By Alec Steimac ‘19
The Saint Ignatius Hockey Program has done something not many others can claim: a “three-peat,” back-to-back-to-back wins in the OHSAA state championship. On Saturday afternoon at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, the Wildcats once again faced off against Toledo St. Francis in the winner-take-all finale.
In a game that went 37 seconds into a second overtime, the Ice Cats prevailed, 5-4, as sophomore Greg Langermeier took the puck end-to-end, skating through three Knights to net the game winning power play goal. Other Wildcats who contributed goals included Bain Kurtz ‘18, Michael McCaffrey ‘18, Aidan Millett ‘20, and Camden Kurtz ‘20. Junior netminder Benny Savarino contributed 30 saves to keep the ‘Cats in the game.
The Ice Cats punched their ticket to the finals on Friday afternoon, stopping Dublin Jerome 6-1. Bain Kurtz led the way, netting four goals on the day. Eric Lile ‘19 and Alex Bilardo ‘20 also found the back of the net for the Blue and Gold. This win was preceded by a 3-0 win in the OHSAA district final at Brooklyn on March 2, the second win over the Eagles this season, along with playoff wins over Rocky River (3-1), Midview (11-1), and Brooklyn (11-1). With the wins, the hockey team finished the season with a record of 30-9-1, earning the sixth state championship in program history.
This year has been a busy one for the Ice Cats as four different teams were created, including an all new prep travel team that has been playing all over the country and in Canada. Seniors Kurtz, McCaffrey, Santino Pignatiello, and Andrew Denk put their stamp on the Saint Ignatius Hockey Program, leaving the team poised to continue their unprecedented run of success.
State Championship Hockey- 2nd OT Highlights
It was an exciting game in Columbus for the State Championship! St. Ignatius and St. Francis went into double OT, but the Knights fell 5-4.
Brought to you by @180thFW and @GrogansTowne! pic.twitter.com/bnIvi588hD
— #BCSNnation (@BCSNsports) March 10, 2018
