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Ice Cats Sweep Pittsburgh Predators to Start Year at 2-0

By Jack O'Rourke '20, 11/25/19, 12:30PM EST

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Kovatch stoned Pittsburgh cold all weekend.

For the Saint Ignatius Wildcat hockey team, this weekend’s start was ideal. The Ice Cats beat the Pittsburgh Predators Saturday night and Sunday morning by a combined score of 11-2. 

GAME ONE

The season opener began for the Wildcats with back and forth play throughout the first few minutes. The Wildcats took a penalty early on that put them down a man. After a few solid clearances, Predator defenseman Quinten Shaffer took a shot from the point that forward Bray Sehnhert tipped past the skate of Saint Ignatius netminder Zak Kovatch. 

Under two minutes later, junior Wildcat forward Chuckie Wilson forced a turnover in the top of the slot and found the top right corner to even the game at one. 

Before another two minutes passed, Erik Galauner found Aidan Millett with a stretch pass. The Wildcat senior forward was hooked from behind but maintained possession after losing the puck and tapped it in around the goalie’s left pad. Millett’s goal gave the Wildcats a lead they would not relinquish. 

“It was a great pass from Erik,” said Millett. “I kind’ve got locked up but I won the puck out and tapped it past the goalie.” 

Zak Kovatch and the Wildcat penalty killers had an impressive penalty kill to strengthen Wildcat momentum.

Nathan Klinge made a stretch pass up ice to Erik Galauner who entered the offensive zone. Galauner made a cross ice pass to Camden Kurtz as Kurtz cut to the right circle. Kurtz completed the pass to Sullivan. Sullivan quickly dished it and Galauner went blocker side to the back of the net, extending the Wildcat lead to 3-1.

“Cam came down and was looking for Sully,” said Galauner. “Sully kind of shot and then it popped out to me to finish the tic-tac-toe.” 

The Wildcats’ power play took the ice with time dwindling in the first period. The Cats had constant pressure which led to a power play goal. Aidan Millett made a pass from the top of the circle to the point. Gazdak one-timed the pass on net and after the goalie turned it away off the pad Rory Zawadzki hammered it home. 

“I saw Gaz was about to shoot,” said Zawadzki. “I got ready to tip and the goalie didn’t cover the rebound and I just kept trying to put it through and it finally went in.”

Despite giving up the first goal, the Wildcats responded and were ahead of the visitors 4-1 at the conclusion of the first period.

No scoring happened in the second period, but the Wildcats killed two penalties as their aggressive penalty kill looked in midseason form. Kovatch had a 10-save period for the Wildcats, maintaining the lead. 

Kovatch and the Wildcat defense played strong in the third period. Through the first 10 minutes of the period the score remained even. The Predators cut their deficit in half when a 2-on-1 rush came and Devin Rohrich released a hard shot that Kovatch saved. Ethan Szymanski had the rebound come right to his stick and he finished on what would’ve been a tough second chance for Kovatch. 

Kovatch made a key save under a minute later to hold the Predators in check. 

With under two minutes remaining in the game, Camden Kurtz forced a neutral zone turnover. Kurtz knocked the puck in Erik Galauner’s direction. In stride, Galauner entered the offensive zone and waited for the most opportune time to dish the puck to a wide open Aidan Millett on the back door. Millett’s second tally of the game produced the final score of 5-2. 

“It was a true ‘team play’,” said Millett. “Cam made a good play and Erik made a nice pass. On the score sheet it will say I scored, but really that goal is all of ours.” 

Zak Kovatch got the win in net allowing 2 goals on 19 shots. 

GAME TWO

The Wildcats looked to be the better team through the first four minutes of the contest on Sunday morning. The Ice Cats’ efforts paid off when Joey Morford knocked a puck loose on the Wildcat defensive blue line. The puck bounced to Charlie Erbs, and Erbs made a D-to-D pass to Clay Gazdak. Gazdak’s vision found Aidan Millett with a sizeable gap between the Predators’ defensemen. Millett entered the zone on a breakaway and beat the goalie glove side. 

“Clay made the perfect pass,” said Millett. “I had just enough space to take it in comfortably and try to do my thing.” 

“Erbs and I were re-grouping in the defensive zone,” said Gazdak. “I was heading up ice and saw Millett between the D by himself and gave him a hard pass and he went down and scored.” 

Soon thereafter, Alex Bilardo intercepted a pass in the Predators’ zone and made a pass to Matt Sullivan. Sullivan made a slick behind-the-back pass to Bilardo and Bilardo’s shot went over the left pad of the goalie. 

“Sully and I were on a 2v2,” said Bilardo. “He made a nice drop pass to me and I shot the puck low and found twine.” 

Minutes later, a Predator shot from the point went off the helmet of Zak Kovatch and took a weird bounce to Alex Bilardo. Matt Sullivan, anticipating Bilardo grabbing the puck, was off to the races. Bilardo made the pass to the free Sullivan. Sullivan scored under the arm of the goalie. The Wildcats led 3-0 entering the locker room.

“Alex gave me a real nice pass,” said Sullivan. “I was able to bury it.”

Four minutes into the second period, Michael Boehm dumped the puck into the offensive zone. The puck wrapped behind the net, and Aidan Millett knocked a Predator off the puck. Erik Galauner picked the puck up and released a shot from the circle. Cam Kurtz grabbed the rebound off the pad and fired it home. 

“Erik got the puck by the top of the circle,” said Kurtz. “I snuck behind a defender and Erik hit me back door. The goalie stuffed me on the first shot but the rebound came back to me and I was able to bury it.” 

Later in the period, Christian Radke picked off a Predators’ breakout attempt and made a pass between two defenders precise enough to find the stick of Chuckie Wilson. Wilson stopped on a dime, pulled off a spin-o-rama and beat the goalie right in front of the net on a highlight-reel goal.

Zak Kovatch saved all 16 of the Predators shots on net through the first two periods. 

The Wildcats didn’t let up in the third period, as they scored early on a man-advantage to remove any doubt.  After a nice set-up, Danny Cook released a shot from the bottom of the circle that ended the scoring festivities at 6-0. 

“It was great to get our power play unit going,” said Cook. “Michael (Boehm) made a good pass down to me and we got a lucky bounce as I looked for Kurtzy back door.”

Zak Kovatch, en route to a 24-save shutout, made a few big saves down the stretch. 

“It was an amazing experience,” said Kovatch. “Our defense played superb and it was nice to know I could play that well with a team who competed with some of the top teams in the area.”

“I thought it was a good weekend and a good start to the season,” said head coach Pat O’Rourke ‘90. “We had balanced scoring and all the lines contributed. Our defensemen looked solid and our goalie played very well. A lot of guys got their first action with us and nobody looked out of place or too nervous. We swept a AAA team and I don’t think we’ve ever done that before. All in all, it was a promising start to the season.”

The Wildcats are back in action this upcoming weekend in Detroit. All games will be broadcasted on the SIBN.

UPCOMING SCHEDULE:

FRIDAY 5PM U of D Jesuit

SATURDAY 11AM Grand Rapids Catholic Central

SATURDAY 5PM Orchard Lake St. Mary’s Prep