Matt Bollinger begins his second year as the head coach at St. John’s.  In his debut season the Titans went 18-12-2, won the NHC regular season title, and advanced to the District Final against Northview – knocking out rival St. Francis along the way.

The season came to an end with a 4-2 loss to Northview with a trip to Columbus on the line, but Bollinger was recognized as the NHC Red Division Coach of the Year for his efforts.

Looking ahead to this season, Bollinger has a great core to work with, including nine returning forwards, three senior blue liners and his number one goaltender.  He sees experience and depth as a strength of his team.

Nick Meader scored 30 goals last season, led the Titans with 43 points, and was honorable mention All-Ohio.  2018-19 NHC Rookie of the Year Andrew Pelok (15-19-34) was also very productive in his sophomore season.  The due will be key play-drivers for St. John’s and will also serve as co-captains this season. 

Alternates will be senior forward Matt Pfeifer (6-14-20), senior defensemen Will Bowler (4-13-17) and Ricky Scheich (3-4-7).

In addition to competing for the league title locally, Bollinger was interested to see how his team would fare against Gilmour Academy in an early-season match-up at the Cold Turkey Tournament.  He got his answer with a 4-2 win.

The challenge for the Titans will be maintaining consistency and intensity throughout the season.  Bollinger will lean heavily on Meader and Bowler, along with junior goaltender Will Halker, who faced over 500 shots last season.  He posted an 11-9-1 record with a 3.00 goals-against average, .882 save percentage, and a pair of shutouts.

The Padua Christmas Tournament will give them a chance to see how they stack up against more of the top teams from the Cleveland area:  University School, St. Edward and Holy Name.

One thing is for sure – nobody is taking the Titans lightly these days.

“St. John’s is the up and comer,” said one coach from a rival Red Division program.  “They have built slowly and steadily and may very well win the region.”

--- Scott Harrington for Ohio Hockey Digest