IceCats fall to Aviator but learn hard lessons along the way

(11/16/25)

The 13U Gold IceCats tasted their first adversity of the season — and their first loss on Sunday but they also showed exactly why they’re one of the toughest groups around.

Aviator came out flying and stunned the Cats early, jumping to a 5–1 lead. For most teams, that’s the night. Not this one. The IceCats stormed back with four unanswered, clawing to a 5–5 tie and controlling long stretches of the third period. The bench had energy, the puck movement returned, and the compete level rose to what this group expects of itself. But with the game hanging in the balance, a couple of late breakdowns — a missed assignment off a rush, a turnover under pressure — turned a potential comeback story into a tough 7–5 loss—first one of the season. 

That said, Jack Azizo continued his ridiculous start, scoring all five IceCats goals, including three shorthanded. He’s now up to 14G 7A and 21P just four games, one of the hottest players in the 13U House division. Sidekick Dov Safdieh also poured in four assists. A loss like this teaches you things the wins don’t. You realize quickly that you can’t spot a good team four goals because the comeback, as impressive as it was, becomes too steep to finish. You see how dominant the IceCats can be when they’re actually playing their game — the middle stretch showed they can overwhelm anyone when the energy and execution are right. And you learn that the little moments matter: the details late in a tight game, the ability to make the right play under pressure, the discipline to avoid the one mistake that swings momentum back.

Most importantly, you learn that this team is good enough to rally from anything — now the challenge is to be good enough that they don’t have to.