LIFE ON HIMES
On the
NATIONAL
STAGE
Spending a few late-winter days in
Minnesota is few people’s idea of
a dream come true. But for Jesuit
hockey, that’s exactly what it was.
The Tigers capped a fantastic 2017-18
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in the USA Hockey High School National
Championships in Plymouth, Minn. in
March.
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been in existence for a decade as a
club program – were much more than
frigid visitors from the Sunshine State.
Jesuit won 2 of its 3 round-robin games
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succumbing to national powerhouse
Regis Jesuit of Colorado.
The Tigers were one of 16 teams
competing in High School Division I,
which is comprised of “pure” teams
whose players all come from the same
school. This year, both the runner-up
and champion of the Florida Tier I State
Tournament (pure teams) were invited
to participate at Nationals. At the State
Tournament, Jesuit defeated defending
Tier I champion North Broward Prep in
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by Parkland Stoneman Douglas in the
championship in an emotional game
played a short time after the shooting
tragedy at Stoneman Douglas.
The Tigers, who are coached by former
Tampa Bay Lightning player Jassen Cullimore,
had an outstanding regular season
in the Lightning High School Hockey
16 JESUIT PERSPECTIVES • SPRING 2018
League, winning the Andreychuk Division with a 17-3-2 record. In the Lightning Cup
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shootout. East Manatee, which draws players from multiple schools, won both the
Lightning Cup and the Tier II state championship.
Jesuit was led by Josh Burke ’19 (39 goals, 33 assists in the regular season), who
was the league’s scholar-athlete of the year, Nolan Forrest ’18 (35g, 30a), and Kyle
Repar ’18 (21g, 22a). Burke and Forrest ranked 1st and 2nd, respectively in assists in
the LHSHL this season, and Burke was 2nd in points and 3rd in goals. Goaltender
Paul Coats ’18 anchored the defense with a 2.70 goals against average and .846 save
percentage.
In addition to Burke, Forrest, Repar, and Coats, the players who competed for Jesuit
in Minnesota were: Justin Bailey ’20, Sammy Barranco ’19, Tyler Beach ’20, Owen
Forrest ’20, Trent Gephart ’19, Joseph Koebbe ’21, Marc Kohlhepp ’18, Luke Lehman
’21, Deacon More ’18, Ethan Nunez ’21, Matthew Salustro ’20, Andrew Smith ’21,
Matthew Smith ’20, Matthew Starkey ’20, Ryan Tuccio ’18, and Trevor Wardell ’20.
Hockey reaches
the Quarterfinals
of the High School
Championships in
Minnesota
Jesuit faced national power Regis Jesuit
of Colorado after going 2-1 in pool play
Josh Burke '19
ABOVE: Following the national quarterfinal
game vs. Regis Jesuit, players from both teams
spontaneously gathered in a prayer circle