'We don't just want to play hockey, we want to win': St. X has big plans for rivalry game
Henry Ropp and Jack Schaltz, two of St. Xavier ice hockey's senior captains, stayed out on the ice until the very last moment possible Thursday night. The two worked on passes and shots as the rest of the team filed to the locker room. Ropp, Schaltz and the Bombers were on the ice for the last time before they face their biggest rivals, the Moeller Crusaders, in an important mid-season clash on Saturday.
"I remember watching it as a sophomore when varsity beat 'em in overtime and I remember feeling how electric it was just to be in the student section and I couldn't imagine actually being on the ice when it happened," Schaltz said after finally leaving the ice on Thursday.
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"That's kind of something I've always wanted to replicate. It's something that I've been thinking about the last couple of weeks heading up to the big game."
Schaltz was referring to the Crosstown Hockey Classic of 2022 when the Bombers won 4-3 in OT. When Schaltz took the ice for the big game last season, the results weren't what he had hoped for, as the Crusaders took the win 3-1.
More: Cool photos from Moeller ice hockey's first conference win
This season, the Crusaders are coming in as the slight underdogs with a 13-11-3 record, while the Bombers hold a 17-5-2 record and wins over powerhouses like Upper Arlington.
"I guess we've kind of held each other to a different standard this year. We don't just want to play hockey, we want to win," Ropp said of the Bombers' successful season so far.
Of course, records and past performances can fly right out the window when a big rivalry is in play.
"A lot of us grew up with (those guys), went to school with them and stuff. So on one side, it's pretty fun to play against those guys. But at the same time, it's a different level of competitiveness," Moeller's Blake Newlin said after the Crusaders' last practice on Thursday.
The Crusaders have won four of their last six games and are fighting to stay in the top three of the highly competitive Red Division of the Capital Hockey Conference. A win against St. Xavier would go a long way in paving a clear path for a postseason run as they currently sit just above .500 in conference play.
The Bombers are heading into Saturday's game on a three-game winning streak after starting 2024 with a couple of losses. At practice on Thursday, assistant coaches Brian Siuda and Josh Roesel were certain the boys had found their footing again and had some bold predictions for the big game.
"It'll definitely be a close game. I think 4-3," Siuda said, predicting a St. X win.
"I was gonna say 4-2 with the fourth one being an empty-netter," was Roesel's guess for the final score.
Big arena, big crowd
One thing that makes this game so special for the players and fans alike is the location. The game is taking place at Heritage Bank Center, home to the Cincinnati Cyclones of the ECHL, and adds to the big atmosphere around this rivalry.
"I think everyone gets worried (for the game). It's such a big game, plus the crowd. I think the crowd makes it a little more nerve-wracking," Moeller senior defenseman Mario Haavig said on Thursday.
He added that the crowd also pushes the team to compete even harder.
"I know last year we had one of the biggest crowds, I think in Moeller history, come out to the game. So hopefully we'll get to look around and try to get that same energy."
The game is free to attend and is set for a 6 p.m. puck drop on Saturday.
Senior spotlight
Moeller goalie Noah Smith has put in a strong senior year, wracking up two shutouts including a 24-save performance against St. Charles. Smith is expected to be in net against St. Xavier.
St. Xavier forward Christopher Heekin is riding a two-game hat trick streak from last weekend and has 22 goals so far this season. Having the hot stick means he will be a player to watch against the Crusaders.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: St. X, Moeller hockey ready for next chapter of crosstown rivalry
