Beginning on Thursday, January 25, and concluding on Sunday, January 28, the Jesuit Dallas Hockey team participated in the Texas Amateur Hockey Association (TAHA) State Tournament, winning all three games against the Allen and Strake Jesuit teams. Jesuit’s victory secured the Rangers a trip to the USA Hockey National Championships (Division 1), which will take place from March 20th to March 24th in West Chester, Pennsylvania.
Game 1: Allen
Jesuit Hockey began the state tournament with an intense and close win over Allen High School on Thursday, January 25. With both teams possessing great offensive talent, the game began with a quick goal scored by Allen, which was promptly responded to by a goal for the Rangers. The first goal for Jesuit was scored by Sophomore Will Hubbell ’26 on assists by Seniors Connor Sughrue ’24 and Liam Placke ’24.
The second period maintained Jesuit dominance, with two goals towards at the end of the period. The first of this pair of goals was scored by Jack Bowdich ’24 (unassisted) on a Rangers’ Power Play. The Rangers utilized Allen’s hooking penalty by scoring with this one-man advantage. The latter goal for the Rangers in the second period was scored by Thomas Fino, set up by a nice passing play by Jackson Deininger ’24 and Everett Sahadevan ’25.
The final period of the Rangers’ first game in the state tournament concluded with one goal scored by Allen. However, the Rangers were able to maintain their lead, beginning the tournament with a important 3-2 lead.
“losing to allen the previous night gave us extra motivation, and we had to come together and leave everything on the ice to achieve our goal.” – Brandon Peppard ’25
Game 2: Strake Jesuit
The second game of the round robin of the state tournament commenced with a Jesuit Dallas victory over Strake Jesuit on Friday, January 26. The Rangers demonstrated their offensive prowess by scoring 10 goals, mauling Strake (with only 1 goal). In the first period against Strake, the opponents quickly scored, motivating the Rangers to retaliate through unrelenting offensive pressure. Jesuit scored one goal in the 1st period on a Power Play pass by Will Hubbell ’26 to Andrew Theisen ’25, whose quick shooting lead to the first tally for Jesuit Dallas.
In the second period, the Rangers produced 4 goals, scored by the diverse age group of Varsity Gold Players, including Everett Sahadevan ’25, Will Hubbell ’26, Noah Pinkall ’24, and Rex Garrick ’26.
“We were soaring with confidence during the game. It was a team effort and everyone was stepping up and making big plays.” – Andrew Theisen ’25
In the final period, the Rangers continued domination of Strake Jesuit by tallying 5 additional goals. Goals were scored by Conor Parro ’25 (2), Tyler Woods ’25, Asher Yarbrough ’24, and Will Hubbell ’26. Freshman Miles Tranquada ’27 stopped 22 shots, stepping up for Misha Saratovtsev (out with injury), and helping the Rangers achieve their second victory of the tournament.
Game 3: Allen
In the championship of the Texas High School State Tournament, Jesuit Dallas claimed victory by defeating D1 rival Allen 4-0 at the Valley Ranch StarCenter on Sunday, January 28, at 12p.m. Led by Jesuit goalie Misha Saratovtsev ’24, who stopped 28 Allen shots and earned a shutout, the Rangers earned their ticket to the USA Hockey National Championships.
“We had a great weekend. We’re looking forward to building off of that success for nationals.” – Conor Parro ’25
While the match was certainly competitive and extremely physical, with 12 penalties in the entire game, the Rangers were able to sustain a defensive presence and hold a lead throughout the game. While there were no goals in the first period, the tension in the arena was rising, and it was inevitable for one team to take the lead.
Midway through the second period, the Rangers finally took control with a goal scored by Andrew Theisen ’25, assisted by Liam Placke ’24. The second goal for the Rangers was scored by Jack Bowdich ’24 on a Power Play (assisted by Wade Bryan ’26), as Jesuit Dallas used the many penalties taken by Allen to increase the margin of their lead.
In the third period, the Rangers continued complete domination by increasing their lead with two goals. The first was scored by Wade Bryan ’26, and assisted by Tyler Woods ’25. The final goal, securing the Rangers’ championship, was scored by Jack Bowdich ’24 (unassisted).
“It was pretty awesome to win states. It was probably the best we’ve played the entire year, and especially dealing with a goalie injury, everybody stepped up and we were able to push past it. We’re all looking forward to going to Pennsylvania for nationals and seeing what we can do up there.” – Liam Placke ’24
Conclusion
Jesuit Dallas Hockey will conclude league play with a final game against Keller High School on Wednesday, February 21 at 9p.m. The Rangers will continue to train for the 2024 Division 1 USA Hockey National Championships in West Chester, PA.
Stay tuned to the Jesuit Roundup for more Jesuit Hockey coverage!
