The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
GILMOUR VS. ST. IGNATIUS
Hockey state semifinal capsule
What: State semifinal When: Noon, March 14 Where: Nationwide Arena, 200West Nationwide Boulevard, Columbus Records: Gilmour 30-7-1, St. Ignatius 30-4-1 What’s next: The winner advances to the state final at noon March 15against New Albany or Toledo St. Francis at Nationwide Arena in Columbus.
What to look for: Gilmour is back in the frozen four for the third time in school history and first since 2011 on an 18-2-1 run since Jan. 5. That includes a current 11-game win streak as the Lancers won the Cleveland Cup and powered through the Kent District, outscoring their foes there, 27-3. Gilmour is young but deep at forward, as evidenced by its 4-1district final win over Mentor. The all-junior line of Frankie Valenti (23 goals, 19 assists, 42points), Charlie Tuggey (21-22-43) and Joe Roddy (7-20-27) rose to the occasion there. The Lancers set a strong forecheck tone from the outset against the Cardinals. Coach John Malloy was also complimentary of his line with Bryce Hofstrom (56-11), Shea Hofstrom (410-14) and Kessel Richards (17-15-32) for the physical tone it set. Luke Robertson (17-27-44) has been vital to the cause as a developing junior forward. Senior forward and leading scorer Justin Evans (30-28-58) was a healthy scratch for the district final for an undisclosed team matter. When asked at Kent about Evans’ status for the state semifinal, Malloy said it was “to be determined.” That status will obviously factor into how Gilmour employs its lines and the chemistry that comes in turn from those units in Columbus.
On defense, the Lancers have a solid group led by senior Anthony Iacobell (3-11-14) and sophomores Vince Stafford (12-17-29) and Connor Underwood (1-13-14). Those blueliners move the puck quickly and effectively on breakouts and D-to-D, are physical on the backcheck and dangerous as cyclers or shooters from the perimeter of the zone with traffic in front. Between the pipes, Toby Herlong (13-2-2, 352 saves) is one of Ohio’s top netminders. The all-GLHL goaltender logged a big early save to spearhead a 5-1district semifinal victory over University and had 13saves, including a solid second-period stop against Mentor stalwart Andrew McBride in the district final. His ability to deliver complexion-changing stops on odd-mans and deep-zone looks with a full arsenal is second to none.
The Lancers saw St. Ignatius in a nonleague game Dec. 11, a 2-1 setback to the four-time defending state champion Wildcats. Herlong had a highlight 46-save performance.
St. Ignatius is, by any indicator, red-hot coming into Nationwide. Its 9-0 win in a Holy War showdown with St. Edward at Brooklyn was the most lopsided district final in Ohio in more than 20 years.
The Wildcats’ blemishes are four losses to Michigan foes and a tie against an Illinois squad. Three of those four Michigan teams — Brother Rice, Detroit Catholic Central and Trenton — are still alive in the state frozen four in their respective divisions. The other, Livonia Stevenson, lost to Trenton in a Division II elite-eight game and was the state’s top-ranked squad regardless of division in the last state coaches’ poll. They are 9-0against Ohio opposition this winter, outscoring those teams, 70-5, and are on a 38-game winning streak against teams from Ohio. They have not lost to an Ohio foe since a 4-2defeat to University on Jan. 21, 2017.
In its third year as an independent, St. Ignatius primarily plays a schedule of teams from the Great Lakes region and Canada. The Wildcats return AllOhioans Greg Langermeier and Michael Boehm on defense and Aidan Millett at forward.
There is no need to sugarcoat: This is a tall order for Gilmour, one that will require a similar performance to that aforementioned regular season game, if not better, from Herlong. The Lancers also need to stay out of the box and be as efficient as they’ve been all year with puck possession. Among many signatures under highly regarded coach Pat O’Rourke, St. Ignatius typically runs a frenetic forecheck with a board-to-board sweeper that disrupts breakouts with regularity. If that forecheck is established early and often, the Lancers’ trek will be even further uphill. So physicality and quick decisions from breakouts and through the neutral zone is imperative.