Supreme at USA Hockey Nationals

outscored opponents 30-6 along the way. SSM capped off the tournament with a 4-1 win over the Philadelphia Jr. Flyers to come away with the crown.

Just 30 minutes later and 1,600 miles away in San Jose, California, the Boys Prep team was gearing up for its championship tilt. SSM jumped out to a quick lead and never looked back as it cruised to a 10-2 victory over the Buffalo Regals to claim the 10th title in team history, and ninth under head coach Tom Ward. Eight different players scored in the win, while goalie Liam Beerman ’23 stopped 49 of the 51 shots he faced.

In all, 12 Sabres were named to the All-Tournament team in their respective divisions. SSM also boasted the leading scorer in each of the divisions.

Director of Hockey Ben Umhoefer ’05 summed up what the wins meant for the Hockey COE. “As a program, we lean heavily on the leadership from our senior class. To have every senior win a national championship this season is not only the perfect way for them to go out, but more importantly, further validates the enormous impact they’ve made on our program. This was a special season for us. Four national championships was an amazing way to cap it off. We are really proud of this group of players.”

SSM has now won 32 national championships in the last 24 years, cementing itself as one of the top hockey programs in the nation.

Sabre Quintet Takes Gold at Women’s Worlds

Six graduates of the SSM Hockey Center of Excellence represented their countries at the 2023 IIHF Women’s World Championship in Brampton, Canada, April 5-16. Blayre Turnbull ’11 served as an assistant captain for Canada, while the American squad was led by Amanda Kessel ’10, Aerin Frankel ’17, Abbey Levy ’18, Hannah Bilka ’19, and Lacey Eden ’20.

Despite Canada entering the tournament as the two-time defending champion, it was Team USA and the SSM contingent that came out on top, defeating the host country 6-3 in the championship game. Kessel had two assists in the title game and finished with nine points overall. Bilka meanwhile netted four goals and added three assists in seven games. Frankel had a breakout performance as she ranked second among all goaltenders with a 93.18 save percentage and 1.48 goals against average in six games.

Girls Hockey Alums Win NCAA Title

When the final buzzer sounded on the 2023 NCAA Division I Women’s National Championship and the Wisconsin Badgers celebrated their title, three members of the championship squad were familiar faces within the Shattuck-St. Mary’s community.

Natalie Buchbinder ’17, Lacey Eden ’20, and Casey O’Brien ’20 are all alumni of the Girls Hockey Center of Excellence and honed their skills at SSM. This was not the first championship for any of the trio, as they also helped Wisconsin claim the crown in 2021. O’Brien led the Badgers with 48 points in 41 games this season, while Eden was third on the team with 40 points in 40 games. The Badgers defeated Ohio State 1-0 to capture their seventh national title in program history. This marks the third straight year that the winning team has had multiple SSM alumni on it. In total, eight former Sabres suited up in the national championship game as five alums play for the Buckeyes.

Lonan Bulger ’19 Captures NCAA Crown

In late March, Lonan Bulger ’19 and the Hobart Statesmen won the 2023 NCAA Division III Men’s Ice Hockey National Championship as they defeated Adrian College 3-2 in overtime. Bulger suited up in 19 games and registered two assists as a defenseman for Hobart. He helped the team’s defensive unit lead the nation, allowing just 1.19 goals per game on the season.

Golf COE Caps off Impressive Year

The Shattuck-St. Mary’s Golf Center of Excellence had many highlights to celebrate during the 2022-2023 season. In total, SSM golfers medaled 13 times throughout the year. Arguably the program’s best performance came at the Hurricane Junior Golf Tour Chicago Fall Junior Open on October 15 and 16. Paige Mier ’23 and Reese Keating (PG) secured a one-two finish in the Girls 14-18 age group. Stella Lehtinen ’28 won the Girls Under-13 division, and Forrest Benson ’26 placed second in the Boys 14-15 age group. Benson and Will Hacker ’28 led the way on the season with four top-3 finishes. Brayden Larson ’24 had two top-3 finishes, including a championship performance at the Hurricane Junior Golf Tour Nashville Spring Junior Open April 22 and 23.

Former SSM Boys Soccer Players Continue to Make Waves

Two former Shattuck-St. Mary’s Boys Soccer Center of Excellence players have taken the next step in their careers. In January, Danny Flores signed a professional contract with Sporting Kansas City of Major League Soccer, while Michael Vang ’18 made his international debut this spring as he suited up for the Laos national team in a pair of international friendlies. Flores spent the previous two seasons at Virginia Tech where he played in 33 games and was named to the ACC All-Freshman team in 2021. He totaled five goals and five assists in his career as a defending midfielder for the Hokies. Vang and Laos fell to Nepal 2-0 in the opener but rebounded to defeat Bhutan 2-1. Vang, who won an MLS Next Pro Championship last season with the Columbus Crew 2, is currently signed with the Portland Timbers.