Persistent. Persistent is continuing firmly or obstinately in a course of action in spite of difficulty or opposition. This year’s varsity hockey team has been constantly persistent.
That is why the Ice Cats defeated University School 3-2 at John M. Coyne Recreation Center in Brooklyn on Saturday evening.
In three of the team’s major victories this season (Acadamie Ulysses from Quebec, St. Edward, and the Preppers) the Wildcats were down in the third period by at least one goal.
Tonight’s main event featured two of Ohio’s most consistent winning programs, St. Ignatius (13-4-0, 5-0-0 GLHL) and University School (14-7-1, 3-1-0 GLHL). Despite the Wildcats winning their ninth straight game against U.S. tonight, the Preppers always provide top-tier competition for the Wildcats. This bout was highly touted, #1 vs. #4 in the state of Ohio, and a state championship rematch.
After the Wildcats controlled the first few minutes of play in the game, Prepper sophomore Henry Saada scored a 2-on-1 goal below the blocker of Benny Savarino (13 saves, 9-4 on the year, 5-0 in GLHL play) with 5:35 remaining.
The ‘Cats retained their previous momentum when Connor Koehnke (off a nice pass from Matt Wiegandt) made a beautiful pass to Seth Whitney, who went bar south on senior Jackson Polish (33 saves) at the 11th hour of the first. Whitney has been on fire recently, notching 8 goals in the last month.
The period ended without another score, and the Ice Cats were deadlocked with the Preppers at 1 after a period.
Prepper stud senior J.D. Clemens gave University a 2-1 lead with 14 minutes left in the second. After 12 minutes of back and forth play, Koehnke put the puck where Grandma hides the cookies, on the top shelf, off an assist from the always potent defensemen Santino Pignatiello. Koehnke leads the team with 15 goals.
Fast forward through 12 minutes of play in which the state leading Wildcat penalty kill (79.8%) killed a 5-on-3 powerplay, rising junior Bain Kurtz netted his seventh of the season off a beautiful pass from Cullen Frebes, one of the most consistent players in the state of Ohio. The tally gave the Ice Cats a 3-2 lead with just over five minutes remaining in regulation.
After Kurtz’s goal, the Wildcats went on the penalty kill for a majority of the last three minutes. Despite the ‘Cats being 4-for-4 to this point on the Penalty Kill, the Preppers' lethal powerplay was due to flex its muscles once. But the muscle flexing wouldn’t happen on this night at Brooklyn, as Savarino stood tall and was impermeable. Benny Savarino showed in the last two minutes his potential to be the best goalie in the state one day with his calm persona in the net.
Along with a helping hand from dependable defensemen Andrew Zedella knocking a puck near the net away, ruining a Prepper scoring chance, Savarino made five big saves to end the game, and the ‘Cats took two key points in the GLHL home stretch.
The Wildcats return to the ice on Tuesday to face Lake Catholic at home at 4:45 p.m.