HUDSON, OH - Saint Ignatius made a fierce push against one of Northeast Ohio's top-ranked programs Wednesday night, but the Explorers held off the Wildcats for a 13-11 win in Hudson. The decisive stretch came before halftime, when the Wildcats fell into an 8-4 hole, then spent the rest of the night charging back before running out of time.
That comeback effort gave Wildcat fans plenty to cheer about. Saint Ignatius outscored Hudson 7-5 in the second half and kept pressure on throughout the final two quarters, turning what could have been a comfortable home win into a tense battle to the end. For a Wildcats team facing another excellent opponent, the response after halftime showed both resilience and confidence.
Michael McManamon led the Saint Ignatius offense with four goals and two assists for six points, helping drive much of the rally.
Colin Roubic added two goals,
Will French finished with two goals, and
Peyton Larue chipped in two goals. The Wildcats produced 11 goals on 36 shots and totaled five assists and 16 points, with McManamon firing 14 shots to keep Hudson's defense under steady pressure.
Saint Ignatius also found important edges in the possession game. The Wildcats collected 25 ground balls, won 15-of-26 faceoffs for a 58 W%, and forced five turnovers. Those numbers helped fuel the second-half surge and gave the visitors repeated chances to erase the early deficit. Even with 12 turnovers and six penalty minutes, the Wildcats stayed within striking distance and continued to battle for extra possessions.
In goal,
Brennan Reilly and
Callaway Connelly combined for five saves while facing 17 shots on goal. The Wildcats defense kept working, and the team's push after halftime reflected the kind of fight Saint Ignatius supporters expect in a high-level game like this one.
Though the comeback came up just short, the Wildcats showed they could trade punches with another premier program. Down four at the break, Saint Ignatius answered with a seven-goal second half and made Hudson earn every bit of the final margin, a strong sign of the competitiveness and belief this varsity group carries into the next stretch of the season.
The Wildcats will host the Milford Eagles on Saturday, April 18, at 1 p.m. from Krenzler Field on the campus of Cleveland State University. The SIBN will have live coverage.
