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The Show Goes On: Lax Cats Win Final Home Game of the Year

By Joe Ginley, 05/23/18, 11:45AM EDT

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Kyle Katigbak tabbed 4 goals in his last game on Wasmer Field in the Regional Semi.

For the third straight time, the Saint Ignatius prep lacrosse team took care of business at home.

The Lax Cats earned a 14-5 win over North Canton Hoover on Wasmer Field on Tuesday, advancing to the Regional Final and 14-7 overall.

Now, the show hits the road. The Wildcats have three contests separating them from the program's first state title. 

Kyle Katigbak played a major role in sending the Wildcats to the Regional Final. In his final game on Wasmer Field, the senior fired four goals into the back of the net, providing the majority of the offense for the Lax Cats in the first half. 

Nate Conry started off the scoring for the Cats in the first half. The junior scored at 1:32 of the first, followed soon after by a goal by Connor Cmiel. The scoring slowed in the next four minutes until Max Maruna expertly dodged an opponent and sent a pass to Conry. Working on the left side, Conry tossed a quick, cross-crease pass to Katigbak. The Otterbein commit tiptoed towards the crease before placing it calmly over top of the keeper.

Hoover quickly narrowed the deficit to 3-2 with two goals in 34 seconds late in the first. The Cats took the momentum into the second quarter, however, as Merick Hartley rocketed a shot from the left side into the net with 11.3 seconds left to go. 

The second stanza started with a Saint Ignatius goal, as Katigbak used a feed from Michael Boehm to extend the advantage to 5-2. Hoover scored 21 seconds later, but it would be the last goal for the Vikings until the fourth quarter. 

Boehm tallied a goal at 7:43 to get the Cats back on track before Katigbak fully took over. The attacker ripped two marvelous goals in the span of two minutes, sending the teams into the break with the Cats leading, 8-3. 

The Lax Cats controlled the whole third period, thwarting any Hoover chances and finding twine three times. Conry recorded a hat trick with his second and third goals, while the ever-dangerous Boehm marked his second of the evening. 

Conry began the scoring in the fourth quarter with his fourth goal. Hoover did not surrender, tallying two goals to slim the margin to 12-5, but the Wildcats ended the game on a high note with goals by Boehm and Griff Gerard. The Cats concluded the Regional Semifinal with a 14-5 win.

The offense has certainly been a high note for the Cats this postseason, as the high-powered machine has averaged 19 goals per game. But netminder Charlie "Chuck" Minerd and the defense deserve plenty of credit. The Cats killed off several Hoover penalties and turned away a number of chances. Minerd used his stick, shins, and skills to stop a host of Hoover shots. The sophomore has demonstrated wonderful improvement over the course of the year, including with his ability to clear the ball. 

Hoover's goalie Cameron Logan also deserves credit for his effort on Tuesday. He and fellow senior Whit Stopak enjoyed great careers with the Vikings. 

The Hudson Explorers now stand in the way of the Cats. The two familiar foes will face off on Friday at 7 pm at Green Memorial Stadium. 

These two teams have plenty of history, dating back to the first matchup in 1992. All-time, the Explorers and Wildcats are deadlocked at 18-18. The Wildcats dominated the matchup in the 1990's, winning the first 8 games. Hudson enjoyed a 15-2 run from 2000-2011, eliminating the Cats from the playoffs in 2003, 2005, 2008 and 2009. Dating back to 2012, the Wildcats have won 8 of the last 11 games. The Cats have eliminated the Explorers from postseason play four times in the last five seasons – 2013, 2015, 2016, and 2017. The Wildcats defeated Hudson earlier this year, 15-8, on April 25. 

The SIBN will have a live, audio-only (per OHSAA rules) stream on Friday evening from Uniontown. Jack O'Rourke '20 and Ryce Federle '20 will have the call.