CLEVELAND, Ohio — The 2023-24 ice hockey season ended with St. Ignatius winning the state title, but that didn’t spell the end of the accomplishments for players and teams in Northeast Ohio.
Here is this year’s Cleveland.com Ice Hockey All-Stars, a group culled from cleveland.com’s seven-county coverage area in Northeast Ohio.
Player of the Year
Braden Esenwine, St. Ignatius, Sr. - Forward
St. Ignatius head coach Pat O’Rourke had a special group of players that led to the Wildcats’ eighth state title, but perhaps the most impactful on the ice was senior Esenwine.
A titan for his team throughout the state tournament, Esenwine had the signature moment of the state title game with his short-handed goal in the second period that gave the Wildcats a 2-0 lead they wouldn’t look back from.
Esenwine earned Ohio Player of the Year from the state coaches association after a season with 81 points. He was second on the Wildcats in goals scored with 24. His selfless play was most notable in the assists column with a team-high 57.
Here’s the rest of the first team:
First Team
Sam Wade, University School, Sr. - Forward
An explosive goal scorer throughout his entire high school career, Wade made improvements every year to culminate in a 55-goal season and return trip to the state championship game this year.
Wade helped to redefine Preppers hockey with his ability to finish around the net and came through in big moments. He ended his high school career second in University School history in career goals with 101.
He recorded more than a dozen multi-goal games as a senior and was held without a goal in just three games. He finished last season with 35 assists on top of his impressive goal total and ended the regular season on a nine-game points scoring streak to help his team earn the top seed in the Kent regional.
In rewriting the history books during his four years at University School, Wade elevated not only the status of Preppers hockey, but the play of everyone around him. His tenacious style of play earned him the Greater Ohio Hockey League Player of The Year and first-team All-Ohio.
Geoffrey Lapsevich, St. Edward, Sr. - Forward
St. Edward’s push to the Brooklyn Regional title game couldn’t have been accomplished without the play of senior Geoffrey Lapsevich.
Lapsevich, who earned second-team All-Ohio, lead the Eagles in goals with 25 and points scored with 39. He also had a plus/minus of plus-19. He averaged more than a point per game (1.30).
His 14 assists were tied for second on the team, further illustrating Lapsevich’s importance to the Eagles offense to getting a game within a trip to Columbus.
Nolan Ignacio, St. Ignatius, Jr. - Defender
A talented multi-sport athlete with a background in baseball and hockey, Ignacio received high praise for his knowledge of the game on the ice, earning first-team All-Ohio this year.
Ignacio’s stats as a defensemen for the Wildcats were more than admirable with nine goals and 14 assists, but it was his play preventing rushes and goals that made him a standout.
His speed and instincts were nearly unmatched this past season as the Wildcats were a defensive team first with some impressive goal scorers to pave the way to the top.
Logan Klaiber, St. Edward, Sr. - Defender
Few defenders in the state were as talented at finishing at the net as well as containing offenses like Klaiber.
Rarely do defensemen finish third on a team in goals, but Klaiber did just that with 15 on the season, helping earn him first-team All-Ohio.
His ability to push the puck up ice to create offense was critical for the Eagles with 10 assists. Klaiber’s ability to disrupt offenses in the defensive end helped give the Eagles one of the top defenses in Northeast Ohio.
Dominic Filizetti, St. Ignatius, Sr. - Goalkeeper
The last line of defense behind one of the stingiest defenses in the state, Filizetti was as impressive in goal as it gets at the high school level.
He enjoyed a .915 save percentage in his senior year with 799 saves and only 74 goals allowed.
Filizetti recorded five clean sheet performances along the way with a goals against average of 2.55. His hard work paid off in a major way with first-team All-Ohio honors and a 22-6-1 record in the net.
Coach of the Year
Patrick O’Rourke, St. Ignatius
Bringing the hockey state title back to Northeast Ohio for the first time since 2022 was just the icing on the cake for O’Rourke. In the midst of a legendary coaching career with hundreds of talented athletes over the years, O’Rourke knew the 2023-24 team was special.
But just how special he didn’t know until the final horn sounded inside Nationwide Arena in Columbus.
Calling this year’s squad the most talented he had enjoyed with the St. Ignatius program, O’Rourke still had to make sure his players got the job done to achieve the ultimate goal.
O’Rourke was the first to give his players credit for the Wildcats’ success, but his leadership and experience with seven state titles to his credit in 19 seasons are unrivaled in the state of Ohio.
Honorable Mention
Ryder Beegun, University School
Noah Caballero, University School
Jacob Jackson, Rocky River
Lucas Opdycke, Rocky River
Cooper Pettipeice, University School
Dario Piazza, St. Ignatius
Luke Skapoulas, Rocky River
Carter Smith, St. Edward
A.J. Trobenter, Mentor
Dylan Vidmar, St. Edward
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