Northview Wildcats dominate semifinal

Northview's Nolan Culver gets to the puck before Evan Bowdy. Culver scored two goals in the Wildcats' semifinal victory. GAVIN JACKSON Enlarge

COLUMBUS - Northview completely carried the play in a state semifinal clash with Dublin Coffman Saturday and scored back-breaking goals late in two periods to advance to the state championship for the first time since 2006.

The Wildcats dominated Dublin Coffman 4-0 at Nationwide Arena. Northview outshot the Shamrocks 30-15. The Wildcats (21-8-3) scored with less than 50 seconds left in both the first and second periods.

Sophomore Zach Felser scored with 29.5 seconds remaining in the first, and junior Nolan Culver struck with 48.9 seconds left in the second. Junior Tyler Harding added an empty-netter, and Culver scored again with a shorthanded goal with 1:11 left.

The last-second goals proved to be game-changing.

"It's huge," Northview coach Mike Jones said. "Last-minute goals are back-breakers. It's a big boost when you get them. We talk about not giving up goals in the last minute of a period. Getting those late gave us a little more comfort in the locker room."

Northview, ranked No. 4 in the final state poll, advances to face No. 2-ranked Cleveland St. Ignatius (30-7-3) in the state title game today here at noon. St. Ignatius defeated Hunting Valley University School 5-1 in the other district semifinal.

"We have to stay focused and bring home the state title for our whole school and all public schools," Culver said. "Eight times we've come down here. We didn't come here just to win the semifinal. We came here to win the final."

Northview goalie Austin Gryca was steady despite long periods of inaction due to his team's dominance with the puck. The sophomore finished with 15 saves.

"It's hard to stay focused because you cool down," Gryca said. "I got bored a little bit throughout the game, especially the second period. More shots are better. I was just cheering on the team. This is what we worked for all summer."

Dublin Coffman (30-8-2) kept it close through two periods due to quality play from senior goalie Alex Rogers, who finished with 26 saves.

A spirited Wildcats student section of more than 150 was vocal throughout. Despite having essentially a home ice advantage, the Northview fans greatly outnumbered those from Dublin Coffman, winners of the Columbus district tournament.

"We knew coming in that we would probably be outskated and outsized," DC coach Perry Pooley said. "[The late goals] were killers. Going into the breaks, it was just like geez. When they scored that second one I was ready to hit something."

The Wildcats struck late in the first just moments after their power play expired as Felser knocked home a rebound for a 1-0 lead.

Northview survived two DC power play chances early, and the Shamrocks finished 0 for 5 with the man advantage.

The Wildcats heavily pressured DC in the second, getting the period's first 11 shots. But Rogers was steady with pad and stick saves.

"I knew coming in today that patience would be a key because they have a fantastic goalie," Jones said. "If you try to throw everything at him and aren't successful it can get frustrating. You just keep firing the puck and something sooner or later will go in."

Dublin Coffman finally got its first shot with 7:27 left in the second period, and Gryca stopped it with his chest. Finally, with 48.9 seconds left, Culver got two quick shots from in close and scored on his own rebound.

"My linemate Aaron Booth threw it in front of the net, and I was lucky enough to crash and get a tip," Culver said.

The Wildcats carried the momentum to the tune of a 15-3 advantage in shots.

Harding then made it

3-0 when he cleared a puck into an empty net after DC pulled its goalie for an extra attacker despite having a 5-on-3 advantage with

1:49 left.

Culver scored his second goal when he intercepted a pass with 1:11 left.

St. John's Jesuit, the only team from the Toledo metro area to win a state title, fell here last year in the final. Jones said the team is dedicating the game to longtime coach Jim Cooper.

"He has passed the torch graciously. But he is a legend," Jones said. "What we are doing is for Jim Cooper. He spent so many years trying to get this thing done and came up just short. If we get this thing done, he will be the first person touching that trophy."

CLOSING IN ON HISTORY: Northview now sits just one game away from winning the first state team title in any sport in school history.

"We'll try to keep an even keel," Jones said. "But it's exciting to be 45 minutes away from something that's never taken place at our school."

REMATCH: The Wildcats played St. Ignatius to a 0-0 tie on Dec. 28, but Northview had some injuries at the time. It is the Wildcats' fourth appearance in the state championship. St. Ignatius has reached the title game once and won it in 2000. Northview is in the midst of an 11-game winning streak.

"If we are brilliant in the basics, they have a great chance of being a state champion," Jones said. "They don't just pass out medals. If we get sloppy, then we will have another runner-up jersey to throw in our gymnasium."

KEY STATS: Sophomore Brent Easton and Booth earned assists yesterday.

In the second period, senior Mark Hall was robbed early by Rogers on a nice play set up by Felser. The Wildcats then just missed converting on a 3-on-1 odd-man rush. But Ryan LaPlante's one timer went just wide.

Gryca came up with his best stop of the game, a kick save with eight minutes left.

Culver, who is ranked second on the team in scoring (15 G, 14 A), said the team didn't get frustrated despite leading just 1-0 at the game's midpoint.

"You just have to keep peppering him with shots and go to the net for rebounds," he said.

Contact Mark Monroe at:

mmonroe@theblade.com

or 419-724-6354.