Jacob Sardo’19 leads the breakaway. (Inji Kang’19/Staff)
The CA ice hockey team is off to an incredible start in its inaugural season.
The Vikings were refreshed after the long break, and were ready to get back on the ice for the MLK Pioneer Classic Tournament. Prepared for the big weekend ahead, the team was ecstatic to finally have almost their entire squad active for the upcoming games.
However, the first game of the weekend was cancelled due to the weather conditions, giving the boys one more day of preparation, and allowing them to focus their attention on their next opponent, New Albany Eagles. The two squads have already seemed to develop a rivalry, though it is just Academy’s first year of play. They had already met three times this season, and each matchup was a hard-fought battle. Their clash on Saturday, January 13 followed suit, as CA took home a 6-4 comeback victory over the Eagles.
The Vikings found themselves down 2-0 for the majority of the first period, and were not getting the opportunities that they needed to put pressure on New Albany’s goalie.
The older players knew that they had to step up for Academy to claw its way back into the game, and they did just that. Vikings’ top goal-scorer, junior Jacob Sardo‘19, finally got CA on the board with just two minutes left in the first period. Then, junior co-captain Cole Walker knotted the game up at 2 with a sensational goal at the beginning of the second period.
New Albany desperately tried to pull away for the remainder of the period, but each time the Eagles scored, Sardo would swing back with a goal of his own.
It wasn’t until the dying stages of the third period when CA took its first lead of the game. With the game tied at 4, Walker led a breakaway and beat the goalie on his glove side. Sardo then delivered the dagger, scoring his fourth goal of the game with just one minute left, and sealing a win in the first game of the tournament.
Later that day, the Vikings got right back to work, when they faced off against North Royalton. Both sides got off to a slow start with very little play in the other team’s offensive zone. In the final minute of the first period, Walker finally broke the deadlock, putting CA in front.
The Bears came flying out of the gates in the second period, and responded with a goal of their own. After a couple minutes of scoreless hockey, freshman Campbell Gwin notched two goals in quick succession to put the Vikes up 3-1.
But North Royalton would not go down quietly, as the Bears closed the gap with a goal in the final moments of the second period.
Needing one more goal to put the game out of reach for good, Sardo added one more off of a nice dish from Gwin, and the Vikings picked up the win, 4-2. With the victory, Academy punched a ticket to the championship game of the MLK Pioneer Classic.
Awaiting CA in the title game was a talented Olentangy Orange team. The Pioneers got off to a hot start with a goal in the opening minutes, but Walker responded for the Vikes.
The Pioneers netted another goal with eight minutes to go in the second period, but the resilient Academy boys didn’t flinch. Gwin returned to the scoresheet with a nice wrist shot in the closing minutes of the second period to knot the score at 2.
Unfortunately, the third period was a different story.
Olentangy Orange’s depth and energy began to overwhelm CA, and the Pioneers dominated the rest of the contest. They began to score with ease, and the Vikes were unable to muster a response. The Pioneers took home a 7-2 win over Academy, but the Vikings proved that they can go toe-to-toe with any team.
Academy had a successful weekend overall, finishing with a 2-1 record in the MLK Pioneer Classic Tournament. The impressive performance gives the Vikes great momentum heading into a clash against Upper Arlington on Friday, January 19 at the Chiller Ice Haus.
