The Nordonia Knights –ranked 15th overall ended their varsity hockey season with a 5-2 win against the 12th ranked –Orange Lions @ Kent State Ice Arena. The team celebrated their first playoff game win since 2007, which was the first year that Nordonia was an official varsity hockey team. The 2007 game was also played and won against Orange.
Nordonia and Orange were even in the first round with each getting one goal, first unassisted goal scored by Sophomore Noah Vega #11. At the start of the second period, Senior Daniel Kimpton #5 brought the team to 2 goals, with an assist from Junior Brett Rapp #21, and Noah Vega. Jacob Waite #24 snagged a pass from Owen Tindall #10, scoring a shorthanded goal, followed by Brett Rapp on an unassisted power play goal bringing Nordonia to four goals. Owen Tindall slid a biscuit into the empty netter snatching Nordonia’s fifth and final goal, as Orange pulled their goalie. Senior Goalie Kevin Waite had 22 saves and the win!
Final score Nordonia -5, Orange-2.
“Our team played very well despite missing two players. The first period we outshot Orange 12 to 8. We controlled most of the period, with one penalty for NHS”. “In the second period, we controlled the game very well allowing only three shots from them”, remembers Coach Rich Cinalli. Cinalli adds, “the team trusted each other, moved the puck, and passed with precision. They worked together confidently as a team”. The penalty bug got Orange in the second period, and it grabbed a hold of Nordonia in the third.
OHSAA State Tournament Games Played March 11 and 12th, 2023 Nationwide Arena in Columbus, OH where the winners of the Kent/Sylvania and Columbus/Brooklyn will compete for state champion.
Live Video Streams https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/associations/ohsaa/Ice%20Hockey
