The Kenston Bombers started the Ohio High School Athletic Association District ice hockey tournament with a methodical 3-2 victory over a spirited Orange Lions team.…
The Kenston Bombers started the Ohio High School Athletic Association District ice hockey tournament with a methodical 3-2 victory over a spirited Orange Lions team.
The game began with the Bombers scoring three straight goals in what looked like a blowout.
Several of the Bombers admitted after the game they may have looked past the Lions, having twice beaten them during the season
So, the team took their collective feet off the gas pedal, allowing the Lions to creep back into the game with goals in both the second and third periods.
Kent Mack came up big on several occasions by making terrific saves to preserve the win.
The victory set up a matchup against the sixth-seeded Walsh Jesuit Warriors. The Bombers ice hockey team played Walsh Jesuit in a tight battle, losing 5-3 in the second round of the Northeast Ohio District tournament.
The Warriors jumped out to a 3-0 lead, but the Bombers responded with three unanswered goals to tie the game late in the second period. All three goals came on the Bomber’s power play. The first two when they enjoyed a two-man advantage.
Alex Petre, a Bombers’ captain, started the comeback started by rifling a wrist shot from the left slot past the slick side of Walsh’s goalie — Jamie Studer.
Jack Javorsky’s slap shot a few minutes later made it a one goal game, and the Bombers were right back in the game.
The Bombers eventually succumbed to a Walsh Jesuit team that sports ten seniors, but not without a scare.
After the game, a number of the Walsh Jesuit players expressed how impressed they were with Kenston’s talent and how they played the game that night.
Several members of the Bombers’ ice hockey team received recognition for their accomplishments.
Petre, Javorsky, Sam Johnson, Jason Kantra and Ryan Herpy were all recognized as All-Division players in the tough Red South Division of the Great Lakes Hockey League.
The Kenston Bombers team won the Red South Division crown with a 9-1 record and added another banner to the school’s legacy Feb. 25.
Some are speculating the Kenston Bombers will move into the elite Red North Division, but that is not yet set in stone.
Although the Bombers will lose Petre to graduation, along with assistant captain Danny Isakoff — and Ryan Jeffers, the teams’ most physical player — there is plenty of talent on its way with nine Geauga Youth Hockey Association middle school players expected to fill the void.
There is a lot of promise, but a huge challenge awaits the Bombers; especially if the team is invited to play in the Red North Division.
Coach Tom Beard met with each junior, sophomore and freshman who are expected to play on next year’s team and set some aggressive goals for the players.
Kantra, who is recognized as one of the team’s best player, had a terrific season this year.
Kantra, Cooper Nash, Javorsky and Ryan Herpy are expected to assume a leadership role next year.
I spoke to some of the team’s devote fan base. I can tell you there are high expectations for next year’s team.
