Council Rock South stepped up at a key moment Thursday night. The result was a 5-3 win over Central Bucks South in a SHSHL Class AA game at Hatfield Ice Arena.
Gavin Nisenzon provided two goals and an assist and Kevin Koles also scored two goals to help his team to its second straight win.
But it was the Golden Hawks’ effort in the third period that made the difference.
The game featured two distinct segments. For two periods and change the teams battled on essentially even terms to a 2-2 standoff.
Nisenzon and Julian Sarne registered goals for the Golden Hawks while D.J. Bray and Matt Crouch found the back of the net for the Titans.
But 3:45 into the third period, emotions boiled over in the form of a fight that resulted in four players being accessed a total of 51 penalty minutes. Three players, the Golden Hawks’ Matt Constantini and Kyle Boss and the Titans’ Bray received game misconducts and the contest was delayed approximately 20 minutes while student spectators were removed from the building.
Following the delay the Titans had a five-minute power play but couldn’t do anything with it. They then found themselves shorthanded at the 11:19 mark when Crouch was called for two penalties during the same sequence, a slash and a trip.
Koles put the Golden Hawks in front just 24 seconds later on a shot from the right circle that beat Titan goaltender Dominic Varacallo and Nisenzon gave his team a 4-2 lead with his second goal of the night with 2:57 left in regulation.
Aidan Linso made it a one-goal game when he scored for the Titans with 1:46 still left but Koles scored into an empty net with five seconds remaining.
Council Rock South assistant coach Colin Murphy credited his team for maintaining their momentum after the delay, when the emotional energy in the building all but evaporated.
“The incident definitely charged us up a little bit more,” Murphy said. “I think losing their fans kind of killed their momentum and they lost the upper hand.”
Murphy noted the Golden Hawks were able to regroup despite losing two key players. “I know with our guys, their big thing was the ‘next man up’ mentality,” he said. They realized that we lost two guys and figured they needed to step up and keep their composure.”
Titans assistant coach Tyler Skroski pointed to his team’s failure to convert on its four power-play chances. “We did some good things tonight,” he said, “but when you fail to generate scoring opportunities on power plays, especially a five-minute major, you’re going to struggle to win games.
“It’s early in the season and we’re looking forward to fixing it as a team.”
C.R. South 1 1 3—5
C.B. South 2 0 1—3
First-period goals: Gavin Nisenzon (CRS) unassisted, 7:38; D.J. Bray (CBS) from Dan Kvechner, 9:11; Matt Crouch (CBS) from D.J. Lidenmuth and Aidan Gaffney, 15:06
Second-period goal: Julian Sarne (CRS) from David Vergules, 3:20 (pp)
Third-period goals: Kevin Koles (CRS) From Nisenzon and Sarne, 1:43 (pp); Nisenzon (CRS) from Sarne, 14:03; Aidan Linso (CBS) unassisted, 15:14 (sh); Koles (CRS) from Chase Trovsky, 16:55 (pp), (en)
Shots: Council Rock South 28, Central Bucks South 26; Saves: Carson Lopez (CRS) 23, Dominic Varacallo (CBS) 23
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