Liberty Patriots Hockey

2010 – 2011
Varsity Team Stats: Record: 31-9-1, MyHockey Rankings: 14

The 2010/2011 season began with high expectations. The most experienced roster to date
included 8 seniors (the “original 6” from the inaugural season) and three former AAA
players who saw the potential of being a part of a special Liberty ice hockey season. In just
three seasons, the Liberty ice hockey program had grown to be among the most respected
and talented ice hockey teams in the Columbus District which includes Dayton and
Cincinnati area teams. Team captain, Anthony Bergamesca, and alternate captain, Jimmy
Ruska, were named by 4 year coaches Hoogeveen and Kormanyos to lead the campaign.
The team did not disappoint finishing with a season record of 31 wins, 9 losses and 1 tie
setting the season record for most wins. The team also piled up a season record 194 goals
while giving up only 75. The team captured a share of the CHC regular season title with a
record of 12-1. Liberty went on to win their first ever CBJ Cup tournament championship by
defeating Dublin Coffman 3-2. The Patriots entered the OHSAA District tournament as the
number 2 seed and advanced to the District title championship game against number 1
seed Dublin Jerome. Liberty became only the 4 Columbus area team to advance to the
state final 4 by beating Jerome 3-2 in the 2 overtime period on a goal by sophomore
Marshall Oja. The Patriot hockey team also became the first team to accomplish what has
become known as the “Hat Trick of Columbus High School Hockey” by winning the CHC
regular season title, the CBJ cup championship, and the District championship. In the state
semi-final game, the Patriots led Toledo St. Francis DeSales 2-1 after the first period on
goals by freshman Chris Bergamesca and sophomore Ethan Hollingsworth. After 2 periods,
the Patriots trailed 4-3 and ultimately fell to the eventual state champion Knights. On the
season, Senior, Alec Vidrick set records for defensemen of most goals (9) and most points
(21). Anthony Bergamesca and Robert Koehler graduated with a share of the plus/minus
record (90). Koehler also holds the career point’s record for defensemen (64). Senior
goaltender, Bryan Finneran, graduated holding the career record for wins (29). Junior
goaltender, Eddie Arcy, set a single season record for lowest goals against average (1.40).
The Patriots loaded up the All CHC honors with Anthony Bergamesca (senior defensemen),
Eddie Arcy (junior goaltender), Jimmy Ruska (senior winger) and Chris Bergamesca
(freshmen center) all being named to the first team. Senior defenseman Alec Vidrick was
named to the 2nd team, and sophomore Ethan Hollingsworth received honorable mention.

The 2010/2011 season also saw the Liberty ice hockey program grow to include its first
OHSAA sanctioned junior varsity team. The team played hard in its inaugural season and
proved its worth by having a number of players join the varsity team as a number of key
varsity players suffered season ending injuries. It could be said that without the addition of
the sanctioned junior varsity team, the varsity team may not have enjoyed the success that
it did. As we enter the 2011/2012 season, junior varsity players will certainly be asked to
once again skate hard and to be ready to help out the varsity team when needed.
Through the teams’ first four years, the Patriots have won a Capital Hockey Conference
league best 46 games to go against only 8 losses. Five of those losses came in the first
season as the Patriots have lost only a single CHC league game in each of the last 3
seasons. The Patriots also hold school district bragging rights for hockey with a combined
record of 11-0 over Olentangy and Olentangy Orange.