The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Lancers coach eyes big picture after pause of frozen four
Gilmour coach John Malloy is a realist, and when he saw March Madness was canceled, then the state girls basketball tournament in Ohio met the same fate, he knew his sport was likely coming next.
The Lancers would have embarked on their first frozen four appearance since 2011 at noon March 14 against four-time state champion St. Ignatius in an all-Cleveland state semifinal at Nationwide Arena in Columbus.
But when the Ohio High School Athletic Association announced an indefinite suspension March 12 of all winter tournaments due to the novel coronavirus outbreak in the United States, the decision was far from unexpected.
“I always think about the kids first,” Malloy said. “They’re going through something that, when you think about our seniors, their last opportunity at hockey at the high school level, and somebody like Bryce (Hofstrom), our captain, was with us as a freshman and we struggled a little bit. We had four wins that year. Then to go through the process of being a part of turning the team around and then getting to the state final four his senior year, I think it’s got to be a really difficult thing to get through.
“And the other seniors as well, just because for many of them they may not go on and play any more competitive hockey. I know how much they were looking forward to this contest, and they were prepared. They had really earned the opportunity.”
Amid a chaotic time, Malloy lent perspective.
“I take a bigger picture philosophically as well as in terms of just life,” Malloy said. “Because there’s going to be a lot more disappointments in life than this, and learning how to deal with those things is important. And it’s sad that you have to go through it in this way. But they’ll know what I’m talking about when I say there’s a lot greater losses in life that you have to process not being able to play in a hockey game.” While OHSAA commissioner Jerry Snodgrass, in a news conference earlier March 12 in Columbus, was careful to label this a suspension of action, at the very least it feels like a cancellation, even on the minute chance it won’t be.
“I think it’s very difficult to think of any scenario where they’re going to be able to say, ‘OK, let’s come back and play this game,’” Malloy said. “And it might not even, at that point in time, be the same type of situation. Kids go on to spring sports — if they’re even allowed to play spring sports. There’s just going to be things going on.”
Malloy said he received word from the OHSAA’s announcement on Twitter, then sent out a mass email to parents and players informing them of the move.
As part of the acceptance process, the team held an intersquad scrimmage.
“I understand,” Malloy said of the suspension. “And when I have talked to other people, the most important thing coaches always think about is player safety. And this is one of those situations, it’s bigger than just a team. It’s bigger than just a school. It’s bigger than just the state of Ohio. The country is going through something. The world is going through something that is challenging us. And it’s all hands on deck. This is one of those things where you have to pull together, and everybody has to make sacrifices.
“I just think that, in our country, sports are so important. And maybe they take a bigger stage than they should. Something like this may be a reminder that they’re still just sports.”
Coming soon
For more from Malloy, as he reflects on the likely end to the Lancers’ campaign, what was accomplished and the team’s scrimmage, check back in the coming days on News-Herald.com and in our print edition.