High school hockey: It's Baron Cup time and everybody's welcome this year

The COVID-19 pandemic has spoiled a lot of high school sports in the past year, but there is a silver lining for teams in the Greater Cleveland High School Hockey League. Much like the football playoffs in the fall, the GCHSHL is allowing all 34 teams in the three divisions into the golden anniversary of the Baron Cup tournament, which begins Wednesday at the John M. Coyne Recreation Center in Brooklyn. "After everything that we have dealt with this year, we felt it was appropriate to open the Baron Cup tournament up to all of our teams," GCHSHL Commissioner Ryan Kelber said. "What makes this even more special is that it's the 50th anniversary of the tournament. While we had to cancel some anniversary festivities previously planned, we're excited to be able to play and continue the tradition started in 1971." All four local teams will be playing in the tournament. Elyria Catholic, back in the Baron Cup for the first time since 2016, starts things off Wednesday in Baron Cup III competition against fifth-seeded Lakewood at 8 p.m. EC is the 12th seed. The right side of the Baron Cup II bracket has a distinct Lorain County feel to it with Avon (9-2-1) seeded second and Avon Lake third. Both teams open play Thursday, Feb 11, with the Eagles taking on the winner of Solon and Cleveland Heights at 6 p.m. and the Shoremen playing the winner of Aurora and Kenston right afterward. "First and foremost, we're excited that the student athletes get to participate in the 50th Anniversary of the Baron Cup. It's been a tough year for everyone and giving everyone a chance in the postseason will be exciting," Avon coach Kyle Botos said. "The Baron Cup is a special thing. It's postseason hockey which will bring more excitement and action between the teams. Every team enters the tournament at the same level and you have to throw the records out the window. Every game will be competitive and you need to be prepared as a team each night. The Baron Cup continues to be the best postseason tournament." Avon is looking for its first Baron Cup championship in school history. "The Coronavirus pandemic has impacted the Ohio high school schedule this season in all areas," first-year Avon Lake coach Wade Nilson said. "Tournaments, games and practices have been canceled at various times throughout the season thus impacting the players' season. This is why we're extremely excited to be playing in the Baron Cup this year. Looking at the teams in our bracket it's going to be extremely competitive and great hockey. I feel that with the season being shortened due to COVID, you'll see all student athletes taking their games above and beyond where they've been playing this year in order to win the Baron Cup." After many years of success in the Baron Cup II tournament, Amherst finds itself in the big-boy Baron Cup I tournament after being moved from the White to the Red Division this season. The fourth-seeded Comets (14-1) opening play Wednesday, Feb, 10, against fifth-seeded Benedictine at 6 p.m. With a win, Amherst would advance to take on top-seeded Rocky River three days later. In all the years of the Baron Cup I tournament, the only team outside of Cuyahoga County to win the championshipis Kent Roosevelt in 1982. Amherst has found the most success in the Baron Cup tournament among local teams, winning six Baron Cup II titles, including the last three. Midview, which no longer has a hockey program, won the Baron Cup III title in 2012 and Avon Lake won the Baron Cup III championship in 2018. Contact James Brady at ctsports@chroniclet.com. SCHEDULE All games at Coyne Recreation Center in Brooklyn Seeds in parentheses Baron Cup I Wednesday, Feb. 10: (4) Amherst vs. (5) Benedictine, 6 p.m.; (3) Hudson vs. (6) Strongsville, 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 13: (1) Rocky River vs. Amherst-Benedictine winner, 5 p.m.; (2) Mentor vs. Hudson-Strongsville winner, 7 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 14: Championship, 5 p.m. Baron Cup II Saturday, Feb. 6: (8) Kent Roosevelt vs. (9) North Olmsted, 5 p.m.; (5) Orange vs. (12) Western Reserve, 7 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 7: (7) Solon vs. (10) Cleveland Heights, noon; (6) Aurora vs. (11) Kenston, 2 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 10: (1) Olmsted Falls vs. Kent-N orth Olmsted winner, 4 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 11: (4) Parma vs. Orange-Western Reserve winner, 4 p.m.; (2) Avon vs. Solon-Cleveland Heights winner, 6 p.m.; (3) Avon Lake v. Aurora-Kenston winner, 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 13: Semifinals, 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 14: Championship, 3 p.m. Baron Cup III Wednesday, Feb. 3: (8) Nordonia vs. (9) Twinsburg, 4 p.m.; (4) Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy vs. (13) Brecksville-Broadview Heights, 6 p.m.; (5) Lakewood vs. (12) Elyria Catholic, 8 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 4: (2) Canfield vs. (15) Brooklyn, 4 p.m.; (7) Westlake vs. (10) Mayfield, 6 p.m.; (6) Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin vs. (11) Bay, 8 p.m. Monday, Feb. 8: (1) Chagrin Falls vs. Nordonia-Twinsburg winner, 4 p.m.; CVCA-Brecksville winner vs. EC-Lakewood winner, 6 p.m.; (3) Normandy vs. (14) Brush, 8 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 9: Canfield-Brooklyn winner vs. Westlake-Mayfield winner, 5 p.m.; Normandy-Brush winner vs. NDCL-Bay winner, 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 12: Semifinals, 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 14: Championship, 1 p.m.