GAME SUMMARIES
Murphy's Two Lift Eagles Past
Panthers (December 9, 2007)
North Olmsted - Chad Murphy scored the first of his two goals on the
power play in the second period to help the Eagles defeat Elyria Catholic 4-2 in
a Red East contest Sunday afternoon. Sam DeJoy chipped in with a goal and
two assists, and Tyler Arendec and Ronnie Soltesz each had two assists.
North Olmsted improved to 7-1 on the season (3-0 Red East) as they
prepare to compete in the Benedictine Holiday Tournament next weekend. The
Eagles will face Olmsted Falls, Avon Lake, and Worthington Kilbourne in the
preliminary round.
Milestone Goal Helps Eagles Down Olmsted
Falls (December 14, 2007)
Euclid - Chad Murphy scored his 100th high school goal to put North
Olmsted ahead to stay as the Eagles defeated Olmsted Falls 6-3 in the opener of the
Benedictine Holiday Tournament at Euclid. Murphy scored the Eagles middle
four goals after Logan Beach tallied on the power play in the first period, and
Sam DeJoy added an insurance goal midway through the third to close out the
scoring. The Bulldogs had evened the score at 3-3 before Murphy banged
home a DeJoy pass from the goal line to the right of the Olmsted Falls net to
give the Eagles the lead for good. North Olmsted will take on Avon Lake Saturday afternoon at 12:30
p.m. at Euclid.
Team
Effort Defeats Avon Lake 9-0 (December 15, 2007)
Euclid - Seven different Eagles scored Saturday afternoon in a 9-0
victory over Avon Lake in the Benedictine Tournament. Chad Murphy lead the way
with a hat trick, and single goals from Mike Minch, Mike Konyesni, Logan Beach,
Ronnie Soltesz, Brandon Hammermeister, and Kyle Swansegar closed out the
scoring. Goalies Zech Laughbaum, Ian Smith, and Brenden Maye all shared
North Olmsted's fourth shutout of the season. The Eagles skate against
Worthington Kilbourne Sunday afternoon at 12:10 p.m. A win would put North
Olmsted in the Championship Game at 5:30.
Strong
Third Period Propels Eagles Past Shaker (December 22, 2007)
North Olmsted - Four third period goals, two by defenseman Dan McBride,
lead North Olmsted to a 5-2 victory over Shaker Heights. in a Red East contest
Saturday afternoon at North Olmsted. Chad Murphy added two goals for the
Eagles, and captain Logan Beach's third period power play goal turned out to be
the game winner. Zech Laughbaum stopped 13 of 15 shots for the
victory. North Olmsted travels to Rocky River to take on Avon Lake Sunday
evening at 6:15 p.m.
Eagles
Head to Christmas Break After Downing Avon Lake (December 23, 2007)
Rocky River - A strong second period propelled North Olmsted to a
5-2 win over Avon Lake Sunday in a Red East contest at Hamilton Ice Arena.
Chad Murphy had a hat trick for the Eagles, and Mike Minch and Sam DeJoy added
goals to give North Olmsted a 5-0 lead after two periods of play. Senior
Zech Laughbaum turned back all eight shots he faced in almost two periods of
action. Ian Smith took over and stopped all ten shots he faced until Avon
Lake scored two short-handed goals in the last minute of the game to spoil the
shutout. The Eagles Christmas Break finds them at 5-0 in the Red East with
five games remaining in league play. North Olmsted will face Mentor Friday
evening at 5:15 p.m. at Garfield Heights in the Trinity Tournament.
Last
Minute Goal Propels Eagles Past Mentor (December 28, 2007)
Garfield Hts. - Ronnie Soltesz poked home a loose puck in the crease with
:24 remaining to give North Olmsted a 7-6 win in a wild opener to the Trinity
Tournament. The Eagles lead 5-3 early in the third period, but
Mentor scored three straight goals to take a 6-5 advantage late in the
game. Chad Murphy scored the last of his four goals to tie the score at
6-6 with only a few minutes left in the third period. After a
timeout with a minute remaining, the Eagles pressured the Mentor goal with shots
until Soltesz completed the comeback by burying a rebound into an open
net. Sean McBride and Mike Minch also scored goals for North Olmsted, who
will take on Lake Catholic Saturday evening at 5:15 p.m. at Garfield Hts.
Note: Chad Murphy became North Olmsted's all-time leading scorer with his
five point effort Friday, passing his older brother T.J. Murphy (class of 2006).
Murphy
Tally in Second Overtime Downs Lake Catholic (December 29, 2007)
Garfield Hts. - Chad Murphy's goal on the first shift of the second
overtime gave the Eagles a 3-2 victory over Lake Catholic Saturday evening at
the Trinity Tournament. North Olmsted trailed 2-0 after the first period
despite holding a decisive shot advantage, but Ronnie Soltesz scored a power
play goal in the second period and Logan Beach scored in the third to force
extra time. Both teams had power play chances in the first overtime, but
neither could score. After a brief delay to allow the ice to settle to
begin the second overtime, Murphy took a Sam DeJoy pass on the left wing, cut to
the middle past a defender, and tucked a backhand past a sprawling Lake Catholic
goaltender to cap the Eagles comeback. North Olmsted will face host
Trinity Sunday afternoon at 1:15 p.m., and could play in the Championship Game
at 8:00 p.m. based on the results of the Trinity contest.
Eagles Win Trinity Tournament Championship After Defeating Host Trojans 4-2 (December 30, 2007)
Garfield Hts. - Sam DeJoy and Ronnie Soltesz each scored two goals as North Olmsted defeated Trinity 4-2 to win the 27th annual Trinity Christmas Tournament Sunday evening. Trinity had won an earlier 5-3 decision in the last game of round robin play, but both teams were assured spots in the championship game based on their previous 2-0 records in the Tournament. The Eagles lead 3-0 in the final, but a Trinity goal on a penalty shot midway through the third period cut the lead to two. Soltesz scored his second goal of the game on the power play with 3:42 left in the game to increase the cushion to three. Trinity added a late goal with four seconds left to play, but the Eagles celebrated their first tournament championship of the season. North Olmsted returns to league play Saturday afternoon against Benedictine at 3:00 p.m. at Cleveland Heights Pavilion.
Eagles Defeat Benedictine 6-2 on Strength of Four-Goal Third Period (January 5, 2008)
Cleveland Hts.- Sam DeJoy scored two third period goals to help lead North Olmsted past Benedictine Saturday afternoon. The Bengals had just tied the game at 2-2, but the Eagles bounced right back with goals from DeJoy (one even strength, one power play), Kyle Swansegar, and Mike Konyesni to open up a very close contest. Casey Jones scored a power play goal in the first to open the scoring, and Ronnie Soltesz added a goal in the second to give the Eagles a 2-1 lead after two periods. Zech Laughbaum stopped 15 of 17 shots for the win in goal. North Olmsted hosts Strongsville Sunday afternoon at 3:15 p.m. at North Olmsted Recreation Center.
Late Goals Lead to Eagles' Demise (January 6, 2008)
North Olmsted - Strongsville's Bill Andreski scored with :47 remaining to lead the Mustangs to a 3-1 victory over North Olmsted Sunday afternoon. Logan Beach gave the Eagles a 1-0 lead midway through the first period with a power play goal. The Mustangs tied the game in the second, and the teams remained deadlocked and appeared to be headed to overtime. Sam DeJoy was unable to convert on a breakaway, and on the ensuing rush Andreski flipped a shot over Zech Laughbaum's shoulder to give Strongsville their first lead of the game. An empty net goal capped the scoring, and the Eagles suffered their first GCHSHL loss of the season. North Olmsted travels to Thornton Park Friday night at 9:00 p.m. to battle Shaker Hts.
Hudson Scores Three Early Goals in 4-1 Win at North Olmsted (January 12, 2008)
North Olmsted - The Hudson Explorers scored three goals in the first 4:03 against the Eagles and cruised to a 4-1 win Saturday afternoon at North Olmsted. Tyler Arendec spoiled the shutout win a goal late in the third period, but the Eagles couldn't muster much offense despite putting 39 shots on Hudson's goal. Zech Laughbaum stopped 33 shots for North Olmsted, who will host the SWC Tournament next weekend. The first game of the tournament will take place Friday night between Amherst and Brecksville. North Olmsted will face the winner Saturday afternoon at 3:15 p.m.
DeJoy's Two Goals, Murphy's Return Spark Eagles Past Brecksville 5-0 (January 19, 2008)
North Olmsted - Sam DeJoy scored two goals and Chad Murphy added a goal and two assists in his return from injury to lead North Olmsted to a 5-0 win over Brecksville in the SWC Tournament opener for the Eagles. Mike Konyesni opened the scoring with a goal 3:11 into the first period on a perfect behind-the-net pass from Steve Bond. DeJoy then scored his two goals in the second and third periods, sandwiched around a shorthanded tally from Murphy late in the second. Tyler Arendec closed the scoring with a power play goal with 4:56 remaining. Zech Laughbaum earned his fifth shutout of the season turning away fifteen Brecksville shots. The Eagles will face Olmsted Falls Sunday morning at 10:30 a.m., with a berth in the Championship Game on the line.
Eagles Reach SWC Finals with 3-2 Victory Over Olmsted Falls (January 20, 2008)
North Olmsted - Steve Bond jammed a rebound past Olmsted Falls goalie Patrick Butterfield early in the third period to lead North Olmsted to a 3-2 win and a berth in Monday's SWC Tournament Championship Game. Cam Brady scored both goals for the Bulldogs, including a rebound goal 1:21 into the game. Ronnie Soltesz and Tyler Arendec scored goals for the Eagles around Brady's second tally to deadlock the teams at two after the second period. The game winning goal came after Mike Konyesni centered the puck into the crease and Bond was able to poke the puck over the goal line for his first goal of the season. The Eagles will face the winner of Sunday's Brecksville-Olmsted Falls game in the Championship Monday afternoon at 3:00 p.m.
Brecksville Wins SWC Title with 4-3 over North Olmsted (January 21, 2008)
North Olmsted - Brecksville won their first SWC Hockey Championship Monday afternoon with a 4-3 victory over North Olmsted. The Bees score the first two goals of the game and lead 2-1 after one period of play. The Eagles came back in the second period with a power play goal from Tyler Arendec and an even-strength goal from Chad Murphy to lead 3-2. However, Brecksville score two more goals to end the second period and held on for the win behind goaltender Dan Miller's 24 saves.
Overtime Tally Sends Eagles Past Walsh Jesuit 3-2 (January 26, 2008)
Kent - Logan Beach's goal 4:11 into the overtime period gave North Olmsted a 3-2 over Walsh Jesuit Saturday evening at Kent State. The Eagles posted all four shots in the extra period, as Chad Murphy circled the Warrior cage and centered the puck to Beach, who banged it past goalie Tyler Studer for the game winner. Murphy and Ronnie Soltesz scored the other goals for the Eagles, who clinched a berth in the Baron Cup with the win. North Olmsted will resume their Red East contest with Shaker Hts. Tuesday evening at 8:45 p.m. at Thornton Park, as the game will pick up at the beginning of the second period with score tied 0-0.
To Be Continued..........A 2-1 Victory over Shaker Hts. (January 29, 2008)
Shaker Hts. - Chad Murphy scored both goals for the Eagles as they resumed their delayed game against Shaker Hts. with a 2-1 victory over the Red Raiders. A Zamboni malfunction January 11 caused the postponement of the game at the end of the first period with a 0-0 score. Murphy scored :27 into the second period and again 1:19 into the third as the Eagles held on for the win. Sam DeJoy had two assists for North Olmsted, and Zech Laughbaum stopped 14 shots for his 18th victory of the season.
Eagles Notch Win Number 20 with 6-0 Win at Mentor (February 1, 2008)
Mentor - Sam DeJoy's hat trick, including his 100th goal as an Eagle, lead North Olmsted to a 6-0 victory against Mentor Friday night in an independent game at Mentor Civic Center. Steve Bond, Chad Murphy, and Jesse Gross also added goals for the Eagles, as Ian Smith stopped 13 shots in goal to pick up his first shutout win. North Olmsted will open Baron Cup competition next Thursday at 5:30 p.m. at Brooklyn against either Padua or St. Ignatius.
Late Goal Seals 4-2 Loss to Padua in Baron Cup (February 7, 2008)
Brooklyn - North Olmsted gave a good effort in their Baron Cup contest with Padua, but the Bruins had too much offense and defeated the Eagles 4-2 Thursday night at Brooklyn. The game was scoreless after one period, but Logan Beach gave the Eagles a 1-0 lead with a rebound goal midway through the second period. Padua scored the next two goals to lead 2-1 after two periods, and a Bruin goal with 5:16 left in the third period seemed to seal the victory. However, Sean McBride tapped a Chad Murphy pass into an open net to cut the score to 3-2 with 3:27 left in the game. Padua added a power play goal with :38 remaining to earn a berth in Saturday's semi-finals. Zech Laughbaum stopped 30 of 34 Padua shots in goal for the Eagles. North Olmsted will face Rocky River in the first round of the state playoffs Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. at Brooklyn.
Eagles Grind Out 5-2 Win Against Rocky River (February 13, 2008)
Brooklyn - North Olmsted methodically worked themselves to a 4-0 lead midway through the third period before finally surrendering two power play goals in a 5-2 win against Rocky River Wednesday night at Brooklyn. Chad Murphy had a hat trick for the Eagles, and Sam DeJoy added a goal and three assists. Matt Konyesni anchored a solid defensive effort by registering a +4 and three assist night. Zech Laughbaum stopped 21 of 23 Pirates shots to get the victory in goal. North Olmsted will face Normandy Saturday night at 6:00 p.m. at Brooklyn.
First Line Dominant in Eagles' 5-0 Victory over Normandy (February 16, 2008)
Brooklyn - North Olmsted's line of Chad Murphy, Sam DeJoy, and Logan Beach accounted for all five goals and 13 points in a 5-0 victory over Normandy Saturday night. With the win, the Eagles advance to face Elyria Catholic Thursday night at 7:00 p.m. in a District Quarterfinal rematch from last year. North Olmsted scored three power play goals in the game, one each by Murphy, DeJoy, and Beach. The Eagles also received solid play overall in out shooting the Invaders 41-16, as Zech Laughbaum earned his 20th win of the season in goal and sixth shutout. North Olmsted will look to avenge last year's 2-1 loss to Elyria Catholic as the teams meet for the second time this season. The Eagles defeated the Panthers 4-2 on December 9, 2007 at North Olmsted.
Late Goals Complete Comeback Win over Elyria Catholic (February 21, 2008)
Brooklyn - Sam DeJoy's power play goal with 4:33 remaining in the third period gave North Olmsted a 3-2 lead and helped propel the Eagles into the District Semifinal with a 4-2 win over Elyria Catholic Thursday night at Brooklyn. Chad Murphy had two goals for the Eagles, including the game tying goal with 5:31 left in the third period and an empty net insurance short handed goal with :12 remaining. Elyria Catholic grabbed the lead after a scoreless first period with a power play goal 1:02 into the second period. Logan Beach tied the game midway through the period, but Ritchie Baker scored for the Panthers 4:14 into the third to give them a 2-1 lead. Zech Laughbaum made 20 saves for the Eagles, while EC's Brad Moore stopped 29 shots in taking the loss. North Olmsted will face the winner of the St. Ignatius/Brecksville game next Wednesday night at 7:00 p.m., again at Brooklyn.
Eagles' Season Ends with 6-0 Loss to St. Ignatius (February 27, 2008)
Brooklyn - Three St. Ignatius goals in each of the second and third periods gave the Wildcats a 6-0 win over North Olmsted in a District Semifinal Wednesday night at Brooklyn. Zech Laughbaum stopped 30 shots for the Eagles, who were only able to generate 14 shots against the second-seeded Wildcats. North Olmsted ends the season with a 23-7 record.