goal, assisted by Kameron Horn.
Around minute later, Cadillac then took a 2-1 lead on a score from Kaleb McKinley, though that lead lasted just 10 seconds, with Robinson then tying things up off the ensuing faceoff, assisted by Noah Bodurka.
The second later closed in that 2-2 tie, which lasted until the game’s final seconds.
The Vikings held the puck for the final 40 seconds of the game, peppering the Northmen with shots until Mitchell House eventually found the net with 1.7 seconds to go.
While the night ended on a sour note, it came with some solid hockey played through three periods and opened with a special moment. Petoskey raised the banner of their 2021-22 Big North Conference title, which included the names of players and coaches. Many former players were also able to attend.
“It’s good these guys got to be a part of that,” added McKillip, who was an assistant last season. “That’s our only banner, so it’s definitely special. These guys understand how hard it is to get that and how much work it takes. It was a special night and cool to see some of the guys that graduated last year come back.”
Petoskey (1-6) returns to the ice this weekend in the annual Cheboygan Showcase, opening play on Friday, Dec. 16 against Macomb Dakota (3-3). Games will then continue on Saturday in Cheboygan.
This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Petoskey served heartbreaker in game's final seconds vs. Cadillac
