Warriors get the message


By
April 9, 2014

Veteran headmaster Moe Mantha delivered a strong but simple message to his Michigan Warriors before the start of the North American Hockey League playoffs.

The 53-year old Mantha, who patrolled National Hockey League bluelines for more than 670 games and has since spent 20 years coaching in the American Hockey League, Ontario Hockey League and now the NAHL, wanted to make sure his second-place Warriors understood the challenge of playing the third-seeded Janesville Jets in the opening round of the North Division playoffs.

“I pointed out that Janesville was the hottest team in our division down the stretch and they had taken it to us a few times so we needed to be disciplined and focused if we were going to beat them,” said Mantha, while guesting on Tuesday’s Hockey North Show that I host on ESPN 1400 Radio.

“I told the guys that we might have home-ice advantage but let’s not forget that Janesville has come into our barn and beat us more than once,” Mantha continued. “I just reminded them what we have to do to win games.”

The Warriors apparently got Mantha’s message.

Playing on the home ice of Perani Arena and Event Centre in Flint, the Warriors upended Janesville by 4-2 and 5-1 scores to take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five series.

Game 3 is slated for Janesville on Friday night.

Janesville entered the playoffs having posted a record of 10-1-1 down the stretch including a 3-1-1 mark against Michigan. Hence, Mantha’s message to his players about needing to be at their best.

“We’ve won two games and we’ve played well but Janesville is going to be fired up playing at home on Friday,” Mantha said evenly. “I told the boys we’re going into a hornet’s nest against a very-good hockey team.

“We just need to keep playing Warriors hockey,” Mantha added. “We still need to win another game but I like the way our forwards and defencemen having been playing and Trevor Gorsuch has been giving us good goaltending.”

The veteran Gorsuch has stopped 58 of 61 shots to backstop the Warriors to their two-game series lead.

PHOTO: Michigan Warriors goalie Trevor Gorsuch. (NAHL photo.)


What you think about “Warriors get the message”

  1. Moe has the boy’s playing good hockey.
    Strong on the puck and tuff in the corners……so far so good!!

  2. Goresuch was hot & cold during the season howevr he is a pressure goalie with play-off experience & Warriors need him to keep us in the game.

  3. With just 2 players under the age of 19 having played in their first two playoff games this is one heck of a veteran line-up. They should go far.

  4. Yes, Moe Mantha put a Warriors team together to go far this year. Goes from being one of the youngest last season, to older this.
    Randy, didn’t get to listen to the broadcast, what’d he say about the no commits question.

    1. Eric, Moe said is perplexed as to the lack of NCAA commitments regarding Warriors players so far. But he said he does expect several of his players to get offers from good Division 3 schools and thinks there are at least a couple of his players who will get D1 deals once the season is over, if not before.

  5. a shout out as to Warriors D-Man Jake Faella, who wears the “C” and is the undisuputed leader of the team.

  6. I am still try to get over the fact that the Eagles missed the Playoffs oh well close but not close enuf I guess!
    I seen the Michigan Warriors play 3 or 4 times this year and to me this is a team that can make it to the Championship Round.

    1. We shall see Randy how the Jets respond at the Ice Arena for Game # 3 and if your favorite team the Warriors can handle the heet!

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