It was a banner year for prep boys hockey inside Macomb County this winter.
Four county teams reached at least the regional finals this season in either Division 1 or Division 2. Two teams also captured regional championships, two teams competed in the state quarterfinals and one local team reached the final weekend of the season and competed in the Final Four.
St. Clair Shores Unified and Romeo both lost in the regional finals in Division 2 and Division 1, respectively. Both Utica Eisenhower and Utica-Fraser United, which featured players from Utica, Fraser, Utica Ford and Sterling Heights Stevenson, won regional titles and faced each other in the Division 1 state quarterfinals.
Eisenhower eventually reached the Division 1 Final Four before bowing out to Northville 3-2 in double overtime.
There’s no surprise that Macomb County was well-represented on the Michigan High School Hockey Coaches Association All-State teams. There were 15 total athletes that earned some type of All-State recognition for their respective efforts and performances out on the ice November through early March.
St. Clair Shores Unified senior Zach Delmonte (11) earned Division 2 All-State Honorable Mention status this season. (GEORGE SPITERI — For MediaNews Group, file)
On the Division 1 First Team forwards, Utica Eisenhower senior trio of Bode Farr, Joey Zelenak and Nathan Schilkey all made the cut.
On the Division 1 Second Team forwards, Macomb Dakota-Chippewa Valley United’s Cameron Staskowski earned a spot, while Eisenhower’s Zach Morrison earned All-State Second Team defensemen and Ike teammate Connor Holmes was one of three goalkeepers to also earn All-State Second Team status.
Over on the D-1 All-State Honorable Mention list, five more local standouts made the cut. Utica-Fraser United’s Alexander Gorgievski, Romeo’s Brody Meier and Anchor Bay’s Finn Aprea were honored as forwards, while Utica-Fraser United’s Luke Muszynski was honored as a defenseman and UFU teammate Cli Chodrun was honored as a goaltender.
In Division 2, St. Clair Shores Unified’s Caden Gersch was one of 12 forwards listed on the All-State Second Team. On the D-2 All-State honorable Mention category, Macomb L’Anse Creuse Unified’s Logan Jarvey and St. Clair Shores Unified’s Gavin McKee were honored as forwards, St. Clair Shores Unified’s Zach Delmonte was honored as a defenseman and L’Anse Creuse Unified’s Perez Silva was listed in the goaltenders category.
There were no Macomb County players that earned any Division 3 All-State accolades.