For the 10th time in the last 11 years the Olmsted Falls hockey team was able to claim a Christmas Tournament Championship. The team finished the Parma Christmas Tournament 3-1 and collect big wins against divisional rivals Amherst and Holy Name. Highlights from the weekend included 4 goals and 4 assists from Cory Daugherty, 2 goals and 6 assists from Colin Brady, 3 goals and 2 assists from Nick Riolo, and the first career goal for Sarah McClain. Braden Smith also collected his first shutout of the season in the championship turning back all 20 shots he faced. The team will get back to league play and welcome back over 30 years of alumni on Sunday January 3rd, 4:15 PM at Brooklyn against Brecksville. The alumni game will precede the bulldogs and begins at 2:30 PM.

Statistics updated

The bulldogs skated to their third victory in row and their fifth win in their last seven as they beat old divisional rival Bay Village 5-2.  The team pounded the Bay Village goalie with 42 shots, but it was not until late in third that they put this game away.  Senior captain Mike Sturm got things started and continued to do everything for the team by forcing a turnover from the Bay D, and hammering home his third goal of the season, to tie the game at one in the first.  The bulldogs would eventually take the lead in the first as Cory Daugherty used his speed to blow past the rocket D and beat the goalie on a nice backhand move.  The teams matched power play goals in the second as Collin Brady shelved one, on a great shot from the point.  In the third Olmsted Falls stunned the Rockets with two goals within a minute as Daugherty recorded his second of the game and eleventh on the season, and Nick Riolo continued to put up points with his tenth.  Braden Smith turned back 23 of the Rockets 25 shots and continues to de well in relief of Patrick Butterfield.  The team will look to continue its run this week with games against Kent Roosevelt on Thursday, and will celebrate Senior night on Sunday against Holy Name.      

The dogs played Avon Lake on Saturday, we controlled the majority of the game while playing 5 on 5.  Penalties ruined the flow of offense that was clicking in the first period with 14 shots and 2 goals.  The new line of Gerus, Green and Riolo came through with two goals during the game,  Mike Sturm and Colin Brady got the other two.  Braden Smith recorded his first varsity shutout, stopping all 26 shots he faced.  The final score was 4-0.  The team played in front of its biggest crowd of the year and celebrated with its fans after the game with its annual skate with the team event.  Go to the Facebook tab on this website to see the pictures

The team came back on Sunday for a big divisional game against Normandy.  The Bulldogs went down 0-1 in the first period, but came back with a goal in the 2nd and a power play goal in the 3rd, to hang on for a 2-1 victory.   Pat Butterfield played well stopping 19 of 20 shots including a flurry in the final two minutes when Normandy pulled their goalie.  The offense looked good again, getting plenty of opportunities.  Our only goals were scored by Ryan Rex with a sweet move on a breakaway and Ryan Petitti by collecting the trash in front of the net on a power play

The team will play old divisional rival Bay High School on Sunday, 12:15 pm at Brooklyn Recreation Center.

This past weekend the Bulldogs traveled to nearby North Olmsted, the site of the SouthWest Conference Tournament. In the first contest the Olmsted Falls Bulldogs matched up with the hosting Eagles. Both teams came out of the locker room with fire, but an early powerplay goal by the Eagles sent North Olmsted onto a lead they would never lose. The Eagles goaltender was able to hold onto a shutout until Junior forward Nick Riolo found the back of the net with just under two minutes to play in the game. Despite the opening game loss, the Bulldogs were not yet out of the double elimination tournament.

Entering the loser’s bracket the Bulldogs lined up against conference rival Avon Lake. A high scoring game with the Shoreman could not be decided in just three periods and the buzzer sounded with each team registering five goals. The eight minute sudden death overtime passed quickly and the game seemed like it was destined for a shootout. That is until Junior forward Eddie Gerus was able to best the Avon Lake goalie with just 34 seconds remaining in the overtime period to seal the victory for the Bulldogs keeping their championship hopes alive.

The third game of the tournament matched the Bulldogs with the Amherst Comets. Building upon the overtime momentum from the previous game the Bulldogs topped the Comets 3-1 with goals from Norman, Bement, and Kolar. Dougherty, Petitti, Jones, Gerus and Brady added assists to lift Olmsted Falls over Amherst. Senior goalie Pat Butterfield had 16 saves in the winning effort.

In the loser’s bracket final game the Bulldogs had to line up with the Eagles once more, each eying a chance to take on the Brecksville Bees for the SWC title. While Senior goalie Butterfield turned in a tremendous effort it just wasn’t enough to topple the Eagles out of their home nest. North Olmsted carried a 2-0 lead through most of the game until the shut-out killer Nick Riolo once again bested the Eagle’s netminder with a distant slap shot inside of the final two minutes.

Despite the disappointment of losing to crosstown rival North Olmsted twice, the Bulldogs can be proud that they held one of the area’s strongest offensive teams to only 5 goals over two games.

The Bulldogs return to regular season play on Saturday, January 24 at 7:30 PM taking on the Avon Lake Shoremen at the Brooklyn Recreation Center. Tickets can be purchased at the door.