skip navigation

Wildcats Sink Explorers on Rainy Night in Hudson

By Joe Ginley, 05/24/17, 7:30PM EDT

Share

Chernosky (above) and Conry notched hat tricks on a rainy night in Hudson.

The emergence of the Saint Ignatius lacrosse team's offense has been the storyline of the postseason.

The Lax Cats' offensive hot streak continued, even amidst a pouring rain, leading to an 12-4 road victory over the Hudson Explorers in the Regional Semifinals of the OHSAA Tournament.

The Wildcats now hold a 12-7 record entering the Regional Finals on Saturday, against an opponent at a place and time to be determined. 

The contest started on a high note for the hosts. Cole Miller rushed down the middle of the field on a single-man clear and found Patrick Burdett at the right side of the Wildcats' net. Burdett finished it for the first goal of the contest. 

The Wildcats did not take long to respond. Bain Kurtz scored the first goal of the game for the Lax Cats with a low-to-high ripper from back deep at the 10:20 mark of the first. The Explorers responded about three minutes later with a tally by Brady Ludwig, but Brent Chernosky answered with a pair of beautiful goals on bounce shots to grab a 3-2 lead for the Wildcats.

Grayson Gerard extended the lead with a bouncer from the right side of the crease after the Wildcats diverted the Explorers' defensemen to the middle. The Wildcats threatened again at the end of the first, but the quarter ended with the Lax Cats on top, 4-2. 

The second quarter began with a beautiful goal by the Wildcats. Connor Cmiel used a juke to find enough of an opening on the left side to unleash a left-handed shot, beating Hudson's netminder. The freshman's tally gave the Wildcats a 3-goal advantage. 

Just after a man-up opportunity, the Explorers narrowed the deficit to two with a goal by Blake Lori. The score stood at 5-3 for much of the second, even amidst a 2-man advantage for the Explorers at the 3-minute mark of the 2nd. 

Michael Boehm scored the first goal for the Wildcats in nearly 10 minutes of game time, using his left hand to beat the goaltender with 1:39 left in the first half. A late slashing penalty on Hudson then sent the Wildcats into the break with a 6-3 lead and a man-up opportunity. 

The third quarter started off similarly to the second – with a Saint Ignatius tally. Nathan Conry scored his first goal of the contest with 11:09 left in the third, with Ian Flynn picking up an assist. 

Hudson did retaliate three minutes later. Cole Miller found the back of the net with a shot from the right side. Following the tally, rain began to fall and the Wildcats slowed down the tempo a bit on offense as the Lax Cats clung to a 7-4 lead.

Carter Blossey made several incredible saves throughout the night, including a low stick save at the 3-minute mark of the third. Blossey recently captured the school record for saves, surpassing the mark of 458 saves set by Patrick Bouman '02. 

The Wildcats' offense broke out late in the second. As rain caused bad passes on both sides, Michael Boehm unleashed a pair of picture-perfect passes. The sophomore found Chernosky at the left side of the net for a one-timer with 1:57 left, and then Conry in the middle with 1:11 remaining, extending the Wildcats' lead to 9-4. 

The Lax Cats entered the final 12 minutes with a 5-goal lead, a tall hill to climb in the driving rain for the Explorers. 

Gerard made it an even steeper challenge for Hudson. The senior scored on a bouncer with 9:14 remaining. The Explorers responded with a pair of possessions, keeping the ball in the Wildcats' zone. However, impressive Saint Ignatius clears set up Aaron Casile with a chance on offense, and the senior converted with a lefty shot from the left side. 

The Explorers managed some more shots, but the Wildcats stood strong in the waning moments of a rainy evening in Hudson. Conry completed the contest with a stride right down Broadway for a goal with 2:50 remaining. 

The victory over Hudson marks the third consecutive year the Wildcats have knocked the Explorers out of the playoffs. Hudson ends the season with a 14-6 record, including a win over the Wildcats earlier in the season.

Chernosky and Conry led the Wildcats with three goals apiece, while Boehm chipped in a goal and a pair of assists. Gerard finished with two goals and one assist. Anthony Ameo won 11-of-19 face offs in the win. 

More details about the Regional Final matchup will be announced once they become available.