SoCal Sports: JSerra goes 1-3 in CAHA State Championships
The 2021 ice hockey season for the JSerra Varsity Lions has been anything but regular. It has been over a year since the Lions have even played in a hockey game after their 2020 season was abruptly cut short as a result of Covid-19 and quarantine protocols. For an entire year, the Southern Californian high school hockey team was unable to practice or play in any games, let alone see one another in person for class. However, this past weekend, the Lions were finally able to compete for the CAHA (California American Hockey Association) State Championships.
JSerra is one of the competing teams in the ADHSHL (Anaheim Ducks High School Hockey League). A typical season would include around 40 ADHSHL games with the opportunity to win the League championship. Teams would also have the opportunity to further their season in a tournament for the CAHA State Championships where the qualifying teams would compete to move on to play for a National title.
JSerra Catholic High School Winning State & League Championships (2016, 2019)
As Covid cases began to decline, CAHA and the ADHSHL worked closely together to put on a last-minute state championship tournament for the eager high schoolers. While four games couldn’t possibly make up for over an entire season’s worth, these teams would finally get the opportunity to play and travel again. This year’s tournament was bound to be fun as it was held in Las Vegas, Nevada at the Vegas Golden Knights’ practice arena – following safe Covid protocols of course!
The Lions had a great start to the tournament by picking up an early win against Tahoe Prep Academy. They came out strong in the first two periods holding a solid 3-1 lead. However, after the ice cut at the end of the second period, they seemed to relax resulting in a quick goal in the beginning of the third. Tahoe was able to snag a last-minute goal after pulling their goalie resulting in a much closer 4-3 final score.
Their second matchup would be more challenging as they faced off against the favored contender of the tournament, the Orange Lutheran Lancers. Despite the pressure, the Lions played a tight game keeping it tied at 2-2 going into the third. They pulled goaltender Dylan Corbett within the final minutes of play, but ultimately came up short 4-3 with a strong effort and entertaining game.
Finally, the Lions faced off against their league rivals and the two-time National winning team, the Santa Margarita Eagles for the semi-finals. The opening minutes were evenly matched and both teams battled hard until the Eagles struck first. The Eagles were up 2-0 until JSerra found a way to get a loose puck into the net. Two back-to-back powerplays for the Lions resulted in an exciting buzzer beating goal to tie the game by the end of the second period and a mega meltdown from SM’s captain. By tying the game, the Lions had momentum going into the third. However, a quick goal from the Eagles at the start of the period resulted in a huge defensive breakdown by the Lions with the final score being 2-9.
After losing their last two games, the Lions were out of the State Championships and placed third overall. While they ultimately didn’t win the championship, the young Varsity team played a great tournament. The final blowout scores may not reflect it, but the Lions put up a strong effort and with a young team, the future looks bright. After all, the weekend meant a lot more than winning titles. It was more about being able to make the most of this Covid situation and celebrating getting closer towards normal life again. Overall, the future for the JSerra Lions looks bright and the seniors won’t graduate empty handed from another robbed season.
