13abc Athlete of the Week - Findlay Hockey’s Michael Armstrong

FINDLAY, Ohio (WTVG) - Some goals are bigger than others — like making the Final Four.

“We haven’t made it there since 2002, so it would mean a lot for this community and this team,” Findlay hockey captain Michael Armstrong said. “We’ve battled all year long.”

“June 1, sometime around there, we started summer workouts and we were like, this is the goal,” junior forward Ross Trenkamp added.

Two goals from their senior forward on Saturday helped them get closer.

Armstrong scored twice in a regional semifinal thriller over rival Bowling Green. A win against defending state champion St. Francis on Friday would finally send Findlay back to Columbus.

“He leads by example,” head coach Ben Patey said of Armstrong. “Those two goals completely energized our team and we fed off that energy and kind of grinded them down.”

Including the playoffs, Armstrong has a team-high 24 goals with 18 assists, assisting since day one this season.

“He’s the best player on the ice at all times, I believe,” Trenkamp said. “And in the locker room, he’s really important for us. He gets us going all the time.”

that’s also been the case since day one on the team.

“You could just tell that he was special,” Patey recalled. “Every practice, every game, he’s the heart and soul of this hockey club.”

There’s one more goal ahead.

“In the four years I’ve played here, we haven’t made it this far,” Armstrong said. “If I’m working hard, everyone else is going to see that and we’re just going to build off that. I mean, if you’re not fighting for a state championship, what are you fighting for?”

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