As Northeast Ohio weather proves unpredictable as ever, Saint Ignatius’ winter sports squads continue to be dependably consistent.
Three Wildcats teams will continue their marches throughout the postseason, facing significant obstacles in their title hopes. Meanwhile, the rugby team opens its regular season, marking the first spring sport to begin competition.
Here’s what’s ahead for the Wildcats this weekend.
Hockey
A familiar rival awaits the Ice Cats yet again this weekend.
The St. Edward Eagles are the only team standing between the Saint Ignatius hockey team and a trip to Columbus for the State Semifinal. The 26-8-2 Wildcats and 29-7-1 Eagles face off in a highly anticipated District Final at Brooklyn Ice Arena on Saturday at 1 p.m.
The Wildcats have cruised through three postseason games, defeating Brecksville-Broadview Heights, Avon, and Holy Name by a combined score of 29-1. Overall, the Wildcats have won six in a row, dating back to the team’s Cleveland Cup run, which concluded with a victory over St. Edward. Senior Connor Koehnke, freshman Michael Boehm, and sophomore goaltender Benny Savarino have starred in the club’s postseason streak.
The Eagles have also skated through the postseason, recording wins over Benedictine, Bay, and Rocky River by a combined score of 19-1. Curtis Szelesta poses a dangerous scoring threat for the Eagles, while Josh Tomasi and Danny McGuire also warrant attention. Andrew Stewart has anchored the Eagles in net, though Jacob Ward has also served as a stonewall when called upon.
Saturday’s contest will likely be a barnburner, so don’t miss it. Tickets will be on sale at Brooklyn on Saturday morning at 8:30 a.m. If you can’t make it, tune into the SIBN’s live audio feed.
Basketball
The Wildcats’ quest to make #OneMorePlay and return to Columbus for the first time since 2001 begins on Saturday.
The Basketball Cats will host Parma Senior on Saturday evening at 7:30 p.m. in the Sectional Final in Sullivan Gym. The contest will represent the final home game for the Wildcats’ five seniors, as the tournament transitions to Strongville High School for the remainder of the district contests.
Winners of nine of the last 10, the Wildcats come into the game rested and red-hot. Student-Athlete of the Week Matt Davet, who surpassed the 1,000 point mark in his career last weekend, guides a Wildcats team with size and strength in the post. For a full tournament preview, click here.
The 13-10 Redmen are led by Kyle Lyon, George Minnichm and Zach Evans. Lyon, a quarterback on Parma’s football team, tabbed a season-high 35 points in a win over John Marshall earlier this season. Parma downed Valley Forge on Wednesday evening, 66-62.
The SIBN will have audio-only coverage for all tournament games this postseason.
Wrestling
A first place finish at Sectionals has the Wildcats poised for the District Tournament this weekend at North Canton Hoover High School.
The Mat Cats will send 13 wrestlers to Districts this weekend: Johnny Novak (106), Matthew Whipkey (113), Patrick McGraw (120), Matthew French (126), Zach Morgan (132), Tommy Gallagher (138), Quade Rasmussen (145), Najee Lockett (152), Logan Toth (160), Cal Miller (170), Kaden Russell (182), Michael Drobnick (195), and Aidan Gill (220).
Russell will look to repeat his spectacular postseason run of last season, while Miller and Toth look to advance to States after finishing first at Sectionals.
The outlook is promising for the Mat Cats this weekend, especially after a strong showing at Sectionals.
Rugby
The Saint Ignatius rugby squad becomes the first team to open the spring season with an opening match against Georgetown Prep (DC) this weekend.
The contest opens the season for the Wildcats, who notched a state runner-up finish in 2016. With plenty of promising talent, the Wildcats hope to win one more game to avoid repeating the feat.
The A-side match is set for 1:00 p.m. in Wheeling, with B-side following at 2:15, and the developmental team’s match ending the day at the conclusion of a 3:30 contest.
Best of luck to all of the Saint Ignatius athletics teams in action this weekend.