Elyria Catholic’s Mike Haszto just finished a super sophomore season on the ice, playing hockey for Central Oklahoma, who won a school-best 24 games this season in just its third season with hockey.


The Bronchos’ season ended last week with a consolation round win over ninth ranked Robert Morris (PA) in which Haszto scored a goal. This win came after being defeated by Illinois in the first round to get eliminated in the American Collegiate Hockey Association tournament.

The tournament bid was Central Oklahoma’s first-ever bid in school history. The Bronchos also reached a Top 10 ranking for the first time, ranking ninth in the fourth ACHA ranking release.

The Illinois win was revenge as the Bronchos upset the Illini, 6-4 during the season to end their 47-game winning streak. The game before, Illinois defeated Central Oklahoma, 4-3 in a thriller. Haszto scored key goals and had assists in that series.

The season also included big wins over ranked teams such as Ohio, Oklahoma, Iowa State and Rhode Island, who were all in the National Tournament. The Bronchos even took this year's champions, Lindenwood, to a shootout.

In a 11-game stretch, Haszto scored seven goals, including a game-winning goal in a 2-1 win and a game-tying goal in a 6-2 win to sweep a series over Arizona State.

swalker@MorningJournal.com