Little Caesars players show off their medals after winning the Pee Wee Minor state championship. (HWAP)By Michael Nestlehut

Hockey Weekly Special Writer

Little Caesars waited for HoneyBaked to flinch before scoring three times in the third period on Caesars’ way to a 5-1 win to capture the 2016 Michigan Amateur Hockey Association AAA Pee Wee Minor state championship on March 20 at the Taylor Sportsplex.

Michael Mesic, Ryan Abraham and Justin Varner scored three unanswered goals late in the third for Little Caesars to break a 1-1 tie. Mesic finished the day with two goals, while Abraham had a goal and an assist and Jonathan Sexsmith added two assists for Little Caesars.

After a scoreless first period and most of the second, with both teams playing a fast paced north-south game with little neutral zone play, Little Caesars opened the scoring late in second with 4:46 left. Abraham, who had been buzzing around the net for his entire shift, took Donald Gooley’s pass, came in off the right face-off circle and wristed a shot top shelf past HoneyBaked goalie Andrew Oke to give Little Caesars a 1-0 going into the third.

HoneyBaked tied the score midway through the third period.

After a near miss earlier in the shift, Maxim Namestnikov found the puck in front during a scramble at the side of the net and popped it in at 7:37. Scoring chances for both sides then increased as the third period wore on and each team looked for the go-ahead goal.

Little Caesars put the game out of reach rather quickly, starting at 6:36 with the first of three goals. Mesic, while following the play, was able to corral Frank Nazar’s initial shot and slide in the rebound. Abraham added a shorthanded goal three minutes later. His second goal of the day was a highlight reel breakaway goal created from blocking a HoneyBaked point shot and taking it the other way, before going backhand to give Little Caesars a  3-1 lead. HoneyBaked pulled its goalie with 2:31 left in hopes of getting back in the game, but Justin Varner gained control off the faceoff and sent the puck down the ice into the empty net. Mesic added another goal with two seconds left for the final margin.

“I just think the pressure of them needing to get on the board and us sticking to our game plan, getting the turnovers and taking our opportunities without being rushed against and capitalizing on our opportunities and our chances,” Little Caesar coach Derek Langlois said, explaining the third period sudden goal outburst.

 “It wasn’t an easy game. We just played our style of game and did what we had to do to win,” Langlois said. “I think the boys played hard and did what they needed to do to finish the season off right.”

Members of the Little Caesars Pee Wee Minor team are: Trent Boryszczuk, Ean Badgett, Jerome Pegrum, Conor Place, Jack Paweski, Zachery Stryjecki, Michael Mesic, Donald Gooley, Ryan Abraham, Justin Varner, Chase Pietila, Frank Nazar, Ashton Petrarca, Davis Richard, Jonathon Sexsmith. Coaches: Derek Langlois, Kevin Pederson, Mike Schmidt and Jeff Garcia.