By Denise Dunbar | ddunbar@alextimes.com

The Bishop Ireton Cardinals Ice Hockey team won the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference Metro Conference championship on Feb. 18, defeating Good Counsel 8-2 at The Gardens Ice House in Laurel, Maryland. The victory capped off a season in which Bishop Ireton went 8-0 in the Metro Conference and skated to a 14-8-1 overall record.

Coach Anthony DiCarlo said despite having a strong group of undergraduate players – sophomore Owen Roberts was named the conference player of the year – his seniors led the way.

“I’m a big believer seniors help you win high school games,” DiCarlo said. “I had a great group of seniors this year.”

Senior defensive player Arthur Seng was team captain, while senior defensive player Joe Lis and senior forwards Jack Hare and Henry Swoope were alternate captains. Sarah Payne, George Pacious and Jake Zientek were the other seniors on the B.I. roster.

Lis, Seng and Roberts were named to the WCAC first team all-conference roster, while forward Ryan Quaid and freshman goalie Johnie Hays were named second team all-conference.

DiCarlo said Hays did a great job as goalie despite being a first-year player.

“Hayes really played well all season. He was great for us. Freshman goalie, you don’t know what it’s going to be like, but he played great,” DiCarlo said.

DiCarlo, who has been B.I.’s ice hockey coach for 16 years, said the WCAC only formed the Metro Conference four years ago, and B.I. has won each of the last two played seasons, with 2020- 21 canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Cardinals have also competed in the Northern Virginia Scholastic Hockey League and the Capital Scholastic Hockey League, which consists of mostly public schools.

B.I. defeated St. Mary’s Ryken in the WCAC tournament semifinals by a 12-2 score to reach the championship. B.I. underclassmen accounted for all of the scoring in the championship game, led by Jacob Middel, who secured a hat trick with three goals. Quaid scored two goals, and Roberts, Jackson Carnemark and Colin Regan had one goal each.

DiCarlo said the tournament victory was a great way to cap a season that began back in October.

“We had some significant ups and downs during the season. But I think that the seniors really proved who they were in the end and kept the team together and that’s why they’re WCAC Champions,” DiCarlo said.