De Smet Nets Impressive Tie Against SLUH, Must Wait To Win Back Catholic Cup

As much as it might have been deserved, and as much as the two fanbases wanted it to happen, there would be no fancy nor heroic trophy ceremonies Friday night, when the and Saint Louis University High hockey teams met at the Queeny Park Ice Rink to battle for the Catholic Cup.

The SLUH Jr. Billikens, one of the top-rated teams in the Mid-States Hockey Association this season, won the Cup away from then-defending state champion De Smet by beating the Spartans five times last season.

This season, the still very young Spartans were hoping to bring the Catholic Cup back to Creve Coeur.

Unfortunately, despite a brilliant effort, led by goalkeeper Evan Amann’s incredible 30-for-31 shots saved night in net, De Smet could only muster one goal itself against SLUH, and had to settle for a 1-1 tie.

Nearly 500 loud and raucous fans from both schools, and a rather boisterous group of parents from both sides as well, packed the Queeny Park Ice Rink late Friday night, and were treated to a sensational hockey game by two MCC rivals.

Neither team could score in the first period, as the Spartans and Jr. Bills spent most of the first 15 minutes feeling each other out.

But the action got hot enough to melt the ice early in the second, when De Smet junior Kevin Kohnen blasted his fifth goal of the season past SLUH’s Thomas Place to put the Spartans on the board.

Kohnen, got his chance to score two minutes into the second, thanks to a terrific feed from teammate Scott Russo, who passed up his own good scoring chance to find a wide-open Kohnen for the game’s opening goal.

SLUH had two quality chances to tie midway through the period, but were denied both times by Amann, who through a period and a half, seemed surely headed for his first shutout of the season, even though the Jr. Bills are a team that averages more than 4 1/2 goals a game.

And SLUH finally showed that scoring prowess late in the second period, when senior Daniel Warnecke broke in alone and flipped a shot past Amann, for his MCC-leading 21st goal of the year, which tied the Catholic Cup at one.

Then, with one second left in the second period, Warnecke almost gave the Jr. Bills the lead, with a point-blank blast after a loose rebound caromed his way.

But Amann somehow got a pad on it, and deflected the puck into the corner just as the horn sounded to end the period.

The third period was a back-and-forth battle, with both clubs coming just inches away from taking the lead.

SLUH’s Nicholas Walters had two chances to score in the final 15 minutes, but was denied both times – first on an Amann kick save and then later, on an incredible glove save with three players in his face blocking his view.

The best scoring chance of the third period though, probably belonged to De Smet freshman and leading scorer (10 goals this year) Jeff Makowski, who fired a blast that somehow didn’t deflect off anyone and was kicked clear by SLUH’s Place.

The stalemate finish was the second time in three meetings this season that the two clubs finished the night tied on the scoreboard.

SLUH won the teams’ first meeting this season, 4-0 back in November, which means the Jr. Bills’ 1-0-2 mark against De Smet will allow them to maintain ownership of the Catholic Cup until next season.

De Smet (7-8-4) has two more regular season games scheduled this season, before the state playoffs begin in February.

On Friday, the Spartans will play Vianney at Queeny Park at 9:30 p.m., then next Monday, January 23, De Smet will take on in the regular season finale, a 6:30 p.m. contest, also at Queeny Park.