Perrysburg junior forward Cody Schneider (18) skates with the puck against Findlay’s Mason Greenawalt (26) during the first period Saturday.
Scott W. Grau | Sentinel-Tribune
SYLVANIA — Perrysburg’s bid to advance to the district semifinals for the second straight year fell short Saturday. The Yellow Jackets lost to Findlay, 3-1, at Tam-O-Shanter’s Durocher Rink.
Perrysburg was outshot by only six, 28-22, and the Yellow Jackets scored first, but the Trojans responded with three opportunistic goals in the second period.
“We felt like we had some momentum in the first,” Perrysburg coach Kevin Fisher said. “I felt like we outplayed them. Hats off to their team — their staff and players — they were resilient.
“They refused to back off and they rebounded well. They cashed in on their opportunities and we didn’t. That is the name of the game.
“I was happy with the way we played. To use an analogy, ‘We drove the ball down to the goal line and just didn’t punch it in,’ whereas they cashed in on their opportunities.”
Perrysburg finishes 18-15-2, while No. 10 ranked Findlay (19-8-4) advances to take on Bowling Green (23-10-1) next Saturday at Tam-O-Shanter.
It was the Yellow Jackets who struck first against the Trojans. Perrysburg forward Cody Schneider scored on a breakaway, assisted by defenseman Connor Seiple, with 5:01 remaining in the first period.
Two minutes into the second period, forward Jaden Halliday scored on a rebound and an 11-foot shot, assisted by Sam Swisher, to tie the score at 1-1.
A little over nine minutes later, defenseman A.J. Savage put the Trojans ahead, 2-1, on a 25-foot shot, assisted by Swisher and Mason Greenewalt.
Ethan Lammers scored a shorthanded insurance goal assisted by Ryker Fetherington with 51 seconds remaining in the third.
Fisher said his six seniors provided him with one of his most rewarding seasons as a coach.
“I think a lot of people, after losing eight of the 16 kids from our varsity team last year, did not expect a lot from us this year,” Fisher said.
“It was the way the kids all played together and the hard work that they put in to finish in the middle of the pack like that.
“I think the six seniors that are leaving our program are leaving it in better shape than it has ever been. For that they should be very proud, and no one can ever take that from them.”
