CATS WRAP UP THEIR REGULAR SEASON BY DEFEATING THE MUSTANGS, 6-0, ON SUNDAY AFTERNOON.
MIKE ABOOD'S “NATURAL” HAT TRICK IN THE SECOND PERIOD HELPS SHOW THE WAY AS COACH PAT O'ROURKE'S TEAM ENTERS BARON CUP PLAY AT 27-5.
By Eddie Dwyer
Copyright, Feb. 2011
As just a junior, Saint Ignatius' Mike Abood is going to have other special moments in his varsity hockey career.
But you can be sure that Abood, the 'Cats' talented and hard-nosed left wing, will always cherish what took place during the second period of Sunday's regular-season finale against the Strongsville Mustangs in Brooklyn's John M. Coyne Recreation Center.
Saint Ignatius, with Abood scoring three of the 'Cats' four second-period goals, wore down the Mustangs, 6-0, in a Red North Division matchup.
In accomplishing what is referred to in hockey as a “natural hat trick” (three goals in one period), Abood helped his team improve to 27-5 heading into Wednesday night's first round of the tradition-rich Baron Cup.
The Wildcats, who racked up their second 11-game winning streak of the season with Sunday's triumph, will face North Olmsted in the first round. The puck is scheduled to drop at 8:30 in the Coyne Recreation Center.
“This is my first Saint Ignatius hat trick ” said Abood, whose father, Keith Abood, is an assistant coach for the Wildcats and a former hockey mainstay for Shaker Heights in the mid-to-late 1970s. “All in one period, wow.
“I was just in the right place at the right time,” Mike Abood continued. “Kevin Joseph got me the puck and I just finished.”
Did he ever.
Abood's first goal, which made the score 3-0 at the 14:21 of the second period, saw him go top side off assists from Joseph, the 'Cats' solid and underrated senior co-captain and right wing, and junior defender Will Smith.
Smith and sophomore center Miles McQuinn assisted on Abood's next lamp lighter, which came at 10:54, and at 9:02 Joseph and junior defender Jacques DeVilliers helped lead the way to Abood's memorable hat-trick goal, an effort in front of the goal that was too quick and too sharp for the goalie to handle.
“I think we're playing our best hockey of the season and our careers,” said Abood, who was an integral part of last season's state-championship team. “We just have to keep moving right now.”
After wrapping up the Red North Division championship on Saturday night (see story below), Saint Ignatius kept moving by returning to the Brooklyn ice 17 hours later.
'Cats gifted junior forward Liam Geither, who seems to live for this time of the season, got things started at high noon on Sunday by taking an assist from McQuinn and tallying his 24th goal of the season at the seven-minute mark of the first period. It was the first of four power-play goals by the Wildcats.
Less than two minutes later, McQuinn, displaying his exceptional work with the puck, grabbed an assist from always-reliable junior forward Colton Riemenschneider and beat the goalie stick side for his team-leading 41st goal of the winter.
Following Abood's three-goal flurry, Smith closed the scoring with a McQuinn-assisted lamp lighter in the final minute of the second period.
Junior goalie Matt Kovesdy got the shutout as Saint Ignatius had 51 shots on goal to Strongsville's 13. The 'Cats outshot the Mustangs, 17-1, in the second period.
“It was kind of a weird game I think for both teams, as we were sort of locked in as to what we're going to do in the Baron Cup,” said Saint Ignatius head coach Pat O'Rourke '90. “We have the possibility of seeing them on Saturday.
But we played well and finished up strong, and that's what you want to do. And now we're 0-0 again.
“Obviously the state tournament is the most important, but to win the Baron Cup would be nice,” Coach O'Rourke continued. “We haven't won it in awhile (last time was 1992).”
Strongsville completed its regular season at 17-8-2.
BY THE NUMBERS: Wildcats outstanding junior forward and captain Paddy Spellacy, the program's leader for goals in a season (43 last winter) and a career (90), and the 'Cats' all-time points leader with 160, is one assist away from tying St. Ignatius' career mark in that department. Matt Zeman (1998-2001) totaled 71 assists.
Junior forward Liam Geither, Spellacy's life-long teammate, recently surpassed Paddy's single-season mark for assists (35 last season). Geither now has 38 assists to go along with his 24 goals this winter.