Chagrin Falls aiming to be in Baron Cup mix

Chagrin Falls should be a favorite for the GCHSHL Blue’s city championship tournament, which will hopefully still transpire next month at Brooklyn. Chris Lillstrung has a look at the Tigers.

Jan. 9, after an 8-2 win over rival Kenston at The Pond, Chagrin Falls’ accommodations postgame served as a microcosm for what life has been like for high school hockey this winter.

The Tigers’ changing area was actually the hallway outside what is typically their locker room, the closest one to the door of the rink.

While battling the novel coronavirus pandemic, that predicament is certainly understandable and is to be expected.

But even with all the tumult of this season, Chagrin is hopeful to not be left out in the open in one pursuit — indeed, Baron Cup III is a door that the Tigers want to knock down.

Chagrin Falls should be a favorite for the GCHSHL Blue’s city championship tournament, which will hopefully still transpire next month at Brooklyn.

With a senior-laden squad, optimism should be high.

“I mean, we’ve got a lot of good leaders on this team,” Tigers senior forward Chase Lowry said. “So we’re pretty pumped for that. We’re doing pretty well.”

Chagrin went 15-9-2 a year ago, getting to the Baron Cup III semifinal round. The nucleus of that team essentially returns intact, including seniors Tyler Bookman, Garrin Bunker and John Ranieri at forward, Reed Dowling on defense and Charlie Gunn between the pipes.

The Tigers haven’t hoisted a Baron Cup since 2008, during one of the most storied periods in program lore. Led by Taylor Derbyshire and Kevin Hamori at forward, Rob Borden on defense and with Dave Brand behind the bench, that 2007-08 squad went 21-6-2.

Albeit a fairly distant memory now, it’s worth noting Chagrin had to go dormant for one season, 201314, due to low roster numbers before the program was revived in time for the 2014-15 season thanks to a persistent push from returning players and longtime coach Jim Revak.

Revak would like to see his predominantly senior group get a shot at the Baron Cup III final on the big ice at Brooklyn.

“If we can get to the Baron Cup and participate and actually hold it, we think we have a chance to win it,” Revak said. “That’s our goal. I know Normandy’s tough there. But we’ve played (three) White teams: Orange, lost in overtime, tied Olmsted Falls (and beat Kenston). So we know we can compete.

“I talked with the Olmsted Falls coach, and he said we’re probably better than most of the White teams. So that’s a good indication we’ll be able to compete for that (Baron Cup III) title.”

But as Revak alluded, getting to that point amid a pandemic first is the key. The GCHSHL, in announcing there wouldn’t be a league schedule for this season, stated its intention of holding all three Baron Cups at Brooklyn, but for this year only having every team in each division make the field.

As Lowry and his teammates can attest, though — as can any hockey team in Greater Cleveland at the moment — it’s not as simple as having anything written on the schedule.

Should it occur, however, with such a veteran squad, Chagrin is ready for the challenge.

“Yeah, it’s been hard,” Lowry said. “We’ve been practicing and preparing for the games. But it’s been hard to take the news of games being canceled. But we’re ready to get back into it.

“They usually take the games off like a few days before. We have all of our hopes up, and then, we can’t play.”