Ryan O’Neill’s two-goal performance in St. Thomas Academy’s 3-1 quarterfinal win over No. 5 seed Duluth East (18-7-2) on Thursday night almost didn’t happen. 

O’Neill, a Cadets’ senior forward and leading scorer had left his sticks in Mendota Heights at the team’s rink. 

“I was calling my dad before warmups, Coach (Monohan) had to go meet him at the door to get the sticks,” O’Neill said sheepishly. “So that was a big relief.”

What was co-head coach Greg Vannelli’s section to learning one of his top players had left his lumber in the locker room?

“I couldn’t believe it,” Vanelli said. “But, I forgive him now.”

O’Neill scored in the first and third periods, netting the game’s first goal and the fourth-seeded Cadets’ go-ahead goal midway through the final period. 

O’Neill’s second goal came off a pretty feed from Nico Vega, who said that he’s used to O’Neill calling for the puck in the offensive zone. 

“He’s a goal-scorer, and that’s what goal-scorers do,” Vega said. “I try to get him the puck as much as possible.”

Senior goaltender Muzzy Donohue made 28 saves between the pipes for the Cadets.

The Cadets (25-3-1) had luck on their side in addition to converting their scoring chances, including an errant Duluth East pass that oddly redirected off Hounds forward Ricky Lyle’s stick and into the empty Duluth East net from the neutral zone. The goal was credited to St. Thomas Academy's McClain Beaudette. 

“I guess that’s how hockey works in the end,” Vanelli said. “There’s lots of games where it went the other way. I guess it was our turn this year.”

Vanelli and his brother Tom are in the final year at St. Thomas Academy, and on Thursday earned their first Class 2A quarterfinal victory in four tries. 

Duluth East coach Mike Randolph said that he'd seen this type of play from his team before. 

“We had these types of games during the season, where we’d create chances, and we just didn’t bear down and bury them,” Randolph said. “(St. Thomas Academy) got their chances and they buried them. That was the difference in the game.”