By Dan Hardenbrook
The TAYHA Renze Powersports 10U hockey team played their final set of home games this weekend at The Barn in Newberry. Saturday featured a pair of games against Marquette Crossroads, and Sunday featured a rematch with the Marquette Kiwanis, who the Squirts saw in head to head action at the District Tournament in Escanaba a couple of weeks ago.
Although not very deep, with only nine skaters in action, the Marquette Crossroads squad proved to be a tough match up. Not phased by the tight quarters of The Barn, which often gives visiting teams fits, the Crossroads kids controlled the puck and the first period of play in game one, jumping out to a 2-0 lead. The Renze sports battled back, behind a goal from “Scorin Oren” Dewitt to make it 2-1. The score held up until the late stages of the final period, when Marquette scored a perfectly placed empty net goal to secure the 3-1 win. Game two also went Marquette’s way as they pulled out a 5-2 win. Renze Powersports goals were scored by Kade Schroeder and Davin McNamara.
Sunday saw a rematch with the Marquette Kiwanis, who beat the Squirts and sent them home from the district tournament. Fired up and focused, the Squirts came out on fire Sunday morning, playing some of their best hockey of the season in a thrilling 3-2 win on another beautiful day inside The Barn. The win earned them a split on the day as Marquette came back for a 4-0 win in game two. These were the final home games of the season, and for Newberry’s second year Squirts, their final games ever inside The Barn before they move up to the Pee Wee level next year.
