OFFICIAL GLHL POINTS: St. Edward 14, GA 10, Padua 7, US & Shaker 4, Walsh 2, Holy Name 1

Victor Povozhaev, Gilmour Academy

This week's Great Lakes Hockey League Player of the Week is Victor Povozhaev of Gilmour Academy.

Gilmour has been making a late-season push up the polls with some impressive wins over quality competition. The Lancers have won 10 of their last 11 games and moved up in the MyHockeyRankings for the third week running as a result.

Last weekend they knocked off the #1 team in the state, Saint Ignatius, behind a pair of goals from Povozhaev.

The junior forward also sealed a win over rival University School with an empty-net goal in the final minute of Sunday's 3-1 win.

"He played strong and helped us go 3-0 last week," said Gilmour head coach John Malloy.

Povozhaev leads the Lancers in both goals and points this season.

PREVIOUS WINNERS – Josh Weiner, Walsh Jesuit (Week of Nov. 22); Mark Berglund, University School (Nov. 29); Shane Helman, Padua Franciscan (Dec. 6); Tyler Lencewicz, Shaker Heights (Dec. 13); Geoffrey Lapsevich (Dec. 20); Noah Colasanti, Walsh Jesuit (Dec. 27); Matt Bauman, Gilmour Academy (Jan. 3); Colin Counahan, University School (Jan. 10)

A four-goal third period and 37 saves from senior goaltender Evan Underwood sparked Gilmour Academy to a 5-2 win over the top-ranked team in the OHSAA, Saint Ignatius, on January 22. The Lancers have now won six games in a row and 10 of their last 11 with the lone loss coming at the hands of #5 Upper Arlington. Gilmour has the inside track on a top-two seed for the Cleveland Cup and can go a long way towards securing just that if they keep the winning streak going through league games against Padua and Shaker this weekend. That could also keep a February 4 tilt at St. Edward relevant in terms of a possible first-place finish, but the Lancers would need some help in the meantime.

The Green Wave of Holy Name is still sitting on two wins this season, but it looks like they are trending in the right direction in recent games. The Namers are 0-2-1 over the last three games but held a prolific Padua team off the board in a scoreless tie and the two losses were both by a single goal. As they try to build on that momentum, Holy Name will play Five of its last six games on the road. That includes a home-and-home with University School this Friday-Saturday and another road game at Shaker Sunday.

Padua Franciscan has hit a rough patch. The Bruins are 0-4-1 over their last five games, scoring just 10 goals in that span (2.0 per game) after scoring 77 times in their first 19 games of the season (4.1). There are two ways of looking at this for Bruins fans – and one is to be concerned. But maybe it is better to get the first substantial skid of the season out of the way now rather than in the post-season…The scoreless tie with Holy Name on January 23 is the only time Padua has been shut out this season. Shane Helman (22), Liam Conway (11) and Brock Bisler (11) have accounted for just over half (44) of Padua’s 87 goals.  

A loss to rival Saint Ignatius is always good for getting player’s attention at St. Edward. The Eagles, ranked #3 in the state, are hoping for another shot against Ignatius in the Brooklyn District playoffs where they are likely to be the top two seeds…The Eagles, who have not lost consecutive games all season, responded to a 2-1 setback in the latest edition of The Hockey Holy War by winning a pair of league games by a combined 12-0 score over Shaker and Holy Name…A four-goal effort against Holy Name was Jack Mansour’s fifth multiple-goal game of the season and gives him a team-leading 20 goals and 37 points. He has eight goals and 11 points over his last six games.

Shaker Heights has alternated wins and losses going back to their Jan. 9 win at Meadville (PA). That 3-3-0 stretch also includes wins over #10 Bowling Green and a big GLHL win over #8 University School while the three losses came at the hands of #3 St. Edward (2x) and #11 Findlay. The schedule does not let up for the Red Raiders. A big road test looms Saturday against a red-hot Gilmour Academy team which is ranked #4 in the state following an upset of #1 Saint Ignatius last weekend…As Tyler Lencewicz goes, so goes the Shaker offense. In the last four games that Lencewicz (32 goals) has been held without a point, the Red Raiders have been shut out.

The SOM Center Road rivalry between University School and Gilmour Academy has already added three chapters so far this season with a chance for two more. The scores so far have been 2-1 US, 2-1 GA and 3-1 GA. The Preppers and Lancers could meet a fourth time in the Cleveland Cup and are likely to be the top two seeds for the Kent District playoffs as well…University School has dropped four league games in a row but can improve their seeding for the Cleveland Cup with six GLHL points on the table this weekend with league games against Holy Name (2x) and Walsh Jesuit.

If Walsh Jesuit is going to manage to finish in the middle or top half of the league standings, they will have to make some hay this weekend in a tough three-in-three against St. Edward, Padua and University School…Ryan Kerscher figured in all three Warriors goals in a 3-2 win over Holy Name on January 22. He scored a shorthanded goal in the second period and added the game-winning goal with 6:26 to play in the third. He also collected an assist on Aidan Cook’s ice-breaking goal midway through the first period. He now has 15 points (7-8-15) in 21 games this season…Zach Firment made 11 saves against the Green Wave for his fourth win in his last five starts, lowering his season goals-against average to 2.42 in the process.