Providence Catholic Brings Miles of Memories For Providence Catholic Defenseman Gilberto Ayala

By Ross Forman
His dedication to the Providence Catholic Hockey Team is a daily devotion – from country roads to bumper-to-bumper expressways.

Gilberto Ayala, a junior defenseman for the Celtics who just finished his second season on the PC varsity, lives in Beecher. Thus, his trek to school is about 45 minutes or more. Ayala’s journey to the team’s home rink, Arctic Ice Arena in Orland Park, is a 40-minute drive.

“During my freshman and sophomore years, my parents would drive me back and forth to school. On the afternoons that I had practice, an upper classmen drove me from school to practice. Once I made the varsity team, our practices were at 5:50 a.m., my parents would wake up early to drop me off in Orland Park. I became close friends with (current senior) John Cardwell and he drove me to school after those early practices. 

“This year, I drove myself to practice, school and home. If it’s a home game, I tend to drive myself to the game. I’ve always felt driving myself gave me time to lock my mind into the game and gave me time to unwind afterwards with my teammates in the parking lot or on the way home. During away games, I’d usually drive with my parents so we wouldn’t have multiple cars at the rink.”

And yes, without question, the miles are worth the memories.

“I’ve created so many new friendships through hockey as well as outside of hockey with kids on the baseball and football teams,” Ayala said. “I especially loved the Tuesday and Thursday early morning practices. On some Thursdays, we’d have a late start and the team would have breakfast together and discuss upcoming games and weekend plans.”

And then there was the time Ayala and Cardwell were driving to school after morning practice. “We are getting close to the on ramp to the expressway and we cut off one of our coaches who works at the school, who later discussed it in class for days,” Ayala said.

The 16-year-old Ayala attended St. Agnes Catholic School in Chicago Heights before landing at Providence Catholic High School in New Lenox. He was a forward for his first few years before switching to defense in his squirt minor season. “I have never thought of going back,” to forward, said Ayala, who formerly skated for the Orland Park Vikings.

He is now No. 3 for the Celtics, who went 14-8 this past season in the 8-team Chicago Catholic Hockey League. They finished second in the CCHL regular season and lost in the Kennedy Cup finals seasons to Saint Ignatius as the Wolfpack won their fifth consecutive CCHL playoff crown.

Ayala’s hockey accolades include Varsity Shot Blocker, Varsity Blueliner, Varsity Most Improved Player and he is now fourth-all-time for the school in blocks.

“Gil is the type of player every coach values. He is a team-first athlete who leads not only by example but also as a vocal presence in the locker room and on the ice,” said Providence head coach Nick Iaciancio. “He has consistently been one of our hardest workers in the weight room and serves as a mentor to our younger players.

“Gil plays a physical, reliable defensive game and is trusted in all situations. He also does an excellent job managing his time and commitments while balancing overlapping hockey and lacrosse schedules in the early spring. He’s a great kid from a great family.”

Ayala is a physical, defense-first defenseman who also has the skill to skate the puck into the offensive zone. He celebrated with his teammates a career highlight this past February: beating Benet Academy in the Kennedy Cup playoff semifinal in (the deciding) game three at home, played in front of “a large number of the Providence students and some of my best friends.”

Ayala also has played three years of varsity lacrosse for the Celtics, and yes, the sports are similar. “I think they go hand-in-hand and that helps a lot for conditioning, staying in shape, getting faster, hand-to-eye coordination and just being active.”

Slapshots With … Providence Catholic Defenseman Gilberto Ayala

Favorite Moment This Past Season: “Our team dinners every Thursday before Friday night home games and the bus ride to and from Minnesota.”
Hockey Motivation: “Being the first person in my family to play hockey and being a role model for all types of young hockey players, including my younger brother, Gabe, who will be attending Providence Catholic for school and hockey.”
Upcoming Season: “A big goal would be to win the Kennedy Cup and break the all-time shots blocked record.”
Memories: “My personal hockey highlight was scoring the tying goal from the top of the circle in the last minute of a game during the annual varsity Minnesota tournament.”
Away From The Rink: “I try to stay active, practice my shooting in the basement or outside. I also help my grandfather at his farm by cutting grass, cleaning out stalls and working on his garden.”
It Helps: “I try to work out with my younger brother; we also practice shooting.”
Superstitions on the Ice: “Taking two hard laps around the ice and warming up on the left side of the ice.”
Long-term Career Goals: “I want to go to college, earn a business finance degree.”
Proud of Providence: “Everyone should give Providence Catholic High School a look; it’s an amazing school with some of the best sports teams and academics in the state. I was one of only two students from my grade school who chose to attend, even though I had been with the same group of classmates from preschool through eighth grade. Deciding to go to Providence was the best choice I could have made. Now my younger brother will be coming here and playing hockey as well; I wish I could have the opportunity to play one season with him; it would be special to finally be on the same team together.”
Favorite NHL Team: Chicago Blackhawks
Favorite NHL Player: Jonathan Toews
Favorite Sports-themed Movie: Youngblood
Favorite TV Show: Mountain Monsters
Motivational Song: UFO by Vigiland
Favorite Pre-game Meal: “My dad’s lemon chicken pasta.”
Favorite app: Snapchat or Instagram
Celebrity You’d Like To Meet: Theo Von
Favorite High School Uniform (other than PC): New Trier Green’s black alternate