Saint Ignatius out shoots the Pirates, 48-16, but the talented and strong-willed Jake Nicholson, in the words of Wildcats head coach Pat O'Rourke '90, was the story of Tuesday's District Semifinal game.
The top-seeded Ice Cats close another storied winter at 29-6-3 and the fourth-seeded Pirates (26-7-1) advance to Saturday's Brooklyn District Championship Game, where they will face the winner of tomorrow night's semifinal between St. Edward, the second seed, and Holy Name, the third seed.
Brooklyn, Ohio - Saint Ignatius’ veteran head hockey coach Pat O’Rourke watched his Wildcats do pretty much everything he and his staff asked of them during Tuesday night’s District Semifinal game against Rocky River on the ice inside the John M. Coyne Recreation Center.
If you were not in attendance at the Coyne Recreation Center on Tuesday night and just happended to hear these numbers – a 48 to 16 advantage in shots on goal for Saint Ignatius, including a 23-2 margin in the second period alone – you would have assumed that the Brooklyn District’s top seed was headed for another championship game on Saturday.
But then if you were at “The Big Barn on Memphis,” you witnessed one of the grittiest performances in the history of the OHSAA hockey tournament.
“He was incredible, that was the story of the game,” said Coach O’Rourke of Pirates senior goalie Jake Nicholson, who turned away 47 shots in Rocky River's 3-1 triumph. “We did what we wanted to pretty much. I would take that (the 48 to 16 shots) every time. But again, he was incredible. He was acrobatic and flopping
around making all kinds of crazy saves.
“Point blank chances, they didn’t go in until the end when we finally got one,” Coach O’Rourke continued. “We never stopped believing until the final buzzer. The kids played incredible in the second period. It wasn’t for a lack of effort.”
In a game in which both programs left it all, and then some, on the ice, Rocky River overcame a shoulder injury to starting wing Brandon DeLano 40 seconds into the game and took a 1-0 lead on a breakaway goal by senior assistant captain Bobby Perez with 10 minutes and 50 seconds remaining in the first period.
Perez’s lamp lighter came off a sharp and on-the-money pass from fellow senior assistant captain Kyle Kopecheck.
Following two impressive saves by Nicholson of the glove variety, Pirates standout senior center and Captain Eric Sperli sent home the first of his two goals with 4:40 left in the opening period. It was a smooth corner shot past the goalie’s stick side that came off the first of two assists by junior wing Logan Drell.
After Nicholson came up with one of his many diving saves, the first 15 minutes ended with the Pirates leading, 2-0.
Saint Ignatius, which finished as the top-ranked team in the coaches’ state poll, gave the impression it had scored just over the halfway point of the second period. Several of the ‘Cats were celebrating after a
crowded scramble in front of the Rock River net saw Nicholson and the goal shoved backwards.
The officials waved it off, however, and just seconds later Nicholson came to the fore again with a big-time save against a 1-on-1 breakaway.
With the Rocky River faithful chanting “MVP, MVP” in reaction to Nicholson’s remarkable efforts, Sperli stepped up again and, off another assist from Drell, fired a top-shelf blast that drew oohs and aahs from
the crowd as the force of the puck rattled the back of the net while lighting the lamp with 6:53 to go in the second period. Sperli was coming off a 7-goal performance in the Pirates’ 8-2 quarterfinal victory over Padua.
Coach O’Rourke switched goalies after Sperli made it 3-0 and senior Mike Mulach kept the Pirates off the board the rest of the way.
“You win as a team and you lose as team,” Coach O’Rourke said. “After the third goal we had to try to change the momentum a bit. Michael (Mulach) did a great job. He put up a goose egg, which was just what we needed.
“They’ll never give up,” Coach O’Rourke continued in reference to his 2012-13 ‘Cats. “I love this group and wish we could keep playing. They’re a super group of kids.”
After both teams killed off penalty situations, Nicholson and Co. pulled off a highlight-reel smothering save off a flurry of shots by Saint Ignatius with 7:04 remaining to be played. The Wildcats gave their fans some new life when sophomore goalie Matty Geither scored his 14th goal of the season off an assist from senior defenseman and assistant captain Joe Malone with more than three minutes left.
The night belonged to Nicholson, however, who recorded his 47th stop off yet another sliding, quick-handed move and Rocky River avenged a 4-1 loss to the Wildcats that took place in the Baron Cup I Tournament earlier this month.
Along with its state poll championship and the top seed at Brooklyn, Saint Ignatius was champion of the Greater Cleveland Hockey League’s demanding Red North West Division and champion of the tradition-rich Baron Cup I Tournament, an event with a history that surpasses 40 years.
Gentlemen, Thank You for all of the great memories you gave this seasoned reporter throughout the winter.