PREP's run ends vs. Glenbard North

The Prospect/Rolling Meadows/Elk Grove/Palatine (PREP) hockey team didn't begin the season as the consensus pick to be the last area team standing in March.

PREP was ousted fairly early in the Blackhawk Cup tournament and lost to Mundelein in the semifinals of the Founders Cup.

But then first-year coach Dave Morgan's team engineered a run and reached the Elite Eight of the state tournament against No. 3-seed Glenbard North.

Many of the PREP players had not played in a game of that magnitude.

"We have some travel kids that played in games like this, but most of them hadn't," Morgan said. "So I just told them it was going to be a much higher-tempo game."

Other than reviewing the game plan, Morgan didn't have to say much in the locker room.

"The kids were excited to be there," Morgan said. "I didn't have to say much to pump them up."

PREP struck first five minutes into the game when junior forward Sean Cadwell scored on a power play.

"We had momentum at that point," Morgan said.

Glenbard North tied the game 1-1 after two periods.

"Going into the third, I told them they were either 14 minutes from moving on or 14 minutes from going home," Morgan said.

Glenbard North utilized a size advantage and broke the tie with just under six minutes left to go ahead 2-1.

"They were bigger than us," Morgan said. " I really think that hurt us throughout the course of the game. We were just outmuscled."

Glenbard North added a pair of late goals to win 4-1.

"Our defense played great all game," Morgan said. We didn't get as many scoring chances as we would have liked. It really was a great year. Of course you want to go farther, but I believe it was a great accomplishment for us to make it as far as we did."

Looking ahead, PREP will lose eight graduating seniors, including five defensemen. But seven forward are expected to return.

"We just had player evaluations last week and there were about 40 kids for tryouts," Morgan said. "We picked up some good travel players and I think our program is really starting to blossom."