BIG RAPIDS – Big Rapids High School is set for its annual hockey Christmas Showcase this weekend at the Ewigleben Ice Arena.
Action starts on Friday at 5 p.m. with the first game pitting Jackson Lumen Christi and FNV followed by Big Rapids playing Sault. Ste. Marie in the second game at 7 p.m.
Saturday’s schedule has Lumen Christi facing Sault Ste. Marie at 5:05 p.m. and FNC playing Big Rapids at 7:10 p.m.
Big Rapids’ hockey team was at Gaylord for a Showcase last weekend and went 1-1.
The Cardinals lost 8-5 to Allen Park on Friday.
“We played pretty well,” Big Rapids coach Tim Blashill said. “The game was 2-2 with nine minutes left in the third. We broke down a little bit in the third.”
Tanner Blanchard and Tanner Flachs had two goals apiece and Jack Balahoski had one. Isaac Zococ, Brogan Jones, Brody Ososki, Brayden Olds, Blanchard and Wyatt Skiera had one assist apiece. The Cardinals had power play goals from Blanchard, Flachs and Balahoski and a shorthanded tally by Flachs.
The shots were even at 31 apiece.
Big Rapids won 6-1 over Gaylord on Saturday.
Cooper Flachs and Paul Renner shared goalie duty.
“Both goalies played pretty well,” Blashill said.
Balahoski had two goals while Flachs and Carter Leyder had power play tallies. Wyatt Welch and Preston Young also scored.
Quentin Huijnen had two assists while Jones, Welch, Ososki, Leyder, Olds and Seth Perdue had one apiece.
Big Rapids had a huge 62-16 shots advantage.