HATFIELD TOWNSIP—It was quite a comeback. Trailing 5-1 early in the third period, Pennridge rallied for a 6-5 overtime win over Central Bucks South Thursday night at Hatfield Ice in a SHSHL National Division encounter.
James Rush scored the winning goal 1:23 into overtime.
The win, the Rams’ 10th without a blemish this season, comes 24 hours after Wednesday’s much-celebrated win over Council Rock South. From the Rams’ perspective, Thursday’s comeback win was just as emotional, a comeback fueled in part by an injury to a goaltender.
With 2:29 left in the second period and the Titans (6-3-1, 6-2-1 in the division holding a 2-1 lead, Pennridge netminder Jacob Winton was involved in a collision with a South player in his crease. After a lengthy delay, Winton, the only goaltender the Rams had dressed, remained in the game.
No penalty was called on the play but when play finally resumed the emotional temperature of the game rose exponentially.
“I don’t think he tried to run the goalie,” said the Rams’ Colin Dachowski, “but if your goalie goes down like that, you always want to have his back and come back for him.”
Winton himself seemed to be feeling the effect of the collision. Ryan Frey extended South’s lead with 56 seconds remaining in the second period before D.J. Lindenmuth and Joey Slobodrian connected two miutes apart in the third to give the Titans a four-goal lead with 11:05 remaining in regulation.
Pennridge coach Jeff Montagna knew Winton was struggling.
“He wasn’t right,” Montagna said. “I think three of the next five shots they scored on. I don’t know what [the collision] did. I think it kind of ignited some of them because they were upset that it happened. I’m not really sure what happened on the play. But it did wake us up a little bit.”
Andrew Savona, with help from Kevin Peco, got Pennridge back in the game with a pair of shorthanded goals just 18 seconds apart to make it a 5-3 game with 9:43 left in regulation.
Pico scored a goal of his own during a power play to make it a one-goal game with 7:56 still left, the key question was whether the Titans could stymie the Pennridge assault.
Savona gave an emphatic answer when he completed a hat trick and tied the game with 4:19 remaining.
Rush’s winning goal came on his team’s only shot of the extra session.
South coach Shaun McGinity said his team’s lack of experience in pressure situations led to its undoing.
“Individuals allowed themselves to become individuals rather than team,” he said, “and we had about a minute-and-a-half of a lapse. Pennridge, being the team they are with the experience they have, they were able to capitalize on two shorthanded goals.
“Once that ball starts to roll. It’s a challenge for young players to gather themselves back together.
“I’ll take the onus on that; I’ve got to do a better job of helping them regain that focus.”
Coming just a day after the emotional won over Council Rock South, Montagna praised his team’s resolve.
“It’s really difficult, after last night’s emotion, to go down 5-1 and somehow summon the energy and emption to rally like they did,” he said. “That’s as good a rally as you’re ever going to see especially coming off last night,
Pennridge 0 1 4 1—6
C.B. South 0 3 2 0—5
Second-period goals: Jeff Kvetcher (CBS) unassisted, 7:54; Nolan Shaw (P) unassisted,9:29; Sean Cutter (CBS) from Kvetcher and Jake Kunkle, 13:55; Ryan Frey (CBS) from Ryan Montagna,16:04
Third-period goals: D.J. Lindenmuth (CBS) unassisted, 3:50; Joey Slobodrian (CBS) from Aidan Linzo, 5:55; Andrew Savona (P) from Kevin Pico, 6:59 (sh); Savona (P) from Pico, 7:17 (sh); Pico (P) from James Rush and John Mikolich, 9:04 (pp); Savona (P) from Mikolich, 12:41
Overtime goal: Young (P) from Colin Dachowski, 1:23
Shots: Pennridge 35, C.B. South 41; Saves: Jacob Winton (Pr) 36: Dominic Varacallo (CBS) 29
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