Bensalem 5 Plymouth Whitemarsh 3

When a goaltender steps up, a lot of people notice. So it was at Hatfield Ice Monday night.

Ricky Gonzalez made 53 saves in the Bensalem net and his teammates played inspired hockey in front of him as the Owns overcame a 3-2 third-period deficit to post a 5-3 win over Plymouth Whitemarsh in the SHSHL American Division finale.

Alex Hood scored four goals for the third-seeded Owls (14-3) who claimed the first SHSHL title in school history but it was the senior netminder Gonzalez who was the difference in the game.

Bensalem, which had only 10 skaters available due to suspensions, was outshot 56-21.

“I have no words right now, said Bensalem coach Bill Hood. “I’m very proud of these kids.

“Obviously, we had a short bench; we had three kid suspended. And these kids, all year long, they just never quit.”

Gonzalez credited his teammates for their support.

“If it wasn’t for Alex and my brother (Lucas Gonzalez) and the rest of the team it wouldn’t have even been close,” he said. Everybody stood their ground tonight and we came up with the victory.

Gonzalez spent much of the evening under heavy incoming fire but being busy is to his liking.

“It gives me so much confidence,” he said. “Seeing that (shot total) up there, but there were three (Colonial goals) on 40 shots. In the third period, that kept me going.

Justin Borne got the Owls going with the evening’s first goal 5:09 into the opening frame, David Branigan and Blake Ambler responded for the top-seeded Colonials (13-4) to give their side a 2-1 lead with 2:06 left in the opening session.

Hood and Branigan traded goals in the second period, leading to Hood’s game-tying goal 2:24 into the final period.

Hood’s game winner, which came at the 7:49 mark, came off a dash down left the left wing. His shot along the ice beat Plymouth Whitemarsh goaltender Julian Lucks inside the right post and immediately caromed back into play. The referee on the play immediately blew his whistle and signaled a goal.

Hood later put an exclamation point on the game by scoring into an empty net just before the final buzzer.

Still later, he could be found in his team’s dress room, hugging the championship trophy with all the energy at his command and reflecting on what he and his teammates have accomplished.

“It’s a big family,” he said. “we’ve battled through the past three years. Everybody counted us out. It doesn’t matter how far down we are, we found a way today.”

Plymouth Whitemarsh coach Dave Cox was unavailable following the game.

Ice chips: Both teams will compete in the Flyers Cup. Plymouth Whitemarsh will gave Unionville in a Class A first-round game on March 4. Bensalem will go against Pennridge in a Class AA first-round game on March 5.

Bensalem 1 1 3—5

Plymouth Whitemarsh 2 1 0—3

First period goals: Justin Rapone (B) from Matt Rowan and Brandon Stahl, 5:09; David Branigan (PW) from Jason Yoder, 8:19; Blake Ambler (PW) from Chris London, 14:54

Second-period goals: Alex Hood (B) unassisted, 8:55; Branigan (PW) from Dylan Novitsky, 10:56

Third-period goals: Hood (B) unassisted, 2:24; Hood (B) unassisted, 7:49; Hood (B) from Rowan, 16:59 (en)

Shots: Bensalem 21, PW 56 Saves: Ricky Gonzalez (B) 53, Julian Lucks (PW) 16

Bensalem 4 P-W 3 OT

Plymouth Whitemarsh and Bensalem have moved to the head of the pack in the SHSHL’s American Division. On Thursday night at Hatfield Ice, they began finding out about each other.

Alex Hood’s goal 1:38 into overtime gave the Owls a 4-3 win in what is shaping up as an entertaining season-long series. Thursday’s game was the first of three meetings between the two teams.

The result pushed Bensalem to 5-1 overall and in the division; the Owls have been perfect since an opening-night loss to Wissahickon. They came from behind three times on Thursday.

The Colonials (4-2 overall) lost for the first time in five league starts.

Alex Baylevich set up the winning goal when he put the puck on net from his post at the right point. Hood was on hand to score his second goal of the game and his 22^nd of the season. He also contributed two assists to his team’s cause.

Hood described the winning goal.

“All three of their kids were puck watching,” he said, “so I went backdoor. [Baylevich] found me like he always does. Tic tac toe in the back of the net.”

Both teams came into Thursday’s encounter at less than full strength. The Colonials had three regulars out of the lineup including two front-line centers. For their part, the Owls had only eight skaters available. That circumstance forced their coach Bill Hood to do some juggling.

“We had a lot of penalties (8) which hurt,” he said. “But we’ve got kids that play very high level club hockey so they’re used to this kind of pace.”

The scoring started early. David Branigan put Plymouth Whitemarsh in front just 55 seconds into the first period. Hood tied the game at the 2:21 mark.

Jason Segal put the Colonials back in front with 44 seconds left in the middle period and Plymouth Whitemarsh seemed to have the upper hand heading into the third frame, but the momentum shifted dramatically when Cole Salayda tied the game with a shorthanded with 12:13 left in regulation.

Tim Murphy gave Plymouth Whitemarsh the lead for the last time with a one timer from the high slot with 6:33 remaining.

But that wasn’t enough; Lucas Gonzalez poked in a rebound with 4:01 left to kick off the mad dash to the finish line.

Ricky Gonzalez in the Bensalem net might have made the biggest contribution to his team’s win. He finished with 32 saves, many of them difficult.

“Ricky’s been a rock all year,” Bill Hood said. “He definitely gives us confidence back there. We take some risks at times defensively and he’s always back there.”

The loss was a tough one for the Colonials but their coach Dave Cox took a pragmatic view.

“We knew coming in that Bensalem was going to be a tough opponent,” he said, “and I believe it was a good test of our character and what we need to work on.

“I’m proud of our boys for faced the adversity. We had a very short bench tonight, A lot of the boys were playing with different linemate pairs and that took some adjusting to, and our power-play wasn’t working well but they worked hard every shift. Overtime losses are never easy, but we look forward to seeing this team a couple more times.”

Bensalem 1 0 2 1—4

P-W 1 1 1 0—3
First-period goals: David Branigan (PW) unassisted, :55; Alex Hood (B) from Cole Salayda and Brandon Stahl. 2:21;

Second-period goal: Jason Segal (PW) from Tim Murphy and Daniel Molony, 16:16

Third-period goals: Salayda (B) from Lucas Gonzalez and Hood, 4:47 (sh); Murphy (PW) from John Zawislak and Molony, 10:27; Gonzalez (B) from Justin Rapone and Hood, 12:59

Overtime goal: Hood (B) from Alex Baylevich, 1:38

Shots: Bensalem 25, Plymouth Whitemarsh 35; Saves: Ricky Gonzalez (B) 32; Julian Lucks (PW) 21

Owls Enjoying Their Time on Ice

BRISTOL—The result was a disappointment albeit not a totally unexpected one. Bensalem was no match for Pennsbury Thursday night and fell 11-1 in a Suburban High School Hockey League Class AA game at Grundy Arena.

But the result paled in comparison to the reality of the Owls being on the ice, in uniforms that carried their school’s name and its colors of silver and blue.

The team is coached by Jordan Roth, a special education teacher in the district and a man with an affection for the game of hockey.

“Hockey has always been a passion of mine,” he said, “as well as coaching. I’m excited to grow this program to the best of ability.”

The Owls who now stand at 3-9 overall and 1-7 in divisional play, have one of the youngest teams in the SHSHL.

Sophomore goaltender Rickey Gonzalez stood tall for his team Wednesday night despite the score line He allowed 11 goals but also made 39 saves before the contest was terminated via the 10-goal mercy rule 8:11 into the third period.

Gonzalez found himself drawn to playing in goal early on. “When I was little I always had a thing for weird positions,” he said. “When I played football, I always wanted to be a ref.

“So, I guess I ended up picking goalie. But after a while, you see the other guys having all the fun out there and I kind of feel left out. I want to be a (skater) sometimes.”

Gonzalez enjoys the opportunity to step on the ice with the student-athletes he sees in school each day. “I find it a little bit more fun and exciting to play with them,” he said. I get to show off my skills a little bit for my friends and the people who come to our games.”

Alex Hood scored the Owls’ only goal Wednesday night. Hood, who is also a sophomore has collected 12 goals and five assists for 17 points this season.

Hood was elated when he learned Bensalem would field a hockey team this season. “I was really excited,” he said, because I could play with my friends here and it’s something new to do.”

Like Gonzalez, Hood is savoring the chance to play alongside his friends. “I’ve always loved playing with (Gonzalez),” he said. “He’s one of my best friends off the ice. It’s just something I’ve always wanted to do.”
Roth tells his squad to appreciate the opportunity they have to skate for their school. “I tell the guys in the locker room that it’s a privilege to play this game every day,” he said. “Finding ice, being in enclosed arenas. Hockey is a very expensive sport. I’m very thankful to be a part of the program. I like to instill that importance of respect, respect the game and respect the officials on and off the ice.”

The Falcons (7-3-1, 5-2 in the division) took command by scoring six goals in the first period. Brendan MacAinsh, Reece Milkman and Jake McCaw each scored two goals

Bensalem 0 1 0—1

Pennsbury 6 2 3—11

First-period goals: Brendan Macainsh (P) from Colin Michalak and Shane Siegmund, :22; Jake McCaw (P) from Chris Sarver 5:23; Logan Doyle (P) from Connor Coyne, 8:50 (sh); Reece Millman (P) from Macainsh, 11:17; McCaw (P) from Sarver and Millman, 14:02; Sarver (P) from Millman and Duyle, 14:51;

Second-period goals: Alex Hood (B) from Matt Rowan and Alex Bazylevich, 11:31; Millman (P) unassisted, 12:59 (pp); Doyle (P) from Macainsh and Conor Kane, 13:15

Third-period goals: McCaw (P) Doyle, 1:01 (sh); Macainsh (P) from Siegmund and Stephen Grossup, 3:02; McCaw (P) from Siegmound, 8:11

Shots: Bensalem 8, Pennsbury 50; Saves: Ricky Gonzalez (B) 39, Aaron McDaniel (P) 7

Game terminated at 8:11 of the third period