The final score did not reflect what transpired at Revolution Ice Gardens Wednesday night.
Central Bucks South bested Central Bucks West 5-1 in a Suburban High School Hockey League Class AA matchup while outshooting their opponents 51-12. But the win didn’t come easily to the Titans (1-2, 1-0 SHSHL), who broke the game open with four goals in the third period but had their hands full until then.
That was due primarily to the work Jake Coddington in the Bucks’ net. The junior turned aside 46 of 51 shots.
“Jake Coddington was spectacular,” said West coach Dave Baun. “I wanted to keep it close at the end just for Jake Coddington because I thought that 5-1 didn’t do him justice.”
The Bucks (1-1, 0-1) kept the game close for two periods. The Titans dominated the first frame, outshooting West 19-1, but wound up with just one goal for their efforts. That goal came from Reis Braccio at the 11:23 mark.
The Bucks tied the game just 72 seconds into the second period. The Titans’ D.J. Loverdi was in the box for high sticking when Pavel Serhiayenka scored on a wrister from the left point.
South continued to dominate the game but couldn’t get the puck past Coddington. At period’s end, the shot margin was 34-8 in South’s favor but the score remained 1-1, a circumstance South coach Shaun McGinty found perplexing.
“All the credit to West,” he said, but my guys, I don’t feel as though they came ready, they weren’t prepared.”
Between the second and third period, McGinty encouraged his troops to pick up their intensity level. The result was four goals in a span of 13:49. Ryan Gingras started the flurry at the 1:11 mark. Daniel Kvecher followed up at 5:49, Matt Milanesi on a power play at 8:01 and finally Colin Abbonizio with exactly one minute left in the game.
Braccio, who was stymied by Coddington on at least four occasions after the first period, assisted on the last two goals.
“My approach to the third was ‘No one cares what happened in the past,’” McGinty said. “’No one owes you anything, you earn respect.’
They have to find the culture of their team, they have to develop their unity.
“To struggle in the first two periods the way they did, it can’t happen. The shot totals were there, but they weren’t productive, they weren’t playing hard.”
Notes—Oscar Levin was in goal for South … Wednesday’s game was the only scheduled regular-season meeting between the Bucks and the Titans
C.B. West 0 1 0—1
C.B. South 1 0 4—5
First-period goal: Reis Braccio (CBS) from Dominick Liberta, 11:23.
Second-period goal: Pavel Serhiayenka (CBW) from Christopher Trefz, 1:12 (pp).
Third-period goals: Ryan Gingras (CBS) from Harry McLaughlin and James Schuler, 1:11; Daniel Kvecher (CBS) from Alex Glushek, 5:49; Matt Milansei (CBS) from Braccio and Schuler, 8:01 (pp); Colin Abbonizio (CBS) from Liberta and Braccio, 15:00.
Shots: C.B. West 12, C.B. South 51; Saves: Jake Coddington (CBW) 46, Oscar Levin (CBS) 11.
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