COLUMBUS, OH - After
Kyle Rucinski tucked a puck past Dublin Jerome's John Michael Beuselinck in triple overtime of the state semifinal, the Wildcats earned their spot in their second consecutive State Title game. Already waiting for them in the final were the Gilmour Academy Lancers, a team that had cruised to a 4–0 win in their semifinal matchup over Sylvania Northview. The Lancer top line of Zach Cox, Teddy Frizzie, and Ben Slifko accounted for all four Lancer goals. The line had tallied a combined 245 points through that point of the season.
The Lancers had just one blemish on their 35-1 record to that point. The lone loss came back on December 23rd, 2025, when the Wildcats defeated the Lancers 5-2 on their own ice. Gilmour got their revenge just two and a half weeks later in the GOHL cup final when Gilmour claimed their first Ohio cup in a 3–1 victory over Saint Ignatius.
Nationwide Arena got a jolt of energy just a minute and 16 seconds into the championship game, when sophomore forward Levi Galluci unloaded a wrist shot from the slot past Gilmour Academy's Donato Lacurci to give the Wildcats a 1–0 lead.
Just over six minutes later, Gilmour would net an equalizer when leading goal scorer Teddy Frizzie fired the puck past
Blake Benedictis as momentum balanced out for both squads.
Nearing the end of the first period, it seemed as if the game would be tied heading into intermission until Johnathan Primiano gave the Lancers the lead on a shot through traffic that found the back of the net with just eight seconds remaining in the period.
Fifteen minutes went by in the second period without a goal until the 2:11 mark when Gilmour added to their lead off a faceoff play that resulted in a top corner snipe from Alex Lazuka to make the game 3–1.
With only 17 minutes left in regulation, the Wildcats were faced with a two-goal deficit, trying to avoid a State Championship loss for the second consecutive season. At 12:29 of the third period, Gilmour's Ben Silfko took a two-minute hooking minor. Just 17 seconds into the power play,
Aiden White buried a rebound sitting loose in the goal crease to make it a one-goal game.
However, just 28 seconds later, Ben Slifko made a nifty forehand backhand move on a breakaway to give Gilmour a two-goal lead, sucking the momentum out of the Wildcats.
With two and a half minutes left in the game, fresh out of a timeout, Saint Ignatius pulled their goaltender for an extra attacker, but with 2:12 remaining, Gilmour sprang a 2-on-1 rush with an empty net, and Frizzie put the cherry on top of Gilmour's historic season with a 5–2 State Championship win, their first since 2022.
When asked about the loss, Junior goaltender
Blake Benedictis expressed gratitude for the senior class. "They're all fighters, you know. They're great people, and I'm just glad I got to spend a year with them." He emphasized that the bond in the locker room made the season meaningful, even with the outcome. "At the end of the day, we're all brothers." Benedictis made 31 saves in the losing effort. The Lancer outshot the Cats 36–34.
The Wildcats ended the year with a 25–12–2 record. Along the way, they claimed their fourth straight Brooklyn Regional Title, finished runner-up in the GOHL, and ultimately finished as state runners-up.
Authors Note
Covering the Saint Ignatius Hockey Team for the past four years has been a dream come true and an absolute privilege. Not a day went by that I wasn't proud to be the voice of the Hockey Cats. I will hold on to the memories and interactions not just with the team, but also with the amazing parents and supporters of this incredible program. Thank you to everyone who tuned in over the years, and thank you for making me feel like a part of the team. And, of course, thank you to my amazing broadcast partners. You all have made me a better person, and I am forever grateful. Until next time, So long, Goodnight, and Go Cats!
