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MATT KOVESDY'S OUTSTANDING PLAY IN GOAL, A TRUE TEAM DEFENSE AND THIRD-PERIOD GOALS BY TWO OF THE VETS - PADDY SPELLACY AND MIKE ABOOD - LEAD THE WILDCATS' VARSITY HOCKEY TEAM TO ITS FIRST BARON CUP CHAMPIONSHIP IN 20 YEARS.

By Eddie Dwyer, 02/12/12, 12:00AM EST

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Saint Ignatius turns back a gritty and talented Shaker Heights team, 2-0, in the Baron Cup I final, remains unbeaten at 36-0 and sets an OHSAA mark for victories in a season.

*As we posted on the corner this afternoon, the Wildcats' varsity basketball team is seeded fourth at the Solon Division I sectional/district and Rustom Khouri has selected Fordham (see below).

BY EDDIE DWYER

Paddy Spellacy, the face of Saint Ignatius’ outstanding hockey program, emphasized once again that the ultimate goal is still out there for him and his teammates – a second OHSAA state championship in three years.

However, as Spellacy pointed out so calmly, if ever there was a team to accomplish the Wildcats’ second goal – the program’s first Baron Cup championship since 1992 – it was only fitting that it came this season.

The 2011-12 Saint Ignatius varsity hockey team, answering yet another major challenge on Sunday night, defeated a tough, talented and hockey-smart program from Shaker Heights, 2-0, in the Baron Cup I final on the ice inside Brooklyn’s John M. Coyne Recreation Center.

In ending all of the talk about the Baron Cup jinx, a group of young men who weren’t born the last time the Wildcats hoisted a BC trophy, remained perfect at 36-0 and, in the process, set a new OHSAA single-season record for victories. Coach Pat O’Rourke’s team surpassed Gilmour Academy’s 2010-11 mark of 35 victories. Saint Ignatius now owns three of the top 10 all-time single-season marks in OHSAA hockey history – 36 wins this season, 31 in 2010 and 30 last year.

As has been the case all season, the 2011-12 ‘Cats displayed two of the characteristics that make them such a pleasure to cover. They offer no excuses and have respect for the opponent and its capabilities on the ice.

And Shaker Heights, a team Saint Ignatius also defeated twice during the regular season and could see again in the district finals, deserved nothing but respect.

“Shaker has really improved from the first time we played them (an 8-0 triumph at Thornton Park on Dec. 9),” said Wildcats rock-solid senior goalie Matt Kovesdy, who, like many of his senior teammates, was rushing to attend Saint Ignatius’ annual “Mom Prom,” which took place at The Renaissance Hotel on Sunday night. “I only saw 10 or 15 shots the first team we played them. They’re just going to keep getting better and better.

“Our team is always about putting forth the effort, that’s just who we are,” Kovesdy continued, after he racked up his second consecutive shutout in as many nights by turning away 22 shots. “We’re playing for so much now. It’s not only playing for us, it’s playing for our families and the alumni out there. And it’s so much fun playing with your friends. I think that is what fuels me.”

Kovesdy’s assortment of pressure-packed glove, pad and diving saves led to his 10th shutout on the season and enabled him to tie the school record for career shutouts at 25.

“We came into this year knowing we had the talent,” said Kovesdy. “But you’re always going to have a down day. If something doesn’t go right, then you have to play through it. Tonight, a few things didn’t click. We weren’t putting it (the puck) in, but we didn’t get down. That’s when I need to step up and make sure they don’t score a goal.”

Shaker Heights (22-6-1), under the direction of area coaching legend Mike Bartley, went toe-to-toe with the Wildcats in what was a very physical, but well-played first period.

With the Raiders killing off a power-play opportunity for the Wildcats and Shaker junior goalie Eric Sterin (21 saves) matching Kovesdy’s play, Saint Ignatius had six shots on goal in the first 15 minutes and the Raiders had five.

Shaker Heights continued to attack in the second period, as Coach Bartley’s team got off 13 shots on goal. Kovesdy and what Wildcats head coach Pat O’Rourke ’90 described as a true “team defense” were more than equal to the challenge.

In what was arguably the turning point of the game, Saint Ignatius survived two quick penalties in the second period. After Kovesdy made a diving save with 5:47 left in the period, the ‘Cats had successfully killed off the 5-3 advantage for the Raiders.

Six minutes and 10 seconds into the third period, Spellacy gave his team a 1-0 lead with what was his 36th goal of the season. There’s that number again. Spellacy gave most of the credit for his ice-breaker to his lifelong pal – Wildcats gifted senior forward Liam Geither. Paddy said Liam “hustled his butt off” in getting the puck out of the corner. Geither was awarded the Baron Cup I Sportsmanship Trophy.

With both teams killing off power-play opportunities down the stretch and Kovesdy turning away a couple of bullets off Shaker sticks, Saint Ignatius settled the issue on an empty-net goal by hockey-savvy senior forward Mike Abood. It was Mike’s 28th lamp lighter of the season.

“Both goalies had great games,” said Coach O’Rourke, who will now lead his team into postseason tournament play against the Padua Bruins on Presidents’ Day, Feb. 20, in the Coyne Recreation Center. The puck will drop at 6 p.m.

“That’s exactly the kind of game we want,” Coach O’Rourke continued. “We don’t want to beat people 18-0. We want to play good games and see what we’re made of. And we found out a lot tonight. Matt Kovesdy has been on a roll of late and he was incredible today.

“I thought the defense really played well, too. I know it’s an old cliché, but this was a game that neither team deserved to lose.”

Keeping everything in its proper order, especially with the OHSAA tournament right around the corner, Kovesdy summed up the night and where he will place the Baron Cup for the time being.

“It will be great to look back on it when I’m older,” Matt said. “Yeah, it’s really cool.”

Almost as cool as the Mom Prom.

INQUIRING MINDS: As I was heading to my car after Sunday night's game, Saint Ignatius hockey enthusiast Chris Abood '11, the brother of Wildcats standout Mike Abood and the son of Saint Ignatius assistant coach Keith Abood, asked me who was the team Saint Ignatius defeated for the Baron Cup in 1992? The answer: Saint Ignatius 2, Cleveland Heights 1. The winning goal was scored by Brock Schroeder and Gil Ratcliff was the Wildcats' head coach.


NOTE: Time Warner Cable of Northeast Ohio will replay the Wildcats-Shaker Heights game on Wednesday night. It will be shown at 7 p.m. and midnight.

Also, Time Warner Cable will be at Sullivan Gymnasium on Thursday night for the Wildcats versus Cleveland Heights varsity basketball game. David Wilson and Patrick Pierson, one of Ohio's premier play-by-play and color commentary tandems, will bring you the action on tape delay at 11 p.m.

****The Saint Ignatius Student Broadcasting Network will be working along side David and Patrick, as John Fanta '13 and Greg Ziton '13, a duo no other high school can match, will bring you live audio and video from Sullivan Gym.