COLUMBUS, OH - For the ninth time in program history, the Saint Ignatius Hockey Wildcats were playing for a State Championship. The Wildcats were coming off a thrilling overtime 3-2 victory over Toledo St. Francis, the number-one ranked team in Ohio. Nolan Ignacio was the hero, scoring the game-winner 27 seconds into OT.
The OHSAA Division I State Championship featured Saint Ignatius and Columbus-based Upper Arlington. For the Golden Bears, this would be their first State Championship appearance after breaking through the semifinal with a 7-2 victory over Mentor the morning before.
Sunday would be the third meeting this season between the Wildcats and Bears. UA got the upper hand with a 2-1 OT win in December, but the Wildcats responded with a 2-1 win in the GOHL Championship in January.
The Wildcats and Bears were ready to go in the rubber match at Nationwide. Junior Mason Herndon started in the net for the Bears and played 44 minutes of near-perfect hockey, blocking 34 shots.
A couple of times in the first period, the Wildcats nailed the metal piping on the net, missing by inches of taking an early lead. The Bears would outshoot the Wildcats 9-7 in the first, but the game would remain scoreless after one.
UA would break the scoreless tie with 13:56 left in the second period when Tate Rook found Ben Spence to take a 1-0 lead on the Wildcats. The Wildcats would go on a Power Play with 10:30 in the second, the first penalty of the game, when the Bears had too many players on the ice. The two-minute minor would not hurt UA as they were able to kill the Wildcat advantage.
Heading into the final regulation period, the Wildcats were still in it, trailing by just a goal. But in the opening minutes of the final period, UA showcased their highly touted offense. The morning before against Mentor, the Bears would rattle off seven unanswered goals.
At the 13:51 point of the third period, Spence and Rook would assist a Connor Hagkull goal to make the score 2-0. Just over a minute later, Max Bloomfield assisted a Jason Davis goal, and the Bears had a 3-0 advantage.
The Bears would add two more goals: unassisted goals from Spence and Davis, their second of the game. With seven minutes to play, the score would be 5-0.
With 1:01 remaining, the Wildcats would get on the board as Ignacio assisted a Nick Miller goal. About 20 seconds later, Sam Elwell would find the back of the net to make it 5-2 with 39 seconds left to play. Elwell would finish his varsity career with 99 points.
After a timeout from the Wildcats, they would have a couple more chances at a goal, but Herndon got the job done as time expired. For UA, it would be the program's first State Championship. It would be the Wildcats' first loss in the State Championship game.
The Wildcats finished the season with a 28-10-0 record and a 14th trip to the Frozen Four. They were also the GOHL season and tournament champions. It was another March to remember for the Wildcats, although they fell short in the State Championship.
The Ice Cats had tremendous careers from Nolan Ignacio, Sam Elwell, Dominic Filizetti, Gino Piazza, Adam Ruyf, Otto Bafus, and Jack Wood. Sean Gerba and Sam Glass were the seniors who broadcasted Wildcat Hockey on the SIBN. Senior photographers included Peter FitzGerald and Ryan Pick.
The Wildcats will be focused on winning a ninth state championship heading into the 2025-26 Hockey season.
Gallery: (3-12-2025) Saint Ignatius vs. St. Francis (Semis)
