University School claims 2023 Cleveland Cup
Preppers are Great Lakes champions for first time
STRONGSVILLE, OH --- Noah Caballero stopped 25 of 27 shots and Mark Fillippeli provided the game-winning goal as University School defeated Gilmour Academy, 3-2, to win the Great Lakes Hockey League’s Cleveland Cup championship for the first time in school history.
University School played a scrappy game throughout, doggedly pursuing puck carriers, getting to loose pucks first and keeping pucks in at the GA blue line and out at theirs.
Caballero stopped all 10 shots he faced in the third period as Gilmour started generating more scoring chances and pressed for the tying goal.
The game got more physical and chippy in the final frame, but the referees let them play for the most part. With 6:01 to go it looked like there was going to be matching roughing calls, but GA was given the extra two minutes. US was unable to convert on the power play, but it cost Gilmour some time in their comeback attempt.
Rocco Hice and Matthew Bauman both put pucks on net off individual rushes in the final minutes, but Caballero made the saves and didn’t allow any rebounds.
University School was trying for their first Cleveland Cup championship after losing in the Final five times previously.
Carson Barlow’s shot through traffic from the left point was tipped by T.J. Lavelle and broke the ice, giving University school a 1-0 lead 3:59 into the contest. Gavin Jones also provided an assist on the play.
Samonte Martin doubled the lead at 6:45 with a wrist shot to the short side from the left circle off a setup from Will Genovese.
With 1:08 left in the opening frame, Gilmour's Luke Radke went hard to the net and stuffed a loose puck home from the right post to give GA some life, but University School went on the power play right after that and only a big stop by Evan Underwood (24 saves) with :25 to go kept the Lancers within a goal at the first intermission.
The Preppers started the second period with a man advantage and a fresh sheet of ice. They controlled the puck in the Gilmour end but were unable to generate any grade A chances.
About three minutes into the period Gilmour was hemmed in their end for an extended period and, despite getting the puck out over the blue line a few times, was unable to get any fresh legs on the ice with the long change. A sloppy line change followed, and US had a 3-on-1 but was unable to connect on a pass.
At 6:39, Mark Fillippeli notched his fifth goal of the season, wristing a shot low stick side from the slot to restore University School’s two-goal lead. Defense partners Michael Matthews and Ryder Beegun picked up assists on the play.
With Gilmour Academy on the power play, Matthew Bauman fired a long, low wrister from the point that snuck through the pads of Caballero at 11:41. Radke and Colton Fairchild collected the assists.
The Preppers head into the regional playoffs next week as the #1 seed in the Kent Region.
--- Scott Harrington for Ohio Hockey Digest
TJ Lavelle credited with the goal as @MaroonBlackPuck breaks the ice 3:59 into the @GLHL1 Cleveland Cup final against SOM Center Road rivals @GALancerAD. Carson Barlow with the shot from the point. pic.twitter.com/D4pRSTOwVE
— Ohio Hockey Digest (@hockey_ohio) February 12, 2023
Nice tic-tac-toe passing by @MaroonBlackPuck on the PP but @GALancerAD’s Evan Underwood with the big stop. 2-1 US after one period in the @GLHL1 Cleveland Cup championship game. pic.twitter.com/ousfA0CfQF
— Ohio Hockey Digest (@hockey_ohio) February 12, 2023
Luke Radke goes hard to the net and cleans up the garbage to get @GALancerAD on the board. Bauman and Malinas with the assists. @MaroonBlackPuck still up 2-1 and GA takes a penalty right after so Preppers going on the power play. @GLHL1 pic.twitter.com/A5ogrLgJNZ
— Ohio Hockey Digest (@hockey_ohio) February 12, 2023
