DuPage Stars hockey captures Cougar Cup title

BENSENVILLE – The DuPage Stars' season came down to one game.

The Stars took the ice for the third and deciding game of their Illinois High School Hockey League Cougar Cup championship series against the Fox Valley Hawks on March 19 at The Edge.

The teams split two offensive games to start the series; DuPage won a tight 2-0 game to win the Cougar Cup.

After tallying just one win a season ago, the Stars capped their 2015-16 with a 23-7 record.

The Stars lost 8-2 in the first game of the championship series, then won 7-4 to send the series to a winner-take-all third game.

The offensive fireworks from the first two games of the series were gone as both teams played tighter defensively, slowing down the quick attacks of both offenses.

The Stars staved off a few early turnovers and kept the game scoreless until there was 2:11 remaining in the first period, when senior Josh Smith sent a seeing-eye shot from the blue line toward the net that made it through a screen and past Fox Valley goalie Aaron Karkos for a 1-0 lead. Sophomore Billy Carroll picked up an assist on the goal.

The Stars thought they had a two-goal lead just before the end of the period when a deflected shot fluttered into the net, but it was ruled to have been batted with a high stick and the goal was disallowed.

After killing off three consecutive penalties, the Stars received a power play midway through the second period. Freshman Levi Bollnow stepped into the offensive zone, made a great toe drag move around the defense, and fired a quick wrist shot that beat Karkos top corner for a 2-0 lead. Senior Jack McGann and junior Mike Schuten were credited with assists on the goal.

From there, senior goalie Patrick O'Connor took over the game, stopping 13 shots, including several on two furious rallies in the third period. He made 29 saves to earn a shutout in his final high school game.

As the clock ticked to zero, the Stars' bench emptied and the ice was littered with helmets and gloves as the team mobbed O'Connor in celebration. After they were presented the Cougar Cup on the ice, the Stars paraded it around the rink Stanley Cup-style, with each player taking a turn hoisting the cup over his head.

McGann, O'Connor, Smith, Brett Bavcevic, Jake Soukup and Brant Zarnowksi were seniors for the Stars this season.