HATFIELD—It was a night when hockey was a force for good, a night when a group of hockey players stepped up to a teammate who was suffering. For the record, Council Rock South defeated Central Bucks West 3-0 Wednesday night in a Suburban High School Hockey League matchup ay Hatfield Ice Arena.
But in some respects, the result was immaterial. What mattered most was that the Bucks were there to support their teammate, senior Joe McFadden, whose mother passed away suddenly on Tuesday.
McFadden attended the game with his father but did not dress. The two teams observed a moment of silence prior to the opening faceoff.
Dave Baun, the Bucks’ veteran coach, sensed the emotion of the moment. “I really felt that,” he said. “The kids almost all knew about it. Several of the ninth graders are not in the high school so they didn’t know about it. But all the kids in the high school knew about it.
“The kids really, really showed a lot of support and I appreciate Council Rock South. A couple of their fans came up and wished me well about it which I thought was very nice.
“It’s not going to be easy for Joey, but it’s always a little bit easier when you have friends.”
Julian Wagenmann scored a goal in the first period to give the Golden Hawks (5-1-1, 3-1 in divisional play) a 1-0 lead 6:18 into the first period. Julian Sarne scored a pair of goals in the second period.
Sarne says the Golden Hawks have grown since the start of the season. “I think throughout the season we’re getting better with our chemistry,” he said. “Our lines are taking short shifts and I think that we’re finally all clicking together.”
The Golden Hawks called up four players who normally play junior-varsity hockey, to step into the varsity lineup.
Carson Lopez who pitched shutout in goal for the Hawks (14 saves) noted that the call-ups would have prepared for the game in the same manner as their older teammates.
“You kind of prepare for it like every other game,” the junior said. “At the end of the day you get the ‘W’ and process to get there is always the same.”
At the other end of the ice, the Bucks’ Reese Dalzell was outstanding making 45 saves. “You couldn’t have been more proud of the way (Dalzell) played tonight,” Baun said. “What did he stop? 45 shots? And some of them were really, really good shots.”
The Bucks now stand at 3-4 overall and 0-3 in the division.
C.R. South 1 2 0—3
C.B. West 0 0 0—0
First-period goal: Julian Wagenmann (CRS) from Matt Constantini and Nolan O’Brien, 6:18
Second-period goals: Julian Sarne (CRS) from Evan Mostoller and Blaize Pepe, 11:06; Sarne (CRS) from Kyle Schneider and Pepe, 14:48
Shots: Council Rock South 48, Central Bucks West 16; Saves: Carson Lopez (CRS) 16, Reese Dalzell (CBW) 45
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