As expected, the Granite City Warrior Hockey team is off to a fast start this season in the North Division of the MVCHA 2A league.
The Warriors are currently 4-1 and sit in second place behind the Edwardsville Tigers, who are 5-2. Granite City opened the season with a 7-2 victory over Duchesne of the Mid States league on Nov. 1. After a 6-2 loss to Edwardsville at home on No. 14, the Warriors have run off three straight wins, including an impressive 8-2 rematch with Edwardsville.
The Warriors have been lead by their four senior captains on offense. Both Nick Sabol and Brant Takmajian are near the league lead in goals with 10 and eight respectively. Both have recorded two hat tricks and two game-winning goals.
Senior captain Matt Burton proved his versatility by playing the first few games on defense while the Warriors waited for senior defenseman Ryan Tinsley to return from a three-game suspension. Burton has recorded seven points and Tinsley has chipped in with five after only two games.
Freshman Kyle Parker has been a pleasant surprise with three goals and two assists in five games. Bradley Stone, Josh Cochran, Ian Veizer, Jared Lewis, and Jesse Slecka have also registered points for the Warriors this season.
The team has also gotten some solid goaltending from the junior goaltending duo of Cameron Barton and Jon Wojtowicz. Barton is the Warrior starter and is 3-1 while Wojtowicz registered an excellent performance in his first varsity start in the Warriors' 8-2 defeat of Edwardsville.
However, the news is not all good. Forward Nick Sabol fractured his wrist in Granite City's 6-4 home win against rival Althoff on Nov. 29. He is expected to be out four to six weeks as the injury heals.
It was also learned recently that freshman Kyle Parker suffered a collarbone injury in a club game that could keep him out of action the rest of the season. The Warriors will miss the production of those players and will need some of their other players to step up.
The Warriors travel to Fairview Heights to take on the O'Fallon Panthers at 6:50 p.m. Thursday and return home on Tuesday to battle North Division rival Alton at 7:30 p.m. at the Granite City rink.
