Santa Margarita Catholic High School came up just short on Monday in its quest to win a second USA Hockey Youth Nationals championship since 2013.
The Eagles, who won the CAHA State championship last month, lost to Bayard Rustin of Westchester, Pa., 4-3 in the Division I title game at Cleveland, Ohio.
“It’s disappointing,” Santa Margarita coach Craig Johnson said. “As a team we set a goal to make it (to Nationals). To come so close to winning it …”
The Eagles held the lead for exactly 58 seconds, when Jesse Logan Orsini scored a short-handed goal with 3:51 left in the first period while SMCHS was killing off a 5-minute major. Bayard Rustin then connected for back-to-back power-play goals in a 1:24 span before the end of the first.
Bayard Rustin made it 3-1 with 1:15 to go in the second period before the Eagles rallied to tie it early in the third period behind goals from Ryan Johnson and Jonathan Skule in the first 3:57.
“Give the kids credit, they worked hard to tie it,” Johnson said.
But Bayard Rustin scored the winner with 5:57 to play after a scramble in front of the net.
“The program has come a long way,” Johnson said. “We had a great group of kids, not only on the ice, but how they created a culture that was inclusive, good toward the freshmen and those considering the school.
“We had great leadership from our seniors, and those kids will be missed a lot.”
That group included Johnson’s older son, Eric.
“It’s the last time I’ll be coaching him,” Craig Johnson added. “The seniors have been his friends and teammates for a long time. It’s sad to see that group go.”
In addition to Eric Johnson and Skule, the other five seniors are Jekabs Bisnieks, Dennis Blaul, Greg Bennett, Collin Marx and Dietrich Olischefski.
The final was a rematch of round-robin game that Santa Margarita won, 3-0. The Eagles rolled through the preliminary round with a 3-0 record and a plus-11 goal differential. They then defeated Pinnacle (Arizona), 3-0, in the quarterfinals and Edwardsville (Illinois), 2-1, in overtime in the semifinals.
Bisnieks had a team-high eight points while Skule added seven and Nicolas Mauthe, John Mulvihill II and Orsini added five apiece. Bisnieks and Mauthe had four goals, while Skule and Mulvihill added three. Trey Taylor went 4-1 with a 1.83 goals-against average and one shutout, while Blaul allowed just one goal in his appearance, also a victory.
Fellow Anaheim Ducks High School Hockey League member Orange Lutheran, coached by Dan Adams, also fared well at Nationals, going undefeated in round-robin play before falling in the quarterfinals to Edwardsville, 6-4.
The Lancers also went 3-0 in the preliminary round and amassed a plus-10 goal differential in the process.
Zachary Pires led Orange Lutheran with six points, while Jacob Furry added five and Vail Ardizzone chipped in four. Furry had a team-high three goals. Conner Taherian went 3-1 in goal, including two shutouts.
- Chris Bayee