WARWICK— Central Bucks East spent much of Friday night shaking off the holiday rust. The Patriots were shorthanded when they took the ice against Quakertown at Revolution Ice Gardens; three players were absent for various reasons. But they had talent available to score a 5-1 win in a SHSHL Class AA matchup.
Sean Gorman delivered a hat trick for East, which improved to 6-1-0-1 overall and 3-1-0-1 in the SHSHL.
The best player on the ice however was wearing a Quakertown uniform. Austin Stoudt’s work in goal kept the Panthers (1-6, 0-3) in the game for two periods plus. The junior finished with 36 saves.
Among the people Stoudt impressed was veteran East coach Ken Latchum, who was impressed with Stoudt’s agility
“He’s a very good goalie,” Latchum said. “Until we started shooting low, you could tell how he spread eagles and moves side to side. He’s a very good goalie.”
Though the Panthers have won just once in seven starts, Stoudt has kept his team competitive many nights, despite facing an average of 48 shots a game.
“He was a rock tonight,” said Quakertown assistant coach Mark Pezzano. “He came up with several big saves that definitely kept us in the game.
Pezzano says that Stoudt’s experience and skill in goal has benefitted a young team that is building a foundation. “Like a franchise quarterback, the goaltender can be the position on which you build a team,” he said. “If you’re goaltender’s not doing well your generally doesn’t do well and Austin has been, like I said, a rock back there. Even in the games we’ve lost, he’s been a solid goaltender.:
The game was scoreless for nearly 12 minutes before Gorman beat Stoudt for the game’s first goal at the 11:45 mark of the opening period. It took the sophomore him just 58 seconds to make it a 2-0 game when he scored off a rebound of Jason Cuckey’s original shot. Aidan Schmidt gave the Patriots a three-goal lead with 1:39 left in a period that saw Stoudt make 21 saves.
Cluckey and Quakertown’s Eric Orzehoski traded goals in the second stanza before Gorman scored his 15th goal of the season with 5:06 left in the game.
With some vital pieces missing from the lineup, Latchum had to do some mixing and matching.
“It was ‘Next man up,’” he said. Sometimes you’re going to play wing, sometimes you’re going to play center. So, it was just whoever was able to go and wasn’t tired.”
Quakertown 0 1 0
C.B. East 3 1 1—5
First-period goals: Sean Gorman (CBE) unassisted, 11:45; Gorman (CBE) from Jasen Cluckey, 12:43; Aidan Schmidt (CBE) from Cluckey, 14:21.
Second-period goals: Cluckey (CBE) from Ian Tregor, 5:13 (pp); Eric Orzehoski (Q) unassisted, 8:44 (sh).
Third-period goal: Goman (CBE) unassisted, 10:54
Shots: Quakertown 20, C.B. East 41; Saves: Austin Stoudt (Q) 36, Chris McIntyre (CBE) 19.
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