TRAVERSE CITY -- Traverse City West got what it wanted out of Thursday's regional semifinal.
So did Manistee.
As you could guess, the two teams had decidedly different goals.
The No. 8-ranked Titans cruised to an 8-1 victory to move on to the Division 1 finals Saturday in Sault Ste. Marie against No. 5-ranked Marquette (17-5-3).
For Manistee, the Chippewas played a full 45 minutes in the young program's second foray into the playoffs, an improvement from last year's two-period regional mercy at the hands of West.
"That was kind of our mission, our primary goal," Manistee coach Jeff Patulski said of avoiding the mercy rule. "We knew West was really good."
There was an inflatable palm tree in the West student section, and a beach ball was batted around.
It was a vacation of sorts for the Titans players, too. West sat its top two lines for most of the third period.
But Manistee (8-15-2) gave West a wake-up call, striking first as Logan Rohdy found the five-hole on a crossing pass 2:29 into the game. That would be Manistee's only shot on goal of the period, and from there it was a Titans shooting gallery.
"That was a nice goal," West coach Jeremy Rintala said. "They beat us to the boards and threw it out front."
The final shots tally was 43-10 in favor of the Titans (19-7-0).
"It's a tune-up for a tough Marquette team," Rintala said. "Manistee didn't quit the whole time and they played clean. I've got nothing but respect for them."
Last year's game with Manistee ended 9-0 after two periods.
"The coach was really respectful, playing his third and fourth lines a lot in the third," Patulski said. "We know West is a superior team; that's no secret.
"We told our kids to watch what they do, see how they transition, how they skate. Learn from playing these guys."
Manistee will lose seven seniors from this year's team, which had only 12 skaters. The Chippewas also field a junior varsity team of 14 players.
West sophomore forward Cody Stricker scored his first varsity goal to extend the lead to 7-1 a minute into the third period.
"We moved the puck around and I got it off the boards and put it in the five hole," Stricker said.
Mitch Snider and David Hanrahan picked up assists.
Brian Kelly made it 8-1 with West's second short-handed goal of the game, this one coming 4:32 into the third, assisted by Andy Bezotte.
Kelly ended with three points on two goals and an assist, as did Hanrahan. Todd Knaus had three assists.
West padded its lead in the second period, getting goals from Zach Franklin, Hanrahan, Brian Kelly and Dylan Sullivan. Assists on the goals went to Kelly, Knaus (two) and Franklin. Sullivan's goal was short-handed.
After Rohdy put Manistee up, TC West peppered goaltender Nick Patulski with 15 shots on net, knotting the contest 2:58 after the Chippewas' score. Snider roofed a shot from the slot that lifted Patulski's water bottle in the air, with Knaus drawing an assist.
The Titans then went up 2-1 on Hanrahan's blast from the point bounced off the catching glove of Patulski and into the net. Quentin Phillippo and Stricker drew assists.
Benn Overholt and Nate Wilson split time in net for the Titans, while Nick Patulski and Brandon Fitzgerald shared time between the pipes for the Chippewas.
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