by St. Ignatius controlled the first half and held off a stronger push from Brecksville in the second half, earning a 4–1 victory. The Wildcats used four first-half goals to build a commanding lead before Brecksville answered late in the match.
From the opening minutes, St. Ignatius controlled much of the action and consistently created opportunities in the attacking third. The Wildcats recorded 20 shots in the first half, compared with 12 for Brecksville. St. Ignatius also recorded six saves during the opening half, while Brecksville’s goalkeeper made 11 saves.
St. Ignatius opened the scoring with 34:20 remaining in the first half. Matthew Smith found the back of the net off an assist from Gavin Woodhams, giving the Wildcats a 1–0 lead. St. Ignatius continued to pressure Brecksville and added another goal at 15:07, when Gray Galauner scored with another assist from Woodhams.
The Wildcats continued their offensive attack late in the half. Zac Radman scored at 12:06, extending the lead to 3–0. Just 20 seconds later, Woodhams scored an unassisted goal at 11:46, giving St. Ignatius a 4–0 advantage heading into halftime.
Despite the four-goal deficit, Brecksville came out with increased pressure in the second half. Both teams recorded eight shots after halftime, showing that the Bees were able to make the game more competitive. Brecksville continued looking for opportunities while trying to cut into the St. Ignatius lead.
The Bees finally broke through with 5:28 remaining when Dominic Dean scored a goal. The goal made the score 4–1 and gave Brecksville some momentum, but St. Ignatius’ defense held strong for the remainder of the match.
St. Ignatius finished with 28 total shots, including 20 in the first half and eight in the second. Brecksville finished with 20 shots, recording 12 before halftime and eight afterward.
Final: St. Ignatius 4, Brecksville 1.
Players of the Game:
St. Ignatius: Gavin Woodhams — Finished with one goal and two assists, contributing directly to three of St. Ignatius’ four goals. His two assists helped the Wildcats establish their early advantage before he added a goal of his own late in the first half.
Brecksville: Dominic Dean — Scored Brecksville’s only goal of the match, finding the net with 5:28 remaining. His goal gave the Bees some momentum late in the game and capped a stronger second-half effort.
