On a night defined by resilience and clutch performances, the Cathedral Catholic roller hockey team battled through a short-handed doubleheader to win the San Diego Inline Hockey High School League Championship.

The Dons opened the evening in the semifinal with an early challenge, falling behind 2-0 in the first period. Refusing to back down, Cathedral responded late in the period, as freshman Eddie Hentzen and junior David Brown each found the back of the net, with Brown’s goal coming with just 39 seconds remaining to even the score at 2-2.

The back-and-forth battle continued into the third period, with both teams trading goals. In dramatic fashion, senior Brady Nelson delivered the game-winner, capitalizing on a goalmouth scramble as time expired to secure a thrilling 4-3 victory and send the Dons to the championship game.

Awaiting Cathedral in Poway was a team fresh off an upset of top-seeded Classical Academy and a team that had handed the Dons a 5-3 loss in their final regular-season matchup. The championship contest lived up to the moment, as Cathedral once again faced adversity, trailing 3-1 with under four minutes to play.

Senior Nathan Clark sparked the comeback, cutting the deficit to 3-2 with 3:52 remaining. With the goalie pulled for an extra attacker, junior Vison Ha delivered in the clutch, scoring the equalizer with just 45 seconds left, forcing sudden-death overtime.

In overtime, the Dons completed their remarkable run. Clark struck again, firing home a one-timer slapshot from a perfectly timed pass by Ha to seal the championship victory.

The title marks Cathedral Catholic’s second roller hockey championship in program history and the first since 2022. Battling adversity, fatigue, and two intense matchups in one night, the Dons showcased their determination and championship mentality from start to finish.