2024 Cleveland Cup Preview/Award Winners
Top seed US Looks to Defend GLHL Title
The post-season for high school hockey is underway with league tournaments including the 11th annual Cleveland Cup for the champion of the Great Lakes Hockey League.
Last year's finalists, University School and Gilmour Academy, have been in the top two positions in the standings wire-to-wire and both earn byes in the six-team field.
It was looking like the Sunday matchup between Shaker Heights and Padua Franciscan was going to be for third place, but Shaker’s 2-1 win over Gilmour Academy gave the Red Raiders a three-point cushion in the standings. It turns out they needed it, as Padua won Sunday’s game, 3-1, but still finished a point behind.
As a result, the quarterfinal round will see Shaker (5-4-1 in league play) face Holy Name (0-10-0) while Padua (4-4-2) goes up against Walsh Jesuit (2-7-1).
In their most recent meeting, the Bruins and Warriors played to a 2-2 tie so this should be a good one. The winner will advance to play top-seeded University School (10-0-0) on Friday while the Shaker/Holy Name winner will take on Gilmour (7-3-0) in the other semi.
University School won the Cleveland Cup for the first time last year, defeating Gilmour Academy in a 3-2 classic.
RECENT RESULTS
FRIDAY, FEB. 2
University School 3, Walsh Jesuit *
Gilmour Academy 7, Holy Name *
SATURDAY, FEB. 3
Shaker Heights 2, Gilmour Academy 1 *
Walsh Jesuit 7, Holy Name 1 *
University School 3, Padua Franciscan 0 *
SUNDAY, FEB. 4
Padua Franciscan 3, Shaker Heights 1 *
University School 3, Gilmour Academy 1 *
2024 CLEVELAND CUP
QUARTERFINALS
Tuesday, February 6
Padua Franciscan 2, Walsh Jesuit 1 (3OT)
Shaker Heights 2, Holy Name 0
SEMIFINALS
Friday, Feb. 9
1 University School vs. 4 Padua Franciscan, 6pm
2 Gilmour Academy vs. 3 Shaker Heights, 8pm
CHAMPIONSHIP
Saturday, Feb. 10, 7pm
All games will be played at Brunswick Auto Mart Arena
GLHL FIRST TEAM ALL-STARS
| POSITION | PLAYER | SCHOOL |
|---|---|---|
| Forward | Sam Wade (Sr) | University School |
| Forward | Dominick Calleri (Sr) | Walsh Jesuit |
| Forward | Will Brokaw (Sr) | Shaker Heights |
| Defense | Yuri Bellina (Sr) | Padua Franciscan |
| Defense | Ryder Beegun (Jr) | University School |
| Goaltender | Noah Caballero (Sr) | University School |
GLHL SECOND TEAM ALL-STARS
| POSITION | PLAYER | SCHOOL |
|---|---|---|
| Forward | Colton Fairchild (Sr) | Gilmour Academy |
| Forward | Luke Palmer (Sr) | University School |
| Forward | Sammy Gerber (Sr) | Shaker Heights |
| Defense | Carson Bowden (Sr) | Gilmour Academy |
| Defense | Quintin Garnett (Sr) | Shaker Heights |
| Goaltender | Emily Sefchik (Fr) | Holy Name |
Great Lakes Hockey League MVP
Sam Wade
Senior Forward
University School
Great Lakes Hockey League Coach of the Year
Andy Gerow
University School
Great Lakes Hockey League Scholar Athletes
| SCHOOL | PLAYER |
|---|---|
| Gilmour Academy | Sebastian Fitzgerald |
| Holy Name | Tommy Cardenas |
| Padua Franciscan | Luke Jordan |
| Shaker Heights | Jonathan Kallergis |
| University School | Anthony Messina |
| Walsh Jesuit | Dominick Calleri |
ALL-TIME CLEVELAND CUP WINNERS
| YEAR | WINNER | RUNNER-UP | FINAL SCORE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | University School | Gilmour Academy | 2-1 |
| 2022 | St. Edward | Gilmour Academy | 3-2 (OT) |
| 2021 | St. Edward | Gilmour Academy | 3-2 (SO) |
| 2020 | Gilmour Academy | St. Edward | 3-1 |
| 2019 | Holy Name | University School | 2-1 |
| 2018 | Gilmour Academy | University School | 3-2 |
| 2017 | Saint Ignatius | St. Edward | 5-2 |
| 2016 | Saint Ignatius | University School | 5-3 |
| 2015 | Saint Ignatius | University School | 5-0 |
| 2014 | Saint Ignatius | University School | 4-2 |
GLHL TEAM NOTES
GILMOUR ACADEMY – When Gilmour Academy takes the ice for its semifinal game at 8:00 pm on Friday the Lancers will be attempting to make it to the Cleveland Cup championship game for the fifth year in a row and sixth time in seven years. Gilmour, which won the league tournament in 2018 and 2020, lost to rival University School, 2-1, in last year’s championship game...GA lost it's last two games of the regular season. It was the first time dropping back-to-back games for the Lancers since a six-game losing streak that included the first three games of the Cornfield Cup December 8-9.
HOLY NAME – It has been a rebuilding year for Holy Name, but the Green Wave can make their season with a post-season win, either tonight against Shaker Heights in the Cleveland Cup, or in the Brooklyn Regional Tournament next week...The Namers won the Cleveland Cup championship in 2019 with a 2-1 win over University School.
PADUA FRANCISCAN – Padua had to settle for a fourth-place finish in the league, but ended the regular season on a high note, defeating Shaker Heights 3-1 in their finale on Sunday. The Bruins have had some close games with quarterfinal opponent Walsh Jesuit but took three of four points in league play and also topped the Warriors, 3-2, on December 9 in a non-league game…Josh Kustra stopped all 29 shots he faced in a 2-0 win over Walsh on January 5...The Bruins are seeking their first appearance in the Cleveland Cup championship game.
SHAKER HEIGHTS – Shaker Heights’s 2-1 win over Gilmour Academy on Saturday not only clinched a third-place finish regardless of Sunday’s result against Padua, it gives the Red Raiders a boost of confidence knocking off one of the top two teams in the league going into post-season play. It could not come at a better time with a possible re-match with Gilmour on the horizon. With a win over Holy Name in Tuesday's quarterfinal, the Red Raiders would go up against the Lancers again this Friday with a berth in the Cleveland Cup championship game on the line.
UNIVERSITY SCHOOL – University School enters the Cleveland Cup as the GLHL regular season champion, going undefeated in league play, but also as the defending tournament champion. The Preppers won their first Cleveland Cup with a 2-1 win over Gilmour a year ago…The Preppers played in the Cleveland Cup championship game in five of the first six years of the GLHL, finishing as the runner-up each time, but broke through last year, and with their 29-3-0 record and #2 rank in the state they definitely have their eyes on a repeat.
WALSH JESUIT – Records get thrown out the window in single-elimination playoffs and Walsh Jesuit broke an 11-game winless streak (0-10-1) with a 7-1 win over Holy Name on Sunday, giving them a taste of victory as they head into the post-season. Walsh will take on Padua in the early game Tuesday (6:00pm) playing for a chance to advance and take on top-seed US on Friday…The Warriors were 0-2-1 against the Bruins during the regular season, but all three of the three games were competitive contests, so Tuesday's playoff game is definitely up for grabs.
