The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Kent District final hockey capsule
What: Kent District final When: 7:30 p.m., March 6 Where: Kent State Ice Arena, Loop Drive, Kent Records: Gilmour 29-7-1, Mentor 33-2-1
What’s next: The winner advances to a state semifinal at 9 a.m. or noon March 14against St. Ignatius or St. Edward at Nationwide Arena in Columbus.
What to look for: A drought is coming to a halt. Either Gilmour will head to the frozen four for the first time since 2011, or Mentor will head to state for the first time in hockey in school history.
The top-seeded Lancers are 17-2-1 since Jan. 5, including an unbeaten Great Lakes Hockey League campaign and winning the Cleveland Cup.
A relatively young squad with four seniors, Gilmour has impressively evolved into a complete club. Justin Evans paces a physical forward group that moves the puck with intent. The development of Frankie Valenti and Luke Robertson has been laudable this winter. The blue line is paced by Anthony Iacobell, Vince Stafford and Connor Underwood and is a smart group on the backcheck that hits breakouts well. Toby Herlong is one of Ohio’s best between the pipes. Mentor’s two losses this season were to Shaker Heights, and the two-time Baron Cup I champion Cardinals avenged that and then some with a 6-1 win over the Red Raiders in their semifinal clash. Beyond those blemishes, this squad has been red-hot, including wins over Rocky River, Shaker and Columbus St. Charles. The Cardinals boast one of the premier first lines in
Ohio with Kyle Backston (34 goals, 29 assists, 63 points) at center and Luke Jeffery (17-40-57) and Andrew McBride (4039-79) on the wings. The second line of Mitch Elliott (18-30-48), Eric Toth (27-28-55) and Jack O’Donnell (16-21-37) has been steady and consistent in their shifts all year. On defense, it doesn’t get much better with veteran blueliners who play the body on the backcheck and contribute in the offensive zone than Amaedeo Cantini (12-38-50) and Cam Mocny (8-35-43). Goaltender Alex Toth (483 saves, 1.60 GAA), like Herlong, is one of Ohio’s premier netminders.
Behind the bench, Gilmour’s John Malloy and Mentor’s Paul McKito are outstanding in their craft.
These are two talented and driven squads that are difficult to separate. Mentor may have an edgespeed advantage fueled by McBride, who can trigger a timely, persistent forecheck, and may have more line chemistry because its lines have been together longer. Gilmour may be the more physical, especially in the neutral zone, and has a dynamic penalty kill. Special teams should be a big deal here, along with a high-volume opening period from Herlong or Toth that features one or two highlight-reel saves to fuel their respective squads and crowds for the duration. The Cardinals, in their first Kent District final since 2008, will be eager to prove they belong in the discussion of Ohio’s elite. The Lancers, who spent part of the last decade in the doldrums and the GLHL basement, will be eager to return to the frozen four after a long hiatus to complete their renaissance.
All told, this could be a long night, but a lot of fun.