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St. Edwards Wins Cleveland Cup in Sudden Death

By Scott Harrington, 02/12/22, 10:30PM EST

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GLHL MVP Mansour’s goal gives Eagles back-to-back titles

OBM ARENA, STRONGSVILLE – The third time was the charm for Great Lakes Hockey League Most Valuable Player Jack Mansour of St. Edward. Robbed twice earlier in the game by the glove hand of Gilmour Academy goaltender Ian Anderson, Mansour broke in alone and put the puck high to the glove side past Anderson to give the Eagles the 2022 Cleveland Cup championship.

Mansour’s tally ended the game 4:38 into sudden death overtime and gave St. Edward a 3-2 win and back-to-back GLHL tournament championships.

It was the third straight year that the Eagles and Lancers met in the league title game.

The first period went by without any scoring, but it was everything you could ask for in a high school hockey game. The puck was skated and passed up and down the ice at a breakneck pace and then play was physical but clean. Neither side took a penalty and quality scoring chances were hard to come by.

Shots were 7-6 St. Edward in the first 15 minutes.

In contrast to a scoreless first period, each team got on the scoreboard in the first :48 of the second frame. Just 35 seconds in, St. Edward defenseman Hayden Payne fired a slap shot from the blue line that beat Anderson low to the stick side.

It only took 13 seconds for Gilmour to respond. Aidan Priestley picked up a loose puck 10 feet in front of the Eagles net and quickly placed a wrist shot between Ethan Payne’s right arm and his body. Payne made 25 saves in the game.

It was just Priestley’s third goal of the season, but he now has 10 points (2-8-10) in his last six games.

At the 7:18 mark, Gilmour’s Rocco Hice lifted the stick of a St. Edward defenseman to prevent him from clearing the puck cleanly, collected it on the left side boards and wired the puck under the bar from a severe angle to give the Lancers their first lead of the game.

With GA’s Connor Underwood off for interference – the first penalty of the game almost 25 minutes in – Mansour cut to the net and put the puck up under the bar. Mansour and St. Edward thought it was in the net. They were not alone, but the officials did not signal goal.

About two minutes later, Mansour generated almost the exact same scoring opportunity, but Anderson denied him, then followed that up with a snappy glove save on a Danny Enovitch shot from the point.

Anderson made 18 saves through two periods, and finished the game with 30 saves, but he was not able to prevent Ryan Schmitt from banging home the rebound of an Atticus Durst shot with 2:29 remaining in the period to tie the game at two.

The back-and-forth but scoreless play returned in the third period. A high stick by Gilmour’s Andrew Knaak with 4:09 to go put the Eagles on the power play but they were unable to convert.

Gilmour head coach John Malloy took his timeout with a faceoff in the St. Edward end and 1:19 left on the clock.

With under a minute to go, Mansour snuck behind the Lancer defense and skated in alone on Anderson. The ensuing glove save sent the Gilmour bench and their supporters in the crowd into a frenzy. The skaters on the ice mobbed their goaltender.   

Both teams now turn their attention to the state playoffs. Gilmour is the top seed for the upcoming Kent District tournament. St. Edward is seeded #2 in the Brooklyn District.

 

--- Scott Harrington for Ohio Hockey Digest