Great Lakes Hockey League Weekly Vol. 6, No. 3
BIG OT WIN FOR NAMERS, LANCERS STILL ON TOP
It is still very early in the season—especially in a league where there was a five-team race that went down to the wire last year—and most of the Great Lakes Hockey League has only played 2-3 league games, but there was a big game at the top of the standings last Friday. The Holy Name Green Wave handed Gilmour Academy their first loss of the season to move within a single point of the first-place Lancers.
Niko Negron came through with the game-winning goal for Holy Name 2:09 into sudden-death overtime. The GLHL awards a point for an OT loss, so Gilmour remained a point ahead of the Namers.
Despite that setback, Gilmour remained without a loss in regulation time this season (7-0-2) and, more importantly, still at the top of the GLHL standings. The Lancers will head to Indiana this weekend to compete in the Cornfield Cup tournament at Culver Academy.
The Green Wave, meanwhile, will be at the Father McNamara Tournament in Niagara Falls, ON this week along with St. Edward.
Lake Catholic will also be in a tournament this week, but the Cougars will stay local, heading to the Benedictine Tournament in Cleveland Heights. First, however, is a league tilt against Padua Franciscan at Mentor Civic Arena Wednesday night.
The newest member of the league, Shaker Heights, is also one of the hottest right now. The Red Raiders are 4-0-1 in their last five games, including league wins over Lake Catholic (2-1) and Walsh Jesuit (5-1) last week.
University School heads to “The Bart” to try to cool Shaker off Friday night. It will be the first meeting between the two traditional hockey powers as GLHL rivals. The Preppers and Red Raiders have a long history, however, from the old Red North Division of the GCHSHL, and they have met in the Kent District playoffs five times since 2009, including last year’s 5-4 US win in a district semifinal game.
“This will be our first time playing Shaker at Thornton Park since 2013,” said first-year US head coach Andrew Gerow. “We all know what type of atmosphere this game has brought in the past and will be a tough test on Friday.”
Walsh Jesuit will visit Padua at OBM Friday, then host a team from Wheeling Park, WV for a non-league tile on Saturday.
GREAT LAKES HOCKEY LEAGUE—TEAM NOTES
GILMOUR ACADEMY > Gilmour Academy senior defenseman Eamonn Mulkern was singled out as a “Player to Watch” by Chris Lillstrung of the News-Herald. “Eamonn’s off season in the weight room has helped lift his game to the next level,” said GA head coach John Malloy. “His confidence is contagious and he is still getting better each practice and game. He wears a captain letter because he leads at both ends of the ice, on the bench, in the locker room and in school.”
HOLY NAME > The big overtime win over Gilmour last Friday put the Holy Name Green Wave in second place in the league standings a single point behind the Lancers...Junior F Brennan Dickey leads the league in goals (8) and points (15) and senior G Ross Conforto has won four of six starts with a 1.34 goals-against average and .934 save percentage...Holy Name heads to Niagara Falls, ON for the Father McNamara Tournament which begins on Thursday. “The Niagara Falls tournament is always a good one for us as a hockey team on the ice but also off the ice,” said Green Wave head coach Tim Sullivan. “We have gone to the tournament for the past six years. We've done some good team bonding this year and I think this trip will add to that as well.”
LAKE CATHOLIC > Senior forwards Cole Horvath and Jacob Schmitt were both named to The News-Herald’s Players to Watch List. “Both Horvath and Schmitt make us go offensively,” said Lake Catholic head coach Justin Vance. “They’re two completely different types of player but they compliment each other very well and think the game at a high level. Schmitt has a non-stop motor and is usually the fastest guy on the Ice every night. Cole has an unbelievable shot and is a threat to score from anywhere inside of offensive zone.” Horvath suffered a knee injury November 28 against Padua and will be on the shelf for the next few weeks.
PADUA FRANCISCAN > Friday will be the Home Opener for Padua Franciscan as they host Walsh Jesuit at OBM Arena in Strongsville...Last year's team scoring leader F Justin Eles is again leading the team, having figured in five of Padua’s 11 goals, scoring three and assisting on two others...senior G R. J. Schuette has played every minute in the Bruins crease this season.
ST. EDWARD > Gilmour Academy handed St. Edward consecutive losses—in overtime in the championship game of the Cold Turkey Shootout and then six days later in a GLHL league game. The Eagles are 0-4-1 in their last five games against GA...Four of the top five scorers for St. Edward are sophomores.
SHAKER HEIGHTS > Shaker Heights has only allowed five goals over a five-game undefeated run (4-0-1). A pair of young goaltenders, sophomore G Maxim Ehlers and freshman G Garrett Ritts have been essential to the Red Raider’s success. Ehlers has a 1.79 goals-against average and a .915 save percentage...Senior F Keenan O’Toole leads Shaker with five goals.
UNIVERSITY SCHOOL > Seniors D George Brinn and F Jack Henry Muha were both recognized on the News-Herald Players to Watch list...The Preppers will get some rest in advance of the Padua Holiday Tournament, playing a single game this week at Shaker Heights on Friday night…The Preppers’ 8-2 win over Bishop Fenwick (PA) on Saturday was the first career win for new US bench boss Andrew Gerow. “This program, as well as Bill Beard and that staff, did so much for me as a player that it is a honor to be back behind the bench and coaching these boys,” said Gerow. “Saturday was a special moment sharing my first win with this team and my coaching staff.”
WALSH JESUIT > The young Warriors of Walsh Jesuit have hit some bumps in the road early—something that is not unexpected with 12 freshmen and six sophomores on the roster...Walsh has scored a single goal in four of their last five games—all losses. Freshman G Zach Firment has looked good early on, stopping 80 of 88 shots through his first three starts, accounting for a 1-1-1 record with a 2.03 goals-against average and .909 save percentage.
GLHL PLAYER OF THE WEEK—DOMINIC CASAMATTA, GILMOUR ACADEMY
Gilmour Academy senior forward Dominic Casamatta scored three goals in three league games—including the game-winning tally in the Lancers wins over the University School Preppers (4-3) and St. Edward Eagles (3-1).
Casamatta put the puck in the net twice against US on Wednesday, including the game-winner with 5:48 left in the third period.
At Winterhurst on Saturday, Casamatta’s second period power play goal held up as the winner.
“Dominic has been one of our most consistent forwards this year,” said Gilmour head coach John Malloy. “He has brought energy and offensive creativity every game. But where he as stepped his game up this year has been defensively.”
Casamatta has eight points (5-3-8) in eight games played on the season. He is tied with fellow senior Charlie Valenti for the Gilmour team lead with five goals.
Last year, as a junior, he tallied 22 points (13-9-22) in 32 games played, helping the Lancers to the Cleveland Cup championship.
He had three points (1-2-3) in Gilmour’s opening-round win over Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin in the 2018 Kent District Tournament.
PREVIOUS WINNERS—Tanyon Bajzer (St. Edward), November 28
GLHL ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT—CHARLIE DENNER, LAKE CATHOLIC ‘15
Lake Catholic netminder Charlie Denner was one of the top players at his position in the first two seasons of the Great Lakes Hockey League.
Denner was named Second Team All-GLHL for the 2013-14 season after posting a 15-4-1 record with a 2.13 goals-against average and .930 save percentage. He posted two shutouts in league play.
After graduation from Lake Catholic in 2015, Denner went on to play college (ACHA) hockey, first at Bowling Green State University, and then for the Division I team at John Carroll for the past two seasons.
In two seasons with the Blue Streaks, Denner had a career record of 26-20-1. In 2016-17 he won 15 games with a 2.94 GAA and .911 SV%.
In 2017-18, Denner backstopped the Blue Streak’s run to the College Hockey Mid-America league championship, starting and winning all three tournament games and stopping 89 of 94 shots for a .947 save percentage.
For his efforts, he was named the MVP of the tournament.
