A Remarkable Turnaround for Romeo Boys Hockey

MACOMB – When the boys hockey season began, Romeo was coming off a strong performance as the defending Macomb Area Conference Red Division champions. However, expectations were tempered early in the season due to significant roster changes. The Bulldogs graduated 11 of 22 players from last year’s team, and many of the remaining players were new to the varsity level. As a result, the team faced numerous uncertainties at the start of the season.

Fast forward to mid-January, and the Bulldogs have transformed into a completely different team. Over the course of a few months, Romeo has made remarkable progress, showing a level of maturity and skill that was not evident earlier in the season.

The Bulldogs are currently on a three-game win streak, highlighted by a rare shutout of Walled Lake Unified at Suburban Ice Macomb. This victory was preceded by wins against Marysville (9-1) and Utica-Fraser United (4-1). During this winning stretch, the team has been dominant, outscoring their opponents 19-2 across three games.

Even in their last loss, a 4-3 overtime setback to St. Clair Shores Unified, which is ranked in the Division 2 state rankings, Romeo demonstrated that they have grown significantly since the start of the new year. The team has elevated its performance, showing resilience and determination.

Overall, Romeo has outscored their opponents 62-44 this season. They lost their final three games of the 2025 calendar year before the overtime loss to St. Clair Shores, but they have bounced back with a 6-4-0 record in their last 10 games.

Following the win over Walled Lake, Romeo now stands at 9-7-0 overall. In the MAC Red Division, the Bulldogs are 1-2, with their two losses coming against Utica Eisenhower (9-3) and St. Clair Shores.

In the game against Walled Lake, Nathan Smith earned the win, recording the team’s first shutout of the season with 23 saves. Romeo outshot Walled Lake 33-23 in the game.

After a scoreless first period, Joey LaPorte scored the game-winner off passes from Liam Hicks and Cam Lukacs. Xander Lucaj, Brody Meier, and Carlo Cavataio added goals in the second period, while Russel Bolen and Cormac Young provided insurance goals in the third period.

Young is the only player on the team with double-digit goals this season, but the Bulldogs have shown great balance across the board. Young leads the team with 14 goals and nine assists for 23 points. Michael Degenfelder follows with five goals and a team-leading 15 assists. Alex Michalowski is third on the team with six goals and seven assists, while Seth Sarrach has four goals and nine assists.

Seth Sarrach, Hicks, Bolen, Jack Watson, and Lucaj are among the team’s top defensemen. Behind them, Romeo has developed a strong tandem between the pipes with the play of Nathan Smith and Salvatore Previti.

Previti has made 274 saves, allowing 26 goals with a 2.96 goals-against-average and a .905 save percentage. He has a 5-3-0 record in goal. Smith has a 3.49 GAA and a .884 save percentage, posting a 4-4 record with 29 goals allowed and 250 saves for the Bulldogs.