EastsideCat
Active member
You really went out on a limb with that one. :>)
2024-2025 St. Ignatius hockey
- Thread starter clevelandcane
- Start date
clevelandcane
Active member
I was at the Final Four in 2000 at BG where the Cats won their first title (I've seen them all live). It beats the snot out of Columbus for atmosphere
I realize there is a contract with CBJ, but if they truly cared about the sport and more importantly the student-athletes that play, they'd make more of an effort to make it a memorable experience...Hypothetically, if it were at BGSU, CBJ could still have a presence there as the most high-profile hockey organization in the state (obviously).
EastsideCat
Active member
Got the chance to watch hockey in South Bend this year and that arena was about perfect. I don't care if it rotates locations but the right size arena for the crowd makes it more enjoyable. Hobart in Troy is a great place with a really cool vibe.
Brooklyn, BGSU, Miami (OH), OSU, Kent, Covelli (Youngstown) are options as well
A few years ago, I read an article from a writer in the Toledo-area where he mentioned Huntington Center as a possible option, which would be really intriguing.
IDK if anyone has been there before, but that would be a very suitable option IMO.
A few years ago, I read an article from a writer in the Toledo-area where he mentioned Huntington Center as a possible option, which would be really intriguing.
IDK if anyone has been there before, but that would be a very suitable option IMO.
clevelandcane
Active member
I think most agree that Nationwide is a garbage arena for OH HS hockey.
Cool environment obviously, maybe to play a random game in during the season, but not during the most important time of the season.
CLEVELAND, Ohio — There’s an old proverb in sports: You learn more about yourself from a loss than a win. Taking that to heart should be easy for St. Ignatius. The Wildcats (27-9) get a rematch from earlier in the season in Saturday’s OHSAA ice hockey state semifinal against Toledo St. Francis de Sales (30-6). On Jan. 3, the Wildcats and Knights clashed for a memorable bout that took an overtime period to decide. It was the Knights getting the better of the Wildcats for a 5-4 win on home ice in Toledo, but now the two teams are playing with their season on the line.
Saturday’s semifinal is at 2 p.m. at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, where the Wildcats won their eighth state title in program history last season. Mentor and Upper Arlington meet Saturday at 11 a.m. in the other semifinal. “You’d definitely rather have seen the opponent than not seen them, as far as we’re in a league with them, we probably bumped into them at least once a year most years before we joined the league,” St. Ignatius head coach Pat O’Rourke said. “We’ve had a couple great games down at Nationwide (Arena) against St. Francis. Some we’ve won, some we’ve lost. But, it’s a pretty cool rivalry. “Everybody’s gonna have a few new wrinkles, but by and large we know each other’s personnel and know some of the stuff the other team’s going to try and do.”
No one in Ohio had a bigger target on its back than the defending state champions Wildcats, but that didn’t slow them down on their road to return to Columbus. Knocking off a feisty Padua team on Saturday afternoon to claim the school’s eighth regional crown since 2015, the Wildcats return to a familiar setting on Saturday for a date with a familiar opponent in St. Francis de Sales. But that doesn’t mean O’Rourke’s team is taking this opportunity for granted.
“We graduated a lot of kids last year, so for some of the guys this will be their first time playing at Nationwide,” O’Rourke said. “There is a lot of excitement. A lot of the younger guys are excited and that’s why they want to play at Ignatius is to try and have the opportunity to play down there. “I am not worried about them not taking this seriously or any of that stuff. I think they’ll be on point.”
Since the formation of the Greater Ohio Hockey League last season, both squads have gotten to know one another more intimately than in years past. These two teams have developed a healthy rivalry over the years with numerous state semifinal and final battles against one another.
This year is no different. “Every time we seem to play St. Francis it’s a one-goal game or overtime,” O’Rourke said. “Crazy games with crazy swings of momentum and emotion, so a bit of it is going to be handling that well and the other part is going to be committing to simple stuff and not trying to get too cute out there.”
If the Wildcats can handle those swings in momentum, then they have the offense to get the job done. Seven different Wildcats have scored double-digit goals this year, led by senior captains Nolan Ignacio (33) and Sam Elwell (23). Cade Bradley has been one of the top players in the state at setting up his teammates with 25 assists to go along with 17 goals. In net, the Wildcats have Dominic Filizetti with a .914 save percentage in goal. Last season he was first-team All-Ohio for the second year in a row.
Beyond all that, the Wildcats have history on their side. Even though St. Francis de Sales is making its 16th appearance in the state final four and has won three titles, the Wildcats have been a roadblock. The Wildcats and Knights have met at state four times, and the Wildcats have won each time.
2016: 5-1 in the semifinals before winning the title.
2017: 5-1 in the final.
2018: 5-4 in the final.
2024: 6-4 in the semifinal before winning another state title.
The Wildcats will be taking in all that Columbus has to offer by leaving on Friday. They’ll catch Ohio State’s Big Ten hockey tournament quarterfinal matchup against Wisconsin before hitting the hay early for their matchup against the Knights. O’Rourke has stressed that it not be all business. Their next game together isn’t guaranteed, so it will be important for his team to take in the surroundings.
“The atmosphere is cool, it’s an NHL arena. We usually tell our guys to take a few minutes during warmups and look around, soak it in,” O’Rourke said. “Once the puck drops, you’re just passing and skating and shooting like you’ve been doing since you were 4 years old. It does settle into a hockey game at some point. But you want them to enjoy the experience.”
www.cleveland.com
Saturday’s semifinal is at 2 p.m. at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, where the Wildcats won their eighth state title in program history last season. Mentor and Upper Arlington meet Saturday at 11 a.m. in the other semifinal. “You’d definitely rather have seen the opponent than not seen them, as far as we’re in a league with them, we probably bumped into them at least once a year most years before we joined the league,” St. Ignatius head coach Pat O’Rourke said. “We’ve had a couple great games down at Nationwide (Arena) against St. Francis. Some we’ve won, some we’ve lost. But, it’s a pretty cool rivalry. “Everybody’s gonna have a few new wrinkles, but by and large we know each other’s personnel and know some of the stuff the other team’s going to try and do.”
No one in Ohio had a bigger target on its back than the defending state champions Wildcats, but that didn’t slow them down on their road to return to Columbus. Knocking off a feisty Padua team on Saturday afternoon to claim the school’s eighth regional crown since 2015, the Wildcats return to a familiar setting on Saturday for a date with a familiar opponent in St. Francis de Sales. But that doesn’t mean O’Rourke’s team is taking this opportunity for granted.
“We graduated a lot of kids last year, so for some of the guys this will be their first time playing at Nationwide,” O’Rourke said. “There is a lot of excitement. A lot of the younger guys are excited and that’s why they want to play at Ignatius is to try and have the opportunity to play down there. “I am not worried about them not taking this seriously or any of that stuff. I think they’ll be on point.”
Since the formation of the Greater Ohio Hockey League last season, both squads have gotten to know one another more intimately than in years past. These two teams have developed a healthy rivalry over the years with numerous state semifinal and final battles against one another.
This year is no different. “Every time we seem to play St. Francis it’s a one-goal game or overtime,” O’Rourke said. “Crazy games with crazy swings of momentum and emotion, so a bit of it is going to be handling that well and the other part is going to be committing to simple stuff and not trying to get too cute out there.”
If the Wildcats can handle those swings in momentum, then they have the offense to get the job done. Seven different Wildcats have scored double-digit goals this year, led by senior captains Nolan Ignacio (33) and Sam Elwell (23). Cade Bradley has been one of the top players in the state at setting up his teammates with 25 assists to go along with 17 goals. In net, the Wildcats have Dominic Filizetti with a .914 save percentage in goal. Last season he was first-team All-Ohio for the second year in a row.
Beyond all that, the Wildcats have history on their side. Even though St. Francis de Sales is making its 16th appearance in the state final four and has won three titles, the Wildcats have been a roadblock. The Wildcats and Knights have met at state four times, and the Wildcats have won each time.
2016: 5-1 in the semifinals before winning the title.
2017: 5-1 in the final.
2018: 5-4 in the final.
2024: 6-4 in the semifinal before winning another state title.
The Wildcats will be taking in all that Columbus has to offer by leaving on Friday. They’ll catch Ohio State’s Big Ten hockey tournament quarterfinal matchup against Wisconsin before hitting the hay early for their matchup against the Knights. O’Rourke has stressed that it not be all business. Their next game together isn’t guaranteed, so it will be important for his team to take in the surroundings.
“The atmosphere is cool, it’s an NHL arena. We usually tell our guys to take a few minutes during warmups and look around, soak it in,” O’Rourke said. “Once the puck drops, you’re just passing and skating and shooting like you’ve been doing since you were 4 years old. It does settle into a hockey game at some point. But you want them to enjoy the experience.”
OHSAA ice hockey state preview: St. Ignatius ready to defend its title, and enjoy the view
Saturday’s semifinal is at 2 p.m. at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, where the Wildcats won their eighth state title in program history last season.
www.cleveland.com
Ahh, a tale as old as time...Zero HS Hockey coverage until the state tournamentCLEVELAND, Ohio — There’s an old proverb in sports: You learn more about yourself from a loss than a win. Taking that to heart should be easy for St. Ignatius. The Wildcats (27-9) get a rematch from earlier in the season in Saturday’s OHSAA ice hockey state semifinal against Toledo St. Francis de Sales (30-6). On Jan. 3, the Wildcats and Knights clashed for a memorable bout that took an overtime period to decide. It was the Knights getting the better of the Wildcats for a 5-4 win on home ice in Toledo, but now the two teams are playing with their season on the line.
Saturday’s semifinal is at 2 p.m. at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, where the Wildcats won their eighth state title in program history last season. Mentor and Upper Arlington meet Saturday at 11 a.m. in the other semifinal. “You’d definitely rather have seen the opponent than not seen them, as far as we’re in a league with them, we probably bumped into them at least once a year most years before we joined the league,” St. Ignatius head coach Pat O’Rourke said. “We’ve had a couple great games down at Nationwide (Arena) against St. Francis. Some we’ve won, some we’ve lost. But, it’s a pretty cool rivalry. “Everybody’s gonna have a few new wrinkles, but by and large we know each other’s personnel and know some of the stuff the other team’s going to try and do.”
No one in Ohio had a bigger target on its back than the defending state champions Wildcats, but that didn’t slow them down on their road to return to Columbus. Knocking off a feisty Padua team on Saturday afternoon to claim the school’s eighth regional crown since 2015, the Wildcats return to a familiar setting on Saturday for a date with a familiar opponent in St. Francis de Sales. But that doesn’t mean O’Rourke’s team is taking this opportunity for granted.
“We graduated a lot of kids last year, so for some of the guys this will be their first time playing at Nationwide,” O’Rourke said. “There is a lot of excitement. A lot of the younger guys are excited and that’s why they want to play at Ignatius is to try and have the opportunity to play down there. “I am not worried about them not taking this seriously or any of that stuff. I think they’ll be on point.”
Since the formation of the Greater Ohio Hockey League last season, both squads have gotten to know one another more intimately than in years past. These two teams have developed a healthy rivalry over the years with numerous state semifinal and final battles against one another.
This year is no different. “Every time we seem to play St. Francis it’s a one-goal game or overtime,” O’Rourke said. “Crazy games with crazy swings of momentum and emotion, so a bit of it is going to be handling that well and the other part is going to be committing to simple stuff and not trying to get too cute out there.”
If the Wildcats can handle those swings in momentum, then they have the offense to get the job done. Seven different Wildcats have scored double-digit goals this year, led by senior captains Nolan Ignacio (33) and Sam Elwell (23). Cade Bradley has been one of the top players in the state at setting up his teammates with 25 assists to go along with 17 goals. In net, the Wildcats have Dominic Filizetti with a .914 save percentage in goal. Last season he was first-team All-Ohio for the second year in a row.
Beyond all that, the Wildcats have history on their side. Even though St. Francis de Sales is making its 16th appearance in the state final four and has won three titles, the Wildcats have been a roadblock. The Wildcats and Knights have met at state four times, and the Wildcats have won each time.
2016: 5-1 in the semifinals before winning the title.
2017: 5-1 in the final.
2018: 5-4 in the final.
2024: 6-4 in the semifinal before winning another state title.
The Wildcats will be taking in all that Columbus has to offer by leaving on Friday. They’ll catch Ohio State’s Big Ten hockey tournament quarterfinal matchup against Wisconsin before hitting the hay early for their matchup against the Knights. O’Rourke has stressed that it not be all business. Their next game together isn’t guaranteed, so it will be important for his team to take in the surroundings.
“The atmosphere is cool, it’s an NHL arena. We usually tell our guys to take a few minutes during warmups and look around, soak it in,” O’Rourke said. “Once the puck drops, you’re just passing and skating and shooting like you’ve been doing since you were 4 years old. It does settle into a hockey game at some point. But you want them to enjoy the experience.”
OHSAA ice hockey state preview: St. Ignatius ready to defend its title, and enjoy the view
Saturday’s semifinal is at 2 p.m. at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, where the Wildcats won their eighth state title in program history last season.
clevelandcane
Active member
Good luck today, Wildcats!!!!!!!!!
Game will be broadcast ( audio only) on SIBN
ignatiuswildcats.com
Saint Ignatius Broadcast Network
Saint Ignatius Broadcast Network Welcome to the SIBN -- your home for live coverage of Saint Ignatius athletics and much more!
ignatiuswildcats.com
clevelandcane
Active member
UA is a really strong team. They emphasize team. I don't see any stars. I had no doubt they would beat up Mentor. If the Cats can't win it, I hope UA does.
But...
let's go, Cats!!!!!!!!
cuyahogacuse
Well-known member
Somebody post that SIBN audio of the game winner.
Go to 1:49.. Game is on the right side.
Saint Ignatius Broadcast Network
Saint Ignatius Broadcast Network Welcome to the SIBN -- your home for live coverage of Saint Ignatius athletics and much more!
ignatiuswildcats.com
cleveland.com account of Mentor-UA. Congratulations on a great season, Mentor Cardinals:
COLUMBUS, Ohio — A historical run for Mentor has come to an end. Seven unanswered Upper Arlington goals slashed the Cardinals’ hopes at winning their school’s first state title Saturday as the Golden Bears beat Mentor — in its first-ever final-four appearance — 7-2 at Nationwide Arena. “If you told us at the beginning of the year that we were gonna go to states, we’d probably laugh at you,” Cardinals senior goalie Ryan Wilkinson said. “Just being here right now, it’s hard to take in.”
Mentor’s season was full of history. The Cardinals (24-10-2) won the Kent Regional trophy for the first time in school history after beating top-seeded University School just one week ago. Despite the loss, Cardinals coach Paul McKito said this year’s team raised the bar of the program moving forward. “As a whole, we’re just so proud of what we accomplished this year as a team,” McKito said. “The kids are really in the right mindset. Yeah, it stinks that we lost, but they’re pretty proud of what they did all year so they deserve all the pats on the back that they got.”
Upper Arlington has 51 shots on goal, compared to the Cardinals’ 17. But Mentor jumped out to an exceptional start. After winning the opening faceoff, the Cardinals pushed the puck into Upper Arlington territory and junior forward Jake Mackey fired a shot that found the back of the net just 11 seconds into the game. Forty-six seconds later, Mentor junior forward Joe Mackey notched a second Cardinals goal — this one short-handed to put them ahead 2-0. “We wanted to get off to a quick start and we had that dream start,” McKito said. “You couldn’t have asked for a better first five minutes from the group but it was a long way from the finish line.” A long way from the finish line, indeed.
Upper Arlington found its groove and settled down pretty quickly. Over the next five minutes, the Bears tallied four unanswered goals on Mentor senior goalie Ryan Wilkinson, who came into the contest with a 90.7 save percentage. “We’ve been really good this year coming from behind if we give up that first goal,” Bears coach Craig Hagkull said. “I think our nerves got the best of us at the start, but I was really proud of the kids to answer so quickly.”
With 6:22 left in the first frame, Upper Arlington sophomore forward Grant Southworth’s goal cut their deficit to 2-1, and 41 seconds later, junior forward Conner Hagkull knotted the game at two. With just over four minutes to go in the period, Upper Arlington took the lead thanks to a goal by sophomore forward Tate Rook. Then, with 1:58 in the period, Bears sophomore forward Ben Spence executed a nifty move around Wilkinson to take a commanding 4-2 lead into the first intermission. “I think after those first two, we took a small step off the gas and it was hard to catch back up once they started scoring,” Cardinals senior forward Dominic Trem said. “By the end of the period, it was 4-2, and we started getting on each other a little bit. We stopped playing our game.”
Mentor, looking to stop the bleeding in the second frame, couldn’t hold Upper Arlington out of the scoring column. With 5:08 to go in the second and inside Cardinal territory, Bears senior forward Jason Davis slid the puck across the ice and found senior forward Max Bloomfield, who powered it past Wilkinson to extend their lead to 5-2. With 5:22 left, Upper Arlington’s Davis maneuvered in front of Mentor’s net and scored a short-handed goal. Thirty seconds later, Bears senior forward James DeLeone piled onto the score with another short-handed score to seal their 7-2 victory and a place in the state championship for the first time in Upper Arlington school history.
The Bears (28-6-2) will face the winner of Saturday’s other semifinal between St. Ignatius and Toledo St. Francis de Sales. The final is Sunday at 1 p.m., back at Nationwide Arena
McKito isn’t letting Saturday’s loss distract him from what this season means for the future of Cardinals hockey.
“Hopefully we can get back here in the next few years and get to experience it all over again,” McKito said. “Maybe it’ll be something that’s more commonplace for our program as it grows. That’s gotta be the next step on the mountain to climb — you want to win a state championship, not just getting here.”
COLUMBUS, Ohio — A historical run for Mentor has come to an end. Seven unanswered Upper Arlington goals slashed the Cardinals’ hopes at winning their school’s first state title Saturday as the Golden Bears beat Mentor — in its first-ever final-four appearance — 7-2 at Nationwide Arena. “If you told us at the beginning of the year that we were gonna go to states, we’d probably laugh at you,” Cardinals senior goalie Ryan Wilkinson said. “Just being here right now, it’s hard to take in.”
Mentor’s season was full of history. The Cardinals (24-10-2) won the Kent Regional trophy for the first time in school history after beating top-seeded University School just one week ago. Despite the loss, Cardinals coach Paul McKito said this year’s team raised the bar of the program moving forward. “As a whole, we’re just so proud of what we accomplished this year as a team,” McKito said. “The kids are really in the right mindset. Yeah, it stinks that we lost, but they’re pretty proud of what they did all year so they deserve all the pats on the back that they got.”
Upper Arlington has 51 shots on goal, compared to the Cardinals’ 17. But Mentor jumped out to an exceptional start. After winning the opening faceoff, the Cardinals pushed the puck into Upper Arlington territory and junior forward Jake Mackey fired a shot that found the back of the net just 11 seconds into the game. Forty-six seconds later, Mentor junior forward Joe Mackey notched a second Cardinals goal — this one short-handed to put them ahead 2-0. “We wanted to get off to a quick start and we had that dream start,” McKito said. “You couldn’t have asked for a better first five minutes from the group but it was a long way from the finish line.” A long way from the finish line, indeed.
Upper Arlington found its groove and settled down pretty quickly. Over the next five minutes, the Bears tallied four unanswered goals on Mentor senior goalie Ryan Wilkinson, who came into the contest with a 90.7 save percentage. “We’ve been really good this year coming from behind if we give up that first goal,” Bears coach Craig Hagkull said. “I think our nerves got the best of us at the start, but I was really proud of the kids to answer so quickly.”
With 6:22 left in the first frame, Upper Arlington sophomore forward Grant Southworth’s goal cut their deficit to 2-1, and 41 seconds later, junior forward Conner Hagkull knotted the game at two. With just over four minutes to go in the period, Upper Arlington took the lead thanks to a goal by sophomore forward Tate Rook. Then, with 1:58 in the period, Bears sophomore forward Ben Spence executed a nifty move around Wilkinson to take a commanding 4-2 lead into the first intermission. “I think after those first two, we took a small step off the gas and it was hard to catch back up once they started scoring,” Cardinals senior forward Dominic Trem said. “By the end of the period, it was 4-2, and we started getting on each other a little bit. We stopped playing our game.”
Mentor, looking to stop the bleeding in the second frame, couldn’t hold Upper Arlington out of the scoring column. With 5:08 to go in the second and inside Cardinal territory, Bears senior forward Jason Davis slid the puck across the ice and found senior forward Max Bloomfield, who powered it past Wilkinson to extend their lead to 5-2. With 5:22 left, Upper Arlington’s Davis maneuvered in front of Mentor’s net and scored a short-handed goal. Thirty seconds later, Bears senior forward James DeLeone piled onto the score with another short-handed score to seal their 7-2 victory and a place in the state championship for the first time in Upper Arlington school history.
The Bears (28-6-2) will face the winner of Saturday’s other semifinal between St. Ignatius and Toledo St. Francis de Sales. The final is Sunday at 1 p.m., back at Nationwide Arena
McKito isn’t letting Saturday’s loss distract him from what this season means for the future of Cardinals hockey.
“Hopefully we can get back here in the next few years and get to experience it all over again,” McKito said. “Maybe it’ll be something that’s more commonplace for our program as it grows. That’s gotta be the next step on the mountain to climb — you want to win a state championship, not just getting here.”
clevelandcane
Active member
Go Cats!!!!!!!!!
eaglesfan216
Well-known member
I admittedly don't know much about the current state of high school hockey, but am in a social circle that does. They seem to think that St. Francis was the better team compared to UA, but that UA is really tough. Interesting to see the Columbus schools doing so well in just about everything. No Eds, no US, no Gilmour, etc. Ignatius is the Cleveland team at this point.
Viking/Falcon
Member
Gilmour had the talent this year.
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Despite a regular-season overtime loss to Toledo St. Francis de Sales, St. Ignatius knew the state semifinals meant more. And when it mattered most, the defending state champion Wildcats pulled through — for the fifth straight time at state against the Knights.
St. Ignatius downed St. Francis de Sales, 3-2, behind an overtime goal from senior center Nolan Ignacio Saturday at Nationwide Arena to advance to Sunday’s championship against Upper Arlington (a 7-2 winner over Mentor in the other semifinal). Sunday’s final begins at 1 p.m., back at Nationwide Arena.
The win marked the fifth straight matchup in the final four the Wildcats have reigned victorious over the Knights. “We just slayed the dragon today,” St. Ignatius coach Patrick O’Rourke said. “That’s a hell of a team. We’ve got tons of respect for them. Once you go to overtime, it could go either way. But we preach that, in overtime, put pucks on net from anywhere.”
Knights coach Chris Varga was left defeated, alongside senior forward Andrew Tucker, who had to use a white towel to wipe tears off his cheek numerous times. “They just have our number when we’re here,” Varga said. “It seems like we have their number in the regular season. I’ve never beat them … I’ve never beat them in the final four or in the championship game.” “Maybe it’s me as a coach,” he said with a smirk.
St. Ignatius senior goalie Dominic Filizetti gave up two goals and tallied 30 saves, notching a 93.8 save percentage. “He’s an excellent goalie. We love going to battle with him,” O’Rourke said. “Hopefully he’ll get us one more here.”
Just when it looked as if there would be a scoreless first period, with 50 seconds left in the frame, the Knights struck first. Tucker wrapped around the Wildcats’ net, which caused Filizetti to move out of position, allowing junior forward Cole Porvaznik to score and give the Knights a 1-0 lead heading into the first intermission.
Three minutes into the second, Wildcats senior center Otto Bafus found himself with a two-on-one breakaway. Instead of passing to a streaking teammate, Bafus powered a snap-shot past Knights senior goalie Carson Dirkmaat to knot the game at one.
For the Knights, the second period featured two power plays and multiple chances for the go-ahead goal. But St. Ignatius’s penalty kill was stellar. O’Rourke said the team tweaked their penalty-kill game plan leading up to the game. “We thought we saw something on film and we changed it up a bit,” O’Rourke said. “And those [kills] were enormous because they have a very high power play. They’re good five-on-five, let alone five-on-four.”
With 8:06 to play and a 1-1 game, St. Ignatius captured the momentum. Sophomore defenseman Zak Bleick snuck a shot underneath Dirkmaat’s legs to capture a 2-1 lead. But the momentum quickly shifted.
Two minutes later, Tucker jolted the puck into the Wildcats’ net and knotted the game at two, which ultimately sent the game into overtime.
Only 27 seconds of extra hockey was needed to determine a winner, though. Ignacio powered a shot past Dirkmaat to send the Wildcats to the championship game. “I saw open ice and I just took it and didn’t come back,” Ignacio said. “Going down, scoring that goal was crazy. I didn’t even know what to do with myself. I was just screaming my head off, but it’s a surreal feeling.”
www.cleveland.com
St. Ignatius downed St. Francis de Sales, 3-2, behind an overtime goal from senior center Nolan Ignacio Saturday at Nationwide Arena to advance to Sunday’s championship against Upper Arlington (a 7-2 winner over Mentor in the other semifinal). Sunday’s final begins at 1 p.m., back at Nationwide Arena.
The win marked the fifth straight matchup in the final four the Wildcats have reigned victorious over the Knights. “We just slayed the dragon today,” St. Ignatius coach Patrick O’Rourke said. “That’s a hell of a team. We’ve got tons of respect for them. Once you go to overtime, it could go either way. But we preach that, in overtime, put pucks on net from anywhere.”
Knights coach Chris Varga was left defeated, alongside senior forward Andrew Tucker, who had to use a white towel to wipe tears off his cheek numerous times. “They just have our number when we’re here,” Varga said. “It seems like we have their number in the regular season. I’ve never beat them … I’ve never beat them in the final four or in the championship game.” “Maybe it’s me as a coach,” he said with a smirk.
St. Ignatius senior goalie Dominic Filizetti gave up two goals and tallied 30 saves, notching a 93.8 save percentage. “He’s an excellent goalie. We love going to battle with him,” O’Rourke said. “Hopefully he’ll get us one more here.”
Just when it looked as if there would be a scoreless first period, with 50 seconds left in the frame, the Knights struck first. Tucker wrapped around the Wildcats’ net, which caused Filizetti to move out of position, allowing junior forward Cole Porvaznik to score and give the Knights a 1-0 lead heading into the first intermission.
Three minutes into the second, Wildcats senior center Otto Bafus found himself with a two-on-one breakaway. Instead of passing to a streaking teammate, Bafus powered a snap-shot past Knights senior goalie Carson Dirkmaat to knot the game at one.
For the Knights, the second period featured two power plays and multiple chances for the go-ahead goal. But St. Ignatius’s penalty kill was stellar. O’Rourke said the team tweaked their penalty-kill game plan leading up to the game. “We thought we saw something on film and we changed it up a bit,” O’Rourke said. “And those [kills] were enormous because they have a very high power play. They’re good five-on-five, let alone five-on-four.”
With 8:06 to play and a 1-1 game, St. Ignatius captured the momentum. Sophomore defenseman Zak Bleick snuck a shot underneath Dirkmaat’s legs to capture a 2-1 lead. But the momentum quickly shifted.
Two minutes later, Tucker jolted the puck into the Wildcats’ net and knotted the game at two, which ultimately sent the game into overtime.
Only 27 seconds of extra hockey was needed to determine a winner, though. Ignacio powered a shot past Dirkmaat to send the Wildcats to the championship game. “I saw open ice and I just took it and didn’t come back,” Ignacio said. “Going down, scoring that goal was crazy. I didn’t even know what to do with myself. I was just screaming my head off, but it’s a surreal feeling.”
St. Ignatius ice hockey tops Toledo St. Francis de Sales for shot at 9th state championship
St. Ignatius, the defending state champ, will face Upper Arlington in Sunday's OHSAA ice hockey state final.
www.cleveland.com
EaglePride01
Well-known member
That OT goal, fittingly, by a kid named Ignacio, was a beauty. Nice win.
Wildcats1886
Well-known member
Cats playing on, just need to sneak one past. Couple good chances off the post. Great game so far by the UA goalie.