Little Caesars is No. 1 after winning the Squirt Major championship. (HWAP)By Michael Nestlehut

Hockey Weekly Special Writer

Good defense and timely scoring helped Little Caesars capture the 2016 Michigan Amateur Hockey Association AAA Squirt Major state championship in its 4-1 win over the Oakland Jr. Grizzlies on March 20, at the Taylor Sportsplex.

Zach Homer had a goal and an assist for Little Caesars, who scored two goals in the first period and two goals in the third period, to bookend a great defensive effort throughout the game.

“That’s definitely something we work on. We played a really tough schedule the last three years, so D-zone coverage and blocking shots and taking pride in front of our goalie is what we talk about when we play really tough teams, the top 10 Ontario, the top 10 in the US a lot,” Little Caesars coach Marco Trevino said.  “You have to get good in your D-zone and we have done that for the last three years now and have taken our lumps but it really pays off when it comes to playing (in the) States (championship).”

Two goals a little over a minute apart midway into the first put Little Caesars on the board. Homer, off a turnover behind the net, found Stone Rolston alone at the side of the net for an easy tip in to open the scoring at 7:19.

Shortly after, Easton Andrews took a Mitchell King pass and walked  from the side of goal and lifted a shot over Grizzlies goalie Benny VanderDonck’s shoulder to give Little Caesars a 2-0 lead after the first.

The shots on goal may have been even but the Grizzlies seemed to hit more shinguards and sticks, while Little Caesars had more quality scoring chances. Little Caesars puck movement in the offensive zone for large stretches of the game, while mostly perimeter, wore down the Grizzlies defense.

Alex Perreault pushed Little Caesars lead to 3-0 with his power play goal at 6:00 of the third. Skating into the low slot, Perreault pulled the puck forward before backhanding it between VanderDonck’s legs.

Two minutes later Homer poked in a rebound VanderDonck couldn’t cover up before the whistle.

The Grizzlies Luke Rice spoiled Kenneth Augustine’s shutout bid with 2:48 left in the game, scoring through a screen in front of the net for the final score 4-1.

“It’s a really good one (the win). It’s been a long time coming,” Trevino said. “We’ve played a really tough schedule the past three years developing these young kids and it’s paid off today and I think if you look into the stands today and look at the kids families, it has come to fruition from all the hard work over the last three years,”

Members of the Little Caesars Squirt Major team are: Easton Andrews, Kenneth Augustine, Blake Barnes, Sammy Hillebrandt, Brandon Hilton, Zach Homer, Mitchell King, Johnny Kunz, Chase Mazey, Alex Perreault, Stone Rolston, Zach Schulz, Wyatt Stefan, Jacob Terpstra, Jackson Wade and Stephen Wheatley.