The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
North Olmsted out of state tournament after OT loss
Sometimes in the state tournament, you have to be bold and believe in the people you have.
Sometimes you need a little bit of puck luck as well.
Selecting its spot in the bracket immediately after Padua, North Olmsted showed it was ready to be bold and trust its players when coach Ben Palocko elected to face the Bruins in the Brooklyn District first round at the annual tournament draw with 17 other slots still open in the bracket.
Unfortunately, the puck luck was not there for the Eagles, as Padua won, 4-3, in overtime on CJ Talion’s rebound goal six minutes into the extra frame on Feb. 13 at Brooklyn’s John M. Coyne Recreation Center.
Padua advances to face Rocky River in a sectional semifinal on
Feb. 17 at 5 p.m.
North Olmsted ends its season at 15-7-0.
“I never like to be a coach that talks about puck bounces because it always kind of is going both ways,” Palocko said. “We had a few things that just didn’t work out for us, but that’s part of the game and how it works out sometimes.”
On three separate occasions, the puck just refused to help out the Eagles.
In the second period, a bad clearance by Padua goalie RJ Shuette was snagged by North Olmsted’s Riley Vertosnik. The junior fired off a shot from a tough angle, which hit the crossbar, bounced of Shuette’s back and hit the right post without going in.
Early in the third period, Vertosnik took a shot that was trickling toward the net when Shuette covered it as it was crossing the line, preserving the Bruins’ 1-0 lead.
And then, after all that, the harshest lack of puck luck came.
As time expired, Vertosnik ripped another shot that went in. Unfortunately, it was a split second after the final horn sounded, sending the game into overtime at 3-3.
“If I was thinking, I would have just had them switch the pucks out,” Palocko joked. “Maybe that’s all that needed to happen. Get a fresh puck out there.”
In spite of the lack of luck, though, the Eagles were right in it following the second period, as Ryan Kisel’s goal with 7:41 to play in the period was the lone Padua tally.
That is due to the play of senior goalie Ryan Godin.
The heart of North Olmsted made 34 saves in his finale, including six in the second period.
“Ryan is just cool as a cucumber,” Palocko said. “I came to this team when he was a freshman. For four years, he’s been the most mature guy in the room. Nothing rattles him. He’s got that goaltender demeanor that you really can’t teach. You won’t know if the world was ending or if he won the lottery before the game. He just gets into the zone.”
After Padua extended its lead to 2-0 on a Talion goal with 10:34 to play, the Eagles got on the board courtesy of a Vertosnik goal with 9:25 to play.
Three goals were scored in the span of 28 seconds to leave the game knotted at 3-3 with 3:44 to play.
Vertosnik and Jake Mlady provided the goals for North Olmsted. Mlady’s came on a power play.