The Eastside Stars hosted the perennially strong Wildcats from Mattawan this week on Friday, 12/8 in a South Central High School Hockey League (SCHSHL) game.

The game started out as a back and forth contest, with each team giving up one power play and one even strength goal a piece in the first period.  Chase Parrott (Holt) kicked off the scoring for the Stars with a power play goal assisted by Jack Drouare (EL) and Dante Munger (Okemos), while Kyle Raynor (Holt) scored the even strength goal when Dante Munger chipped the puck up to him, and he skated past the Mattawan defender to bury the breakaway goal.  The score was tied 2-2 at the end of the 1st period of play.

After the intermission, the battle continued and the game remained tied through most of the 2nd period until Jack Monaghan (ER) scored on a rebound with 49 seconds remaining in the period, with assists going to Jonny Stohr (ER) and Beckett Fast (EL) who notched his first point of his high school career.

The Stars built upon their late 2nd period heroics by adding 2 more goals in the 3rd period to seal the victory.  Chase Parrott added his 2nd goal of the game with assists going to Evan Warner (Haslett) and Evan McCreary (Holt), while Jack Monaghan stole the puck from the Mattawan defensemen late in the third period and scored his 2nd of the night with an unassisted tally.  The Stars emerged victorious and clinched an important league win with a final score of 5-2.

Leland Alvarez (Okemos) was stellar in net, notching 26 saves to secure the victory. 

The Stars travel to Ferris State University on December 15-16 to participate in the Big Rapids Showcase, facing off against the Soo Blue Devils and the Big Rapids Cardinals in non-conference play.