Liberty hockey puts aside coach's suspension, prepares for St. Charles in regional final
Those in the know believed Olentangy Liberty and St. Charles would be among the top teams in the Capital Hockey Conference this season – and they were correct.
The Patriots and Cardinals finished first and second in the CHC-Red Division, matching their seeds in the Blue Jackets Cup conference tournament and the OHSAA regional tournament.
Liberty (24-10-0-1) entered the season as the defending state champion and St. Charles (23-11-3-1) was bringing back talent from a team that reached a regional semifinal, so it’s not surprising they will play for the regional championship at 2 p.m. Saturday at OhioHealth Ice Haus.
The Patriots’ postseason run wasn’t derailed last weekend by the suspensions of coach Kevin Alexander and two assistants, as they defeated No. 13 Thomas Worthington 5-1 and No. 4 Olentangy Berlin 6-2. Alexander guided Liberty to the state title, the first OHSAA hockey championship won by a central Ohio team.
“That’s a catalyst that could go either way, but it looks based on their performances Saturday and Sunday that that little adversity brought them together and solidified them more as a group,” first-year St. Charles coach Danny Greiner said. “They definitely did a great job pushing out the noise and focusing on what they needed to focus on.”
Alexander and assistant coaches Darwin McClelland and Richard Smith were placed on paid administrative leave Feb. 20 while the school district investigates allegations, the specifics of which have not been made public. McClelland has since resigned.
Assistant coach Jonathon Falvo has taken over as the interim coach with Ryan Welsh and Michael Rengel serving as assistants. Coaches and players have been instructed by the school district not to discuss issues involving Alexander, McClelland and Smith.
“This team is resilient,” Falvo said. “They’re just eager to get on the ice and keep playing hockey. They’re really excited for the challenge that St. Charles presents. We know St. Charles is a good team, but we’re ready to go, ready to play for a chance to play at Nationwide.”
Saturday’s winner advances to a state semifinal against Hunting Valley University School or Shaker Heights on March 8 at Nationwide Arena. Those teams play Friday at Kent State.
The state championship game is March 10 at Nationwide.
Liberty beat University School 6-2 for last year’s title.
“We have the potential to win another state championship,” senior forward Andrew Leonard said. “We’re super close right now. ... I’ve played St. Charles a bunch in my career. They’re a great team. They give us a fight, so we just have to play our best game.”
Liberty and St. Charles split two CHC games this season, with Liberty winning 11-3 on Dec. 1 and St. Charles winning 4-2 on Feb. 2. Liberty won the CHC-Red title by one point, 27-26, after going 13-2-0-1 in conference play to 12-2-1-1 for St. Charles.
The Cardinals last made state in 2014, when they lost to Sylvania Northview 3-1 in a semifinal.
“This was our goal, to get here, so we’re very happy,” Greiner said. “Our goal at the start of the year was to win the state championship, so this is just checking another box along the way of where I thought we could get to.”
Nicholas Scharfenberger (27 goals, 40 assists) and Sean Moore (32, 24) are the leading scorers for St. Charles.
The leading scorers for Liberty are Jake Struck (47, 58), Leonard (30, 40), Michael Greco (22, 35) and Brian Savage (27, 28).
“We want to make sure the boys are ready to go,” Falvo said. “You want to get some payback for a loss, but at the same time, I shouldn’t have to motivate these guys. They know what’s on the line. They know that Nationwide is on the line, a chance at a (state tournament), and I think they’re ready to go.”
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Olentangy Liberty, St. Charles to play for OHSAA hockey regional title
