Ohio High School Hockey Rankings Jan 7 2013

There was a substantial amount of action over the weekend.  Still to come tonight is a tilt between Toledo St. Francis and Bowling Green.   St. Johns knocked off the Sylvania Wildcats, Olentangy Orange toppled Olentangy Liberty in the "Thrilla at the Chilla",  on the 4th Rocky River and Hudson play to a tie, then Rocky River Falls to Holy Name 4-3.  St. Ignatius Downs US 2-1.....So just where does that set the new stage?

Jan 7th 2013
1. Toledo St. Johns 8-0 in NW Ohio League hosting Sylvania Northview Jan 11th
2. Cleveland St. Ignatius  hosting Lake Catholic on the 12th and  at Shaker on the 26th
3. Walsh Jesuit - at Mentor on the 11th, and at Hudson on the 12th
4. Olentangy Orange -hosting Worthington on the 11th and at St. Charles on the 12th.  Time to move up to Red guys.
5. Sylvania Northview at Toledo St Johns Jan 11, hosting Findlay Jan 12
6. Rocky River- at Padua Jan 13th,  at Mentor Jan 25
7. Shaker Heights Big battle with St Ed's on Jan 11 then hosting Strongsville on the 13th
8 Olentangy Liberty- At Dublin Coffman Jan 11th then at Dublin Jerome Jan 12 to tough games.
* Holy Name is nearly cracked in here, on a three game win streak and ever so close. They play Padua on Jan 11 and Hudson on Jan 13.

History and how things are stacking up. 
2011-2012 Northview Wildcats Championship team 32-1-3 Goals For 167 Goals Against 49
2010-2011 Toledo St Francis Knights Championship Team 34-4-1 Goals For 208 Goals Against 82*
2009-2010 Cleveland St. Ignatius Championship Team 30-7-3  Goals For 157 Goals Against 68

Toledo St. Johns 19-5-0          Goals For 116 Goals against 39
Sylvania Northview 14-5-0    Goals For 97 Goals Against 39,
Cleveland St. Ignatius 13-6-3 Goals For 74 Goals Against 45
Shaker heights  13-4-0           Goals For 80 Goals Against 25
Olentangy Orange 14-5-0       Goals For 91 GOals Against 40
Olentangy Liberty 13+3-5       Goals For 93 Goals Against 37



Rankings  1-2-2013
1. Toledo St Johns averaging 5.27 GF/Game and 1.31 GA/game
2.Shaker Heights Consistency and no winning culture established are concerns
3. Rocky River 
4 Olentangy Liberty It is my firm belief that this will come down to a battle between Orange and Liberty
5. Sylvania Northview -every indication at this juncture that this years State Champion will again be from North West Ohio, in a battle between Toledo St Johns and Northview.  
6. Walsh Jesuit some key wins bump them up to crack in to the rankings by .023 .
7. St. Edwards
8. Olentangy Orange

Titans slay Wildcats

The 2010-2011 State Champion Northview Wildcats were slayed by the Titans.

The beheading took place at Tamoshanter and while in the early going it was dominated by the Wildcats.  Lots of pressure and good quality chances, but no one would finish.  Not even in a 5 on 3 situation.  The game eeked over to the Titans ever so steadily.  They wore on the Wildcats. Then on a PP the goals started coming.  Then with their heads laying softly upon the alter, the Titans beheaded the reigning district and state champion Wildcats with a commanding 4-0 win.

The Olentangy battle....round one

The the Thrilla at the Chilla,
The battle between leading Capital confrence favorites goes to my favorite and defending Confrence Champions.  Olentangy Orange won last night over the Olentangy Liberty.  It had to go to over time, because these teams are so evenly matched.  Final 2-1

Ohio High School Hockey Rankings

Starting off the 2013 year this is how the landscape is shaping up. 1-2-2013
our last ranking
Dec 19 2012

1. Sylvania Northview
2. Shaker Heights
3. Rocky River
4. Olentangy Liberty
5. St. Johns Jesuit
6. St. Edwards
7. Walsh
8. Olentangy Orange   





This week  1-2-2013
1. Toledo St Johns averaging 5.27 GF/Game and 1.31 GA/game
2.Shaker Heights Consistancy and no winning culture established are concerns
3. Rocky River 
4 Olentangy Liberty It is my firm belief that this will come down to a battle between Orange and Liberty
5. Sylvania Northview -every indication at this juncture that this years State Champion will again be from North West Ohio, in a battle between Toledo St Johns and Northview.  
6. Walsh Jesuit some key wins bump them up to crack in to the rankings by .023 .
7. St. Edwards
8. Olentangy Orange




Big Games
1-4-2013 Olentangy Orange and Olentangy Liberty * southern showdown
 1-5-2013 Northview and St. John* This season has the similar appearance to the St Francis 2010-2011 Title when the only team to up end the high octain St Francis Knights was Sylvania Northview.  Northview beat the Knights twice in Regular season play, but failed to seal the deal in districts.
1-5-2013 Holly Name and Rocky River
1-5-2013 St Ignatius and U. School
1-11-2013 Shaker and St Edwards* Does Shaker have what it takes to have the winning culture and consistency to make it to states?  A win over a rebuilding St. Eds is a good start, a loss and its not likely from this point forward in the season.
* denotes games with likely impact to State Picture

The arduous path

This is the path less taken, for it is the most arduous.  The rocky, slippery, steep path and there is no turning back.  You have but one of three out comes.  1. You quit.  2. The game is taken away from you.  3. You succeed.
The road to NCAA hockey is just that simple.  You leave your family, your life long friends and maybe your lover.  'Normal" life is on hold.  Your buddies will be at college parties, telling tales of chasing skirts, the poker game and job prospects.  You will be working out, putting in extra reps, trying to not grip your stick to tightly seeking that elusive point, or save, that catches the eye of the watchers. All the while knowing that today, this game, this shift is one of the last.  Your time is limited in this world.  YOU have an expiration date, and day of reckoning ahead. That dreaded day your phone has not rung and or you turn 21 and the game passes you by.
Your goal?  Having your phone ring and learning that you, have just been offered a place among one of 132 D1 & D3 NCAA teams.  One player of 3300.  A last man standing of sorts.  The last of the 1%ers.  You live by one rule.  You must to survive.  You must live in the moment.  Turn a deaf ear to the people who wonder and ask why, as it is to hard to repeatedly explain your dream, your ambition.  Moment to moment, no stopping, no time to look back, and no second chances.  The game of men is upon you.  Each striving for the same prize, and only a handful each season are asked to come play NCAA hockey.
more to come.......

Ohio High School Hockey Rankings

Ranking the Top 8 Ohio hockey teams.  The rankings are derived from a mathmatical formula which includes an X-factor.  (The X-factor is yet another formula that assigns values to the human poll's and yet another value to the previously calculated mathmatical polls.) The Y factor is where it gets interesting as yet anohter factor.  The Y (as in why is everyone a winner factor) is assigned and carries some of the more interesting weight, because as we all know under the current system, the District Champions are the teams that advance to States, which does not equate to the best teams in the state making States.  (I have said repeatedly that this needs to end, and is easily solved.  Each districts top four teams should advance to regional district play. Where by the team with the best record at the end of the season stays on to be the home host to one of each of the remaining teams from each of the other districts.  Thusly establishing a 16 team comprehensive play off.  allowing for the best 4 teams to qualify for the final 4.  Its not rocket science, it is fair as the top 16 teams all have a fair chance to make states at that point, but via playoffs only the top four advance).  The results of this mid season data are listed first followed by two of the individual mathematical poll examples are below. Expect some movement following this weekends events.
 Scouting Ohio High School Hockey Poll
1. Sylvania Northview
2. Shaker Heights
3. Rocky River
4. Olentangy Liberty
5. St. Johns Jesuit
6. St. Edwards
7. Walsh
8. Olentangy Orange     

  


Poll1
1. St Ignatius
2. St. Johns Jesuit
3. Sylvania Northview
4. Shaker Heights
5. University School
6. Gilmour Varsity
7. Olentangy Liberty
8. Hudson HS
9. St. Edwards
10. Walsh
11.   Rocky River
12. Olentangy orange
13. Lake Catholic
14. Dublin Jerome
15. Findlay
16. Dublin Coffman
17. Upper Arlington
18. St. Charles
19. Bowling Green
20. Bowling Green

Poll2

1,Saint Ignatius
  2,Toledo Saint Johns 
  3,Walsh Jesuit
  4,University School 
  5,Holy Name 
  6,Shaker Heights
  7,Findlay,OH      
  8,Saint Edward 
  9,Olentangy Liberty
 10,Rocky River
 11,Sylvania Northview      
 12,Lake Catholic 
 13,Gilmour Academy A
 14,Dublin Jerome
 15,Bowling Green     
 16,Springboro 
 17,Archbishop Moeller 
 18,Olentangy Orange
 19,Saint Charles
 20,Hudson

 Poll Two

The High School season is underway, sorry for the long delay

December 17th 2012

Well Ohio High School fans, the season is well underway at this point.  I apologize for the long delay-absence.   There have items of interest that run from hither to dither and all points in between.
I again start with the fact that Ohio HS needs to make the move to follow USA hockey rules and regulations.  Not just for the HS championships in USA hockey, but for the cohesiveness that comes with both High School Driven and Related activities being part of the Nations Hockey governing body.  Thus ending the ridiculous, and out right dangerous antics that can and do occur every year, in the pre-post seasons.

So lets dive in here.  Prepost
Once again we see at the 18u AA level  the Ohio clubs making some serious noise.  Team Ohio is quite impressive and looks to be the odds on favorite over Team Cleveland and last years Nationals runners up Sylvania Maple Leafs.  It is my beliefe that the Team Ohio group will likely make the National tourney this year over Sylvania.  That game however will be soome thing to be seen.  As it is those three teams, who harbor what amount to being some of the best players the state has had in recent memory.  The team that represents the great state of Ohio, will make its way to Hartford Connecticut.  Games being played April 3-7th.  The 16U groups will be in Troy Mi the same dates.


As we look over the current HS scene we are seeing the the Cleveland Reds play out more or less as I was predicting we would see last year.  The power seems to be in the hands of the Cleveland public's.  Shaker looks to be the potentially the best team in the state and best for the school.  at 3-2-0 in league play but has strugled a bit and has some consitancy issues.  What is alarming are losses to St Eds and St Ignatius.  This is giving me cause to believe that these teams nerves are likely to hold them back.  Now they do have time sort that out, but if they do not when it matters the experience of St. Eds and Ignatius will come in to serious play.  So if on 1-11 Shaker can upend Ed's as they are capable, and then repeat on 1-26 against Ignatius the table is set for them head down to the life sucking void known as Nation wide arena.  If not its the Wildcats.

IN the North East Rocky River seems to be and should run the table.  Winning how when they should except one drop to Walsh who is going to be right on their heels!

In the south I have seen some of the off beat schools play and its been a joy.  Many strides forward over the past few years and I just want to kudos to all the parents and sponsor who are supporting those areas youth programs and have been for so long.  Keep it up, it is making a big difference and I will predict that in the next few years some will be surprised by a shift should you retain those players for your Varsity squads.  I would like to Orange move up to the Red Division as it would really up the competition level for all parties.  That said I am at looking at Dublin Jerome emerging this season, but I like Orange.

In Northwest Ohio the conversation has been all Toledo St Johns.  Well the good conversations anyway.  Good reasons for that as well.  A great all-star cast of players, and I'll say the best team they have put in the ice in 4-5 years.  The problem I see is,  I feel they are under-performing.  They have another or two levels high they can play at, but seem to only bump into them and not remain constant.  Sylvania Northview after last seasons first State title was written off for dead.  They lost this, they lost that, they dont have a.  I've heard it all and Im discounting it all.  They have goaltending, they have D, they have goal scoring.  They have no "stud factor" no one guy that gets it done, but that damn yellow hair went in to their brains.  They have cohesiveness and each other.  This is a Northview TEAM.  I like what St. Johns has this year and fully see the potential.  I am however calling Northview to play for another State Title, so I figure that means they win the NW district too.

Stay tuned for past player updates and news ....

*  Updates
Connor Frey 93' D Team Toledo/Toledo St Francis 5'11" 180lbs NAHL Amarillo Bulls  22 games played, 3 Goals, 8 Assists, 11 Pts, +15, 23PIM

Patrick Spellacy 93' F, Team Cleveland-Cleveland St. Ignatius 6'3" 195lbs NAHL Kalamazoo K-Wings 26 games 5goals, 6 A, 11 pts,  +3, 2PIM

Matt Wurst 92' 5'11" 195 30 games, 2g, 6 A, 8pts,  -5, 14 PIM  NAHL Kalamazoo K-Wings

Nolan Culver 93 FWD 5'8" 160lbs Team Toledo/Sylvania Northview NAHL Kalamazoo K-wings to EJHL Bay State Breakers 8 games 0g, 0a, +7 4PIM

Dalton Carter 93' FWD 6' 190lbs Team Toledo, Sylvania U18, Sylvania Northview  NAHL Kalamazoo K-Wings to AJHL Norther Cyclones  18 games, 6 G, 4 A, 10pts, 24PIM

Ross Roberson 93 D 6'5" 235lbs Sylvania Northview AJHL Laconia Leafs  3 Games

Austin Gryca 94 G 5'9" 160lbs Team Toledo/ Sylvania Northview, MJHL Laconia Leafs
Games 18 Shots 571, Saves 507, GAA 3.56, Sv% .897

Nate Gay 94 6'4" 205lbs Sylvania u18, BGHS  NA3HL Toledo Cherokee 3 games, 88 shots, 78 saves, 10 goals against, GAA 3.33, SV%.876
Previous team MJHL Twin City NortherLights Games 8, 152 shots, 141 saves, GAA1.41, SV%.928

Ben Torchia 93'Fwd 5'10" 170lbs Team Toledo-Toledo St Francis, AJHL Laconia Leafs 13 games 1g 1A 2pts and 28PIM transfer to NA3HL Toledo Cherokee 7 games 3 G 4 A 7 PTS -2 28 PIM

Kyler Omey 94 D 5'10" 170lbs Sylvania u18, Sylvania Northview 27 games 2 G, 6 A, 8 pts, +4, 22PIM

Layne Martin 93 5'11" 165lbs FWD, Team Toledo, Findlay HS- From MJHL Dells Ducks 6 Games 3g 3A 6pts  2pim transfer to NAHL Soo 7games, 1 g 1A 2 PTS

Nathan Opblinger 93 FWD 6' 185lbs GOJHL Leamington 18games, 9g, 10A 19pts, 8PIM

Austyn Roudebusch 93' G 6'2" 180 lbs Team Toledo- Whitmer HS, GOJHL Leamington 14games 341 shots, 303 saves Save %.886

Jacob Green 94' D 6'1" 165lbs  Olentangy Orange HS, NA3HL Cleveland games 20 0G, 2A 2pts +1 8PIM
Josh Eubank 94' FWD 6'4" 205lbs Sylvania U18 to Wooster MnJHL 31 games 17 goals 20 a 37pts