OHIO CITY, OH - After a 1–2 weekend in Jamestown, New York, the Saint Ignatius Hockey Team returned to the John M. Coyne Recreational Center this past weekend for a two-game GOHL league play home stand. 

On Friday night, the Wildcats welcomed the St. John's Jesuit Titans, a team that finished last in the GOHL for two consecutive seasons. The Titans lost in the third round of the playoffs last year to Bowling Green High School, marking the first time a GOHL team had been eliminated from playoff contention.  

The Wildcats would dominate their victorious efforts in the game, winning by a final score of 9–0. Senior defenseman Ethan Liu collected two goals in the game, his first two career goals with the prep team. Senior goaltender Max Scrhoeder collected the shutout, the first of his young career. 

On Saturday, the Wildcats set their sights on the St. Francis De Sales Knights. The two teams share an extensive history. Over the past two seasons, the Wildcats have eliminated the Knights in the state semifinals. Despite a 6–5 regular-season loss this past year, the Wildcats responded with a 3–2 overtime victory in the state semifinal, capped by a game-winning goal from Nolan Ignacio '25. The Wildcats would later fall to Upper Arlington in the state final, 5–2. In 2024, the Wildcats defeated the Knights in two high-scoring affairs, with a 6–4 win in the regular season and a 6–4 win in the state semi-final. 

This year's meeting would yield a much different outcome for the Blue and Gold. Despite jumping out to a 1–0 lead only three minutes into the game after a Kyle Rucinski goal, St. Francis would storm back, scoring three unanswered goals on the way to a 3–1 final score. The Wildcats plagued themselves with penalties, allowing St. Francis to net a power-play goal that sparked their offense on its way to victory. The Wildcats concluded the weekend with a 1-1 record in GOHL league play, bringing their overall record to 8-6-0. 

Friday, December 19th, will be another big test for the Wildcats as they take on the 13-4-0 St. Edward Eagles. This will be the first meeting between the two teams, despite having nearly crossed paths in the Hoosier Cup in November. After a disappointing loss to Padua in last year's regional semi-final, the Eagles have been impressive to start this year, defeating the reigning state champions, Upper Arlington, 7-3, on November 29th. The Eagles also just wrapped up an impressive international tournament, going 5-1 in Ontario, Canada. The GOHL rivalry matchup is set to take place on Friday at 7 p.m. at the John M. Coyne Recreation Center in Brooklyn.