Council Rock South 11, Council Rock North 4

WARWICK TOWNSHIP—The evening’s recipe featured hockey with an ample helping of tradition. After a year’s hiatus, Council Rock North and Council Rock South resumed their Thanksgiving Eve series Wednesday night.

The teams did not meet last year because North did field a varsity hockey team last season and because the SHSHL schedule did not begin until January. Thus, Wednesday’s meeting was something of a reunion, for the players, and for the fans who packed Revolution Ice Gardens for the occasion.

The more-experienced Golden Hawks had control of the game by late in the first period and rolled to an 11-4 win to claim the Rock Cup. But the fact that the two teams were sharing a sheet of ice was cause for celebration.

“It’s great,” said South captain Matt Constantini. “I missed it a lot. The fans were amazing. It’s just great to be out here for my senior year and Covid is somewhat gone.”

The flow of the game resembled that of a boxing match in which the champion has to work hard to dispatch the underdog but is not at serious risk of defeat.

The Indians (1-2, 0-1 in divisional play) actually took an early lead with a shorthanded goal. Wilton Pasch was in the box serving an interference penalty when his teammate Lucas Siomos sent the puck the length of the ice toward the Golden Hawks’ crease. South goaltender Carson Lopez muffed the puck and North’s Karson Grainey was on hand to put it behind him just 1:43 into the opening period.

The Golden Hawks (3-0-1, 1-0 in the division) soon returned fire with four goals in a span of 10 minutes, 22 seconds. David Vergules scored twice in between goals from Julian Wagenmann and Gavin Nisenzon.
South extended its lead in the second frame. Julian Sarne, and Nisenzon scored goals to give the Hawks a 6-1 advantage 4:50 into the period.

Zach Weisman scored for North at the 8:39 mark, but Vergules, Constantini, Kevin Koles, and Chase Trovsky rattled off four goals in a span of span of less than four minutes before Grainey scored for the Indians with 30 seconds remaining in the period.

“I think what you saw was a team that was established,” said North coach Greg McDonald, “and a team (North) that was throwing haymakers and trying to find it. But we weren’t organized, they were, and they outlasted us.”

North’s Nick Hahn and Vergules traded goals in the third period.

Vergules left the building with four goals and an assist. NIsenzon and Grainey also finished with two goals.

The Golden Hawks enjoyed a 54-28 advantage in shots. Ian Goldberg stood tall in the North net, making 43 saves.

South coach Joe Houk praised the Indians’ effort. “They got that first goal,” he said, “And then we kind of knuckled down. I think it kind of caught the guys off guard. They had a system as to what they were going to do, but they had a short bench so they kind of ran out of juice after we scored the second or third goal.”

C.R. North 1 2 1—4

C.R. South 4 6 1—11

First-period goals: Karson Grainey (CRN) unassisted, from Lucas Siomos, 1:43 (sh); Julian Wagenmann (CRS) from Sam Cherkassky, 4:07 (pp); David Vergules (CRS) from Nolan O’Brien, 9:39; Vergules (CBS) from Wagenmann and Evan Mostoller, 12:30; Gavin Nisenzon (CRS) from Matt Constantitni, 14:29

Second-period goals: Julian Sarne (CRS) unassisted, 1:08; Nisenzon (CRS) from Chase Trovsky, 4:50; Zach Weissman (CRN) from Grainey, 8:39; Vergules (CRS) from Wagenmann and Constanrini, 9:06; Constantitni (CRS) from Nisenzon and Vergules, 9:54; Kevin Koles (CRS) from Phillip Mayo and Sarne, 11:38; Trovsky (CRS) from Cherkassky and Blaize Pepe, 12:57; Grainey (CRN) unassisted, 16:30

Third-period goals: Nick Hahn (CRN) from Grainey and Jackson Mosley, 3:51; Vergules (CRS) from Wagenmann and Constantini, 9:46

Shots: Council Rock North 28, Council Rock South 54; Saves: Ian Goldberg (CRN) 43, Carson Lopez (CRS) 24

In other games on Wednesday:

Neshaminy 6, Pennsbury 3

Holy Ghost Prep 9, Father Judge 2

Central Bucks East 2, Central Bucks West 1

North Penn vs. Central Bucks South

Pennridge vs. Souderton

Hatboro-Horsham vs. Upper Moreland

William Tennent vs. Archbishop Wood

Malvern Prep vs. Cardinal O’Hara cancelled

SHSHL Overview

Traditionally, the Thanksgiving holiday is the first guidepost on the SHSHL calendar.

Here is an overview of how the season has evolved to date.

By Jared Roberts

The Suburban High School Hockey Leagues is celebrating their 49^th season. There is a lot to expect in the upcoming season from each division, and here is what we are looking at.

Continental Division

Central Bucks East: Under Head Coach Jeff Mitchell, the Patriots are look to blend the old and the new Junior Goalie Matt Mangiacapre enters the week with a 4.24 GAA, as well as senior Forward Phil McIntyre with 1 goal and 1 assist on the season. East, currently 1-2 on the season. On Nov 24 when they take on rival Central Bucks West.

Central Bucks South: The Titans and eight-year Head Coach Shaun McGinty are looking to remain sharp, with the young players looking to the veterans to set the stage for them,. Key players include senior Forward Daniel Kvecher who has 3 assists on the season mixed with sophomore Forward D.J. Lindenmuth, who has 2 assists of his own of the season. South currently sits at 0-2-1 and will look to capture their first victory of the season on Nov 24 against North Penn.

Central Bucks West: Under18-year Head Coach Dave Baun, the optimism is there, with young talent mixed with senior leadership, which seems to be the ultimate recipe for success. Key players include senior Forward Evan Hee, who has logged 1 goal and 2 assists this season, mix with sophomore Defenseman Grant Funseth, who has 1 goal and 5 assists on the season. West is currently 2-1 on the season and will look to carry the momentum into their next game against rival Central Bucks East on Nov 24.

Pennridge: Head Coach Jeff Montagna to replicate what the Rams did last season. He will look to players like senior Goalie Ryan Pico, who is 2-0 with a 2.00 GAA and a .939SV%, as well as junior Forward Aeryk Lehrhaupt, who has been active in the young season, scoring 3 goals and having 1 assist so far. Pennridge has yet to lose this season, currently at 3-0 and will look to stay perfect when they take on Souderton on Nov 24.

Souderton:, Head Coach Ryan Uchniat, now in his his fourth season, looks to guide the young team towards success. He is will looking to junior goalies Noah Connor and Liam Kelly, who combined have a 2.92GAA, as well as freshman Forward Nicholas Smith who has 4 goals so far this season. Souderton sits at 2-1 and will look to take first place when they play division leader Pennridge on Nov 24.

North Penn:. Head Coach Kevin Vaitis is looking to lead this group to make a deep run with relying on the young players to step up. Forward Justin Yothers has shown promise early in the season, as he has 1 goal and 2 assists, as well as Defensemen John Stinson, who has logged 1 goal and 1 assist. North Penn is still looking for their first victory of the season, sitting at 0-3, and will look to capture it on Nov 24 when they take on Central Bucks South.

National Division

Bensalem: The Owls are starting with the one of the youngest teams in the SHSHL. Although they had no varsity team last season, first year Head Coach Jordan Roth, is optimistic about their chances in the division. With key players such as sophomore Goalie Ricky Gonzalez with a 1.45GAA and a .930SV% on the young season and sophomore Forward Alex Hood who has 4 goals and 1 assist this season. Bensalem looks to make a name for itself when they take on Wissahickon on Dec 1.

Pennsbury: The defending SHSHL Class AA champions and show no signs of slowing down this season., Head Coach Ryan Daley us encuring that the team is as sharp as they can be, and intends to stick to the gameplan that it had last season. With young sophomore Goalie Aaron McDaniel, who is 2-0-1 with a 0.94GAA and a .926SV% on the season, as well as senior Forward Shane Siegmund, who has 4 goals and 4 assists on the season. Sitting at 2-0-1, Pennsbury will look to continue their win streak on Nov 24 when they take on Neshaminy and look to take first place.

Council Rock North: Similar to Bensalem, Council Rock North did not have a varsity team last season, however they make their return under first season Head Coach Greg McDonald. Another young team, North has judst one senior on their team, captain Wilton Pasch, who has logged 1 assist on the young season. Another notable name is freshman Defenseman Nicholas Hahn, who has 2 goals and 4 assists so far this season and shows no signs of slowing down. Council Rock North is currently 1-1 on the season and will look to continue their rise in the division as they take on Council Rock South on Nov 24.

Council Rock South: Head Coach Joe Houk, who is entering his sixteenth season with the club, has most of that team returning for the season. There is not much doubt that they should carry over that success into this season. Looking at players such as senior Goalie Carson Lopez, who sports a 1.88GAA and a .915SV% in 2 games this season, as well as Defenseman Kevin Koles who has been lighting it up with 4 goals and 3 assist on the year. Council Rock South is currently 2-0-1 and will look to add another W on Nov 24 when they take on Council Rock North.

Neshaminy: Neshaminy is coming off a season which was a learning experience for the younger players on the team, going 6-6-1, with the same group, now juniors, they look to make a serious run this season under fifth year Head Coach Matt DeMatteo. senior goalie Brian Nelson, who has a 2.45 GAA and a .904 SV%, the team also will lean on junior forward Max Gallagher who has been dominant, scoring 3 goals and 2 assists in 3 games. Neshaminy currently sits atop of the division at 2-0-1 and will attempt to hold onto first place when they take on Pennsbury Nov 24.

American Division

Abington: Coming off of a season in which they went 7-4 and went to the SHSHL American Division title game, Abington, under fifth year Head Coach Ken Brzozowski, will look to continue their dominance. Rolling up on the season with an experienced lineup is always a big key to success, and Brzozowski has a lineup filled with them. Junior Forward Matthew has been sharp over the course of the early season, having 5 goals and 2 assists, and add senior Forward Joe Stelacio who has been just as electric, scoring 2 goals and 5 assists on the season. This team is hungry to win, and the seniors will have one last chance to bring it all home and will look to prove it when they take on Hatboro-Horsham Dec 3.

Hatboro-Horsham: First year Head Coach Shane Smith will have his work cut out for him on the season. haa some experience with some of the players, such as senior Goalie Mason Rush who is 1-1 with a 4.85GAA and a .853 SV%, as well as senior Forward Tarek Elsabbagh, who has 2 goal and 2 assists on the year. Hatboro-Horsham, currently 1-1, will look to bounce back in the W column when they take on Moreland/New Hope Nov 24. With the seniors leading this team, the younger players and the new coach should have a real shot of making some noise in the division.

Plymouth Whitemarsh: Josh Aiello will enter his eighth season as Head Coach of Plymouth Whitemarsh. Expectations are high this season, however, that added pressure adds fuel to the fire with senior Goalie Kolton Galie, who is 2-0 with a 3.50 GAA and a .879 SV%, looks to carry the dominance throughout the rest of the season. Also feared on the team is senior Forward Luke Weikel, who has 3 goals and 3 assists on the year. Plymouth Whitemarsh will look to stay undefeated when they take on Quakertown on Dec 1.

Quakertown: Head Coach Keith Krem enters his third season with a majority of the same team he has coached for the past two year With a good blend of young and old, Quakertown looks to build on the foundations of youth and to have the experienced players pass the torch to their younger players. Junior Defensemen William Shaw has turned some heads in the early goings of the season, scoring 3 goals and 1 assist, as well as senior Forward Anthony Pagliei, who has 2 goals and 1 assist of his own. Quakertown is currently sitting at 0-3 and will look to capture their first win when they take on Plymouth Whitemarsh on Dec 1.

Upper Dublin: Upper Dublin is getting get back into the mix of the SHSHL after being on a two-year hiatus due to roster issues. Head Coach Anthony Richichi is entering his sixth season with the team, and his second stint as the head coach. He will lean on the seniors to be beacons for the younger players. Sophomore Forward Jack Bocul has had an electric start to the season, with 7 goals and 1 assist, and the same could be said about Forward Louis Gamburg, who has 5 goals and 1 assist. Upper Dublin is currently 1-3 on the year and will look to carry momentum into their Dec 1 game against Council Rock North.

William Tennent: Vincent Rosica enters his first season as head coach of William Tennent, taking over for Nick D’Aurizio.. Rosica has a lot of work to do with this team. Forward Frank Rosenberry has been a spark in the offense so far this season, posting 5 goals and 3 assists, paired with Forward Matthew Castan’s 3 goals, the team certainly has the offensive prowess to make a statement. William Tennent currently sits at 0-3 and will look to capture their first victory on Nov 24 when they take on Archbishop Wood.

Wissahickon: Wissahickon is looking to defend the SHSHL American Division/Class A title. Head Coach Ken Harrington, entering his seventh season, is dealing with some graduation losses, however, the optimism is that they can repeat. Seniors Will and Nick Hussa will be heavily relied on, with Will having 8 goals and 5 assists in 3 games this season and Nick with 2 goal and 9 assists in the same time frame. Another big name to watch out for is freshman Forward Danny Hussa, who has 6 goals and 2 assists on the season, a good sign that both the younger and older players are mingling well together. Wissahickon currently stands at 2-1 and will look to stay undefeated when they take on Bensalem Dec 1.

SHSHL Update for 11-22

National/Continental-Class AA W L T OTL Pts

Pennridge (4-0) 2 0 0 0 4

Pennsbury (2-0-1) 0 0 0 0 0

Council Rock South (2-0-1) 0 0 0 0 0

Neshaminy (2-0-1) 0 0 0 0 0

Central Bucks West (2-1) 0 0 0 0 0

Bensalem (1-1) 0 0 0 0 0

Central Bucks East (1-2) 0 0 0 0 0

North Penn (1-3) 0 0 0 0 0

Central Bucks South (0-4-1) 0 0 0 0 0

Souderton (2-2) 0 1 0 0 0

Council Rock North (1-2) 0 2 0 0 0

American Division-Class A W L T OTL Pts

Wissahickon (2-1) 2 0 0 0 4

Abington (1-1) 1 0 0 0 2

Upper Dublin (1-3) 1 1 0 0 2

Plymouth Whitemarsh (2-0) 0 0 0 0 0

Hatboro-Horsham (1-1) 0 1 0 0 0

Quakertown (0-2) 0 1 0 0 0

William Tennent (0-2) 0 1 0 0 0

Scoring

Class AA G A Pts

Shane Siegmund (PB) 4 6 10

Brendan Macainsh (PB) 5 4 9

Carson Grainey (CRN) 7 1 8

Julian Sarne (CRS) 5 2 7

Kevin Koles (CRS) 4 3 7

Reece Millman (Pb) 4 3 6

Grant Funseth (CBW) 1 4 5

Adam Ricci (CBW) 2 3 5

Alex Hood (Ben.) 4 1 5

Class A G A Pts

Will Hussa (Wiss) 8 5 13

Nick Hussa (Wiss) 2 9 11

A.J. Pounds (Wiss) 5 3 8

Danny Hussa (Wiss) 6 2 8

Frank Rosenberry (WT) 5 3 8

Jack Bocul (UD) 7 1 8

Goals Against

Class AA Minutes GA GAA

Ricky Gonzalez (Bens) 99 3 1.45

Aaron McDaniel (Pb) 158 5 1.52

Ryan Pico (Pr) 102 4 2.00

Carson Lopez (CRS) 158 7 2.13

Brian Nelson (Nesh) 104 5 2.45

Class A Minutes GA GAA

Kolton Galie 102 7 3.50

Mason Rush (HH) 99 10 4.85

Emmett Kepniss (UD) 148 17 5.51

Michael Bonnani (Wiss) 150 18 5.76

Save Percentage

Class AA Minutes Shots Saves Save Pct.

Ryan Pico (Pr) 102 66 62 .939

Carson Lopez (CRS) 158 112 105 .938

Ricky Gonzalez (Bens) 99 43 40 .930

Aaron McDaniel (Pb) 158 67 62 .925

Brian Nelson (Nesh) 104 52 47 .904

Class A Minutes Shots Saves Save Pct.

Kolton Galie (PW) 102 58 51 .879

Mason Rush (HH) 99 68 58 .853

Michael Bonnani (Wiss) 150 105 87 .829

Thomas Lomas (WT) 127 96 79 .823

To be eligible goaltenders must have played a minimum of 99 minutes

C.B. East 9 Wissahickon 4

WARWICK—Ideally a hockey team will mature and evolve over the course of a tournament (see: 1980 U.S. Olympic team) or the course of a season. Central Bucks East took a step in the right direction Friday night.

Tyler Godown scored four goals and added an assist as the Patriots pulled away from Wissahickon in the last wo periods and went on to a 9-4 win in a SHSHL interconference affair at Revolution Ice Gardens.

It was the first win for the Class AA Patriots in three tries Wissahickon, the SHSHL’s defending Class A champion, dropped to 2-1.

For a young Patriot squad looking to find its way, the victory was extremely significant. Godown, one of just four seniors on the roster, stressed the importance of being a positive role model for his younger teammates.

“You just need a lot of leadership,” he said. “If you play hard, they’ll play hard. Don’t act scared, they’ll be good.”

Godown was his own best example, putting his team in front just 67 seconds after the opening faceoff before making it 2-0 at the 4:40 mark.

The Patriots were dominant for most of the opening period, outshooting their foes 10-1 at one point. Will and Nick Hussa scored goals for Wissahickon to make it a 2-2 game at period’s end but that score was misleading. Trojan goaltender Michael Bonnani kept his team in the game by making 13 saves in the opening 17 minutes.

But in the second period East scored four times to break the game open. Phil McIntyre and Aiden Schmidt scored the first two goals, both while East was shorthanded. Godown added the last two, one of them on a penalty shot, the second while his team was shorthanded.

Wissahickon coach Ken Harrington said his team simply ran out of gas.

“They were gassed after the first period because they were going so hard,” he said. “They never recovered, really”.

The teams combined for five goals in the final period. McIntyre added his second goal for the Patriots. Carter Keiser scored a goal before Schmidt scored his second of the game.

A.J. Pounds scored for the Trojans before Will Hussa scored his second of the night with 14 seconds remaining.

East coach Jeff Mitchell is looking for his younger players to understand their roles as the season progresses.

“Definitely defensive minded first,” he said. “Take care of home before you go and try to do anything fancy at the other end of the rink.

“And accountability. That’s the main thing with my younger players. I just to make sure that they actually realize what their responsibilities are out on the ice.”

Ice Chips—SHSHL games are now being played in 17-minute periods. The Patriots held a 41-28 shot advantage.

C.B. East 2 4 3—9

Wissahickon 2 0 2—4

First-period goals: Tyler Godown (CBE) from Bodgon Borodeko, 1:07; Godown (CBE) from Corey Kosick, 4:40; Will Hussa from A.J. Pounds and Ty Schiff, 6:07; Nick Hussa from Pounds and Konrad Foulk, 14:30

Second-period goals: Phil McIntyre (CBE) from Kosick, 2:09 (sh), Aiden Schmidt (CBE) from Borodenko, 4:08 (sh); Godown (CBE) penalty shot, 14:55; Godown (CBE) unassisted, 15:48 (sh)

Third-period goals: McIntyre (CBE) from Stephen DiRugeris, 5:11.; Carter Keiser (CBE) from Kosick, 8:22 (pp); Pounds from Will Hussa, 9:29 (sh); Schmidt (CBE) from Kosick, 14: 38 (pp); Will Hussa from Nick Hussa and Nolan Pounds, 16:46.

Shots: C.B. East 41, Wisssahickon 28; Saves: Matt Mangiacapre (CBE) 24. Michael Bonnani 32

SHSHL Update for 11-14-21

National/Continental-Class AA W L T OTL Pts

Central Bucks West (2-0) 0 0 0 0 0

Pennsbury (2-0) 0 0 0 0 0

Pennridge (2-0) 0 0 0 0 0

Council Rock South (2-0) 0 0 0 0 0

Neshaminy (1-0-1) 0 0 0 0 0

Central Bucks South (0-2-1) 0 0 0 0 0

Bensalem (1-1) 0 0 0 0 0

Council Rock North (0-1) 0 0 0 0 0

Souderton (1-1) 0 0 0 0 0

North Penn (0-2) 0 0 0 0 0

Central Bucks East (0-2) 0 0 0 0 0

American Division-Class A W L T OTL Pts

Wissahickon (2-0 2 0 0 0 4

Abington (1-1) 1 0 0 0 2

Hatboro-Horsham (1-0) 0 0 0 0 0

Plymouth Whitemarsh (1-0) 0 0 0 0 0

Quakertown (0-2) 0 1 0 0 0

William Tennent (0-2) 0 1 0 0 0

Upper Dublin (0-3) 0 0 0 0 0

Scoring

Class AA G A Pts

Shane Siegmund (PB) 4 4 8

Reece Millman (Pb) 3 3 6

Grant Funseth (CBW) 1 4 5

Adam Ricci (CBW) 2 3 5

Alex Hood (Ben.) 4 1 5

Kevin Pico (Pennridge) 4 1 5

Class A G A Pts

Will Hussa (Wiss) 7 4 11

Nick Hussa (Wiss) 1 8 9

Joe Stelacio (Ab) 2 5 7

Matthew Kramer (Ab) 5 2 7

Matthew Cholaj (Ab) 3 3 6

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Haverford 4, Pennridge 1

WEST GOSHEN— It took Haverford some time to get started Wednesday night. But over the course of 51 minutes the Fords found the right gear and prevailed 4-1 over Pennridge in a Class AA Flyers Cup semifinal at Ice Line.

Third-seeded Haverford (15-1), a winner of its last 13 starts, will face top-seed Downingtown West in Tuesday’s final at Ice Line (6:15 start). The 10th-seeded Rams closed their season at 10-6.

At the evening’s outset, the Rams face the question of how to neutralize Haverford’s speed.
They were successful for most of the first period until Dane Fichette drew the game’s first penalty at the 11:10 mark, giving the Fords the game’s first power play.

It was Pennridge however who got on the scoreboard first when Aidan Boyle blocked a shot from the high slot, which set up Aeryk Lehrhaupt for a shorthanded breakaway. Lehrhaupt deposited the puck behind Haverford goaltender Jai Jani at 13:25.

The Rams maintained their lead past the midway point of the second period but the momentum was starting to shifting the Fords’ way when Quinn Carson tied the game with at the 11:41 mark of the period; his shot from the right wing caromed off Pennridge netminder Ryan Pico and into the net.

Haverford took the lead three-and-a-minutes later when Dan Quartapella tried to score on a wraparound inside the right post. Pico made the save but Alex Gattone poked in the rebound.

Pennridge coach Jeff Montagna saw Gattone’s goal as a turning point. “That second goal took a lot out of us,” he said.

By that point, Pico was keeping Pennridge in the game; after two periods The Rams were being outshot 27-14.

The Fords controlled the third period. Jacob Orazi extended his team’s lead when he scored a shorthanded goal at the 6:44 mark off a turnover in the Pennridge zone. Dan Quartapella completed the scoring for the evening at at 10:14. At evening’s end, the Fords’ shot advantage was 37-18.

Montagna saluted his team’s effort. “They did what I wanted,” he said. “They did it our way. It wasn’t sitting back and it wasn’t just waiting for the inevitable to come, They took it to them to start that game as best they could.”

The person perhaps most impressed by Pennridge’s performance was Haverford coach John Povey. “Pennridge gave us everything that we could handle,” he said. Hats off to their team, hats off to their coaching staff.

“That was one of the tougher games we’ve played all year. Hats off to them, but hats off to our guys, down 1-0. I don’t think we’d trailed in a game since the beginning of February, so it was good for us to find a way to win.”

The Fords made some adjustments to neutralize the Rams’ early surge. “We just started getting pucks behind their (defense),” Povey said. Our forecheck was really good. Halfway through the game, we were able to possess the puck and wear them down a little bit.”

The Rams had a long ride home Wednesday night but Blake Stewart, their captain, was quick to point out that the Rams earned the right to hold their heads high at evening’s end.

“We came into the season with low expectations,” he said. “I can say right now, no one thought we’d be here, especially the only SHSHL team here. And that gave us firepower. We came into the playoffs, we came into the Flyers Cup with nothing to lose. We did nothing but prove people wrong.”

Downingtown West defeated 12th seed Avon Grove 4-3 in the other semifinal.

Pennridge 1 0 0—1
Haverford 0 2 2—4
First-period goals: Aeryk Lehrhaupt (P) from Aidan Boyle, 13:25 (sh)
Second period goals: Quinn Carson (H) from Daniel Quartapella and Nate Rabadam, 11:41; Alex Gattone (H) from Quartapella and Carson, 15:13
Third-period goals: Jacob Orazi (H) from Rabadam and Cally Moran, 6:44 (sh); Quartapella (H) Rabadam, 10:41
Shots: Pennridge 18, Haverford 37; Saves: Ryan Pico (P) 33, Jai Jani (H) 17

West Chester Henderson 5, Wissahickon 1

HATFIELD—Making the transition from the regular season to the Flyers Cup tournament requires stepping up. On Thursday night, Wissahickon was unable to make the climb.

Alex Holloway and Edward Jefferis each contributed two goals and two assists as West Chester Henderson prevailed over the Trojans 5-1 in a Class A quarterfinal game at Hatfield Ice.

The sixth-seeded Warriors (5-7-2) earned a place in Tuesday’s semifinals while third-seeded Wissahickon concluded its season at 12-2.

The Trojans came into the game averaging nine goals per game but never got into high gear against a Henderson team that kept them under pressure all evening long.

“They could keep up with (Henderson’s) speed,” said Wissahickon coach Ken Harrington,” but they would make decisions a little too quick because (opponents) were right on top of them. (But) a lot of times they weren’t and they would get in that mode ‘I’ve got to get rid of it.’”

And while the Trojans did generate some quality chances, they were unable to solve Warrior goaltender Dylan Krick until late in the third period.

“We had a lot of chances,” Harrington said, but they didn’t go in. We had enough, but their goalie was very good.”

Henderson jumped in from early on. Holloway corralled a loose puck just inside the Wissahickon blue line and went in alone on Trojan goaltender Michael Bonnani before putting the puck past him just 3:33 into the opening period. A second turnover on a similar play set up a goal from Jefferis and the Warriors had a 2-0 lead at the 12:38 mark.

Holloway set up Jefferis from behind the net and his teammate scored his second goal of the night to make it a 3-0 game 2:45 into the second period. Robbie Moses extended Henderson’s lead when he blasted a shot past Bonnani from the right faceoff circle at 14:19.By that point in the game, the Trojans, who had just 10 skaters available instead of their usual 12, were running low on energy.

Holloway scored his second goal of the game with 6:54 left in regulation on a shot from the left point, two long strides inside the blue line. Bonnani appeared to be screened on the play.

Wissahickon finally got on the scoreboard with 4:16 remaining when Ben Junker scored a power-play goal on a low shot from the high slot that found its way through traffic.

The Warriors outshot the Trojans 35-32.

Note from History: Henderson won a Class A Flyers Cup title in 2007,

WC Henderson 2 2 1—5
Wissahickon 0 0 1—1—1
First-period goals: Alex Holloway (WCH) unassisted, 3:33; Edward Jefferis (WCH) from Holloway, 12:38
Second-period goals: Jefferis (WCH) from Holloway, 2:45; Robbie Moses (P) from Christopher Lawrence, 14:19
Third-period goals: Holloway (WCH) from Jefferis and Tyler Krick, 9:06; Ben Junker (P) from Ty Schaffer’s and Bryan Garry, 11:44 (pp)
Shots: WCH 35, Wiss. 33 Saves: Dylan Krick (WCH) 32, Michael Bonnani 30

Flyers Cup Schedule for Thursday, April 8. NOTE UPDATE

Today’s originally scheduled Class AAA quarterfinal game between #3 Holy Ghost Prep and #6 Cardinal O’Hara has been postponed. The game will be played at a later date to be determined that will not affect the current and ongoing Flyers Cup timeline.

Class A Quarterfinals

1 West Chester East vs. 8 Penncrest 6:15 Ice Line 1

4 Spring.-Delco vs 5 Sun Valley 8:50 Ice Works 3

West Chester Henderson 5, Wissahickon 1

2 Strath Havem vs 10 WC Bayard Rustin 8:50 Ice Works 4

Class AA Quarterfinals

1 Downingtown West vs 9 Neshaminy 8:45 at Ice Line 3

Avon Grove 4, Spring Ford 2

3 Haverford vs 6 Central Bucks South 8:15 at Ice Line 1

Pennridge 9, Pennsbury 6

All these games can be seen on the Flyers Cup YouTube channel

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Dr. Caroline Hsu, Dr. Azure Pelberg and their staff provide high-quality dental care in a caring, nurturing environment. They’ve been taking care of my teeth for 25 years and I would recommend them to anyone. Going to the dentist can be an unsettling experience but everyone at All Smiles Family Dentistry will work to put you at ease.

Call for an appointment at 215-616-0609 or e-mail them at allsmilesfamilydentistry@verizon.net. You can also find them on line at www.allsmileslansdale.com.

Central Bucks South 3, Owen J. Roberts 1

HATFIELD—It was a performance lacking in artistic excellence perhaps. But by evening’s end, Central Bucks South had what it came for; a win. Three different players scored goals as the sixth-seeded Titans downed Owen J. Roberts 3-1 Tuesday night in a Class AA Flyers Cup first-round game at Hatfield Ice.

Dan Kvecher, Owen Mendham, and Aydin Thierolf all scored to send the Titans (8-5-1-1) to Thursday’s quarterfinals against third-seeded Haverford (8:15 at Ice Line).

Goals weren’t easy to come by Tueday night. The 11^th-seeded Wildcats (5-5-3) enjoyed a 36-24 edge in shots They also had the better of procession time over the first two periods but couldn’t solve South goaltender Mason Moyer despite having three-power-play opportunities over the first 32 minutes of playing time.

The Titans scored the only goal of that span in a unique fashion. Kvecher made a move on left wing before encountering traffic in the offensive zone. He launched a shot that caromed off of Wildcat goaltender Shane Towler and into the net. The goal came with 3:58 remaining in the period.

Kevecher anticipated a tough battle from the Lions. “Every game is a battle,” he said, “no matter what opponent we play. We just come out here and do what we do.

“(O.J Roberts) is a great team. We have to battle the whole game.”

Kvecher’s teammate, Owen Mendham made it a 2-0 game on a power-play goal 7:04 into the third period.

South spent a big chunk of the third period killing penalties, three in the last 8:25 of regulation. But the only goal the Lions managed came on the last one when Cale Primanti put in a rebound with 1:59 remaining.

“Early on we had a lot of possession time,” said Owen J. Roberts coach Chuck Gorman. ”We just couldn’t penetrate between the dots on them and get second shots..”

The last goal of the game came with 1:06 left in regulation when the Lions, who had pulled Towler for an extra attacker, turned the puck over just to their defensive side of the red line. Thierolf controlled the loose puck for the Titans and was poised for a breakaway when the Lions’ Ava Rinker pulled him down. With the net empty, Thierolf was awarded a goal. And the Titans lived to play another day.

“In this kind of tournament you take the win, you move on,” said South coach Shaun McGinty.”They came, they did their job, they got their shot total up.

“We wre struggling a bit finding the net, but the first two periods they were pretty much winning the one-on-one battles.”

Owen J. Roberts 0 0 1

Central Bucks South 0 1 2

Second-period goals: Dan Kvecher (CBS) unassisted, 12:02

Third-period goals: Owen Mendham (CBS) from Adam Cusick and Aydin Thierolf, 7:04 (pp); Cael Primanti (OJR) from Chatles Davis, 14:01 (pp); Thierolf (CBS) unassisted, 14:54 (awarded goal), (en)

Shots: O.J. Roberts 36, C.B. South 24 Saves: Shane Towler (OJR) 21, Mason Moyer (CBS) 35

Pennridge 4, Central Bucks East 2

HATFIELD— Pennridge got off to a quick start Tuesday night and maintained its advantage all evening long. The Rams scored three times in the first period and went on to a 4-2 win over Central Bucks East in a Class AA Flyers Cup first-round game at Hatfield Ice.

Tenth-seeded Pennridge will face second-seeded Pennsbury in a quarterfinal game on Thursday (6:30 at Hatfield Ice).

There wasn’t a lot of flash and sizzle in what the Rams did on the ice. But they were extremely efficient and Ryan Pico was solid in goal. That’s been a winning formula for the Rams (9-4-0-1) all season and it was again on Tuesday.

“It was boring,” admitted Pennridge coach Jeff Montagna. “But I’ll take that every day of the week.”

The Rams lack the firepower they’ve enjoyed in the recent past. That necessitated a different approach this season.

“If we’re going to win, if we’re going to advance, it’s got to be defense first, second, and third,” Montagna said. “That’s not easy for kids to always want to do, they want to go. To respond this way, that’s a lot of the older guys. They’ve been there, they know how we’ve got play.”

Richie Shanks got things started for the Rams 6:39 into the opening period when he beat Patriot netminder Matt Mangiacapre from close range off a feed from Aidan Boyle. Aeryk Lehrhaupt made it a 2-0 game at the 10:08 mark before Boyle extended his team’s lead at 12:54.

Despite the three-goal deficit, the Patriots kept battling. “It was hard to keep consistent pressure in their zone,” said East coach Jeff Mitchell. “We’re missing a couple key guys in the lineup. It just got to a point where the boys gave it their all. Things just didn’t go our way at the end of everything.”

Connor Keiser got East on the scoreboard 6:48 into the second frame.

Adam Bostock made it a one-goal game when he beat Ryan Pico 3:19 into the third period. But Blake Stewart answered back for Pennridge 71 seconds later to complete the scoring.

The seventh-seeded Patriots, who we’re playing their first game since March 17, saw their late hopes fade thanks to a pair of late penalties; Tyler Godown and Phil McIntyre were accessed unsportsmanlike conduct penalties with 1:28 left in regulation, forcing East to finish the game with two players in the penalty box. Two other Patriots drew unsportsmanlike conduct penalties following the final buzzer.It marked the conclusion to a season in which the Patriots (6-4-1-1) faced a plethora of unique challenges.

“There were a lot of things that were out of our hands this year,” Mitchell said. I feel like my group did the best they could given the hand that they were dealt.”

Pennridge 3 0 1—4
C.B. East 0 1 1—2
First-period goals: Richie Shanks (P) from Aidan Boyle, 6:39; Aeryk Lehrhaupt (P) from Blake Stewart, 10:08; Boyle (P) from Colin Dahowski and Dane Fichette, 12:54
Second-period goals: Connor Keiser (CBE) from Phil McIntyre and Adam Bostock, 6:48
Third-period goals: Adam Bostock (CBE) from Stephen DIRugeris, 3:19; Stewart (P) from Cooper White and Lehrhaupt, 4:30;
Shots: Pennridge 40, C.B. East 26; Saves: Ryan Pico (P) 24, Matt Mangiacapre 36