High school hockey report
It was a storybook ending last Sunday for St. Viator senior center Christian DiVito, one that players dream about for years.
DiVito and linemate Ricky Gattone were on a 2-on-1 break in the second overtime of the Scholastic Cup championship game against Barrington, played in Northbrook in front of about 400 fans — including a contingent of fellow Viator students.
Gattone passed the puck to DiVito, a right-handed shooter who was on the left side of the ice at the time. DiVito one-timed it home for the game-winner as the Lions roared with elation, winning 1-0.
“That was really cool, a very nice way to end my senior year, just a great feeling,” said DiVito, whose shot went into the upper left-hand corner. “I just saw the shot go in, and then heard everybody start cheering.
“That definitely was one of the top goals of my career.”
And DiVito certainly had many to compare that one with. This season, he had 43 goals and 43 assists in 71 games played. The Lions finished 48-19-4, losing 6-1 to St. Rita in the Elite Eight round of the state tournament last Saturday.
“Winning the Scholastic Cup, that was a highlight of the season, a real cool feeling, a great way to end the season,” DiVito said. “We were pretty devastated losing to St. Rita (in the Blackhawk Cup), but winning the Scholastic Cup really was a good feeling.
“Scoring the game-winning goal is something I will always remember, a once-in-a-lifetime moment.”
DiVito, 18, a Hoffman Estates resident, was in his third season on the Lions varsity and he centered the team’s top line — with left-handed shooting Gattone on right wing and Jeremy Linzing on the left side. DiVito also saw action on the Lions’ powerplay and penalty-kill units.
He was an all-state player who also earned Metro North and Catholic League all-star honors, and was the MVP of the Metro All-Star Game.
“Christian is a complete hockey player. His offensive numbers speak for themselves, 86 points in 71 games, and he scores his points in big games,” said St. Viator coach Evan Poulakidas. “What’s led to the success of this team is his unselfish play and how responsible he is at the defensive end of the ice. He understands what it takes to win. He wears the letter ‘C’ on his jersey for a reason.”
DiVito and Gattone were co-captains this season.
“Christian has always been one of the hardest workers on the team, and leads by example as a captain should,” Gattone said. “He gave his all for every single play of every single game. It was an honor to be linemates with him for the past two years.
“He is a combination of talent, heart and determination, and you couldn’t ask for more in a center. Spending the last two years on his line was an amazing ride, and to be honest, the thought of playing with another center is scary.”
DiVito is an honors student and undecided on college in the fall, though he’s considering Michigan State, Indiana and DePaul.
His older brother, Johnny, is a freshman at DePaul — and he was a two-year Lions defenseman. Johnny’s fraternal twin, Andree, is a freshman at Marquette, and she played soccer and tennis for St. Viator.
The DiVito crew also includes fraternal twins Annalise and Dominique, 14, eighth-grade soccer players bound for St. Viator in the fall.
“It’s cool,” Christian said modestly of being the only non-twin in his family. He added, with a laugh, “I don’t have to share a birthday with anyone (in my family).”
One thing Christian definitely did celebrate last fall was his success in the Blackhawks’ traditional between-periods, on-ice shooting accuracy contest. Christian stood at center ice at the United Center during the Hawks’ game against Edmonton and immediately drilled his first shot into the net, earning himself a United Airlines round-trip ticket in the contiguous 48 States.
“That was really cool, a highlight,” DiVito said. “It was a lot of fun.”
He failed to score in the second round of the United Airlines’ promotion for an international airline ticket.
DiVito hasn’t used the airline ticket yet, mostly because of a loaded hockey slate since last September, but he’s considering heading west for a ski vacation.
“Hockey is such a big part of my life,” said DiVito, who also enjoys wake boarding and dirt bike riding.
But hockey is his forte.
“I think the best facet to his game is his work away from the puck,” Gattone said. “He finds space to support you, sticks to his position in the defensive zone, and concocts a way to bury the puck any chance he is given. Add to that his puck control and shooting ability and he becomes a force on the ice.
“However, it’s his hard work that really gets the job done. He never quits on a play, and that was perfectly displayed in his game-winning goal. I couldn’t have thought of a better situation to close out the season. He was the one who deserved (to score the game-winner) the most.
“That final play is something that will stick with me the rest of my life. I’m not sure how the puck ended up on my stick, but I had the confidence in him to know he would get the job done if I delivered it to him, and he did just that. It was something I will remember forever.”
Especially since the Lions came into the season with plenty of question marks following key graduations last year.
“We lost a lot of seniors (from last year’s team), so we weren’t really sure how we’d be this year, but we knew we had it in us. And it was a great season,” DiVito said. “Sure, we had some rough times, but we really fought through things.
“Just being with the team this year was a highlight. All of the guys, I loved playing with them, spending all of the time together that we did. It really was a fun team, and I know I’ll miss the team next year.”
Blackhawk Cup:
The Blackhawk Cup championship game Sunday will feature New Trier Green against Glenbrook North at 6 p.m. at the United Center. The Trevians defeated St. Rita 2-1 on Monday at The Edge Ice Arena in Bensenville in a semifinal. The Spartans advanced to the title game with a 3-2 semifinal win over Fenwick.
“I’m proud of my team that we found a way to win (the semifinal),” said Trevians coach Bob Melton. “It’s a great team accomplishment to get back to the UC. It’s never easy and I’m very excited.”
The White Division of the Blackhawk Cup features Deerfield against Oak Park-River Forest on Sunday at The Edge in one of the two semifinals.
OPRF shocked No. 1 seed Wheaton Warrenville South 7-2 last Friday. In the other White semifinal, Loyola Maroon battles Metro North rival Highland Park.
The White Division championship is Thursday at The Edge at 6:40 p.m.
Buffalo Grove remains alive in the Combined Division of the Blackhawk Cup and next battles Maine Township co-op on Saturday at The Edge.
Also advancing to the Elite Eight: Rockford, Cary-Grove, Waubonsie Valley, S.O.R.E., Glenbard and St. Charles North. The Combined Division Championship game is next Thursday at The Edge.
Kennedy Cup:
Bragging rights in the Catholic League are on the line when rivals Fenwick and St. Rita battle it out in the best-of-three championship round series. Fenwick swept Marist in the semifinals to advance, while St. Rita stopped Notre Dame in its best-of-three series.
ISHL happenings:
The co-op St. Charles North team was the best of the bunch in the Illinois Suburban Hockey League (ISHL), finishing 18-2. St. Charles led the league in goals (133) and allowed only 34 in 20 games.
Senior forward Christian Esposito led the team with 26 goals and 12 assists. Junior forward Tom Vogel had 11 goals and 17 assists, while senior forward Joe Pappas had 7 goals and a team-high 20 assists.
St. Charles goalie Skyler McInnis had a 1.74 goals-against average in 19 games.
Tyler Schwichtenberg, a senior forward for the co-op Glenbard team, led the ISHL with 15 goals and 30 assists. Senior forward Dan Tranchida (Lyons Township) was second in scoring with 19 goals and 21 assists.
What a season:
Senior Mike Vilardo, who had one of the best seasons in recent memory, could be the least-known player in the state.
Playing for Cary-Grove in Metro Central, Vilardo rattled off 50 goals and 33 assists in 20 regular-season games. He had 3 power-play goals, scored 7 short-handed and netted 4 game-winners. Vilardo had five 4-goal games. In five Scholastic Cup games, Vilardo had 10 goals, 3 assists … The 2011 Blackhawk Alumni Scholarship recipients were announced: Frank Alvino of St. Viator, Brianne Mahoney of Nazareth Academy and Trevor Santoro of Evanston. A luncheon will be held in their honor on Tuesday, March 15, at the McDonald’s Lodge in Oakbrook.