Dominant second period leads Northview past Findlay

FINDLAY – Findlay struck quickly and Sylvania Northview struck late in the first period of Friday's hockey game.It was Northview's dominating second period, though, that earned the Wildcats a 4-1 win over the Trojans in a Northwest Hockey Conference Red Division game at The Cube.Just 21 seconds into the 17-minute first period – NHC league games have been extended from 15 to 17 minutes this season – senior forward Colin Somerville poked the puck past Northview goalie Parker Palcisko thanks to assists from two other senior veterans – Draven Wilson and Louis DBerardino. Aggressively pressing the attack from the moment the puck dropped, Wilson got off one shot in a scrum in front of the Northview goal, DiBerardino followed with another and Somerville was there to convert the rebound.Thanks to some instinctively clutch play by senior goalie Brett Flanagan, who would end the night with 32 saves, it stayed that way until final seconds of the period. With Findlay's Jaron Cook off two minutes for tripping, Northview applied some power play pressure of its own. Flanagan stopped two shots, but a third rebounded a bit farther out where Beanie Tillman was able to get his stick on it and score with just 11 seconds on the clock.While the period ended in a 1-1 tie, the last-second equalizer had a contrasting effect on the two teams."That goal with 11 seconds left in the (first) period made a world of difference for our emotions and our confidence," said Northview coach Steve Elliott."It wasn't a great first period. Obviously, it was not the start we wanted, but we started getting a little momentum. Then we were able to put something together in the second period and pull away to give us some breathing room."Northview quickly converted on another power play opportunity early in the second period when Madden Brightly, camped just outside the crease, got a loose puck and ripped a shot into the upper right corner of the net. The Wildcats blew it open late in the second period, with Kolten Omey putting back a rebound with 2:29 on the clock, then assisting on Jack Nowak's goal just 36 seconds later."I didn't love that goal there late in the first period," said FHS coach Ben Patey."I feel that impacted our mental game in the second period. We hung with them at first, but in the second period we made some mental mistakes and the wheels fell off."That's hockey, and we have to be stronger."Northview, which over the past 15 years has gone back and forth with Toledo St. Francis as the Northwest District's representative to the state tournament, improved to 2-0 on the young season."We had a good year last year," Elliott said of the Wildcats, who before the season started lost one of their top returning players – junior forward Liam Elliott – to a season ending injury."We might not have that high end 40-goal scorer, but we can run three, four, five lines out there and have confidence in all of those guys."Findlay graduated 10 players from last year's squad, but nine seniors dot this year's roster as the program continues to be led by senior veterans."We have six, seven guys who have been playing together since, probably, Bantams," said Ryan Maas, a senior captain for the Trojans."It's a really tight-knit, solid group. There's good chemistry, and the locker room vibes are pretty good."Graduation did hit the Trojans hard in one area, though."In the past we've had really strong defense. We lost all of those guys (to graduation) so we have a brand new group and we're a little young," said Wilson, a four-year starter."We have a lot of work to do, but when we get a few more practice in I feel those guys will be in a position where we make those plays."Patey, entering his seventh season as head coach and nearing 100 career wins with the program, agreed."We have a team that is built on work ethic," he said."I know I've said that a few times in the past but I really believe this team's identity is just that hard working, in your face, old school Findlay hockey."We have an excellent senior class that is leading the way and as long as we play hard for three periods, I think we'll be successful."Findlay High's 32-game season continues on Tuesday when the Trojans (1-1) host Bullis Academy out of Maryland. The team's first nine games are all home games, including four games at The Cube on Nov. 28, 29 and 30 as part of the Bowling Green Cold Turkey Holiday Tournament.