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Lumen Christi Catholic High School forward Owen Campbell scored two goals and notched three assists in an 8-1 win over Okemos on Saturday afternoon at the Optimist Ice Arena.  Photo by Jeff Steers, JTV Sports.

By Jeff Steers
JTV Sports

Lumen Christi Catholic High School hockey forward Owen Campbell said players on the squad grew up trying to be the fastest kid on the ice.

Okemos may have had a hard time picking the speediest LCCHS player on Saturday afternoon.

The Titans used team speed and three lines to wear down the Chieftains in an 8-1 win Saturday afternoon at the Optimist Ice Arena.

Both teams have beaten the other once in the race to be the representative in the South Central Hockey Conference championship game at the end of the season.

Lumen Christi is now 16-2 overall, 8-1 in SCHC with the win. Okemos is 17-2 overall after earning a spot in the State Champs top 25 hockey rankings.

LCCHS Coach Mike Wartella said the Titans should be in good shape – if the standings are tied at the end of the season – because the tiebreaker is goals given up in league play.

“We were skating three lines against their two, so we thought we could wear Okemos out,” Wartella said after the contest. “I told them between the second and third period to keep getting the puck deep (into their zone) and force their defense.”

It obviously worked as the Titans broke up a 2-1 game scoring six times in the third period.

Junior Owen Campbell was the big scoring star of the night with two goals and three assists. He leads the Titans with 38 points – 23 goals and 15 assists – this season.

“It was a good team effort tonight,” Campbell said. “Coach really didn’t say a whole lot after the second period except to kick it into full gear in the third period.”

Campbell scored his second goal of the game 28 seconds into the third period and Matt Mogle scored an unassisted goal a minute later for a 4-1 lead.

Andrew Varner scored on assists by Campbell and Drew Miotke for a 5-1 lead. It only took 37 seconds for the Titans to score again on a goal by Jacob Kosnik with Mogle earning the assist.

Miotke scored his second goal of the game at the 8:08 mark with Campbell earning the assist. The final goal was scored at the 2:38 mark by Zach Whitton with assists going to Brody Dalton and Gene Hendrickson.

Campbell scored the only goal of the first period with an unassisted tally.

“The first period we gripped the stick a little too tight,” Wartella said. “Once we relaxed, we picked it up a bit.”

Miotke scored the second goal of the game for the Titans at the 6:40 mark of the second period. He was assisted by Campbell and Varner on the scoring effort.

But there was little time to celebrate as Okemos scored 16 seconds later cutting the lead to 2-1.

That is when the Titans turned it up a notch.

“Our speed is something that helps us,” Campbell said. “We grew up always competing to see who could be the fastest kid on the ice.

“Now that we are all on the same high school team, that speed shows.”

The Titans outshot Okemos 34-24.

LCCHS goalie Lucas Henderson stopped 23 of 24 shots to earn the win.

“Lucas put on a show tonight,” Wartella said. “He kept us in there.”

The Titans will travel to Canton on Wednesday for a non-conference battle beginning at 7 p.m.

Zach Whitton, back, of Lumen Christi Catholic High School takes a shot at the goal during a game Saturday at Optimist Ice Arena against Okemos. Photo by Jeff Steers, JTV Sports.

LCCHS goalie Lucas Henderson earned the win in goal with 23 saves against Okemos. Photo by Jeff Steers, JTV Sports.

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