5 TEAMS TO WATCH
In at least one way, the ending of every Ohio high school hockey season has been the same since the beginning of the state tournament in 1978: No central Ohio team has won the championship.
Olentangy Liberty believes it has a chance to become the first, as it is 33-1-1 heading into the postseason. The Patriots won their first Blue Jackets Cup since 2011, beating Olentangy Berlin 3-0 in the final Sunday.
The district tournament begins Friday, with Liberty as the top seed. Only the district champion advances to state.
The district has had only one team reach the state final. In 2019, Dublin Jerome beat Hunting Valley University School 3-2 in a semifinal before losing 7-2 to Cleveland St. Ignatius.
Here are five central Ohio teams to watch in the postseason:
1. Olentangy Liberty
Liberty enters the postseason as the champion of the CHC-RED Division in addition to the Blue Jackets Cup. It won the CHC-RED with 32 points and a 16-0 record.
Looking for their first state tournament berth since 2017, the Patriots open the postseason Sunday against 19thseeded Troy or 21st-seeded Mason. They are ranked second in the state behind St. Ignatius, according to Myhockeyrankings.com.
Liberty has been led by senior forward Charlie Hughes, who is in his first season with the program after previously playing for the AAA Blue Jackets. He has 31 goals and 34 assists for 65 points.
2. Upper Arlington
Seeded second in the district tournament, UA is coming off a 6-5 upset loss in overtime to Dublin Coffman in the opening round of the Blue Jackets Cup.
The Golden Bears are ranked ninth in the state and finished second to Liberty in the CHC-RED at 12-3-1 with 25 points. They are 20-12-1 overall and open the postseason Saturday against 15th-seeded Worthington Kilbourne or 20th-seeded Kettering Alter.
UA has won the past two district titles. In state semifinals, the Bears lost to Toledo St. Francis (2-1 in double overtime last season) and Lakewood St. Edward (3-0 in 2021).
Senior forwards Charlie Linzell and Jack Nolan lead UA in scoring with 32 points apiece. Linzell has 17 goals and 15 assists, and Nolan has 12 goals and 20 assists.
3. Olentangy Berlin
The Bears won the Blue Jackets Cup for the first time last season and now hope to capture their first district title.
Seeded third in the district tournament, Berlin is 29-9-1.
Junior forwards Chris Brennan and Myles Edgson lead Berlin in scoring with 54 points apiece. Brennan has 25 goals and 29 assists, and Edgson has 28 goals and 26 assists.
4. St. Charles
St. Charles made its only state tournament appearance in 2014, losing to Sylvania Northview 3-1 in a semifinal.
The Cardinals are seeded fourth in the district tournament after finishing fourth (15 points, 6-7-2-1) in the CHCRED. They open the postseason Sunday against 10th-seeded New Albany or 22nd-seeded Columbus Academy.
Key players include senior forward Jules Samuel (9 goals, 8 assists) and senior goalie Ryan Bowyer, who had a .910 save percentage in league play.
5. Dublin Jerome
Jerome won district titles in 2015, 2018 and 2019.
The Celtics are 11-17-2-2 overall and seeded sixth in the district tournament. In the CHC-RED, which is the top tier among the conference's three divisions, Jerome finished sixth (12 points, 4-82-2).
Seniors Carter Brown (defenseman), A.J. Lawler (forward) and Jackson Pollina (forward) are key contributors for Jerome, which won the consolation bracket of the Blue Jackets Cup.