After a great 21-10-0 Regular Season from Jesuit Hockey, they kicked off Playoffs, going 2-2 and coming up just short of the State Title vs Frisco.
Frisco
Jesuit kicked off the Playoffs with a strong win over Frisco, 5-2. Though they fell to a 2-0 deficit early, they dominated the rest of the game. Wade Bryan ’26 had a hat trick for Jesuit, scoring Jesuit’s first, second and third goal. Rex Garrick ’26 earned himself his point through an insurance goal to make the score 4-2 before Victor Laos ’26 put in the final goal for Jesuit. Laos also tallied another point through an assist on the Garrick goal. Owen Deloach ’26 and Christopher Osler ’28 earned themselves points as well through assists. Lastly, Goalie Bennett Ortegon ’28 made 29 saves for Jesuit to secure the win.
Prosper
Jesuit took down Prosper 3-2 in OT. Max Reynolds ’27 led Jesuit which two goals, one of which was the OT winner. Allen Zhang ’26 combined for two points on the night with the first goal for Jesuit and assisted with the first Reynolds goal. William Hubbell ’26 and Victor Laos also earned themselves a point in the victory vs. Prosper. To finish off the night, Thomas Strand ’27 had a shocking 18 saves on 20 shots.
Birdville
After two very strong games, Jesuit suffered a loss vs. Birdville 2-6. Jesuit was able to keep things close up until the third, where they just ran out of gas. Max Reynolds and Wade Bryan scored the only two goals for Jesuit. Rex Garrick, Thomas Strand, and Peyton Raver ’28 all got points for Jesuit via assists against Birdville.
Frisco Pt. 2 – The Final Show
Jesuit played their final game, shooting for the State Title, vs. Frisco, where they lost narrowly, 1-2. The game was very competitive throughout, with Jesuit leading for most of the game, but the Rangers fell just short in the third. The lone goal went to Max Reynolds, which was assisted by Luke Gutierrez ’28 and Rex Garrick. Bennett Ortegon made 20 saves on 22 shots for Jesuit to close out the year.
Final Thoughts
I spoke to Peyton Raver about the season and he mentioned the meaning behind the season saying:
“We Won Many Games During the Regular Season and had a great record out of state, and we did [this] for our brothers.”
After, I asked Head Coach Smith about his thoughts on the season, where he expressed his pride with the season stating:
“Unfortunately, we came up just short this season on our team goal of winning a State Championship and advancing to Nationals. Impressively, the boys finished the Regular Season in first place and only lost one game in regulation time. Incredibly proud of how consistent and focused our group was the entire way.”
“Thank you to all the Jesuit students/faculty that turned out for the Championship game, we felt the love and support! My heart breaks for the seniors who deserved a better fate, but sometimes God has other plans, and ultimately, it was still a heck of a season.”
“Most importantly, our team became closer on and off the ice this season, growing in brotherhood and strengthening the culture of our program. We have a resilient group who will use this experience to climb the mountain and prepare for the next opportunity to reach the top next season.”
Overall, Jesuit Hockey should be very proud of what they did this year. They finished 23-12 and will have a plethora of returners coming back next year to continue to make the Jesuit Hockey program elite.
Stay tuned into The Roundup for more Jesuit Sports coverage!
