Jesuit players huddling up before a game – photo credit to the Jesuit Dallas Athletics Instagram account
Summary:
From October 6-8, Jesuit’s varsity gold hockey team, and a few players from their varsity silver team, traveled to St. Louis, Missouri, to compete in games vs. local high school and prep school teams. Jesuit managed an impressive 2-2-0 record against some of the best teams that the state of Missouri has to offer. However, this was just the first step in Jesuit’s attempt to build up their hockey program. Moving forward, the competition will only get better, especially in their out of state trip to Chicago in November.
Game 1 (Jesuit vs. SLUH):
Jesuit took the first game of the showcase by a score of 5-1. In the first period, Connor Parro scored for Jesuit while short handed and senior goaltender, Misha Saratovtsev, stopped every shot he faced, securing them a 1-0 lead. In the second period, varsity silver call up, Asher Yarbrough, scored an unassisted goal to double up Jesuit’s lead. Then, in an eventful 3rd period, Thomas Fino scored a power play goal, Jackson Deininger scored twice, and SLUH scored their first and only goal of the game. For the final 5 minutes of the game, freshman goaltender Miles Tranquada replaced goaltender Misha Saratovtsev in the net and surrendered 0 goals on 3 shots. The defensemen stepped up big time this game, especially Jackson Deininger (2 goals) and Wade Bryan (3 assists). This game really set the tone for Jesuit’s weekend.
Game 2 (Jesuit vs. Christian Brothers Academy):
Jesuit dropped their second game of the showcase in a heartbreaking 3-2 game. After making a 2 goal comeback, Jesuit gave up the game winning goal with 0.6 seconds left in the 3rd period. Jesuit’s goals came from Thomas Fino and Wade Bryan while Misha Saratovtsev stood tall in goal, having his best game of the showcase. Christian Brothers Academy was the most complete team that Jesuit played all weekend, so despite the loss, this was a game that Jesuit should be proud of.
Game 3 (Jesuit vs. Chaminade):
Jesuit lost their third game of the weekend by a score of 8-0. It was only a 3 goal game heading into the 3rd period, but an offensive onslaught from Chaminade combined with a defensive breakdown from Jesuit opened up the flood gates. Goaltender Misha Saratovtsev gave up 6 goals before, with 10 minutes remaining in the 3rd period, goaltender Miles Tranquada entered the game in relief of him. Chaminade scored 2 more 3rd period goals with Miles Tranquada in net to cap off their 8-0 win.
Game 4 (Jesuit vs. Lindbergh):
Jesuit took their final game of the showcase in a pretty sloppy 2-0 shutout win. However, a win is a win and especially after a grueling weekend of games, a win is a good way to cap things off. Thomas Fino and Jackson Deininger scored Jesuit’s only goals and Misha Saratovtsev had a shutout performance in net. Overall, this was a successful business trip for Jesuit.
Jesuit players upset after losing a game – photo credit to the Roundup article, “Jesuit Dallas Hockey: Shining a Light on Nationals Performance”
What's next:
As previously mentioned, Jesuit’s next trip is to Chicago, on November 10. This will be a big challenge for Jesuit and has the opportunity to transcend their hockey program if they are successful. In other news, Jesuit is continuing to chase their league title. However, after dropping 2 straight games, to Northwest and Frisco, Jesuit currently sits out of the playoffs, holding a 3-3-0 record. Lastly, and arguable most importantly, Jesuit continues to prepare for nationals, as they aspire to make their deepest run in program history. This year truly feels different for Jesuit than in years past and if they perform up to expectations, they can do some real damage this year.
Jesuit players celebrate a goal – photo credit to Robert Sahadevan
