Pennridge 7 C.R. South 3

Some are of the opinion that a hockey goaltender occupies the most important position in any team sport. Those who hold that view had it reinforced Wednesday night over the course of the Class AA Flyers Cup final.

At evening’s end, the scoreboard at Hatfield Ice indicated that top-seeded Pennridge had defeated second-seeded Council Rock South 7-3 to win its second Cup title in three years. It also indicated that the Golden Hawks had outshot the Rams 52-29 over the course of the 51-minute game.

All this is indicative of the performance Jacob Winton in the Pennridge net. When the Hawks were surrounding him like birds targeting their prey, Winton held firm, even as his team was being outshot 9-1 in the early going.

When the Rams (22-2-2) finally broke through at the other end, on Shane Dachowski’s goal 9:14 into the first period and not incidentally the first goal of the game, the tone of the evening shifted dramatically.

Even after the Golden Hawks’ Chase Tovsky tied the game with 6:43 left in the period the Rams were not deterred. Kevin Pico put Pennridge back in front with 90 seconds left in the opening session and his team never trailed again.

Ilya Kudzinau tied the game for South (24-2) 23 seconds into the second frame but momentum continued to flow in the Rams’ direction. Dachowski and Pico scored goals to give their side a 4-2 advantage.

At that point South coach Joe Houk used his timeout and pulled goaltender Trevor Rakszawski, who had surrendered the four goals on 13 shots. Trey Prozzillo took his place.

At the other end of the ice, Winton remained resolute. He allowed a single goal over the final 33:37 of regulation.

“Making some of those [early] saves kind of set the tone for later in the game,” he said. “I think it just kind of put us in the right mindset going into the second and third periods.”

Houk felt a number of his players’ shots misfired. “We shot just as many pucks over the net as at him,” he said. “We pressured the goalie with less shots last game (in a semifinal win over Boyertown) than we did this game.

“We beat ourselves. I think we’re a better team than them but they got all the bounces tonight, they got the opportunities, and my goaltender was not very strong.”

Winton spoke to the momentum shift that occurred after Dachowski scored the game’ first goal.

“As soon as you score a goal momentum shifts,” he said. “We just kind of kept going from there.”

The Rams did just that. Colin Dachowski’s goal made it a 5-2 game 3:35 into the third period. Ilya Muhkin answered for South and it was a 5-3 game with 8:20 still remaining but Shane Dachowski and Pico closed the door on the Hawks and opened another for themselves; Pennridge will face Penguins Cup champion Thomas Jefferson Saturday at the Skatium in the state championship game (2:00 start).

Pennridge coach Jeff Montagna said Wednesday’s win should eliminate any doubt about the credibility of his program.

“We graduated eight really important guys two year ago,” he said. “The team had to listen, for two years, about us being a one-line hockey team. To win again tonight is a complete and total validation of this program.”

Ice chips—Winton was named the Bobby Clarke Award winner as the tournament’ Most Valuable Player. The rest of the All-Tournament team included Shane Dachowki (the tournament’s leading scorer), Colin Dachowski, Pico, and Blaise Pepe and Kevin Coles from Council Rock South.

Council Rock South 1 1 1—3

Pennridge 2 2 3—7

First-period goals: Shane Dachowski (P) from Andrew Savona, 9:14; Chase Tovsky (CRS) from Blaize Pepe, 10:17; Kevin Pico (P) from Tyler Manto and Savona, 15:30

Second-period goals: Gavin Nisenzon (CRS) from Ilya Kudzinau :23; Shane Dachowski (P) unassisted, 4:18 (pp); Pico (P) from Shane Dachowski, 13:38

Third-period goals: Colin Dachowski (P) from Ryan Mikulich, 3:35; Ilya Muhkin from Nikita Volbuiev and Kevin Koles, 8:40; Shane Dachowski (P) from Pico and Nick Young, 9:20; Savona (P) from Colin Dachowski, 14:30

Shots: Council Rock South 52, Pennridge 29; Saves: Trevor Rakszawski (CRS) 9 and Trey Prozzillo (CRS) 13, Jacob Winston (P) 49

Pennsbury 7 C.R. South 5

HATFIELD TOWNSHIP— It was a comeback that will be long remembered in the history of the Flyers Cup. Trailing 4-1 midway through the second period, Pennsbury rallied for a 7-5 win over Council Rick South Monday night in a Class AA semifinal Monday night at Hatfield Ice. The fifth-seeded Falcons (17-6) will play for the title on Tuesday at this same rink at a time to be announced. The top-seeded Golden Hawks closed the season at 19-2-0-1.

Andrew Falkenstein led the way for the Falcons with three goals an an assist.

“Honestly, we played like underdogs,” the senior said. “Our younger guys wee playing for out seniors. They put their hearts on their jerseys. They played for us. It was a great battle back.”

At the halfway point of the second frame the Golden Hawks seemed to be in control of things. Jaleel Weiner and James Diiulio scored first-period goals, the latter just as the buzzer sounded, to put South up 2-0 after 17 minutes.

Falkenstein got Pennsbury on the s scoreboard 3:03 into the second period on a shot from the right point It was a power-play goal, which, from South’s point of view proved to be an ominous sign of what was to come. When Kevin Koles and Jeremy Rayher scored goals in a span of 2:32 there little indication of what was to come.

But momentum began to shift when Stevie Grosscup and Brendan Macainsh scored goals 1 minute, 50 seconds apart to make it a 4-3 game.

When South’s Jake Mauer was given a five-minute major penalty for kicking, plus a game misconduct, it opened the door wider for the Falcons. It took MacAinsh 58 seconds to take advantage and tie the game.

South also lost Blaize Pepe, one of the top offensive threats in the waning seconds of the period when he drew a 10-minute misconduct

Falkenstein put Pennsbury in front for good 4:45 into the third period an Justin marlin extended his team’s lead at 10:19.

Illia Mukhin let the Falcons know South was still around when he Beaty Aaron McDaniel with 3:39 left in regulation, but Falkenstein beat Carson Lopez foot the third and last time with 2;01 remaining

MacAinsh, Pennsbury’s captain, said he and his teammates want to keep playing hockey. They’ll get their chance to do so in the Flyers Cup AA final.

“We weren’t ready for this to end,” he said. “We worked so hard all season, why should we let it end now?”

MacAinsh said he was confident the team could overcome the three-goal deficit.

“If anybody was going to come back against a team like that, it was us,” he said. “And them taking stupid penalties. They really took themselves out of the game.”

South coach Joe Houk’s accesment of the evening was to the point.

“We controlled the first period,” he said. “The next thing you know, we had a penalty barrage of stupid decision making and we go down on a five minute major. We didn’t play like a team tonight.”

Pennsbury 0 4 3—7

C.R. South 2 2 1—5

First-period goals: Jake Weiner (CRS) from Jeremy Rayher , 8:03; James Diiulio (CRS) from Blaize Peppe and Kevin Kole, 17:00 (pp)

Second-period goals: Andrew Falkenstein,(P) from Chris Carver and Logan Doyle, 3:03 (pp); Koles (CRS) from Illia Mukhin, 4:09; Rayher (CRS) from Weiner and Jake Maurer, 6:41; Stevie Grosscup (P) from Brendan MacAinsh, 11:36; MacAinsh (P) from Falkenstein and Marlin, 14:26; MacAinsh (P) from Marlin 16:03 (pp)

Third-period goals: Falkenstein (P) from Sarver, 4:54; Justin Marlin (P) unassisted, 10:19; Mukhin (CRS) from Koles and Carson Lopez, 13:21; Falkenstein (P) from Doyle, 14:59

Shots: Pennsbury 41, Council Rock South37; Saves: Aaron McDaniel (P) 32, Carson Lopez (CRS) 34

Council Rock South 5 Pennridge 3

HATFIELD TOWNSHIP—The Flyers Cup tournament is just over a month away, but Council Rock South and Pennridge offered a preview on Wednesday night.

The Golden Hawks and the Rams demonstrated why they are serious Class AA Flyers Cup contenders before the Hawks emerged with a 5-3 win in front a of a full house in the Blue Rink at Hatfield ice.

The win lifted South to 12-1-0-1 on the season and 6-0-0-1 in SHSHSL National Division play. The Hawks are listed third in the current Class AA Flyers Cup rankings.

The loss dropped Pennridge 10-4 overall and 5-2 in the division. The Rams stand fourth in the Flyers Cup rankings.

The opening period saw the teams combine for five goals in a span of 8 minutes, 48 seconds.
Evan Mostoller started it off for the Golden Hawks just 1:52 with a shot along the ice from the right point that eluded Pennridge netminder Jacob Gilbert. Jake Weiner made it a 2-0 game at the 3:34 mark.

Dane Fitchett got the Rams on the scoreboard at 4:47 and Shane Dachowski tied the game at 10:13 but Illia Mukhin answered for South 27 seconds later via bad bounce and the Hawks never trailed again.

At period’s end Pennridge coach Jeff Montagna made a goaltender change, inserting Jacob Winton between the pipes.

“He allowed us to regain our equilibrium,” Montagna said. “He did exactly what you need him to do when you come into that situation. It is not an easy spot for a sophomore playing his fourth varsity game.”

Winton and South’s Carson Lopez were virtually impregnable most of the rest of the way. Lopez did not yield another goal while Winton was steadfast until Mukhin and Chase Tovsky scored goals 42 seconds apart to give South a 5-2 lead with 6:42 left in the third period.

With 48.2 seconds remaining in the game emotions boiled over and a scrum erupted along the boards near the Council Rock South bench. Four players were penalized.

South’s Blaize Pepe received a roughing minor plus a major penalty for fighting. Lopez, the only goaltender the Hawks had dressed, was penalized for leaving his crease and banished for being the third man in a fight.

The Rams lost Dachowski via a fighting major and a game misconduct and Andrew Savona for being a third man in.

What followed was the unique circumstance of the Golden Hawks playing with a three-goal lead and defending an empty net, since they had no one available to replace Lopez in goal. It took just nine seconds for Kevin Pico to score into the empty net to make it a two-goal game.

That turned out to be the last goal of the evening but the fireworks weren’t over; with 10 seconds left in the game Weiner and Gavin Nisenzon drew misconduct penalties for the Golden Hawks.

The late-game histrionics overshadowed Lopez’s work in the South net; he finished with 41 saves.

“He gives confidence to the team,” said South’s Ilya Kudzinau. “It gives us the confidence to push back. It’s really nice to have a goalie like that.”

Montagna noted his team was in the game up to the last.

“We outplayed that team for long stretches,” he said. “We had odd-man rush after odd-man rush but we couldn’t finish.”

In the end, the Rams were unable to get the better of Lopez.

“We know what Carson is,” Montagna said. “We got to him early and he settled in and made big save after big save for them.”

South coach Joe Houk noted his team picked up the pace in the third period.

“I thought we outplayed them in the third period,” he said. “We loved the puck better. We had more opportunities. They had a lot of power plays but they couldn’t (convert).

“Like I told the guys, a good team finds way to win and we found a way to win tonight.”

Council Rock South 3 0 2—5

Pennridge 2 0 1—3

First-period goals: Evan Mostoller (CRS) from Bobby Gilbert and Illia Mukhin, 1:52; Jake Weiner (CRS) from Kevin Koles, 3:34; Dane Fitchett (P) from Nate McKean and Andrew Lizak, 4:47; Shane Dachowski (P) from Kevin Pico, 10:13; Mukhin (P) unassisted, 10:40

Third-period goals: Mukhin (CRS) from Weiner and Ilya Kudzinau, 9:36; Chase Tovsky (CRS) from Koles, 10:18 (sh); Kevin Pico (P) unassisted, 16:21

Shots: Council Rock South 40, Pennridge 44; Saves: Carson Lopez (CRS) 41, Jacob Gilbert (P) 8 and Jacob Winton (P) 27

HATFIELD TOWNSHIP—The Flyers Cup tournament is just over a month away, but Council Rock South and Pennridge offered a preview on Wednesday night.

The Golden Hawks and the Rams demonstrated why they are serious Class AA Flyers Cup contenders before the Hawks emerged with a 5-3 win in front a of a full house in the Blue Rink at Hatfield ice.

The win lifted South to 12-1-0-1 on the season and 6-0-0-1 in SHSHSL National Division play. The Hawks are listed third in the current Class AA Flyers Cup rankings.

The loss dropped Pennridge 10-4 overall and 5-2 in the division. The Rams stand fourth in the Flyers Cup rankings.

Dane Fitchett got the Rams on the scoreboard at 4:47 and Shane Dachowski tied the game at 10:13 but Illia Mukhin answered for South 27 seconds later via bad bounce and the Hawks never trailed again.

At period’s end Pennridge coach Jeff Montagna made a goaltender change, inserting Jacob Winton between the pipes.

With 48.2 seconds remaining in the game emotions boiled over and a scrum erupted along the boards near the Council Rock South bench. Four players were penalized.
South’s Blaize Pepe received a roughing minor plus a major penalty for fighting. Lopez, the only goaltender the Hawks had dressed, was penalized for leaving his crease and banished for being the third man in a fight.

The Rams lost Dachowski via a fighting major and a game misconduct and Andrew Savona for being a third man in.

That turned out to be the last goal of the evening but the fireworks weren’t over; with 10 seconds left in the game Weiner and Gavin Nisenzon drew misconduct penalties for the Golden Hawks.

The late-game histrionics overshadowed Lopez’s work in the South net; he finished with 41 saves.

“He gives confidence to the team,” said South’s Ilya Kudzinau. “It gives us the confidence to push back. It’s really nice to have a goalie like that.”

Montagna noted his team was in the game up to the last.

“We outplayed that team for long stretches,” he said. “We had odd-man rush after odd-man rush but we couldn’t finish.”

In the end, the Rams were unable to get the better of Lopez.

“We know what Carson is,” Montagna said. We got to him early and he settled in and made big save after big save for them.”

South coach Joe Houk noted his team picked up the pace in the third period.

“I thought we outplayed them in the third period,” he said. “We loved the puck better. We had more opportunities. They had a lot of power plays but they couldn’t (convert).

“Like I told the guys, a good team finds way to win and we found a way to win tonight.”

Council Rock South 3 0 2—5

Pennridge 2 0 1—3

Third-period goals: Mukhin (CRS) from Weiner and Ilya Kudzinau, 9:36; Chase Tovsky (CRS) from Koles, 10:18 (sh); Kevin Pico (P) unassisted, 16:21

Shots: Council Rock South 40, Pennridge 44; Saves: Carson Lopez (CRS) 41, Jacob Gilbert (P) 8 and Jacob Winton (P) 27

Council Rock South 3, Central Bucks South 1

HATFIELD— If one word were used to describe Council Rock South’s performance Thursday night it would be efficient. One shift at a time one period at a time, all the way to a 3-1 win over Central Bucks South to claim the Suburban High School Hockey League Class AA title in front of a full house at Hatfield Ice.

Jeremy Purcell scored twice for the third-seeded Golden Hawks (13-5-0-1) who did a lot of little things right up and down the lineup to claim the second SHSHL championship in school history. Its first came in 2010.

“You win championships, you win big games like this with you second and third lines,” said Joe Houk, Council Rick South’s veteran coach. “Our second and third lines won the game tonight.”

Purcell, who centers the Hawks’ second line, is a case in point. He had just four goals and six assists in 13 games prior to Thursday. His contributions were needed because two Council Rock defensemen were out of the lineup.

“It’s a team game,” Purcell said. “We’ve all got to work together. C.B. South is a very good team. We’ve got to put it all together to win in the end.”

The opening 17-minute period featured an abundance of physicality but just a single goal, a power-play effort from the Golden Hawks’ Antii Autere who made a rush from his own zone, all the way down the left wing and took the puck behind the Titans’ net before beating Mason Moyer at the 6:05 mark.

Purcell scored his first goal 1:54 into the second period off a left circle faceoff which set up a wraparound from behind the net with the junior tucking the puck inside the right post. At that point, the Golden Hawks had scored twice on just six shots.

A key moment in the game occurred 7:33 into the second period when the Titans’ Nathan Fievitz drew a five-minute major penalty plus a match penalty for butt ending that gave the Golden Hawks an extended power play and brought Fievitz an indefinite suspension pending a review by USA Hockey.

Purcell scored his second goal of the game during the ensuing power play with Bill Harrelson’s help at the 10:39 mark to give his team a three-goal lead.

The Titans, to their credit, kept battling and got on the board via a goal from Aidan Gaffney with 3:05 left in regulation and kept Golden Hawks’ goaltender Jimmy Sweeney busy down the stretch.

Titan assistant Tyler Skroski praised the Golden Hawks’ effort. “They came out buzzing,” he said. “They came out buzzing against North Penn (in the semifinals) and they carried it right over into this game. They’ve got some really dynamic scoters mixed in with solid goaltending and veterans on defense.”
Ice Chips—The Golden Hawks are the sixth seed in the upcoming Flyers Cup tournament and will face 11th-seeded Parkland Tuesday night at 8:45 at Grundy Arena. The top-seeded Titans will take on 16th seed Conestoga at 6:40 at Hatfield Ice the same evening.

C.R. South 1 2 0
C.B. South 0 0 1
First-period goals: Antii Autere (CRS) from Matt Constantini, 6:05 (pp)
Second-period goals: Jeremy Purcell (CRS) unassisted, 1:54; Purcell (CRS) from Bill Harrelson, 10:39 (pp)
Third-period goals: Aidan Gaffney (CBS) from Colin Abbonizio and Daniel Kvetcher, 13;55
Shots: C.R. South 19, C.B. South 30; Saves: Jimmy Sweeney (CRS) 29, Mason Moyer (CBS) 16