Columbus — Following a 1-1 start to the season, the St. Charles Cardinals faced Cincinnati Moeller in a rematch on Sunday in downtown Columbus, aiming to secure a sweep in Capital Hockey Conference play. The Cardinals edged out a 4-3 victory over Moeller in their first meeting on November 15.
The opening period was a defensive stalemate, with neither team able to find the back of the net in the first 15 minutes. St. Charles generated several quality scoring opportunities, coming within inches of breaking through on multiple occasions, but the Cardinals ultimately headed to the locker room locked in a scoreless tie after one.
St. Charles Head Coach Danny Griener emphasized missed opportunities during the first intermission. “We had chances; we just had to keep doing what we were doing,” he said. “When you stay persistent, those chances eventually start going in.”
Cincinnati Moeller came out strong in the second period, netting two goals to put St. Charles in a 2-0 deficit. However, the Cardinals responded with a flurry of offense, scoring three quick goals at 5:36, 4:22, and 3:30 remaining in the period. Coach Greiner praised his team’s resiliency, “We got off to a slow start and went down two goals, but the resiliency and ability to overcome that deficit speaks volumes about the leadership and the kids we have here,” he said.
Danny Roncone, Luke Myers, and Collin Hughes each found the back of the net, turning the tide and giving St. Charles a 3-2 lead. The Cardinals carried that momentum into the locker room, holding their advantage at the end of the second period.
Cincinnati Moeller wasted no time in the third period, leveling the score at 3-all within the first minute. However, St. Charles remained resilient and overcame the adversity once again. John Vincent III netted the game-winner with 7:42 remaining, and Benjamin Nickey added an insurance goal to secure a 5-3 victory, completing the CHC sweep of Cincinnati Moeller.
Benjamin Nickey and Collin Hughes each recorded their first high school goals in St. Charles’ victory, while Luke Myers contributed a goal and two assists. Despite the win, Head Coach Danny Greiner highlighted areas for improvement, particularly on defense. “We have to be cleaner on breakouts; two of their goals came because we didn’t clear the puck or get it out cleanly,” Greiner said. “We’ll work on that first pass to avoid turnovers and make sure we’re solid defensively moving forward.”
St. Charles (2-1-0) returns to action on Black Friday at the University of Notre Dame against Bowling Green at Compton Family Ice Arena.
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