KENT: The Walsh Jesuit hockey team advanced to a sectional final with a 6-0 win over Chagrin Falls at the Kent State Ice Arena on Saturday afternoon.
The Warriors didn’t waste much time taking the lead. Senior center Ben Romanski, Walsh’s leading goal scorer, scored with 9:50 remaining in the first period off an assist from junior forward Chris Gaul.
Gaul finished with two assists.
Roughly three minutes later, the Warriors took advantage of a 5-on-3 power play with a goal from senior defenseman Nick Musgrave. Forwards Lucas Matson and Kevin Van Bokkelen assisted on the goal.
“Nick Musgrave is a senior and one of our captains. He’s done a heck of a job all year,” Walsh coach Pat McKendry said. “He has a great shot and he showed it today.”
With 4:35 remaining in the first period, Walsh junior forward Todd Lambert was sent to the penalty box for holding, giving Chagrin Falls an opportunity to cut into its deficit. But Walsh turned the tables, scoring short-handed on a breakaway goal by sophomore forward Jake Atkinson.
“When guys like Nick and Jake get hot it gets the rest of our guys going and we feed off of that,” McKendry said.
Walsh continued to ride Musgrave and Atkinson with two goals early in the second period.
Musgrave scored his second goal with 12:31 to go in the second period off assists from Romanski and Matson on a 4-on-3 power play. Atkinson added his second goal less than a minute later on a power play with assists by Gaul and senior defenseman Scott Young.
“Our seniors have done a great job,” McKendry said. “At this time of the year you rely on them to lead the way and that’s what they’ve done.”
Senior defenseman Evan Wohlabaugh added the final goal unassisted with 3:18 remaining in the second period.
Walsh Jesuit will face Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy, a 5-2 winner over Hudson, in a sectional final Friday at 8 p.m. at the Kent State Ice Arena.
“Next Friday is going to be a battle no matter who we face,” McKendry said before CVCA beat Hudson. “Even though we won, I thought we played kind of sloppy today so we’re going to work on that. At this time of the year wins are wins. We got our win and now it’s time to move on.”
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