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East Kentwood High School athletics

go falcons!

East Kentwood High School athletics

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6.0 years ago @ 7:53AM

Connor Graham’s tenacious play makes positive impact on East Kentwood hockey team

By Don VanderVeen | Advance Newspapers 
on February 23, 2018 8:33 AM
 

KENTWOOD – Connor Graham is an emerging impact player for the East Kentwood hockey team.

Playing on the Falcons' top line with Brady Strabel and Kyle Boring, the 6-foot, 155-pound junior wing is beginning to click as the Falcons prepare for the postseason.

Graham recently posted back-to-back three-point games against Bay City and Kalamazoo, and scored a couple goals in a pair of games against Rockford and Byron Center.

Graham has scored five goals and has 14 assists for a total of 19 points. He also leads the Falcons in hits with 87.

“Connor is having a great season for us,” EK coach Shawn Jensen said. “He has picked up his work ethic, and his energy always keeps the team up in games. He is playing on a line with our two senior captains, and he is feeding off their success and becoming a better hockey player because of it.”

Graham's tenaciousness in the corners and in front of the net has had a positive impact for the Falcons.

“He never gives up on a play,” Jensen said. “He makes others around him want to work just as hard as he does.

“He hates to fail and always wants himself and his teammates succeed on the ice. He always works hard every shift. No matter the score of the game, Connor is always going to be one of the hardest workers on the ice.”

The Falcons were 9-14 overall and 4-6 in the OK Conference Tier I Division.

“We have been playing some good hockey,” Jensen said. “We had some tough breaks in back-to-back overtime losses to Rockford and Byron Center, but we are starting to score more, and that's something we have been struggling with in previous games.

“So, if we can continue to put the puck in the net, we should have some success going into the playoffs.”

The Falcons host a Division 1 regional tournament game and will play in a 7 p.m. semifinal on Feb. 28. The regional finals are scheduled for March 3 at The Summit in Dimondale.

“For us to make a run in the playoffs, we need all facets of our game to be working,” Jensen said. “We need to score timely goals, get good goaltending, and play great defensive zone coverage. If we can do that, then we will do pretty well in the playoffs.”

 


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