By Rick Woelfel
HATFIELD TOWNSHIP— The goals came in waves, like seawater crashing against a rocky coastline. In the end, it was Radnor who survived, 10-8 over Plymouth Whitemarsh in a Class A Flyers Cup first-round game Monday night at Hatfield Ice.
Eight different players scored goals to help the ninth-seeded Raptors (10-8-1-1) advance to a quarterfinal game against top-seeded and defending champion West Chester East on Thursday. Andrew French and Colin Knight each contributed two goals and an assist. A total of 12 different Raptors found their way onto the scoresheet in some capacity.
The eighth-seeded Colonials (11-5) got big performances from their big guns. Matt Flynn delivered three goals plus an assist. Luke Weikel, playing in what turned out to be his final high-school game, scored a goal and produced four assists. Aidan Keogh closed his high-school career with a goal and three assists.
Six minutes into the opening period, Radnor enjoyed a 2-0 lead thanks to goals from Robert Toomey and Ryan Carr.
Before the period ended, the Colonials had tied the game on power-play goals from Weikel and Flynn.
The sequence was indicative of what was to come in that all nine penalties called in the game were whistled against Radnor. Reed Gall was flagged for four infractions, including an automatic game misconduct after receiving his fourth minor penalty; he will be unavailable for his team’s quarterfinal game.
Flynn gave Plymouth Whitemarsh a 3-2 lead 8:23 into the second period but French tied the game 65 seconds later.
When French scored his second goal of the game to put his team in front for good with 3:31 remaining in the middle period, the floodgates opened. Dominick Laudicina scored a goal at the two-minute mark and Tommy Kennedy made it a 6-3 game with 33 seconds remaining.
The third period featured nine goals. Andrew Knight extended the Radnor lead to 7-3 when he scored a shorthanded goal 2:21 into the period but the Colonials didn’t fold.
Keogh, Isaac Mishkin, Flynn, Timothy Murphy, and Conlan Carpenter all scored goals to help Plymouth Whitemarsh forge an 8-8 tie with 2:25 left in regulation but Tucker Graham’s goal with 1:53 left off a burst down the right wing proved to be the game winner. Knight added an insurance goal.
Afterwards, it took Colonial coach Josh Aiello some time to sort through it all. “We scored five goals in the third period,” he said. “That’s a pretty big accomplishment in any game but in a. Flyers Cup game, the biggest high-school hockey tournament in the state that’s pretty impressive.
“I’m really proud of our guys for what they accomplished in the third period and their effort, and their dedication to the team, to themselves, and the school.”
Radnor 2 4 4—10
PW 2 1 5—8
First-period goals: Robert Toomey (R) from Colin French and Tommy Kennedy, 3:01; Ryan Carr (R) from Dominick Laudicina, 5:54; Luke Weikel (PW) from Matthew Flynn and Aidan Keogh, 11:04; Flynn (PW) from Weikel, 13:35 (pp)
Second-period goals: Flynn (PW) from Weikel and Keogh, 8:23; French (R) from Toomey 9:28; French (R) from Connor Baumann and Toomey,, 13:29; Laudicina (R) from Andrew Knight and Henry Kennedy, 15:00; Kennedy (R) from Tucker Graham and Christopher Boulder, 16:37
Third-period goals: Knight (R) from Hajoon Kim and French, 2:21 (sh); Keogh from Weikel and Brandon Butler, 4:48 (pp); Isaac Mishkin (P) from Dylan Novitsky and Dan Smith 9:57; Flynn (PW) from Conlan Carpenter and Novitsky, 12;10; Baumann (R) from Carr, 12:59; Tim Murphy (P) from Keogh and Weikel, 13:52; Carpenter (PW) unassisted, 14:35; Tucker Graham (R) unassisted,15:07; Knight (R) unassisted, 15:50
Shots: Radnor 38 Plymouth Whitemarsh 35; Saves: Luke Mallory (R) 27, Kolton Galie 28
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