Special teams made a huge difference for North Penn Wednesday night. The Knights scored two shorthanded goals not quite three minutes apart in the second period, and added a power-play three-and-a-half minutes after that to break open a tight game and go on to an 8-1 win over Central Bucks South in the annual County Line Cup encounter at Hatfield Ice.

The win kept the reigning Class AA Flyers Cup and state champions unbeaten at 6-0 and 5-0 in SHSHL National.

Ironically, the Knights had to play from behind; it was the Titans (4-3, 3-2 in conference) who scored the first goal of the evening. Owen Frey beat Aidan Quigley in the North Penn net 6:20 into the first frame

Declan Leahy responded for the Knights with 24.7 seconds left in the opening period, a period that saw North Penn build a 14-6 edge in shots.

The flow of play was interrupted by five minor penalties. The Knights’ Sam Norton drew concurrent penalties for cross checking and unsportsmanlike conduct, a circumstance that saw the Titans with a three-and-a-half-minute power play. South failed to capitalize however, an inkling of what was to come.

The Knights drew their fifth penalty of the game when James Boyle was sent off for cross checking 7:04 into the middle period. But his teammates did not sit back.

Chris Silvotti’s shorthanded goal put North Penn in front for the first time with 9:01 left in the period and Norton, once having escaped from the penalty box, added another shorthanded goal with 6:05 remaining. It became a 4-1 game when Daniel Cabrales scored a power-play goal with 2:37 left and Norton added an even-strength goal before the period ended.

“Special teams is always a big factor in these games,” Norton said. “When there are a lot of {penalties} you’ve got to score goals on the power play and not let goals in on the penalty kill.”

On this occasion, the Knights were particularly dangerous while shorthanded and still played up-tempo hockey.

“Sometimes those stretch play work,” Norton said.

Boyle, Leahy, and Tyler Evans all scored for North Penn in the third period, leaving South coach Josh Sklar to wonder what became of his team’s early momentum.

“The first 10 minutes of the game our foot was on the gas,” he said. “We had the momentum we took it off, they took it, and we never got it back.”

Norton led the barrage for North Penn with two goals and two assists. Ismael Cabrales also had a four-point night with a goal and three assists. Boyle finished with a goal and two assists. He notes that team chemistry has been a big factor in North Penn’s success on this night, and over the past two seasons.

“We have lots of chemistry,” going on,” he said. “We know exactly what we want to do when we go out there.

“It’s huge to be able to get momentum off the kill and on the power play. I think overall, the chemistry helps us.”

North Penn 1 4 —8

C.B. South 1 0 0—1

First period goals: Owen Frey (CBS) from Grant Boyne, 6:20; Declan Leahy (NP) from Chris Silvotti and Chase Kelly Del Ricci, 16:36

Second-period goals: Kelly Del Ricci (NP) from Sam Norton, 7:59 (sh); Norton (NP) from James Boyle, 10:55 (sh); Daniel Cabrales (NP) from Boyle and Nolan Shingle 14:23 (pp); Norton (NP) fro9mm Ismael Cabrales and moon Hostetter, 16:15

Third-period goals: Boyle (NP) from Cabrales and Norton, 8:24; Leahy (NP) from Hostetter and Tyler Evans, 10:04; Cabrales (NP) from Norton, 16:02

Shots: North Penn 46, C.B. South 27; Saves: Aidan Qugley (NP) 26, Nathan Napoitano (CBS) 38