By Eddie Dwyer, Copyright December 2012
Nick Gajkowski's tying thunder is part of a three-goal spurt that leads to a 3-1 triumph over the Eagles at Winterhurst. Danny Brogan and Matty Geither score 11 seconds apart in stunning St. Edward on the Eagles' home ice and Bernie Cook stands tall in goal. Senior captain Miles McQuinn and junior forward Riley Ellis provide the assists for Brogan and Geither
Lakewood, Ohio - Saint Ignatius took the ice at Winterhurst in Serpentini Arena on Friday night and pretty much dominated the early going.
However, the Wildcats found themselves in a scoreless tie at the home of the 11-time state champion Eagles.
And things got a little tight in the second period when St. Edward struck first on a goal by junior left wing Tyler Harkins with 9 minutes and 42 seconds remaining in the period.
Ah, but just when Mr. Momentum appeared to be skating side by side with the home team, Saint Ignatius junior defender Nick Gajkowski turned the game around in an authoritative heartbeat.
The Wildcats, with Gajkowski sending the puck blazing from the point and past the Eagles' goalie, tied the score off what was a power play with 2:13 to go in the second period and went to defeat their staunch rival, 3-1, in front of another large and vocal audience on Lakewood Heights Boulevard.
Saint Ignatius, which followed with goals by junior forward Danny Brogan and sophomore forward Matty Geither in the final 1:21 of the second period, will take a 6-2-1 record into Saturday's game against a highly touted Shaker Heights program in Quicken Loans Arena. The puck will drop at 4 p.m.
St. Edward, which handed the Wildcats their only loss in a state-best 39-1 season by upsetting the 'Cats, 3-2, last March in the Brooklyn District state-qualifying game, slipped to 5-6 heading into Saturday night's game at Strongsville.
"We knew the goals would come," said Gajkowski when asked if there was any furstration after the first period. "We just kept doing what we were doing. We were dominating the game and the puck just wasn't bouncing our way."
The puck bounced the Eagles' way in the second period, as Harkins' effort got past Saint Ignatius' gritty senior goalie Bernie Cook, who was screened on the play. The puck bounced off the bottom of Cook's skate and into the goal.
"You just have to get back up and play," said Cook of the 1-0 deficit. "You can't let the goals get to you."
Cook pulled himself up and played with a tough-minded purpose the rest of the way as he answered every challenge St. Edward threw at him over the final nine minutes of the second period and the entire third period.
It was obvious that Cook's teammates played off his will, both offensively and defensively, and Coach Nick Biondo, who is serving as Saint Ignatius' interim head coach while veteran Pat O'Rourke '90 is on a medical leave, referred to Cook's resilience in the postgame interview.
"He didn't see many shots at times, but he kept himself in there and was focused," said Coach Biondo, who is a graduate of Parma Senior High School and a former standout in hockey for The Ohio State University. "Bernie definitely played well for us. There were a couple of saves he made that kept us in that game."
Cook saved 17 of 18 shots and Eagles senior keeper Michael Vetrano had 28 saves.
"I thought we came out kind of flat in the second period," Coach Biondo continued. "They took it to us a little bit. But then the kids bounced back and really kept their composure. When it came down to it at the end of the second period, they smelled it and kept going."
Before they got too excited over what was another dramatic chapter in the storied Saint Ignatius-St. Edward rivalry, Coach Biondo and the rest of the Wildcats' staff reminded the players that it won't mean as much if they don't repsond against Shaker Heights at The Q.
Yes, very little time to savor.