The Gilmour Academy Lancers, meanwhile, have been preparing to defend their Cleveland Cup title.  The Lancers defeated the University School Preppers, 3-2 in overtime, to win the championship game of the league tournament last February when freshman forward Charlie Tuggey scored in the first minute of sudden-death.

“Winning the Cleveland Cup gave our program a big boost of confidence,” said Gilmour head coach John Malloy. “Going from last place to first was very exciting. Now the challenge will be to continue to perform at a high level.”

In addition to contending in the league again in 2018-19, Malloy wants his team to carry that momentum into the district tournament this time around.

“I do believe that winning the Cleveland Cup last year, but bowing out early in the state tournament, will help our returning players be more focused and work harder,” he said.  “I also think it will help them mentor our new players as to what it is to be a Lancer hockey player.”

University School played in their fourth Cleveland Cup Final in the last five years.  2010 US grad Andy Gerow has assumed the reigns of the Preppers program, replacing Andre Lacroix, who led US to four consecutive Kent District titles and state tournament appearances.

The GLHL operated as a seven-team circuit last season after the departure of Saint Ignatius.  With the addition of an eighth team, the league schedule will go back to 10 games.  Each member school will play three opponents twice and the other four just once.

GILMOUR ACADEMY > From four wins (4-31-0) in 2016-17 to 26 in 2017-18 (26-8-3).  Great Lakes Hockey League fans witnessed one of the greatest year-to-year turnarounds in recent memory.  The Lancers won 14 of their final 16 games and came through in overtime for two of their three wins in the Cleveland Cup.  Gilmour had never beaten University School before last year, compiling an 0-15-0 mark all-time, but they broke the spell with a 3-1 league win at home on January 19 and that had to help when they went to OT against the Preppers in the Cleveland Cup championship game.

HOLY NAME > The Green Wave of Holy Name are plenty familiar with the new kids on the block.  The Namers have played Shaker Heights at least twice a year for the past eight seasons.  They split with the Red Raiders in 2017-18, defeating them 6-2 at the Walsh Thanksgiving Tournament and falling 3-2 at the Cleveland Jesuit Classic.

LAKE CATHOLIC > Senior Cole Horvath scored a league-leading 29 goals (all games) and classmate Jacob Schmitt scored 18.  That means the duo accounted for 47 of Lake Catholic’s 93 goals last season—more than half.  Another pair of seniors—Patrick Kristo and Rob Kish—will be back between the pipes...Cougars head coach Justin Vance tried out for the Mentor Ice Breakers of the Federal Hockey League.  He was not on the Opening Night roster, but could see action during the season.

PADUA FRANCISCAN > Perry Cohagan ’89 returns to the Padua bench for his second season as the head coach of the Bruins.  All three of Padua wins last season came in overtime:  5-4 over Dublin Coffman December 2 at the Allgeyer Tournament in Columbus, 4-3 over Lake Catholic in a league game December 8 and 4-3 over North Olmsted in the Brooklyn District tournament.  Senior Justin Eles returns for his senior season after leading the Bruins in goals (12), assists (6) and  points (18) last season.

ST. EDWARD > In addition to the challenging Great Lakes League schedule, St. Edward will play in five different in-season tournaments, including the prestigious Padua Holiday Tournament, and two separate trips to Canada...The Eagles have made it to the Brooklyn District Final four years in a row, but have fallen to rival Saint Ignatius in the last three.

SHAKER HEIGHTS > The Red Raiders of Shaker Heights did not win the Baron Cup in their final shot at the Greater Cleveland High School Hockey League post-season tournament.  They came up short against Rocky River, 2-1, but they did win it in 2016 & 2017, and captured the title a total of 12 times including two runs of four in a row (1978-1981 and 1998-2001).  This year, for the first time since their first Baron Cup win in 1972, they will be competing for a different piece of hardware—the Cleveland Cup—in the league tournament.

UNIVERSITY SCHOOL > The new bench boss at University School, Andy Gerow ‘10, helped the Preppers win the 2009 state championship as a player before going on to play four seasons for the club team at Ohio State.  He is tasked with getting the team over the last step in the Cleveland Cup.  University School was been the runner-up in four of the first five tournaments.

WALSH JESUIT > A 5-0 win over Notre Dame Prep (MI) in their final game of a tournament in Grand Rapids, Michigan snapped a four-game winless streak for Walsh Jesuit on January 27.  Pat McKendry’s Warriors won seven of their final nine games from that point forward—That strong finish gave them 20 wins for the first time since 2012-13 and earned them a share of second place in the final league standings.  It also included a Cleveland Cup Quarterfinal win over Padua and three victories in the Kent District tournament that got them to the District Final against GLHL rival University School.  Their season came to and end at the hands of the Preppers for the second year in a row.  The team that eliminated them from district play in 2015 & 2016?  New league foe Shaker Heights.

University School (5 post-season wins)—Lost to Gilmour, 3-2 (OT), in Cleveland Cup Final; lost to Toledo St. Francis, 3-1, in state semifinal

Gilmour Academy (4 post-season wins)—Defeated US, 3-2 (OT) to win Cleveland Cup; lost to Mentor, 3-2, in Kent District Quarterfinals

St. Edward (4 post-season wins)—Lost to US, 3-0, in Cleveland Cup Semifinals; lost to Saint Ignatius, 3-0, in Brooklyn District Final

Shaker Heights (4 post-season wins)—Lost to Rocky River, 2-1, in Baron Cup Final; lost to US, 5-4, in Kent District Semifinal

Walsh Jesuit (4 post-season wins)—Lost to Gilmour, 3-0, in Cleveland Cup Semifinal; lost to US, 6-2, in Kent District Final

Holy Name (3 post-season wins)—Lost to St. Edward, 4-1, in Cleveland Cup Quarterfinals and 2-1 in Brooklyn District Semifinals

Lake Catholic (2 post-season wins)—Lost to Gilmour, 3-2 (OT) in Cleveland Cup Quarters; lost to Shaker, 4-1, in Kent District Semifinals

Padua Franciscan (1 post-season win)—Eliminated by Walsh Jesuit, 7-3, in Cleveland Cup Quarters; eliminated by Rocky River, 5-1, in second round of Brooklyn District