One year after Honeybaked beat Compuware to claim the Michigan Youth Tier I 14U championship, a squad made up largely of the same players did it again.

This year Honeybaked came from behind to beat Compuware 4-2 to claim the Michigan state title at the Taylor Sportsplex. With the victory, Honeybaked heads back to the Toyota-USA Hockey National Championships, which will be held March 26-30 in Amherst, N.Y.

“It’s an honor for me to coach such a talented team,” coach Trevor Edwards said. “The consistency this group has shown and their work ethic has been nothing short of amazing.”

Honeybaked was banged up on the blue line this week and used only four defensemen for most of the state title game.

It’s been quite the season for Honeybaked.

Edwards’ team lost a game during its first showcase and then went to the middle of January before losing another game. The squad at one point went 20 games without a loss and ultimately dropped just five games all year.

“I think we went 53-5-4 this year,” recalled Edwards, who has been coaching this team for the past six years. “Going three months without losing a hockey game at this level, facing some top teams, is unbelievable.”

Edwards said his team was motivated all season to defend its state title, but having such a strong squad came with some (welcome) challenges for the coaches.

“To be honest, coaching is more difficult,” he said. “You as a team start to cheat and get away from the things that you have had success with. Keeping these guys together to do the little things can be hard when your winning that much.”

Mike Vigalante Serves Well in First Youth Coaching Experience

John Vigalante was slated to coach Compuware’s Tier I 18U youth team this season, but that changed suddenly when the former Plymouth Whaler was promoted to assistant coach with his old major junior team in the Ontario Hockey League.

So instead his brother, Mike, who has been coaching girls’ hockey from 14U to 19U over the past several years, was handed the position for the 2014-15 season.

While Compuware fell short of a state championship — it went 1-2 during the round robin at the Michigan state tournament this past weekend — Mike Vigalante fared well in his first experience with a youth hockey team.

“In coaching the guys, I found out the biggest challenge is keeping them on the same page for eight months,” said Vigalante, who by day is a full-time teacher at the elementary level in the Dearborn public school district. “A successful hockey player, and it does not matter what sex you are, is a player that really studies the game. Both boys and girls need to watch and learn from NHL players, what it takes to become a complete hockey player.”

This season Compuware suffered through a lot of injuries and did not ice a healthy 20-player team until January. The team managed to get by, though, and played well enough to advance to the state tournament.

“Hockey is an area where the kids can have a place of peace,” Vigalante said. “They can put life and all the problems aside for a few hours, playing the game they love.”

Other Winners

Michigan named five youth state champions in the national-bound divisions.

Little Caesars came back from a 1-1-1 record in the round robin to win the Tier I 18U title. Meanwhile, the Michigan Nationals claimed the Tier I 16U title. All of the Tier I youth national championships will be held in Amherst.

In Tier II, the Oakland Jr. Grizzlies claimed the 14U title and the St. Clair Shores Saints won Midget A championship. The Tier II youth national championships are held in multiple locations.

Story from Red Line Editorial, Inc.