The M-1 Griffins Unified Hockey team fell to Clarkston 6-1 on Saturday at John Lindell Ice Arena. The team battled it out against a tough opponent in a fast paced game, but couldn’t dim the Wolves impressive abilities. M-1 now stands second in the OAA Red with 28 points in 19 games played and a record of 6-2-0.
The Griffins starting lineup consisted of forwards Logan Eland, Zach Steiner, and captain Charlie Price, defenders Bobby Ring and captain Kyle Paswater, and goaltender Todd Butler. After the opening puck drop, Clarkston featured an impressive showing, forcing an offensive attack for a majority of the period. Scoring three goals in the first, the Griffins left the period trailing the Wolves.
Entering the second, Clarkston once again proved their worth as 6th in the state, putting up another three goals to extend their lead to six; but the Griffins remained tough and rewarded themselves with a power play goal. With a mere 14 seconds left in the period, Cash Stillwell netted a goal with an assist by Price to shorten Clarkston’s lead by one.
Heading into the third period, both teams presented a strong defensive showing, with neither team allowing any goals against. The two teams showcased their talents, staking their claims as the leaders of the OAA.
The Griffins now stand at 14-5-0 overall heading into their next game against Northville at Novi Ice Arena on Wednesday. Price tallied his 34th point of the season, leading the team in both goals and points.
Despite M-1’s disappointing loss, the team hosted LucyLove night, a fundraiser to support those battling DIPG, an aggressive form of childhood cancer. Griffin’s captain, Paswater, is the cousin to Lucy, prompting the large event put on in her honor. The fundraiser accumulated a large donation to Team LucyLove, and was ultimately a successful night. 
