The success of Council Rock North is arguably one of the biggest surprises, if not the biggest surprise, of the Suburban High School Hockey League season.
The Indians have overcome a 1-4 start to win seven of their last nine games and post an 8-6 overall record (5-5 on Class AA divisional play) heading into this week’s SHSHL playoffs. They’re seeded fifth heading into a quarterfinal game against Central Bucks South Wednesday night.
While the Indians are a Class AA team in the SHSHL, they are listed as a Class A team for Flyers Cup purposes. They will learn Sunday if they have made the tournament field.
Will Pasch has a lot to do with all this Pasch is the Indians’ captain. As the only senior on a team with a first-year head coach (Greg McDonald), Pasch was positioned to lead his team forward, or into the abyss. That he chose the former is a testament to his leadership skills.
“I think from the very first practice, the boys wanted him to be the captain,” McDonald said, “and he wanted it, honestly. I think it hurt him that last year (when North could not field a pure team) was what it was. It’s his senior year he’s super excited to play.”
Pasch says he and his teammates jelled as the season progressed. “We started off the season pretty rocky, I think we can all agree on that,” he said, ‘but as the season went through, off the ice we just kind of bonded together as a team. We promoted the team at school and stuff and brought everybody together. We saw each other outside of school and just kind of formed a camaraderie and a friendship that I just hadn’t seen before in my four years playing here so it really says something special.”
As the postseason begins, Pasch says he and his teammates have something to prove, particularly to any naysayers that are paying attention.
“A very small amount of people expected us to be where we are right now,” he said. “That’s just something special that I’m going to cherish forever. I’m just happy that we’re able to be in the playoffs and be in the position that we’re at. Just to prove everybody wrong.”
Three Indians are among the Class AA Division’s top scorers.
Karson Grainey has accumulated 26 goals and 16 assists for 42 points; he leads the division in scoring. Nick Hahn has scored 10 goals and added 18 assists for 28 points, he’s tied for fifth on the scoring list. Jackson Accari is seventh with 16 goals and nine assists for 25 points.
Pasch does his best to see to it his teammates are focused on the task at hand.
“Just trying to make sure everyone’s got their head in the game,” he said. I’m trying to make sure we’re focused on game day at practices. Thankfully, the boys have done a great job dealing with adversity throughout the season and ups and downs. I’m just happy that it all came together when it mattered.”
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Hockey Happenings 
The player quoted is Wilton Pasch not Nick Hahn
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