UPDATE: OKEMOS - Okemos traveled to Jackson on Jan. 31 to fight for the outright lead in the conference. They took down the Vikings 4-1 and have a two-game advantage in the conference.




ORIGINAL STORY: OKEMOS - Okemos rolled out the red carpet at Suburban Ice Jan. 30, honoring the seniors who have given their last four winters to the maroon and white.

After the ceremony, the Chieftains (15-2, 8-0 CAAC) rolled over the Dewitt/St. John Panthers 6-0 to continue their perfect 2015.

The seniors skated over to the bench for flowers and a hug from coach Bill Sipola, then met their parents waiting with teary eyes on the other side. Hugs were exchanged, photographs were taken and cheers echoed from the arena where the eight seniors would don their pads for the last time.

"It's special to those kids, and it seems like those four years have gone by so fast," said Coach Sipola. "It always does. They've been great kids, great seniors, with great leadership, and it's sad to see them go."

Their leadership shone through, as Okemos slowly but surely wore down Dewitt. Scoreless after the first period, it was the younger players who stepped up for the Chiefs when they needed it the most.

Okemos scored three times in just over 70 seconds as the Chieftains jumped out to a 3-0 lead early in the second. Juniors Anders Staky and Cooper Anderson combined for three goals as Okemos led 5-0 after two periods. They added another late in the game to send the seniors out with another conference win.

Okemos remains a perfect 8-0 in the Capital Area Athletic Conference, and moves to an impressive 15-2 overall.