GILMOUR ACADEMY

Winners of six games in a row, and eight of their last nine, Gilmour Academy hosts the Brother James Memorial Tournament this weekend as the #3 team in the state...Gilmour has not played since December 21 when they recorded their third shutout in a row, defeating Meadville (PA), 2-0...Junior goaltender Dylan Stefan has recorded shutouts in each of his last three individual starts, stopping all 45 shots he faced in that span to blank University School, Latin School (IL) and Walsh Jesuit.  He has only allowed six goals all season and five of those came in his first two starts.  He is 5-1-1 with a 0.90 goals-against average and .944 save percentage on the season.

HOLY NAME

Going back to the start of the Padua Holiday Tournament, Holy Name is 4-1-1 over their last six games.  The Green Wave allowed two or more goals in all six of those games, but has been able to out-score their opposition in most games.  They scored 27 over that same six-game span (4.5/game)...Milo Henry followed up his GLHL Player of the Week nod with a hat trick in Holy Name’s next game, a 7-3 league win over Padua Franciscan.

PADUA FRANCISCAN

Freshman goaltender Aidan Knox continued his stellar rookie season with 57 saves in the 7-3 loss to Holy Name on December 28.  It was the third straight game with 50+ saves for Knox, who made 50 saves against Olentangy Liberty and 56 against Toledo St. Francis in the Bruins’ final two games of the Padua Holiday Tournament...Freshman forward Shane Helman figured in all three goals against Holy Name and has seven points (5-2-7) in his last three games.  He leads Padua in both goals (8) and points (10).

ST. EDWARD

St. Edward tested themselves against four-time defending state champion, and the current top-ranked team in Ohio,  Saint Ignatius on Saturday at Brooklyn Rec Center.  The game between the ancient rivals stayed close into the second period, but the Wildcats pulled away for a 5-0 win over the Eagles.  “Ignatius is a very strong program that we respect,” said Eagles head coach Tim Sullivan.  “They mirror the teams they have had the past few years.”  Saturday’s crowd rivaled those from big district games (picture top of this page).  “I was very pleased with our young team and how they reacted to a very large exciting crowd and atmosphere,” said Sullivan. 

SHAKER HEIGHTS

With their loss to Mentor in the opening game of the Greg Shupe Memorial Tournament, Shaker is 5-1-0 against their former GCHSHL Red Division rivals this season...Shaker Heights goaltenders Garrett Ritts and Maxim Ehlers have played an equal split of games in the Red Raiders crease this season.  Each has played 329 minutes.  Both have contributed to the team’s success, as Ritts has the better goals-against average (1.78) and save percentage (.926), but Ehlers sports a 7-0-0 record...The Red Raiders have not lost consecutive games all season.

UNIVERSITY SCHOOL

University School split a pair of non-league games last week, defeating visiting Meadville (PA), 6-2, on Saturday before dropping a 10-1 game to Saint Ignatius on Sunday...The Preppers scored four times in the opening period against Meadville.  Junior forward John Pape provided two first period tallies, then completed his hat trick in the second period, giving him 11 goals in 15 games this season.

WALSH JESUIT

Walsh Jesuit hosted the Greg Shupe Memorial Tournament last weekend...Walsh scored eight times in their opening game of the tourney; an 8-1 win over Springboro.  Hunter Nalepka notched a hat trick in that game to tie him with Nate Colasanti for the team lead with seven goals...The Warriors will host one more tournament this year—the Cleveland Jesuit Classic over the MLK Weekend (January 17-19).

Holy Name senior defenseman Patrick Ehlert collected five assists and posted a +5 rating to help the Green Wave pick up a win and a tie last week.  For his efforts, Ehlert was named the Great Lakes Hockey League Player of the Week. 

The Namers earned their first league win of the season Saturday afternoon against Padua Franciscan.  Ehlert had two assists in that game.  He collected assists on all three of Brennan Dickey’s goals in a 3-3 tie with Meadville (PA) on Sunday.

Ehlert becomes the third member of the Green Wave to win GLHL Player of the Week honors this season, joining teammates Brennan Dickey (week ending Dec. 1) and Milo Henry (Dec. 22).

“Pat gives 110% every time he is on the ice,” said Holy Name head coach Craig Patton.  “He leads by example and is the muscle of this team.”

Ehlerts’ influence extends off the ice for the Green Wave.

“When Pat talks the team listens,” Patton said.  “He has had a major impact on this team since the beginning of summer workouts, and he continues to improve every day.”

PREVIOUS WINNERS—Brennan Dickey (Holy Name), December 1; Lucas Newton (St. Edward), December 8; John Pape (University School) December 15; Milo Henry (Holy Name), December 22

Twenty-year-old Philadelphia Jr. Flyers forward and Ravenna native Jonathan Gabriel played four seasons at Walsh Jesuit before trying his hand at junior hockey.

In his senior season at Walsh, Gabriel scored 20 goals in just 27 games, helping the Warriors advance to the Kent District Final where they lost to University School, 6-2.  He added 11 assists for 31 points—good for second on the team behind current University of Cincinnati Bearcat Steven LeVasseur (14-18-32).

“Playing at Walsh Jesuit taught me a well rounded game,” Gabriel said.  “And it helped me build lots of strong relationships.”

Gabriel, who stands 6’6” and weighs 197 pounds, played an additional season with the Cleveland Barons U18 team in the Tier 1 Elite Hockey League following his time at Walsh. 

He put up 15 points (7-8-15) in 34 games that season before advancing to the Tier III Junior A Eastern Hockey League to further his development.

In 28 games with Jr. Flyers this season, Gabriel has scored five goals and added five assists for 10 points while also collecting 38 penalty minutes.