Patey counting on 'hungry' players to step up for FHS hockey

Teenagers have big appetites. That's something Findlay High hockey coach Ben Patey is counting on, and he's not talking about the pre-game meal. "The adjective I like to use for this group is hungry," Patey said. "We lost a good, tough class. But we'll be all right because there's always that group that's been waiting in the wings, waiting their turn. That's especially true this year, and that makes me optimistic." Patey enters his fifth season as FHS coach with a 65-50-11 career record … and mostly memories of last year's offense. That's where graduation hit the Trojans hardest, costing the program 78 of the 99 goals Findlay scored last season and 72 of the team's 121 total assists. "Don't remind me," Patey pleaded. Twenty-two-goal scorers Ethan Lammers (23 assists) and Ross Trenkamp (17 assists) graduated, along with Kellen Wetz (18 goals, 25 assists) and Mason Greenawalt (14 goals, 7 assists). All were honorable mention all-Northwest Hockey Conference-Red Division selections. Trey Downard (1 goal, 1 assist), Matt Pinski (1 goal, 4 assists) and Vincent Adkins are also gone, along with goalie Garrett Ambrose (9-5-0, 277saves, 2.71 goals-allowed avg.). Findlay's top returning offensive players are seniors Nate Riegle (4 goals, 8 assists) and AJ Savage (3 goals, 7 assists) and both are defensemen. Patey calls himself an optimist, though. He has a knack for finding the up-side of things and in Findlay's case this season, the up-side is hard to miss. "We have four senior defensemen and they are some big, big, big boys," Patey said. "Seth Russell's back in goal, too, and that's a plus." Riegle, who was a first-team all-NHC defenseman last season and a first-team all-Northern Lakes League linebacker this fall, checks in at 6-foot-3, 210 pounds. Savage is 6-4, 200, Kaleb Haubert goes 6-2, 210 and Colt Phillips 6-1, 180. Findlay's smallest defenseman this season is 5-11, 180-pound sophomore Ryan Maas. Patey knows what he wants to do with that size. "We want to be tough and we want to be physical," he said. "We want opposing teams to be a little timid about going into the corner every time on the ice. Those big guys will help in winning the pucks battle, especially where things are gritty and tough." Russell used his length well last season when, as a 6-3 junior, he posted an 8-7-1 record, made 357 saves and had a 2.31 goals allowed average. He's now stands 6-foot-6, and has an increased wing span as well. Offensively, some of those players who have been waiting in the wings will be called on, including junior Sam Swisher (6 goals, 3 assists), senior Noah Schramko (5 assists) and sophomore Colin Somerville (2 goals). Connor Stearns (1 assist), Colin Somerville (2 goals) and Simon Tanner (1 assist) also saw ice time last season and sophomore Draven Wilson will be an added plus when he returns from a preseason injury. Findlay kicks off a 34-game season on Friday when the Trojans face Mentor in the opening round of the Rocky River Tournament. Four other tournaments and the caliber of teams in the Northwest Hockey Conference adds up to a challenging schedule for the Trojans, but a challenge Patey hopes will be rewarding in terms of growth and experience. "It's a tough schedule, and it's designed to prepare us or late February and early March," Patey said. "That's when it comes down to one game elimination (OHSAA tournament), and that's when you want to be ready."