by Brendan DeVenney ’17
A lot of times after coming off a championship season, it’s hard to repeat and start right where you left off.
That was not the case for the 2014-2015 Saint Ignatius Varsity Ice ‘Cats.
Going into the season, it was all about “repeat” with the veteran group, as there were a lot of returning juniors and seniors from the 2014 State Championship team.
After getting a lot of national attention with 2014 OHSAA Division 1 State Final Hockey Game, where Coach O’Rourke’s Wildcats went three periods and seven overtime periods tied 1-1 with Sylvania Northview, only to be declared co-State Champions, there was a lot of pressure going into the season for this group.
I think it’s safe to say that they met all expectations, though. This year’s Varsity Ice ‘Cats were perfect throughout the entire season.
They learned their mistakes and setbacks in the beginning of the season, and after they perfected those, they went on a tear the rest of the year.
And it’s not like they had an easy schedule. The team traveled to Culver, Indiana for the annual Cornfield Cup where they played teams from the Midwest region. They came out with an impressive 3-1 record.
The Eagles’ Classic, played at the end of December, always bring tough competition to the ice for Saint Ignatius, but the Wildcats proved flawless with a 3-0-1 weekend at Winterhurst.
A special moment that Saint Ignatius was able to be apart of was on New Year’s Day in Toledo. The Wildcats hit the ice to take on Jesuit brother school, Saint John’s Jesuit, in the Toledo Walleye Winterfest outdoors at Fifth Third Field. The Ice ‘Cats started the new year on a high note with a 2-1 win over the Titans.
And after that win, the Wildcats just could not be stopped.
Coach O’Rourke got his team to peak at the right time. And peak they did as the Wildcats, led by Matty Geither, Jack Mazanec, Aidan Spellacy, and Brady Wells, among others, went on a 17-0 winning streak entering the playoffs.
That winning streak included a 4-0 record in the inaugural Cleveland Jesuit Classic, two wins in back-to-back weekends versus Saint Edward, winning 3-0 and 5-2, and their second consecutive Cleveland Cup title, which is only the second ever in Great Lakes Hockey League History. (The GLHL was established in 2013.)
But in every good team, and in this case you may say great team, there’s always flaws that only a good team can pick out and use to their advantage.
After cruising through the Brooklyn District Quarterfinal and Brooklyn District Semifinal, the Wildcats met up in the District Championship with rival Saint Edward with a State Tournament berth on the line.
Let’s just say that the Eagles broke down the Wildcats and never looked back en route to a 3-2 win over Saint Ignatius to capture their District Title and end the Ice ‘Cats season.
Even though we might not be heading down to Nationwide Arena for a State Championship, you can’t look past at the fact on how good this team was throughout the entire season. They stayed composed and focused and didn’t let anything get them rattled. There was nothing that they couldn’t handle in the regular season. This year’s team is one that people around the area and the state will never forget.
The 2014-2015 Saint Ignatius Varsity Hockey team finished the season with a record of 32-4-3, and went undefeated in Great Lakes Hockey League play with a record of 13-0.
Congrats to Coach Pat O’Rouke and his club on a phenomenal season! Let’s just say that next year, there is some unfinished business out on that ice!
