St. Ignatius, St. Edward ice hockey rivalry has been the pathway to the OHSAA state final four

CLEVELAND, Ohio — One of the safest bets in sports is a Brooklyn Regional rinal between St. Edward and St. Ignatius.

For seven of the past 10 seasons, the storied rivalry between the Wildcats and Eagles has determined who goes to Columbus for the state Frozen Four, which is a pretty wild stat.

By the numbers, the Wildcats have won five of the seven matchups and went on to win the state in four of those instances. The Wildcats also won in 2020, but the state tournament was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Wildcats beat the Eagles last season in the regional final then claimed the state title over University School for the program's eighth championship in hockey.

The Eagles last claimed a win in the regional finals over the Wildcats in 2022. Overall, the Eagles have been to the state final four 23 times, with the most recent of their 11 state titles coming in 2008.

The Wildcats have been to state 11 times, with eight titles.

You have to go back to 2013 to find a Brooklyn Regional final that didn't include at least one of the teams, and you have to go back to 2007 to find a year when they both didn't at least reach the regional semifinals.

The road to state in the region goes through St. Edward and St. Ignatius. And that reminds one person heavily invested in the rivalry of another famous clash between two storied programs.

"It's like OSU-Michigan, it's definitely still the rivalry game, it's a humongous crowd, but it's also winner goes to Columbus and that's the ultimate goal," St. Ignatius coach Pat O'Rourke said. "You have to balance both of those things, but I think it makes it even sweeter. It heightens everything and we would play the Boston Bruins to try and go to Columbus, it doesn't matter who it is."

Neither side will have to worry about the Bruins just yet, but both are using the same technology as the pros, looking to gain an edge over the other in any game they line up against one another.

"It's almost like SEC football, we're just looking for the smallest tendencies and there's all this software now you can use to break down other teams," O'Rourke said. "It's like spy games. Sometimes you hold some things back during the regular season or try and go against tendencies. It's really intriguing, it's one of the more fun things to do in the sport."

The rivalry has evolved from regular season meetings, to now conference championships in the recently formed Greater Ohio Hockey League, to representing Northeast Ohio at the state level. It's clear both coaches have a high level of respect for one another and each program.

"It's a great storied rivalry and we do play a lot of similar teams, whether it be in the area or the region like Michigan or whatever it may be," St. Edward coach Tim Sullivan said. "The regular season game, it's always the Ignatius Week, or Eds Week for them, and then when we get to the postseason, not that the rivalry is not there, but I think at that point you're really looking at ultimate prize which is a state championship.

"You don't put the rivalry aside, but to a point you do because it's different. Winner doesn't get bragging rights anymore for the rivalry, winner gets an opportunity to move on. It's two different feels to a point."

And while there is a kinship between the two coaches for most of the year, the smiles and secrets are put away for a few hours when the two teams meet in a game, which is unlike any other you'll find in high school hockey.

"It's a pretty classy rivalry and Tim and I have known each other for a long time, probably since we were 4 years old, and we get a long really well, it's just for those two hours we're going at each other scratching and clawing," O'Rourke said. "In the months and weeks before and after, I like to call us friends, and in terms of the atmosphere, there's nothing like it."

One thing Sullivan is particularly proud of for both schools is bucking this idea that the only route for elite hockey is through the junior programs, not high school hockey.

"Our two programs have proven to the hockey community that this is a pathway to the next level if a player wants to play at the next level," Sullivan said. "The stigma that (high school hockey) is not a pathway to the next level has been debunked by our two programs, by players playing three or four years for us and moving on to the next level.

"We hear all the time from some other organizations that if you play high school hockey, then you're pretty much throwing it away and I challenge that statement over the last four years. I think the two programs have done a great job of fostering a way for our players who choose to move on to move on. The proof is in the facts of our kids playing at the junior level right now over the last four or five years."

For the players that do play in the high school ranks to represent their school, the environment the Eds vs. Ignatius game cultivates is unlike any other you will see in a crowded high school arena.

"Even if you go watch some of the travel teams, they never play in front of 2,000 people, and if anybody goes on to play college hockey, they'll be prepared for that because that's what those crowds are like," O'Rourke said. "It really tells you a lot about yourself when you get in those games. It's not the same when there's 40 people in the stands and it's mom and dad, maybe a couple of grandparents and there's no electricity. This is electric and some guys shy away from it, some rise to the occasion and you really don't know until you get into the game and find out about yourself."

The Eagles and Wildcats renew their rivalry on Dec. 6 at Winterhurst Ice Arena, knowing it's probably not the last time they'll see each other this season.