The Northview Wildcat hockey team captured its first league title in 19 years with 2 victories this past weekend. Needing at least 3 points against Southview and Bowling Green to clinch the title, the Cats rolled to impressive 7-1 and 6-1 victories. The victories moved the Cats overall record to 25-3-1 and ran their league record to 8-0. Northview will finish off the regular season this coming weekend with games versus Findlay on Friday and St. Francis on Sunday at Tam-O-Shanter. They will look to cap their first undefeated league season ever and move into the state playoffs.
On Saturday the Cats squared off against cross town rival Southview with a chance to not only pick up 2 all important points for the league chase, but also capture the Mayors Cup. The game also marked for the first time all season that the Cats would play with a full squad. Brandon Snead returned to the lineup after an injury and he and his line mates Brent Bain and Cody Bourland would make the most of their reunion. On the ice for four of the 5 first period goals they helped the Cats jump all over the Cougars. Bain Would open the scoring with his first career goal in just his second game of the season. You could see the joy in his face as he was smiling like the butchers dog on his way past the bench. Brandon Snead would follow with a goal on the same shift to extend the lead to 2-0. After a break on the bench in which they watched Senior Alden Hirschfeld score, they were back at it with Bourland scoring and Bain setting up Nic Saenz for a goal to push the lead to 5-0 at the break. The Cougars settled down in the second as they traded a goal with Bourland to make it 6-1 after 2. Tim Hurst would finish off the scoring deflecting home a pretty pass from Adam Thanasiu to give Northview the 7-1 victory. Bobby McElheney earned the victory in perhaps his last battle against the Cougars and his good friend Trevor Fournier.
Sunday the Cats traveled to B.G. with a chance to wrap up the league title. After an emotional week and senior day festivities for B.G. the Wildcats knew they would face a strong test from the Bobcat Icers. Matt Cook took it upon himself to make sure the Cats would have no part in a B.G. upset. He took a nice regroup pass from Thanasiu and Tyler Puhl just 13 seconds in to beat Bowling Green goalie Ryan Thayer. Erik Lavoy was rewarded for his hard work scoring to make it 2-0 after a period of play. Hirschfeld would pick a pair of goals in the second period along with another from Lavoy to make it 5-0 after 2 periods of play. B.G. would get on the board in the third to close within 4, but Hirschfeld’s highlight reel goal would finish off the Bobcats and clinch the league title 6-1. Craig Trego did what few Northview goalies have ever done when he picked up his second win of the season against Bowling Green.
Afterwards the emotions ran high as many family, friends, alumni and Athletic Director Jim Witt celebrated in the championship. However the celebration will be short lived as the Cats have even bigger dreams. They will head back to work Monday in seek of that elusive trip to the final four. Congratulations Northview on a great regular season and league championship!
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Congratulations, Coop and the current NV squad. Carter told me back in November at the OSU-Michigan game that this would be the best team ever and you proved him right. Very nice accomplishment. Now go down to Columbus a bring home the biggest piece of hardware which will be something that none of us have been able to do.
Christian Fisher ’86
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