GILMOUR ADACEMY – The state title defense begins for head coach John Malloy and the Gilmour Academy Lancers, who claimed their first OHSAA title ever with a 2-1 overtime win over Toledo St. Francis last spring. Things started out a little sluggish, as Gilmour dropped their first two games, but any concerns over a “championship hangover” were quickly put to rest as GA rattled off five straight wins. The current five-game heater includes a 4-3 win over Shaker Heights in the GLHL league opener at Thornton Park and a 5-3 home victory over St. Francis in a re-match of last year’s state title tilt…Matthew Bauman, who scored the OT winner in the state title game, leads the Lancers in goals (6), assists (6, tied with Colton Fairchild) and points (12). The senior captain continued to have St. Francis’ number, scoring a hat trick and adding an assist in the re-match…Senior Evan Underwood has been in net for five of Gilmour’s first seven games, winning four and posting a 2.51 goals-against average.

PADUA FRANCISCAN – The Padua Bruins claimed the top spot in the Walsh Jesuit Thanksgiving Tournament for the second year in a row with a 6-3 win over the host Warriors in the title game. It was the second win over Walsh for the Bruins this year. Padua also defeated the Warriors, 3-0, in the season opener – a league game – on November 19. Senior goaltender Aidan Knox Has already notched three shutouts this season. In addition to the season opener, he also had a clean sheet against Medina (3-0) at the Thanksgiving Tournament and a 10-0 rout over New Albany at the Allgeyer Tournament in Columbus last weekend. For the season, he has turned aside 78 of 83 shots (.940) that we know about (some in-season tournament game sheets do not provide goalie stats).

SHAKER HEIGHTS – The Thornton Park Tournament begins this evening, Thursday December 8, with Shaker Heights hosting Strongsville. The in-season tournament is unique in that it is set up as an eight-team single-elimination bracket. The Red Raiders have a busy early-season schedule. By the time the TP Tournament wraps up on Sunday, Shaker will have played 12 games in 24 days beginning with their 3-1 loss to University School in their season opener. Appearances at the Padua Holiday Hockey Tournament and the Walsh Thanksgiving Tournament follow before the New Year…Junior defenseman Quintin Garnett was held off the scoresheet in the first two games of the season, but has collected a team-leading nine assists and 10 points in the seven games since. He kicked off that stretch by picking up assists on all four goals in a 4-1 win over Meadville at the Jamie Ruffner Memorial Tournament at Bowling Green on November 25…Cooper Mears was between the pipes for eight of the first nine games, putting together a solid a 2.64 goals-against average and .898 save percentage.

UNIVERSITY SCHOOL – University School opened the season with three straight wins and are 5-3-0 on the season. The Preppers lost their first two games at the National Scholastic Invitational in Jamestown, NY last weekend, but junior goalie Cooper Pettipiece stopped all 13 shots he faced to shut out St. Joseph’s (NY) before US headed back to Northeast Ohio. The Preppers have just one game on the docket this week – a GLHL contest against Padua at OBM Arena in Strongsville (7:00 p.m.)…University’s early season has been highlighted by balanced scoring and sharp goaltending…The US slate at the Padua Holiday Hockey Tournament (December 16-18 at OBM) includes games against three of the top teams in the Northwest Hockey Conference: St. John’s, St. Francis and Northview.

WALSH JESUIT – Walsh Jesuit may have suffered a pair of defeats at the hands of GLHL rival Padua, but nobody else has been able to beat the Warriors in the early going. Walsh won all five of its other games, including victories over the likes of Findlay and Bowling Green on a trip to the Northwest corner of Ohio last weekend. The team was rewarded with a Top 10 spot by MyHockeyRanking…Ryan Kerscher (5-8-13) and Josh Weiner (4-6-10) are off to strong starts, as is workhorse goaltender Tavian Parks, and Nathan Kuhns (2-5-7) is putting up a point-per-game from the blue line…Kerscher and Weiner are the top two scorers in the league heading into this weekend…Parks played every minute of the first six games and backstopped the Warriors to four wins. Josh Ellenberger posted a 29-save shutout in his first start, Sunday’s 4-0 road win at Bowling Green…Head coach Pete Calleri’s squad will take this week off before competing in the Padua Holiday Hockey Tournament for the first time December 16-18.

--- Scott Harrington for Ohio Hockey Digest