Jackson United and Lumen Christi hockey teams set to meet for the first time this season
By Mike Moore
Staff Writer
Jackson – Bring out the clichés, because in this instance, they certainly apply.
Records out the window, the date on the calendar circled.
This is one of those games every year, and when the puck drops Saturday night at the Optimist Ice Arena, the Jackson United and Lumen Christi hockey teams can settle the score.
For now.
“It’s a huge game, really the biggest game of the year,” United coach Andy Sinkovitz said of the 5:30 p.m. contest. “You think the playoffs are the biggest game, but at a local level, it doesn’t get bigger than this.”
“Huge game, the one both teams point to all year long,” Lumen coach Mike Wartella said. “When you do summer skates, you’re thinking about this game.”
The teams split last year’s meetings, each winning once by a 4-3 count.
The second game went to Jackson, and the Old Leather Skate the teams play for has had its orange and black side showing since then.
“And our guys see it everyday we go to practice,” Wartella said. “It’s some pretty obvious motivation. Our guys want it back.”
It won’t be easy, though, as the United squad is having another solid season.
Jackson is 8-3-1 entering the game, and, much like last year, starting to click on all cylinders.
Sinkovitz, a 1982 Lumen grad who played in the state finals in 1981 and the semifinals in 1982, said there are no real secrets when the puck drops.
“We have two very similar systems,” he said. “But, if too much emotion gets into this game, we’re going to have a tough time on our hand. We have to stay out of the box, make passes and take good shots.”
Controlling that emotion, especially in a sport as charged as hockey is, will always be easier said than done.
“This is the game you circle, the one your focus is on, the one you want to be your best at,” Sinkovitz said. “It’s that game you can’t emphasize the importance. At the same time, you almost have to take the emotion out of it. There’s probably no way to avoid the emotional aspect of it, but the main goal has to be going out and playing your game, just playing hockey.”
As of Thursday, Lumen was 3-7-0 on the season and will enter the game as the underdog.
“And that really doesn’t change anything,” Wartella said. “I think as a coach, we all tend to treat games the same way. From the players side of it, these guys know each other. A lot of them have played together since they were young.”
The Titans have a double dip of rivalry games this weekend, facing Okemos Friday night at 8:30 p.m. on the road before the Saturday showdown with Jackson.
“I actually think it makes for a better weekend,” Wartella said of playing on consecutive nights. “We have to focus on Okemos Friday, and find a way to put two good, back-to-back games together.”
Wartella wasn’t worried about his team’s record to date, either.
“We’re 2-2 in the past four games after playing a very a very tough December schedule,” he said. “We’re a pretty confident group, and now the mission is to play two good games this weekend. … Against Jackson, we have to have a good first period. We have to concentrate on the little things like keeping emotions in check. You don’t want to give any advantages to them. It comes down to skating hard, taking away opportunities and when we have chances, taking advantage of them.”
The teams will meet again Feb. 20 in the second-to-last weekend of the regular season.
The game will air on JTV and JTV.TV Sunday at 3pm and 9pm presented by US Staffing. Check back on the website for photos from the game on Saturday night.
Mike Moore is a play-by-play commentator and Sports Writer for JTV Sports. You can reach him at mjm12@albion.edu. He’s also the author of ‘Love, Defined; A Dedication to the Love, Sacrifice, and Magic of Motherhood.’
Love, Defined is available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Tate Publishing or by contacting Mike directly.