by Carter Spearry ‘16
It ended on a cold afternoon in March. What was supposed to be a team who would fight for another state title, fell short against Saint Edward in last year’s District Final 3-2. There is a bitterness in the air around Saint Ignatius hockey – they want revenge.
“We can’t take any team for granted. We will be sure to play at one level all year, and that’s State Championship-caliber hockey” said junior defenseman Seth Whitney. And that they must if this team is ready for a State Championship run. This year’s seniors have ended their last two varsity seasons with sour tastes in their respective mouths. 2014 ended with a dramatic 7 OT 1-1 tie with Sylvania Northview as the ‘Cats were declared Co-State Champions. 2015 ended in an aggravating 3-2 loss to that team from Lakewood in a game which saw the ejection of a handful of players from both sides.
The goaltender will be none other than three year varsity starter Dylan McKeon ‘16. “I think the key for defense this year is to stay positive. We have a good core of defensemen coming back who have a lot of talent but not much experience” said McKeon. McKeon posted a 91.2% save percentage and an impressive 1.58 goals against average. “My experience over the last two years has helped me because now I know what to expect in every game. I’m used to the big crowds and the big game environment.” Coach O’Rourke will have one of the best goalies in the state leading his defense this year. Look for McKeon to be the anchor of the defense.
With all of the defensemen returning from a year ago, McKeon will have an extremely solid unit to protect him. Juniors Matt Wiegandt and Seth Whitney had very strong campaigns a season ago and will highlight the defense. Whitney is an aggressive defender who is never afraid to play the body at one end of the ice and then test the goalie on his own on the other end. Geoff Allman ‘16 will provide great consistency in the back.
The forwards will be lead by none other than Aidan Spellacy ‘16, who is regarded as one of the best centers in the state. As a junior, Spellacy notched 19 goals and provided 17 assists while spending several weeks out injured. Spellacy has excellent vision as well as a devastating shot. He has the ability to score north of 30 goals this year, and will certainly be administering passes with precision to his teammates.
Converting from defense to forward will be seniors Brian Russell and Cam Gerard. Both players were excellent as the team’s starting defensive pairing a year ago and will make an easy transition to forward.
Rounding out the notable forwards are Connor Koehnke ‘17, Jared Stepka ‘16, and Zack Kisel ‘16. Koehnke provides stick skills that make the faithful of Brooklyn Ice Arena ooh and ahh. Stepka has excellent speed and can finish very well around the net. Both Stepka and Koehnke registered 25 points a season ago. Zack Kisel will be the bruiser that teams earmark as the enforcer. Although physical, Kisel scored 11 goals and dished out 18 assists last season.
So we’ve got a team? I would say so. It will be hard replacing the firepower of last year’s forwards like Matty Geither, Ethan Whitney, and Jack Wiegandt, however, the defense will be the stronghold of this year’s squad.
Will there be a free day this spring because of a new piece of hockey hardware being added to Murphy Field House? My crystal ball tells me that there will be a rematch of last year’s District Final with the ‘Cats and the Eagles battling it out for a trip to Nationwide Arena.
I’ll take the blue and gold in that one.
After that? Anything can happen. Saint John’s Jesuit, Saint Francis, Sylvania Northview will all be ready to fight for the crown of high school hockey. And so will we. A State Championship awaits, and it is ours for the taking.
