“Go forth and set the world on fire,” St. Ignatius of Loyola is famously quoted as saying.

Hockey players from Saint Ignatius High School have recently been setting the hockey world on fire with multiple major junior hockey league camps and tryouts, as well as one major offer.

The Saint Ignatius hockey program, a powerhouse that has won the past three state titles, is sending eight players from its prep team to two of the highest junior American hockey leagues for camps and combines.

Seniors Bain Kurtz, Michael McCaffrey, and Santino Pignatiello all earned North American Hockey League (NAHL) tryouts based off their excellent seasons on prep. Kurtz was a three-year letter winner and three-time state champion, while McCaffrey played one game his sophomore season and all of his final two years. Santino Pignatiello became a top-tier offensive defenseman in his prep years.

Former Wildcat two-time state champion and reigning NAHL Robertson Cup champion Aidan Spellacy is currently a captain and mainstay on the defending champion Lone Star Brahmas.

Junior Benny Savarino also will be attending both NAHL and United States Hockey League (USHL) camps with his biggest being a camp invite from the USHL. Savarino anchored the Wildcats in net the past two seasons with a 47-15-2 record.

The USHL is the top United States junior hockey league and more than 90% of its players go on to play Division 1 collegiate hockey.

Saint Ignatius sophomores Michael Boehm, Greg Langermeier, Joey Trobenter, and Alex Bilardo all were invited to attend the USHL or NAHL Combines for their select ages as well as other team-specific camps in both the USHL and NAHL.

“It is a cool experience to be invited to a combine of this level and I'm glad to showcase Saint Ignatius for junior scouts all over the country,” said Boehm.  

Boehm has committed to play lacrosse at the University of Michigan but could certainly play Division 1 hockey if he chose that route. The sophomore scored 13 goals and notched 26 assists in 2017-18.

Langermeier served as a stellar defensemen in 2017-18, scoring the game-winning goal in double overtime of the 2018 OHSAA State Championship. The sophomore enjoyed his experience at the USHL Combine.

“I went into the combine knowing nobody else who was going and came out with 19 new best friends,” he said. “Also, the speed and play of the games were very high. I think the combine overall had a large impact on moving my hockey career to the next level.”

Trobenter also served as a key cog of the team in 2017-18, sniping 14 goals and contributed 8 assists. The sophomore savored the chance to be at the NAHL combine.

“It's awesome to be able to expose my skills to scouts and it's a great opportunity for more exposure and to help my future as well as the future of the program,” he said.

Bilardo played a significant role for the Cats this past season, tallying 12 goals and 14 points in a stellar sophomore campaign. Bilardo and his family also attended workshops at the Combine, wherein the scouts stressed the importance of academics in the college hockey recruitment process, a fact that Saint Ignatius student-athletes are already well aware of, though it served as a nice reminder.

“It’s an honor to be invited to these elite junior camps and get our program’s name out there for the hockey world, and improve our program’s history,” Bilardo said.

All four Wildcats have futures in hockey and will be major players for the Cats next season.

Fellow Saint Ignatius students Colin Purcell and Erik Galauner also have big news. Purcell recently was drafted by the Kitchener Rangers of the prestigious Ontario Hockey League. Galauner was also selected for an NAHL camp.   

Good luck to all of these Wildcats as they head off to these prestigious camps this spring!