Good Faith means n GREAT Mortgages! Frozen Three Jewish first line boosts Bloomfield. NO Fees. NO Points. NO Closing Costs. Steve Stein Special to The Jewish News H Same Day Approvals. Cash Out Up to 100% Fixed Mortgages and Option ARMs Call James Cohen or Ari Tohirin: "Let us help you do what is smart for you and your family." Good Faith Financial LendingYou Can TrustIM 32600 Telegraph Road, Suite loo Bingham Farms, MI Office: 248-644-8771 Fax: 248-644-8779 1224050 Fine Designer Furniture • Stunning Accessories Unique & Unusual Gifts Always 30% Off most mfrs 6644 Orchard Lake Road at Maple West Bloomfield • 248 855.1600 8 •v• LO 34 Mon & Thur 10 9 • Tue Wed Fri Sat 10 6 • Sun 11 4 COMPLIMENTARY GIFT WRAPPING - 8tUdT08 March I o 2007 - - - - - igh school hockey is alive and well in Bloomfield Hills. "We stopped the bleeding last year, and we're making even more progress this year because the kids are working hard and buying into our system," said second-year Bloomfield Unified coach Marshall Shencopp. The Chargers' system calls for aggressive skating, quick puck movement and being responsible defensively. "It isn't an easy way to play," Shencopp said. "It takes a lot of effort and dis- cipline. If the kids don't win Adak another game this year, I'd Mandel still be very proud of them because of what they've accomplished." Despite having an inexperienced, thin roster of eight seniors, two juniors, six sophomores and one freshman, Bloomfield was 13-5-3 overall and 7-4-3 in Oakland Activities Association Division II heading into the home stretch of the season. The Chargers won only six games in 2005-06 while playing for their third coach in five years, but they shook the reputation of being an undisciplined, undedicated team that had a difficult time attracting the best players from feeder schools Andover and Lahser. This year's Bloomfield squad is led by an all-Jewish first line of senior center Jonah Mandel, the team captain and leading goal scorer, and junior wingers Seth Haron and Brent Hertz. All three are from Andover. Mandel, who had 21 goals and 21 assists in Bloomfield's 21 games, has been a great addition to the team. The 5-foot-8, 160-pounder played for Bloomfield as a freshman, but he opted for travel hockey the next two seasons. He played for the Farmington Hills Fire Midget A team as a sopho- more and the Michigan Ice Dogs Junior B squad as a junior. "Jonah is aggressive, smart, a strong skater, and he has great vision:' Shencopp said. "There isn't much he can't do as a hockey player." Mandel said he left travel hockey so he could play high school hockey in his senior year. Plus, Shencopp was his coach in the Southfield Warriors pro- gram several years ago and he wanted to play for him again. "I'm happy about my decision to play for Bloomfield," Mandel said. "I've enjoyed being on the team and it's been great getting a chance to play in front of my friends!' Bloomfield plays its home games at the Detroit Skating Club in Bloomfield Hills. Haron and Hertz will be Shencopp's first three-year Bloomfield players next season. "Seth and Brent have meant so much to the team because they demonstrate to the other kids how we play,' Shencopp said. "Brent is Mr. Reliable. He plays every skating position, wherever we need him." Hertz certainly was reliable in a Feb. 10 tie against Waterford Kettering. He scored all three Bloomfield goals. Both Bloomfield goalies are Jewish. Senior Jake Clark from Lahser is the starter and sophomore Wade Henney from Andover is his backup. Clark made 29 saves in a brilliant per- formance in Bloomfield's 4-2 victory over Troy Feb. 17. The Chargers won despite being outshot 31-12. Hertz and Mandel scored first-period goals to give Bloomfield an early 2-0 lead. Sophomore forward David Zuckerman from Andover rounds out Bloomfield's Jewish group. Shencopp calls Zuckerman "a little ball of speed" who will see more play- ing time in future years. Shencopp's son, Devin, a former Berkley High star, is a Bloomfield assistant coach for the second year. 1 Ageless Detroit Red Wings defenseman Mathieu Schneider is still going strong at age 37. The all-time leading Jewish scorer in NHL history and one of the newest members of the Michigan Jewish Sports Hall of Fame had nine goals and 29 assists and a plus-10 rat- ing heading into the end of February. Schneider ranked fifth on the Red Wings in points, and in the top 20 among NHL defensemen in goals, assists and points. ❑ Please send sports news to: sports@thejewishnews.com.