With a 2-1 win Saturday afternoon and an 8-4 victory in the clincher Sunday morning, Jesuit hockey swept the 2015 TAHA State Championship series and earned a berth to the USA Hockey High School Varsity National Championship for the second time in three years.  It's the fourth Texas state championship for the Rangers, and the March trip to St. Louis will be the second time Jesuit will take part in the national championships.
 
In Game 1 on Saturday, senior Vili Lappalainen got the scoring going, and sophomore Carson Platt put in the clincher to give Jesuit a 2-1 victory and a leg up in the series over John Paul II.
 
On Sunday morning in Game 2, Jesuit wasted no time asserting the offensive pressure.  Junior Michael Schmidt scored twice in the first period, and freshman Jacob Berg added another to give Jesuit a 3-0 lead headed into the first intermission. John Paull II scored early in the second frame, but junior Nick Mersch found the back of the net off a Lappalainen pass to maintain Jesuit's three goal lead.  After another Cardinal goal, Lappalainen scored off a pass from Platt to give Jesuit a 5-2 lead.  With just 10 seconds to play in the period, Alexander McBey found Anthony Calabrese, who buried another Jesuit goal to give the Rangers a commanding 6-2 lead going into the third.
 
But John Paul II would not go quietly.  Two quick goals from the Cardinals made it 6-4 early in the third, and the Rangers turned to their senior leader to put the game away.  Lappalainen scored off an assist from the freshman Calabrese to make it 7-4, then the same duo added another late in the game to bring it to 8-4.  Lappalainen finished with a hat trick on the day while Calabrese netted a goal and two assists.  Freshman Michael Sheridan got the win in net.
 
"I'm really proud of the boys," said head coach Kevin Smith after the game. "Being able to accomplish what we have so far this year, with a young team and a team that is often not playing with its full roster, it's pretty impressive. It really shows the perseverance and the depth of this team."
 
This is Smith's second state title as head coach, and his third on the Rangers coaching staff. His players know his leadership has been a huge part of their success.
 
"We've worked hard all year, and our goal is always to play great defense," said junior Nick Mersch. "Our offense really comes as a result of playing great defense, and that's what happened today."
 
Smith says it's his players who deserve the credit. "The leadership really comes from the upperclassmen, and we have a strong core group of underclassmen who work hard. As a coaching staff, we've learned to trust these guys."
 
It's been the team's goal all year to represent Jesuit in the national tournament, Smith said.  By winning the TAHA State Championship, Jesuit earns its second automatic berth to the national championships, held in St. Louis March 19-23.  In 2013 Jesuit became the first Texas team to ever play in the national tournament, and finished second in group play.
 
The Rangers still have three games remaining in the AT&T Metroplex High School Hockey League, which is run by a different governing body. After those three games, Jesuit will take part in the city playoffs March 2-5.