The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Rough times firmly in rearview at Gilmour
Two years removed from 4-31 season, Lancers are 7-1-1 in 2018-19
The timeless lyric in the Aerosmith masterpiece “Dream On” seems perfect for Gilmour to summarize the last three years.
“You got to lose to know how to win.”
Two years ago, the Lancers got to lose — quite a lot.
Last winter, they learned how to win in a turnaround campaign.
And now, they’re eager to take the next step.
A hot start to this season makes that evident.
Gilmour is 7-1-1 after a busy November/December bridge week, dispatching archrival University, 4-3, and fending off St. Edward, 3-1, to sandwich a 3-2 overtime loss to Holy Name, all in Great Lakes Hockey League action.
For a team that went 4-31 two winters ago, that’s a much better vantage point.
“It’s not so much focusing on the winning,” said senior forward Dominic Casamatta, who had a pair of goals in the win over US. “It’s just trying to prove that we can compete. It’s not so much the winning and losing that concerns us. It’s just proving that we can play with those teams that used to just look down and look forward to playing us.
“Last year, we were in a bunch of senior night games, a bunch of home openers. And obviously, you play those teams to get a big win for the crowd and set momentum. So it was nice to get that momentum for us.”
Last year was a renaissance for the Lancers and longtime coach John Malloy. Gilmour followed up that 4-31 season and a 7-58-2 stretch over two seasons with a quality 26-8-3 campaign.
The Lancers recorded their first-ever win over the archrival Preppers, 3-1, on Jan. 19, after 15 straight losses in the all-time series. They also hoisted the Cleveland Cup with a 3-2 overtime win over US, going from worst to first in the GLHL.
The team was buoyed by a veteran group in the offensive zone, paced by seniors John Treppo and Matt Mangel, and goaltender Duncan Nichols-Delay. Treppo and Mangel were named 2018 second-team News-Herald all-stars, combining for 32 goals and 28 assists. Nichols-Delay had a sterling 1.28 goals-against average, 516 saves and was a first-team N-H all-star.
The forward corps developed beautifully around Treppo and Mangel a year ago. Along with Casamatta, Evan Enrich and Charlie Valenti were also solid as juniors, and Charlie Tuggey was a late-season epiphany for the Lancers coming in as a freshman.
With Treppo and Mangel graduated, Casamatta noted the impact that duo had on the offensive-zone returnees this time around.
“They were definitely the backbone of our team,” Casamatta said. “In the locker room, you don’t really see that. But they were the best two leaders you could really ask for, along with our other captains. We just kind of took from that and try to kind of follow that, but do it our own way and not exactly copy them. We take some stuff from what we learned.”
Through nine games this winter, Valenti has five goals and six assists for 11 points to pace the Lancers. Tuggey (3-6-9) and Casamatta (6-3-9), along with Kessel Richards (2-6-8), have provided big scoring boosts to a program generally known as a grinder reliant on goaltending and special teams.
With Nichols-Delay moving up to the prep team, goaltending has been primarily split between Tobias Herlong and Jac Lymn, who each have GAAs under 1.00. On the blue line, Eamonn Mulkern has developed into one of Greater Cleveland’s better defensemen. Mulkern (1-6-7) had a goal against US in the second period on a nice turnover anticipation and shot to the backhand stickside on a crash.
Gilmour went 3-0-1 at the Cold Turkey Shootout in Sylvania, including defining wins over Toledo St. Francis (1-0) and St. Edward (5-4 in overtime).
“This core wants to win,” Malloy said. “They came back, the core guys that we’re returning, they came back with the attitude that we want to keep winning. They want to go as far as they can. They had a disappointing end of the year with the (district quarterfinal loss to Mentor). So that is fueling them somewhat.
“We’ve got a bunch of new guys, too, coming up from the other teams, as well as new to the school. So you’ve got to bring those into the fold. And that’s where the leadership comes in. They’ve done a good job.”
The Lancers made frozen four appearances in 2008 and 2011, the former ending with a state final setback to St. Edward.
Frozen fours – competing night to night in the GLHL, really – seemed way off in the distance just two years ago in Gates Mills.
The Lancers got to lose. Now they know how to win – and if the early going is indicative, they rightfully expect more.
Indeed, they can dream until their dream comes true.
“I think it’s just that same focus, just trying to prove ourselves,” Casamatta said. “Not with a chip on the shoulder, but proving to ourselves that we can play like we did last year.
“Because the tough thing with high school is, everyone looks so much on the year before. But you’ve got to kind of prove yourself again the next year. So we’ve been trying to prove ourselves that we’re the same team, maybe a little better than last year’s.”