WCBN Broomball Reaches Elite 8

Ann Arbor -- WCBN rode a second consecutive shutout in as
many nights from unanimous All-American goalie, Jon "Iron Curtain" Moore (Searsport, ME / Searsport District High School) to a 1-0 victory over One. WCBN was able to overcome their lowest goal output thanks to sensational saves by Moore.

Once again, Ben "Big Bomber" Betzler (San Antonio, TX / Ronald Reagan High School) provided all the offense on the night, scoring at the 3:04 mark in the second half. Controversy ensued as the ball appeared to deflect off the broom of Chelsea "Superwoman" Slater (Cincinnati , OH / Turpin High School). Video replay did not provide conclusive evidence to overturn the call on the ice, so the goal was credited to Betzler. Co-captain, Andrew "Anger" Seid (San Antonio, TX / Ronald Reagan High School) picked up his second assist of the season.

For the first time all season, WCBN had to overcome some internal turmoil as Kevin "Hulk Hogan" Gregus (Crystal Lake, IL / Prairie Ridge High School) had to be separated from an irate Seid during halftime. Rachel Burns was able to hold back the Hulkster to prevent further injury to Seid who suffered a vicious slash to the right hand earlier in the game.

While Moore got the player of the game award, honorable mention goes to Tony "Don't call me Michael" Bolton (Canton, MI / Salem High School) as he and captain, Stuart Zaas (Solon, OH/ Solon High School) anchored the strong defensive effort despite being matched up against the strongest slap-shot WCBN has seen to date.

X-rays were taken of Seid's hand at halftime which turned out negative. Claire Otwell (Traverse City, MI / Traverse City High School) sat this game out with a sprained right ankle. Zaas played again despite extreme sleep deprivation. Zaas is not expected to recover by tomorrow as he is up at 3 AM writing this recap instead of sleeping, but is likely to play anyways.

Next up for WCBN will be an elite eight matchup versus #1 seeded Black Ice(6-0) at 11:20 PM at Yost Ice Arena. This game may be viewed on MD (moderate definition) on ESPN Classic Canadian 8 - Da Eight Eh?

Game One Recap
Game Two Recap
Game Three Recap
Game Four Recap (Playoffs Round 1)
Game Five Recap (Playoffs Round 2)

Co-Rec B Novice Level A Playoff Bracket

BOXSCORE:
Goals-Assists-Points
Betzler 1-0-1
Seid 0-1-1
Moore 8 Saves, 100% save percentage

Season Leaders:

Points:
1) Slater 14
2) Zaas 10
3) Gregus 6
3) Seid 6

Goals:
1) Slater 12
2) Zaas 6
3) Betzler 4
3) Seid 4

Assists:
1) Gregus 4
1) Zaas 4
3) Slater 2
3) Otwell 2
3) Seid 2

Goalie:
Jon Moore .912 save percentage; 0.67 Goals Against Per Game

GAME NOTES:

• With the win, WCBN Sports is on a franchise high six-game winning streak.
• This is the first appearance for WCBN in the elite eight
  
• Otwell, Zaas, and Slater are all listed as probable on the official injury report
• Seid is listed as questionable, pending a visit to UHS in the morning
  
• Player of the game: Jon Moore - allowed 0 goals
  
• Game Time: 33 minutes
  
• Attendance: 4
  

Media Contact: Stuart Zaas (440-227-5897)

WCBN Broomball Advances to the Sweet 16

Ann Arbor, MI -- WCBN Broomball (5-0) hopped on the broom of blueshirt senior, Ben Betzler (San Antonio, TX / Ronald Reagan High School) as his hat trick carried WCBN to victory over Smoke on the Water 3-0, advancing to the sweet sixteen of the Co-Rec Novice B Level A playoffs for the first time in franchise history. Betzler put WCBN ahead 1-0, launching an on the glide slap-shot that sizzled past the right shoulder of the Smoke on the Water netminder. Claire Otwell (Traverse City, MI / Traverse City High School) and Rachel Burns picked up assists.

Holding a 1-0 lead at the intermission, WCBN played a conservative second half, only allowing Smoke on the Water one shot on goal. Tony "Don't call me Michael" Bolton (Canton, MI / Salem High School) led the way for WCBN defensively. Jon "Brick Wall" Moore (Searsport, ME / Searsport District High School) continued his career season posting his third shutout of the season.

Betzler gave WCBN an insurance goal early in the second half when he knocked in a centering pass from Chelsea Slater (Cincinnati , OH / Turpin High School). WCBN missed a scoring chance when Kevin "Hulk Hogan" Gregus (Crystal Lake, IL / Prairie Ridge High School) drew a penalty giving WCBN the one-man advantage. Andrew Seid (San Antonio, TX / Ronald Reagan High School) sent a pass through the crease for Stuart Zaas (Solon, OH/ Solon High School) whose one-timer attempt clanged off the left post. Betzler's hat trick came at the 13:11 mark in the second half as he blasted a slap-shot past an out of position goalie from center ice.

WCBN battled through injuries as Otwell toughed out a low-moderate inversional ankle sprain and Slater suffered a knee injury as she wiped out while on a breakaway. Seid and Zaas played well despite extreme sleep deprivation.

Next up for WCBN will be a sweet sixteen matchup versus One (4-1) at 10:40 at Yost Ice Arena. The game had originally been scheduled for 11:20, but ESPN Classic Canadian 8 - Da Eight Eh? decided to move the game into their primetime slot.

Game One Recap
Game Two Recap
Game Three Recap
Game Four Recap

Co-Rec B Novice Level A Playoff Bracket

BOXSCORE:
Goals-Assists-Points
Betzler 3-0-3
Burns 0-1-1
Otwell 0-1-1
Moore 2 Saves, 100% save percentage

Season Leaders:

Points:
1) Slater 14
2) Zaas 10
3) Gregus 6

Goals:
1) Slater 12
2) Zaas 6
3) Seid 4

Assists:
1) Gregus 4
1) Zaas 4
3) Slater 2
3) Otwell 2

Goalie:
Jon Moore .880 save percentage; 0.8 Goals Against Per Game

GAME NOTES:

• With the win, WCBN Sports is on a franchise high five-game winning streak.
• The line of Seid-Slater-Zaas were held scoreless for the first time all season
• Zaas and Slater did not score for the first game this year
  
• This is the first appearance for WCBN in the sweet sixteen
  
• Otwell, Zaas, Seid, and Slater are all listed as probable on the official injury report
  
• Player of the game: Ben Betzler - Scored three goals
  
• Game Time: 33 minutes
  
• Attendance: 3
  

Media Contact: Stuart Zaas (440-227-5897)

WCBN Broomball Advances to Round of 32

Ann Arbor, MI -- WCBN Broomball fell behind early but never panicked, riding a stellar defensive performance to a 5-1 win in the opening round of the Co-Rec Novice B Level A Playoffs. After Born to Play Broomball scored a goal to take a 1-0 lead at the 12:03 mark, WCBN rallied behind two goals off the broom of Chelsea Slater (Cincinnati , OH / Turpin High School) to reclaim a 2-1 lead going into the intermission. Kevin "Hulk Hogan" Gregus (Crystal Lake, IL / Prairie Ridge High School) picked up the assist, his fourth of the season.

Content to grind it out defensively, WCBN played a conservative second half holding the one goal lead until captain, Stuart Zaas (Solon, OH/ Solon High School) picked off a Born to Play pass and roofed a shot just over the goalie's outstretched blocker to give WCBN a two-goal lead. WCBN did not relent however, as a goal scored by a Born to Play girl would have tied the game. Tony "Don't call me Michael" Bolton (Canton, MI / Salem High School) played outstanding defense throughout the game especially down the final stretch. As Born to Play pulled their goalie, Zaas launched a pass down the ice to a streaking Slater who dove, fully extended to tap in her fourth goal of the game and her team-leading 12th of the season. Slater and Rachel Burns played all 29 minutes, Burns even remained on the ice after suffering a nasty fall.

WCBN advances to the round of 32 where they will take on the winner of Armenian Assassins/Smoke on the Water on Tuesday, April 1st at 9:40 PM at Yost Ice Arena. Tickets are first come first served, so reserve yours before Yost sells out. WCBN also received some good news after the game as the league commissioner informed them that Gregus's urine sample from last week disappeared. The league cannot find the sample and since it never made it to the lab, Gregus will be presumed innocent and may continue to play. The league has no suspects in the disappearance and the league employee who was placed in charge of the sample has been dismissed.

Game One Recap
Game Two Recap
Game Three Recap

BOXSCORE:
Goals-Assists-Points
Slater 4-0-4
Zaas 1-1-2
Gregus 0-1-1
Moore 11 Saves, 91.6% save percentage
Season Leaders:

Points:
1) Slater 14
2) Zaas 10
3) Gregus 6

Goals:
1) Slater 12
2) Zaas 6
3) Seid 4

Assists:
1) Gregus 4
1) Zaas 4
2) Slater 2

Goalie:
Jon Moore .875 save percentage; 1.0 Goals Against Per Game

GAME NOTES:

• With the win, WCBN Sports is on a franchise high four-game winning streak.
  
• Ben Betzler's roughing penalty in the second half was the second penalty assessed to WCBN this season. Both were killed off successfully
  
• Rachel Burns is listed as probable on the official injury report with a high right ankle sprain
  
• Claire Otwell is listed as doubtful on the official injury report with a sore left shoulder
  
• Player of the game: Chelsea Slater - Scored four goals
  
• Game Time: 32 minutes
  
• Attendance: 7
  

Media Contact: Stuart Zaas (440-227-5897)

WCBN Broomball Clinches Playoff Birth

Ann Arbor, Mich. -- WCBN Sports (3-0) slipped and slid to a hard-fought 3-3 win in the regular season finale at Yost Ice Arena. With the draw, and the 10 sportsmanship points that WCBN earned, they have clinched their second consecutive playoff berth in broomball, and their third consecutive playoff berth overall.

WCBN jumped out to an early 1-0 lead behind captain, Stuart Zaas's (Solon, OH/ Solon High School) fifth goal of the season. Zaas scored unassisted off a rebound as co-captain Andrew Seid's (San Antonio, TX / Ronald Reagan High School) slapshot from the left wing was blocked by the goalie, but before it could be covered up, Zaas roofed it over the sprawled out goalie.

Just a few minuets later, Chelsea Slater (Cincinnati , OH / Turpin High School) scored her team-leading eighth goal of the season. In an all-out sprint, Slater was able to outrace the goalie to the ball and sneak a wrister over his outstretched glove to give WCBN a 3-0 lead.

War Chinchillas then took advantage of a defensive lap by WCBN as #54 "Broomball Gretzky" broke loose and was able to finally beat goalie, Jon Moore (Searsport, ME / Searsport District High School) to cut the lead to 3-1 at the 14:34 mark. Off the ensuing faceoff, #54 took the ball all the way through the WCBN defense again and scored as time expired in the half. After video review, the ruling on the ice stood and the goal was counted making the score 3-2 at halftime.

Zaas tried to keep the team focused at halftime, but Kevin "Hulk Hogan" Gregus (Crystal Lake, IL / Prairie Ridge High School) was unable to control his temper as he was whistled for roughing after a vicious cross check against a War Chinchilla forward. After the game, the Chinchilla Captain asked for a urine sample from Gregus as he suspected the use of performance enhancers. Results of this drug test will be known later on in the week. Defensewoman Claire Otwell (Traverse City, MI / Traverse City High School) along with Sports Director, Tony Bolton (Canton, MI / Salem High School) starred on the penalty kill as the pair did not allow the War Chinchillas to register a single shot on goal during their one-player advantage. The War Chinchillas were able to find the net again to tie the game up at 4:45 in the second half on a one-timer that just flew by Moore's stick.

With the game's final seconds ticking off the jumbotron, both teams tried frantically to break the 3-3 deadlock resulting in a series of collisions and wipeouts. With just ten seconds to go and WCBN making one final push, Seid was taken out on an incidental collision. X-rays were negative and Seid is listed as day-to-day and hopes to practice with the team on Saturday. Zaas was also banged up in the second half as he slid knee-first into the boards. Zaas left the game to receive treatment on the bench, but was able to return later in the half. He is listed on the three-day DL saying after the game, "I'll be ready to go for the playoffs for sure, but I may have to sit out tomorrow's beverage shift at West Quad."

Watch for the replay of this game on ESPN Classic Canadian 8 - Da Eight Eh? sometime early next week. Playoff game time has yet to be announced for WCBN Sports as seeding is still to be determined. With the 3-0 regular season record, WCBN is guaranteed a spot in the Co-Rec Division B Novice A playoffs. Check back on Tuesday as the brackets are released at 6:01 EST.

Game One Recap
Game Two Recap

BOXSCORE:
Goals-Assists-Points

Slater 2-0-2
Zaas 1-0-1
Moore 12 Saves, 80% save percentage
Season Leaders:

Points:
1) Slater 10
2) Zaas 8
3) Gregus/Seid 5

Goals:
1) Slater 8
2) Zaas 5
3) Seid 4

Assists:
1) Gregus 3
1) Zaas 3
2) Slater 2

GAME NOTES:

• With #54's goal in the first half, Moore's shutout streak ended after 74:34 without allowing a goal.
  
• WCBN's 3 goal output is their lowest of the season
  
• With the draw, WCBN Sports is on a franchise high three-game winning streak.
  
• Kevin Gregus's roughing penalty in the second half was the first penalty assessed to WCBN this season.
• Stuart Zaas and Andrew Seid are both listed as day-to-day on the official injury report
  
• Both teams received all 10 sportsmanship points
• Player of the game: Chelsea Slater - Scored two goals
  
• Game Time: 33 minutes
  
• Attendance: 1
  

Media Contact: Stuart Zaas (440-227-5897)

WCBN Broomball improves to 2-0

WCBN Broomball (2-0) picked up another victory, defeating Global Access (0-2) by a 9-0 margin. For the second week in a row, WCBN was limited to just three first half goals. Tony "Don't call me Michael" Bolton (Canton, MI / Salem High School) gave another Russell Crowe-esque inspirational halftime speech and WCBN responded with six second half goals. Player of the game, Chelsea Slater (Cincinnati, OH / Turpin High School) let her broom do the talking as she tallied four goals, all in the second half to quickly put the game out of reach.

Global Access gave WCBN a freebie off the opening whistle when a centering pass from captain, Stuart Zaas (Solon, OH/ Solon High School) was deflected by a Global Access player and into his own net to give WCBN a 1-0 advantage just 21 seconds into the game. Bolton and co-captain Andrew Seid (San Antonio, TX / Ronald Reagan High School) would add a goal a piece to round out the first half scoring.

Zaas lit the lamp with his second goal of the night with a one-timer off a beautiful pass from Ben Betzler (San Antonio, TX / Ronald Reagan High School) that was angled perfectly off the boards in front of the net. Seid capped off the scoring stealing the puck from a bewildered Global Access player and converting with a wrister that found the upper left corner.

BOXSCORE:
Goals-Assists-Points

Slater 4-1-5
Zaas 2-1-3
Gregus 0-2-2
Seid 2-0-2
Betzler 0-1-1
Bolton 1-0-1
Moore 2 Saves, 100% save percentage

Season Leaders:

Points:
1) Slater 8
2) Zaas 7
3) Gregus/Seid 5

Goals:
1) Slater 6
2) Seid 4
2) Zaas 4

Assists:
1) Gregus 3
1) Zaas 3
2) Slater 2

GAME NOTES:

• Moore and Seid combined forces for their second consecutive shutout.
  
• WCBN's 9 goal game is their second highest output in franchise history - one goal behind last week's total of 10.
  
• With the win, WCBN Sports is on a franchise high two-game winning streak. Houston Rockets, here we come!
  
• WCBN converted on one of two power play opportunities, making them 1-3 on the season
  
• Both teams received all 10 sportsmanship points
• Player of the game: Chelsea Slater - Scored four goals and assisted on one
  
• Game Time: 33 minutes
  
• Attendance: 4
  

Media Contact: Stuart Zaas (440-227-5897)

WCBN Broomball Victorious in Season Opener

Ann Arbor, MI -- WCBN Sports (1-0) glided to a 10-0 victory over Kelsey House in its season debut in the Co-rec B Novice Division. WCBN got on the board quickly when alternate captain, Andrew Seid (San Antonio, TX / Ronald Reagan High School) took a centering pass off the boards from team captain Stuart Zaas (Solon, OH / Solon High School) to score the game's first goal at 1:21. After a lengthy scoring drought, WCBN would add two more goals before the end of the first half off the stick Rachel Severin (Chelsea, MI / Chelsea High School) Not content with the three score advantage, WCBN received a rousing pep talk at halftime from sports director, Tony Bolton (Canton, MI / Salem High School).

Inspired, WCBN stormed out of the gates in the second half piling on 7 more goals in the final 15 minutes. Kevin Gregus (Crystal Lake, IL / Prairie Ridge High School) dominated the offensive zone of Kelsey House early in the second half scoring two goals to put the game out of reach with assists coming from Bolton. Chelsea Slater (Cincinnati, OH / Turpin High School) scored two and then Zaas added two more to push the score up to 9-0. Jon Moore (Searsport, ME / Searsport District High School) came out from his goalie position to score the game's final marker at 12:07.

Claire Otwell (Traverse City, MI / Traverse City High School) and Katie Williams (Columbus, OH / Upper Arlington High School) played stellar defense to help Moore post his first shutout of the season. The dynamic duo held Kelsey House to just two shots on goal the entire game.

After the game, Bolton praised his team's depth, "I thought each line played well today. We said before the game that the key would be to win the three minute increments. I'm satisfied with our overall effort but I felt we were a little sluggish in the first half."

Seid cautioned against overconfidence after a week one win, "We played well today, scoring 10 goals, but we aren't going to play [Kelsey House] every week. We have to go back, look at the film and get ready for next week's opponent."

Next up for WCBN Sports are the always dangerous Global Access. Game time is scheduled for 11:20 PM at Yost Ice Arena. Tickets are free for U of M students, children, and adults.


BOXSCORE:
Goals-Assists-Points

Zaas 2-2-4
Gregus 2-1-3
Seid 2-1-3
Severin 2-1-3
Slater 2-1-3
Bolton 0-2-2
Williams 0-2-2
Deneen 0-1-1
Moore 0-1-1
Otwell 0-1-1


GAME NOTES:

• Moore's shutout was his first of his career
• WCBN's 10 goal game set a franchise record for both goals in a game and margin of victory
• The win broke WCBN's five game losing streak dating back to round one of the Flag Football playoffs
• All 10 players saw significant ice time
• Rookies Claire Otwell, Rachel Severin, Katie Williams, and Andy Deneen all played in their first career games
• WCBN failed to convert on their only power play opportunity which came late in the first half after a goalie high stick was called at 13:25.
  
• Both teams received all 10 sportsmanship points
• Player of the game: Kevin Gregus - Scored two goals and assisted on one to seal the game for WCBN in the second half
  
• Game Time: 33 minutes
  
• Attendance: 2

Media Contact: Stuart Zaas (440-227-5897)