The 2018-19 campaign was another successful one for the Great Lakes Hockey League, which placed four teams in the top eight in the final Ohio coach’s poll and accounted for three of the four finalists in the Brooklyn and Kent districts.

University School represented the league at the state championship tournament in Columbus, making their 15th appearance at the Ohio Frozen Four.  Dublin Jerome’s 3-2 overtime win in the semifinals prevented US from making it back to the championship game for what would have been the sixth time in school history.

The Preppers also appeared in the Cleveland Cup championship game for the fifth time in six seasons, but it was the Holy Name Green Wave taking home the hardware in a 2-1 thriller.  The Namers became just the third team to claim the GLHL tournament title after Gilmour Academy (2018) and Saint Ignatius (2014-2017).

The league is looking forward to another outstanding season on the ice but there has been some change behind GLHL benches with five of the seven head coaches heading into their first or second season with their current team.

Last year, Andrew Gerow succeeded Andrew Lacroix at University School, and Matt Bartley joined the GLHL coaching fraternity as Shaker Heights entered the league.  There will be two more additions to the club this year with Craig Patton (Holy Name) and Pete Calleri (Walsh Jesuit) joining the GLHL head coaching ranks. 

Calleri moved into the spot vacated when Pat McKendry stepped down at Walsh Jesuit.  The Holy Name job opened up when program founder Tim Sullivan returned to his alma mater St. Edward after leading Holy Name to the 2019 Cleveland Cup championship.  Patton joins the Green Wave from the college ranks where he headed up Cleveland State University’s ACHA program.

The number would have been six of eight new (or new-ish) coaches, as Lake Catholic was set to replace Justin Vance, but the Cougars ran into numbers problems and are taking at least one season off – more likely two.

Sullivan, a 1992 graduate of St. Edward, made the decision to leave Holy Name where he coached and taught history for 16 years to return to Lakewood where he was named Associate Dean of Men in addition to his coaching duties.

As a student athlete, Sullivan played for legendary coach Bob Whidden, helping him win two of his 10 state championships.

“I was very pleased that St. Edward hired within the St. Edward family when it was announced that Coach Sullivan was to take control of the hockey program,” said Whidden.  “While they had many fine candidates, none were finer than Coach Sullivan and coach Jason Levandowski. I’ll be following their progress from the sunshine of Florida.”