Bay Reps eye first state finals berth in program history with win Friday

Mar. 7—TRAVERSE CITY — The Bay Reps find themselves on the cusp of achieving something no team has yet to do in program history.

A win Friday against third-ranked East Grand Rapids in the Division 3 state semifinals would vault the No. 7 Reps to Saturday's championship game for the first time ever.

The Reps feature a deep roster filled with talented and motivated players who see Friday as their best opportunity to leave a lasting mark and cement their legacy. The 2019 Bay Reps also made it to the state semis but fell short of reaching the title game.

"I dream of winning a state championship," Bay Reps senior Thomas Boynton-Fisher said. "We're a confident group. We know our capabilities, and we believe that we can make anything happen."

The battle between the Reps (18-8-2) and the Pioneers (23-5) is set for 1:30 p.m. Friday at the USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth. The winner moves on to Saturday's state championship bout with a 3 p.m. puckdrop.

"This is probably the most realistic it has felt to have a chance to make it to the state finals," Boynton-Fisher said. "We want to do something special."

The Bay Reps and EGR have already played once this season with the Reps taking a 5-2 victory at Centre Ice Arena. But senior Ethan Coleman made it clear that the Reps have not yet settled the score with the Pioneers, who ended the Reps' season in the playoffs last year.

"We still just want to put it to 'em and end their season," Coleman said. "We definitely still have a grudge against them."

Reps head coach Mike Matteucci said they know this time of the year is different than the regular season, so he does not expect his team to fall into the trap of being overconfident against EGR.

"It means more now, so we expect everything and more from them," Matteucci said.

In the Reps' 5-1 victory over Alpena in the quarterfinals, Matteucci said he saw the team he'd been waiting for this postseason.

"I really saw that little extra from our guys — that playoff-hockey mentality," Matteucci said. "I was really proud of our effort, and the seniors on our team are our leaders. They understand what's at stake. The longer we get to play, the longer they get to play in high school. They're enjoying every minute of this."

The Reps had an intense week of practice with an increased level of effort that Matteucci said was the best the coaching staff has seen from the players all season.

"The kids are preparing," Matteucci said. "I've had a few conversations with them lately, and they're telling me that we're here and why not us, why can't we be the ones. We still have to take it one game, one shift at a time, but we're going to give our best and see what happens."

On paper, the Reps look to have a good chance to advance to Saturday.

They have outscored their opponents 120-65 this season, including an 18-4 mark in their three postseason wins. Boynton-Fisher, Coleman and Record-Eagle Player of the Year leading candidate Grant Lucas along with fellow seniors Lars Millar and Ryan Lannen are leading a squad playing championship-level hockey right now.

The Pioneers have been pretty stingy, allowing just 45 goals this season while scoring 121. But the Reps have already shown they can light the lamp against EGR netminder Joe Green, who allowed five goals on 19 shots to the Reps while still compiling a 1.61 goals-against average this season.

"You don't get this opportunity very often. You really don't," Matteucci said. "You really want to make the best of it, and that's something we've talked about. I've imagined it. I'm sure they have, too. We have to win that semifinal, and having that opportunity is great. But we don't want to go there thinking we can't do it. We're confident, but we understand we have to play the game."

The Reps and Pioneers have had six common opponents this season. Both squads went 1-1 against Grand Rapids Catholic Central. The Reps routed Big Rapids, 9-1, while EGR needed overtime for a 5-4 victory in the first game of regionals.

The Pioneers picked up an 8-3 win over Division 2 No. 7 University of Detroit Jesuit while the Reps settled for a 3-3 tie. Both teams tallied convincing wins over Rockford, 5-2 for the Reps and 5-1 for EGR. Byron Center, which is ranked No. 1 in D2, took a 3-2 victory over the Pioneers, and the Reps managed a 3-3 tie.

Orchard Lake St. Mary's is the most recent common opponent for both teams as the Reps suffered their worst loss of the season, a 7-1 final in the regular-season finale. The Pioneers just knocked off the Eaglets in the state quarterfinals, 3-1.

Matteucci said he wanted to put together a tough schedule for this team, and he said he would have been happy with a record above .500 for the regular season. The Reps exceeded that.

"It all has to come together at the right time of the year, but you still have to go out and put that effort in every day," Matteucci said. "They know what they have to do. They just have to go out and do it without letting the moment get to them."

Scoring first might be exactly what the Reps need against EGR, but they have shown a knack for responding all season when the opposition gets a puck by sophomore goalie Tyler Boynton-Fisher.

"If we can start out strong and get that first goal, then we can put the pressure on them, put the puck in deep and play our game," Coleman said. "No Reps team has ever even been to the state finals, so I've definitely thought about it. But we're just focused on this first game."

Coleman called the collection of talent in the Reps' locker room "amazing."

"This is by far the best team I've ever been on," he said. "The camaraderie is just amazing. Everybody here is just part of a tight-knit group."

And everyone in that group badly wants to win a state title.

"I feel weird talking about it. It's kind of crazy just talking about it," Coleman said. "I've never been here before, and I just really want to win. We all do."