STRONGSVILLE, OH --- Tobias Herlong made 34 saves as Gilmour Academy defeated St. Edward, 3-1, to win the Great Lakes Hockey League’s Cleveland Cup at OBM Arena in Strongsville Saturday night.

Matt Bauman – a freshman called up from the Gilmour Academy U16 team and playing in just his second varsity game – scored the only goal of the first two periods as the league’s post-season tournament came down to a battle between the #3- and #4-ranked teams in the state of Ohio.

“This was just a classic championship game that could have gone either way,” said Gilmour head coach John Malloy. 

In the early going, St. Edward had trouble generating secondary scoring chances, getting single shots off rushes, but no extended pressure as Herlong, who was recognized as the All-GLHL goaltender during the first intermission, was not giving them any rebounds.

Just over six minutes into the game there was a scrum behind the St. Edward net and Justin Evans got the puck out to Bauman in front and he broke the ice.  Luke Robertson also picked up an assist on the play.  It was Bauman’s first varsity goal.

A flurry of shots by Gilmour in the final 30 seconds of the first period were all turned aside by St. Edward goaltender Nate Cappellazzo.  Had the Lancers converted it would have put the Eagles back on their heels, but they headed to the room only down by a goal, allowing them to regroup.

St. Edward came out of the locker room with more energy to start the second period.  Carson Kostka had a point-blank chance in the first 30 seconds of the period, but Herlong smothered the attempt.  A few minutes later, Gilmour’s Kessel Richards made a nice little touch pass on a three-on-two to set up Joe Roddy for a 20-foot wrister in the slot, but Cappellazzo made the save.

Both teams began playing the body with more consistency in the middle frame.

Midway through the period, Bauman sent Robertson in clean with a pass from the left wing just inside the blue line.  Robertson’s attempt beat Cappellazzo but hit the crossbar.  A minute later Tyler Fowles joined the rush for St. Edward and attempted a shot that was blocked by a Gilmour defender, Fowles collected the puck for a backhand attempt from between the dots but, again, Herlong was equal to the task.

The action intensified as the two teams continued to trade chances and the game remained 1-0.

Jack Mansour, who scored twice in St. Edward’s semifinal win over Walsh Jesuit, got position on his man and re-directed a centering pass on net right on Herlong’s doorstep, but the Gilmour goaltender kicked it out.  With 5:30 left in the frame Bauman, a left shot, found himself alone at the bottom of the right circle, but he hit the far post from 15 feet out.  With 3:45 left in the period, Charlie Tuggey’s swift wrap-around was denied by a diving Cappellazzo.

The first penalty of the game occurred with 3:30 left in the second period and put the Eagles on the man-advantage with a chance to tie the game.  They struggled to gain the zone with possession for the first minute of the power play.  A wrist shot from a severe angle was gloved by Herlong as he hugged his left post.  The St. Edward bench thought it snuck across the line, but the red light was not turned on.

Tuggey made a nifty little spin move in the slot and set up Richards with :30 left, but Cappellazzo flashed out his right pad to keep the Eagles within a goal heading into the second intermission.

Cappellazzo made another huge save in the first minute of the third period, robbing Robertson with his glove from 10 feet out.  But, at the 2:25 mark, Evans skated down the right wing with the puck and ripped a slap shot over Cappellazzo’s blocker from the right faceoff circle. 

“Games can turn at any moment,” said Malloy.  “And that was a heck of a shot by Justin Evans that was a big moment because it gave us a little breathing room.”

The unassisted goal did not take the wind out of St. Edward’s sails.  On their next shift they pushed back.  Sean Kolenich worked the puck out of the corner to the front of the net, but Herlong smothered it.

A nice backhand pass from Noah Schultz set up Kolenich for a sharp 25-foot wrister that was labeled for the top left corner but Herlong denied him with his blocker.

With 4:56 left, a holding penalty put Gilmour on the PP for the first time.  Less than a minute later, the Eagles compounded their situation with a second penalty that put the Lancers on a 5-on-3.

St. Edward killed both penalties, and were ready to make their push, but Bryce Hofstrom’s wrist shot from the left faceoff dot made it past the blocker of a screened Cappellazzo and the Lancers were in control, 3-0.

“When a team kills a five-on-three that is a great momentum opportunity,” Malloy said.  “I always say the minute after a power play can be just a big as the power play especially when you don’t score.”

St. Edward ruined Herlong’s shutout bid when Matt Smith re-directed Kostka’s shot from the point with :36 left in the game.

“We wanted the shutout for him,” Malloy said of Herong.  “He’s a stellar goaltender because he’s calm.  He does not get rattled at all and really helps this team out.  We have a lot of emotional guys on the team but he’s nice and calm.”

In their first meeting of the season, Gilmour defeated St. Edward 5-1.  The two teams played to a 2-2 tie three weeks ago.

“That team has come a long way from the beginning of the season,” Malloy said.  “And boy what a great championship game.  I give that coaching staff a lot of credit for bringing that team as far as they have come this season.”

> Both teams will begin play in their respective district tournaments next week with St. Edward, ranked #4 om Ohio, playing out of the Brooklyn District and #3 Gilmour in the Kent bracket.

> St. Edward last won a league championship in 2008 when they captured the Greater Cleveland High School Hockey League’s Baron Cup.

> The GLHL’s 2019-20 All-Star Team was recognized and Brennan Dickey of Holy Name was revealed as the Great Lakes Hockey League Player of the Year during the first intermission.

--- Scott Harrington for Ohio Hockey Digest