GILMOUR ACADEMY:  Their 5-4 loss to King City (ON) on Sunday marked the first time in 17 games that Gilmour Academy allowed more than two goals in a regulation game.  “We have six defensemen who have been playing very well,” GA head coach John Malloy said, explaining the Lancer’s stinginess.  “If you have three good defensemen at the high school level it can be more than enough so we are in a good place and our forwards have stayed committed to backchecking and helping out. This is a key piece as well. Everything on defense is connected, goalies, defense and forwards.”

HOLY NAME:  In a dramatic win over Cathedral Prep on January 11, Jack Mohar tied the game midway through the third period, then scored the game-winner with 1.5 seconds left on the clock.  James Light stopped all 17 shots in the third period of that game to allow the Namers to come back.  Light also stood out in a 3-1 win over Findlay on Saturday, stopping 53 of 54 shots...The Namers went on to upset Olentangy Liberty—ranked #6 in Ohio—by a score of 5-3 on Sunday and on Tuesday appeared in the Top 10 of the Ohio High School Hockey Coach’s Poll.  “Holy Name is getting into their end of year shape and will be a scary team,” said one area coach.

PADUA FRANCISCAN:  Padua Franciscan played to a 1-1 tie against a quality Findlay team at the Cleveland Jesuit Classic on Friday evening.  Freshman Aidan Knox stopped 41 of 42 shots—including all 18 he faced in the third period—and classmate Shane Helman scored the Bruins goal.  Helman has now scored in nine consecutive games.  Knox posted a 2.94 goals-against average and .920 save percentage in three games at the tournament in Kent.

ST. EDWARD:  Junior defenseman Tyler Fowles put the Eagles into the championship game of the Meadville MLK Tournament with the OT winner against #9 Sylvania Northview in the semifinals.  It was his eighth goal of the season...St. Edward, currently ranked #4 in Ohio, is honoring their 2000’s state championship teams (2002, 2004, 2005, 2008) Friday night during the first intermission of their game against St. Edward at Winterhurst.  They will honor the 1990’s state title teams (1990, 1992, 1994, 1995, 1996) next Friday, January 31 when they host Shaker Heights.

SHAKER HEIGHTS:  A 3-2 loss to Hudson on January 11 is the only one of Shaker’s five losses that have come against a team not ranked in the Top 10 in the state...The Red Raiders have a key league game Friday night against University School and a quality non-league game against visiting Anthony Wayne from the Northwest Hockey Conference on Sunday.  The Generals moved up to the Red Division of the NHC this season and have held their own with a 16-4-2 record.

UNIVERSITY SCHOOL:  University School got off to a strong start at the Mark Rasmus Memorial Tournament, winning their first two games before a 5-4 loss to Providence (IL) took them out of title contention.  The Preppers have been finding the net with regularity lately, scoring 35 goals in nine games since the conclusion of the Padua Holiday Tournament.  Junior forward Nick Flowers was held off the scoresheet Sunday against St. John’s, but had points in each of the previous eight games, collecting 11 points (5-6-11) in that span and scoring goals in five straight games from January 4-18.

WALSH JESUIT:  Bill Holtzer, a junior forward at Walsh, was a member of the U. S. team that competed at the Deaflympics in Italy last month.  Holtzer was the second-youngest member of the team which defeated Canada for the gold medal...Senior forward Nate Colasanti scored all three Warrior goals in a 3-2 win over Rocky River on Saturday... Walsh, winners of four of its last five, travels to Michigan for the Grand Rapids Catholic Showcase this weekend. 

Senior defenseman Anthony Iacobell of Gilmour Academy has been named the Great Lakes Hockey League Player of the Week for his efforts in the Lancers’ appearance at the Gary West Tournament at St. Andrew’s College (ON) last weekend.

Iacobell posted a +9 rating was not on the ice for a single goal against over five games at the event. 

In 24 games played this season, Iacobell has recorded two goals and nine assists for 11 points while collecting 26 penalty minutes.

The senior blue liner has been a key component of a Gilmour defense that has allowed just 37 goals in 24 games this season.

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; Patrick Ehlert (Holy Name), January 3; Shane Helman (Padua Franciscan), January 10.

Bob Whidden served as the head coach at St. Edward for 20 seasons from 1984-2005.  In that time, he guided the Eagles to 14 state championship games, winning the title 10 times.  His teams also won 16 district titles and six Baron Cups.

Whidden was a native of Sudbury, Ontario, but in 1972 a career as a professional goaltender brought him to Cleveland where he played four seasons with the Cleveland Crusaders of the World Hockey Association (WHA).  Following his retirement in 1977 he joined the front office of the NHL’s Cleveland Barons.

In 1984 he became the head coach at St. Edward and the Eagles won the state championship in his first year behind the bench.  Todd Harkins set up Kip Ramella for the only goal in their 1-0 win over North Olmsted in the state championship game. The Eagles defeated Cleveland Heights and current Gilmour Academy head coach John Malloy, 6-5, to repeat as state champions a year later.  Malloy and the Tigers got their revenge in a double-overtime classic the following year.

“His teams were built to win state championships and that is what they did,” said Malloy.  “I always enjoyed facing them because I knew that it was going to be a great test in every phase of our game.  If you beat a Bob Whidden-coached team you knew it was earned and never given.  He was a fantastic—I would say legendary—Hall of Fame coach.”

When pro hockey returned to Cleveland in 1992 with the International Hockey League’s Cleveland Lumberjacks, Whidden worked in the front office and served as color commentator for televised games.

Three men have followed as coach of the Eagles and all three played for, and won state titles with, Whidden:  His son, Rob ’88 (head coach of the 2008 state champs), Troy Gray ‘86 and current head coach Tim Sullivan ‘92.

“Playing for Coach Whidden helped me understand the game at a high level,” said Sullivan.  “He challenged us as players to get uncomfortable everyday so, when the other team was uncomfortable we were not, and were able to succeed.  Coach set the bar at a high level and expected high-level results.  We will continue to strive to achieve what coach built and those expectations to which St. Edward is accustomed.”