OHSAA 'Frozen Four' Preview Part 2

Last night I gave you a preview of the first semifinal matchup between the Columbus St. Charles Cardinals and the Sylvania Northview Wildcats (see below). Tonight I give you a preview of the second semifinal contest in the OHSAA State Playoffs between the Mentor Lake Catholic Cougars and the Cleveland Saint Ignatius Wildcats.

MENTOR LAKE CATHOLIC COUGARS (27-8-3) Kent District Champions, Great Lakes Hockey League, #4 Ranked in Ohio

Never say die.

The Lake Catholic Cougars gave hockey fans around Northeast Ohio a small taste of this mentality the last time they matched up with #1 ranked Saint Ignatius Wildcats, the team they will be facing at Nationwide Arena at 4 p.m. on Friday.

The 'Cats went into the final 3 minutes of the second period at Mentor Civic Ice Arena on Dec. 11 holding a 4-1 lead on the Cougars. Lake Catholic proved that their barn is one of the toughest places to get a win in. The offensive abilities of junior Alex Piazza and senior Luke Turk (recently named to the Senior All-Star North/East Team) were put on display as Piazza scored his second goal of the night with just over a minute remaining in the middle frame. Turk decided to make things even more interesting, finding the back of the net to cut the Ignatius lead to 1 with 5:52 left in the game. Piazza completed his hat trick, scoring with 1:23 left, and the game ended in a 4-4 tie.

84 days have passed since that night in Mentor and here we are with the Cougars and the 'Cats set to do battle again this time in Ohio high school hockey's biggest stage, Nationwide Arena.

Lake Catholic advanced to their first 'Frozen Four' by defeating University School 5-4 in triple overtime. The game is without a doubt one of the finest played in Kent State Ice Arena history. The Preppers looked as if they were going to avenge last year's district final loss to eventual state champion Shaker Heights (a 2-1 loss in double overtime). US had a 3-1 lead on the Cougars with 14:28 remaining in regulation, but the “never say die” attitude that head coach Ryan Okicki implemented in his program came to life. They scored three unanswered goals, capped off by a goal by senior Jake Denner with 1:51 left. University School wasn't about to let their season end. Kyle Keane tied the game with 23 ticks left on the clock, sending the game into the first of what was to be three overtime periods.

In what was a hard-fought battle right to the very end, Alex Piazza played the role of hero, sending the Cougars to Columbus with his game winning goal 1:58 into the third extra period.

Piazza leads a Lake Catholic offense that is producing 4.21 goals per game, the second highest out of GLHL teams. If the Cougars are to produce four goals on Friday against a defensively strong Saint Ignatius team, look out. Lake Catholic hasn't lost when producing four goals or more this season (19-0-1).

Accompanying Piazza, the Cougar offense is also headed by Turk, senior Mac Magruder, and freshman Drew Magyar.

Let's not forget what got Lake Catholic to this point, their phenomenal defense.

“Defense wins championships.” Isn't that the old saying? If the Cougars are to bring home the programs first state title, that will most likely be the case. Lake Catholic boasts one of the best defenses in the state, headlined by junior netminder Charlie Denner. The Cougar defense is posting a 1.84 goals against average this season, with 9 shutouts in the process. Lake have also allowed less than three goals in 25 contests, going 22-2-1 in the process.

If Lake Catholic is to pull off their second upset in a row, they will need strong goaltending from Denner, capitalization on their opportunities, as they will come few and far between, and the ability to stay out of the box, not giving a dangerous Ignatius offense extra man opportunities for goals.

CLEVELAND SAINT IGNATIUS WILDCATS (29-4-3) Brooklyn District Champions, Great Lakes Hockey League, #1 Ranked in Ohio

What a ride it has been.

Over the past few weeks the Saint Ignatius Wildcat hockey team should've been put on MTV as a reality show, because they've been through all the components of your typical MTV show. They've had the ups, the downs, the high emotions, and the drama one would expect when flipping that channel on.

Regardless, the Blue and Gold have pushed through all of that and made their way to Columbus for the first time since 2010 (also their last state title).

Let's take a look back on what the men from West 30^th and Lorain in Cleveland have gone through over the past month:

• Captured the 1^st ever Great Lakes Hockey League tournament championship, defeating University School 4-2 in yet another great game in the Ignatius/US rivalry.
• Had to wait 13 days before beginning their playoff run due to a forfeit in the first round by Elyria Catholic on account of a lack of players.
• Took a 3-0 lead on Rocky River heading into the third period of the district semifinal, only to let the lead slip away. The Pirates scored 3 in the third to send things into overtime. Senior captain Harry Smith saved the Wildcat season scoring the game winner in the second overtime.
• Had 3 of their better players suspended for the district final contest against the Holy Name Green Wave for breaking school rules.
• Overcame adversity and triumphed over the Green Wave by a 4-2 final, punching their ticket to Columbus for the 'Frozen Four'

Offensively, Saint Ignatius is dynamic on all four lines. Smith, senior Beck Schultz (recently named to the Senior All-Star North/East Team), along with juniors Matty Geither and Ethan Whitney, as well as sophomore Aidan Spellacy, lead the Wildcat offense. The 'Cats are producing 4.08 goals per game this season. Much like their counterparts Friday in Lake Catholic, Ignatius hasn't lost a game when scoring 4 or more goals. Ironically the records are mirror images as well (19-0-1). That tie was the 4-4 stalemate back on Dec. 11.

The only team defensively better over the course of the season in the GLHL than the Cougars was Saint Ignatius. The 'Cats come into Friday's game giving up just under a goal and a half per game. The stonewall defense of the Blue and Gold, headed by senior captain and North/East All-Star Kevin Spellacy, as well as Smith and senior Nick “Bone Saw” Gajkowski, have allowed under three goals an astounding 30 times this season. On top of that, they have only allowed 3 goals or more 7 times this season.

Of course, you need quality goaltending to put up those types of numbers, and the 'Cats have it. The biggest question facing the Wildcats this season was how good would their goaltending be? Enter the sophomore duo of Dylan McKeon and Wes Deacon. Both have seen considerable time in net this season but it is McKeon who has taken over the limelight in the past month. Ever since the 'Cats began the GLHL Playoffs they have given up 2 goals or less in five out of six games and Dylan has been as strong as they come between the pipes.

Depth, speed, talent, and heart. The Wildcats have all the intangibles a team needs to win a state title. Can they put it all together in this, the biggest stage in Ohio high school hockey? Time will tell... time will tell.

The puck drop between the Cougars and the Wildcats is set for 4 p.m. Friday.