The Hilliard club hockey team has some work left to do after capturing its second state championship in three seasons.
By defeating Miami 6-3 on Sunday in the Buckeye Cup state final, the Wildcats (39-13-2) earned a spot in the club high school national tournament March 20-24 in West Chester, Pennsylvania.
Competing in its third consecutive state title game, third-seeded Hilliard used two goals from Andrew Masteller and one apiece from Taggart Braley, Dominic DelBoccio, Brady Gedman and Ethan Pate to double up No. 6 Miami at the Queen City Sportsplex in Cincinnati. Goalie Wesley Reichman had 19 saves as Hilliard finished 5-0 on the weekend.
Braley and Masteller attend Davidson, and DelBoccio, Pate and Reichman attend Darby. Gedman goes to Dublin Coffman.
“It was a very special weekend, especially for the seniors and their parents,” said coach David Cox, who is in his third season with the program and first as head coach. “After talking with the parents, they’re excited to get one more weekend (at nationals).”
Hilliard went 2-1 at nationals two years ago, finishing ninth of 16 teams after winning its first state title.
Sunday’s result made four-year player James Tarantine of Davidson a two-time state champion.
“It was a little bit different this season,” he said. “This year is obviously my senior year, so being able to be with the guys that I have played with all four years has been awesome. To be able to finish the season off so well with them has been great.
“Two years ago, it really didn’t set in how great the accomplishment was, and doing it this year again it was like, ‘we’re really doing this.’ We’re a really good team.”
Hilliard advanced to the final by beating top-seeded Dayton 6-4 in a semifinal earlier Sunday. The rivals split four games this season, with Hilliard losing 7-3 in the Blue Jackets Cup final – the championship game for the Ohio Scholastic Hockey League – on Feb. 11.
In the state semifinal, Adam Van Voorhis (Davidson) had three goals, Masteller scored two and goalie Michael Slivon (Davidson) made 34 saves.
“It was one game at a time,” Cox said. “Us and Dayton have a pretty big rivalry. … If it’s not Buckeye Cup, it’s CBJ Cup finals. There’s respect between the two teams.”
Hilliard and Dayton tied for first place in the OSHL (22 points, 11-1). Miami finished third (14, 7-5).
“Our league was much stronger than it’s been the past few years,” Cox said. “There was a lot more…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at "ice hockey" – Google News…