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2021 Columbus District Preview

By Scott Harrington, 02/20/21, 12:15PM EST

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St. Charles, Upper Arlington lead deep field

Upper Arlington was 36-0-1 under former head coach Brett Howden heading into last year’s Columbus District semifinal against New Albany. The Golden Bears were upset in that game and, while the team has not been as dominant during the 2020-21 regular season, the memory of what happened a year ago has motivated them to make good on their opportunity this time around.

They started by defending their Capital Hockey Conference tournament championship, winning the Blue Jackets Cup with a come-from-behind victory against top-seeded St. Charles.

“It was an historic win for our program,” said first-year head coach Hamish Baird. “We came in and worked hard and our boys really wanted it.”

Now the Bears set their sights on for the district title that eluded them a year ago.

“We feel like we have some unfinished business and have a shot at making a run to the district title,” Baird said. “We are very much looking forward to getting started.”

Junior forward Max Robins sparked the comeback in the CBJ Cup Final, scoring the game-tying and -winning goals in a 3-2 win. They were his 28th and 29th goals of the season in just 24 games played.

“That’s the kind of season he’s had”, said Dave Purpura of This Week News. “He has certainly become the go-to guy for them in big situations.”

Another player that endured last year’s heart-breaking loss in the districts and is back playing like a man on a mission is senior goaltender Garrett Alderman, who rocked a .934 save percentage in league play.

Despite their league championship the Golden Bears are not the #1 seed for the district tournament. They were placed #2 behind St. Charles.

The Cardinals, led by head coach Rob Sangster, boast a balanced offense and an elite goaltender of their own in Grant Wolf. His .928 save percentage came in second to Alderman in the CHC.

In addition to their meeting in the league title game, UA also topped the Cards 1-0 in a goaltending duel on February 7. Their first meeting of the season was also a one-goal game, this one a 4-3 St. Charles victory on February 3.

Could they meet for the fourth time in a month in a district title game? Some would like to see that but there is a deep field of challengers trying to interrupt that story line, starting with CHC rivals Olentangy Liberty and Olentangy Orange, as well as independent Talawanda (formerly of the SWOHSHL).

Liberty, #3 seed, went through a rough 0-4-1 stretch in early January, but has not lost back-to-back games since. The Patriots are led by Gage Schlotterbeck (22 goals in league play) and the goaltending tandem of Benton Roberts and Andy Keeler. Liberty gave UA everything they could handle in a 2-1 loss in the Blue Jackets Cup semifinals and would welcome another shot at the Golden Bears.

Without a league tournament to play in, Talawanda head coach Zach Sens had to work hard during the pandemic to put a challenging schedule together for his team and he managed to do that. They started the season hot, going on a 12-0-1 heater early in the season.

The Brave then lost three in a row, and four of five, between Jan. 17-31 but got things back on the rails and come into the post-season on a six-game winning streak that includes a three-game sweep of NHC teams Bowling Green, Findlay and Anthony Wayne on a road trip through the Toledo area last week.  

While Orange was not seeded in the top four in this bracket, they have been in the Top 10 of the state coach’s poll on and off during the season. Pressed to choose a dark horse in the bracket, Purpura chose the Pioneers.

“The have four guys with 10 or more goals and they’ve been able to out-score a lot of teams,” Purpura said. “It is really a pick-your-poison for opposing defenses.”

Austin Knupp, Clayton Headlee, and bothers Payton and Ethan Muth are the players Purpura was referring to. Headlee, Knupp and Payton Muth also finished 1-2-3 in the CHC in assists.

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Click the OHSAA logo to see an updated Columbus District bracket

Click the On Air logo to listen to our state-wide league tournament wrap-up and district preview show. Also check out the archives for conversations with St. Charles head coach Rob Sangster (episode 36), Olentangy Liberty head coach Kevin Alexander with senior goalie Andy Keeler and alum Sam Turner of Ohio University (episode 16), Talawanda head coach Zach Sens (episode 8) and New Albany head coach Matt Buss (episode 3).

Other teams to keep an eye on include Thomas Worthington, which put a scare into St. Charles in the quarterfinals of the Blue Jackets Cup before relenting, 2-1, Archbishop Moeller and goaltender Brennan Mortonstrauss, who set a school record for shutouts, and St. Xavier, which won the Consolation Bracket of the CBJ Cup.

Programs like Dublin Jerome, Olentangy Berlin and the defending district champs from New Albany will also have something to say before it’s all said and done.

 

--- Scott Harrington for Ohio Hockey Digest