Plymouth Whitemarsh 7 Hatboro-Horsham 4

Plymouth Whitemarsh scored three goals in two-minute span of the third period and went on to a 7-4 win Wednesday night in a SHSHL American Division matchup at Hatfield Ice.

The win moved the Colonials (13-2 overall and in divisional play {52 points}) back into first place in the division standings heading into the final week of the regular season. The regular-season champion will receive a bye into the division championship game. The Hatters dropped to 12-3 for 49 points in divisional play and 14-3 overall.

The game was tied 4-4 when Daniel Guller put the Colonials in front with 5:26 left in regulation. It was Guller’s third goal of the game. He followed with his fourth with 3:58 remaining and Dan Moloney extended the Plymouth Whitemarsh lead 32 seconds after that.

Guller’s first two goals came in the second period and helped Plymouth Whitemarsh to a 4-1 lead before the Hatters got goals from Nathan Nemchinov and Vincent Graziani to make it a one-goal game before the second period ended.

Nemchinov tied the game 14 seconds into the third period but the Hatters, who had just eight skaters available, would not score again.

“It’s always good to get a win,” said Plymouth Whitemarsh coach Vince Forti, “but it was not our best game. There are still some things we need to work on, but I have confidence in our group.

Hatboro-Horsham coach Shane Smith praised his team’s effort despote being shorthanded.

“The team knew the importance of the {game} and fought extremely hard,” he said. “I am really proud of them.”

In addition to Guller’s four goals, Cooper Kanzee provided the Colonials with four assists. Nemchinov and Graziani each scored twice for the Hatters.

Hatboro-Horsham will conclude its regular season next Wednesday against Abington. Plymouth Whitemarsh finishes against Wissahickon next Thursday.

P-W 2 2 3—7

H-H 1 2 1—4

First-period goals: Carson Woodbridge (PW) from Luke Smith, 2:58; Morgan Hulitt (PW) from Cooper Kanzee, 6:14; Vincent Graziani (HH) from Evan Snow and Luca Staffieri, 7:32

Second-period goal: Daniel Guller (PW) from Kanzee, :23; Guller from Kanzee, 6:54; Nathan Nemchinov (HH). From Snow, 7:40; Graziani (HH) from Aiden North and Snow, 13:55

Third period goals: Guller (PW) from Liam Kelly, 11:34; Guller (PW) unassisted, 13:02; Don Moloney (PW) from Kanzee, 13:34

H-H 5 PW 4

Hatboro-Horsham needed to pick up the pace. Two periods into Thursday’s matchup with Plymouth Whitemarsh, the Hatters found themselves trailing 2-0 in a game featuring the two top teams in the SHSHL’s American Division.

The Hatters responded to the challenge by scoring five times in the third period to slip past the Colonials 5-4, a result with significant American Division ramifications.

Luca Staffieri scored the winning goal with 58 seconds remaining in regulation. The result heightened an already tight division race; both teams stand 12-2 in the division standings with a rematch to come next Wednesday. The Hatters lead the season series two victories to one.

“We came in knowing it was a must-win game said Hatboro-Horsham coach Shane Smith. “Every game from here on out is a must-win game if you want to secure the bye {that sends the regular-season champion to the division championship game}.

The Hatters made a statement at the start of the third period. Staffieri, Reid Rochestie, and Vincent Graziani all scored goals in a span of 2 minutes, 49 seconds to give Hatboro-Horsham a 3-2 lead with 13:18 left in regulation.

The balance of the period saw the teams trading goals: Dan Guller and Jarrett Olenginski for Plymouth Whitemarsh, Nate Nemchinov for the Hatters.

Olenginski tied the game at 4-4 with 1:59 remaining before Staffari dashed the Colonials’ hopes 61 seconds later.

Staffari contributed two assists along with his two goals, but the contributions of Hatter goaltender Patrick Murphy were a significant factor as well. Murphy, who transferred to Hatboro-Horsham from La Salle at midseason, stopped 46 of the 50 shots he saw. His best work came midway through the second period when he made three big saves in a game that was scoreless at the time. He stopped 16 of 18 shots in the third frame.

“I knew I had to come up big,” he said. “We had a lot of shots going into the third period so I knew I had to keep them in the game. Then, they found a way to come back.”

Murphy’s transfer to Hatboro-Horsham marked a return to familiar surroundings. He was a student in the Hatboro-Horsham School District through the eighth grade before pending two-and-a-half years at La Salle.

“In the classroom, it hasn’t been too hard to switch,” he said. “On the ice, I know a lot of kids on the team so it was an easy switch for me.”

Plymouth Whitemarsh coach Vince Forti took some positives away from the loss.

“You’re never really happy with a loss, but I think there were a lot of positive takeaways,” he said. “Fifty shots on goal; their goalie played really well. A couple rebound chances we couldn’t bury here and there.”

• An altercation following a pileup at the Hatboro-Horsham net with 12 seconds left in the game led to 53 minutes in penalties being handed out. The Hatters’ Reid Rochestie received a major penalty for slew footing. He’ll serve a two-game suspension….The Hatters now stand at 14-2 overall. The Colonials are 12-2 overall and in the division.

Hatboro-Horsham 0 0 5—5

P-W 0 2 2—4

Second-period goals: Cooper Kanzee (PW) from Liam Kelly and Daniel Guller, 11:06; Dan Moloney (PW) from Luke Smith and Guller, 14:41 (pp)

Third-period goals: Luca Staffieri (HH) from Kyle Roesing, :56: Reid Rochestie (HH) from Vincent Graziani, 1:31; Graziani (HH) from Staffieri, 3:42; Guller (PW) from Kanzee and Moloney 8:43; Nate Nemchinov (HH) from Staffieri and Roesing, 12:51; Jarrett Olenginski (PW) from Ryan Jagher, 15:01; Staffieri (HH) from Vincent Graziani, 16:02

Shots: Hatboro-Horsham 28, Plymouth Whitemarsh 50; Saves: Patrick Murphy (HH) 46 Lucas Bennett (PW) 23

Nemchinov Making a Big Impact at H-H

After a season of great success, one that included a division championship and a Flyers Cup victory, Hatboro-Horsham is picking up where it left off.

Heading into the Christmas break, The Hatters sit atop the SHSHL’s American Division with a 10-1 divisional record (11-1 overall).

Last year’s version of the Hatters won 12 games, captured the division tile, and won a Flyers Cup game for the first time in school history which only whetted their appetite for more.

Senior forward Nate Nemchinov summed up his team’s approach.

“We always play with a chip on our shoulder,” he said. “We play to win, we don’t take anything got granted, and we play every game like a playoff game.”

Nemchinov scored for goals Friday night as the Hatters overwhelmed Wissahickon 13-3 at the Bucks County Ice Sports Center. It’s the fifth time this season one of their game has been shortened due to the 10-goal rule.

Nemchinov spoke to the importance of the players staying focused in one-sided games.

“Our coach (Shane Smith) I great at rotating the lines, keeping us in the game and making sure we don’t get ahead of ourselves,” he said.”

Nemchinov has 18 goals and 17 assists so far this season for 35 points. He’s second in the division in scoring behind teammate Vincent Graziani (20-21—41). He speaks to the importance of the veterans on the roster helping the younger plyers feel at ease.

“We make them comfortable at practice,” he said. “We give them tips. We’re always letting them know how they can improve. We play a team game and give them ice time. They play as much as the veterans do.”

Nemchinov notes how the team has evolved since the start of the season.

“In the beginning of the year, we were playing a little bit selfish at times,” he said, “and we were getting ahead of ourselves in {one-sided games.} But, we’ve learned to move the puck and it’s going to help us a lot when we play more competitive games.”

Nemchinov himself has been on skates as long has he can remember.

“On my first birthday there was somebody who played hockey there,” he said, “and my dad started playing. He got me {into hockey} and I’ve been playing ever since.”

Last year marked the second time Hatboro-Horsham has won an SHSHL title, the first came in 2018.

The Hatters were one of the founding members of the SHSHL in 1973-74. The club played its games at the old Wintersport rink in Willow Grove, often late on Friday nights.

Nemchinov and his teammates respect those who came before them.

“Absolutely,” he said. “We carry on the legacy. We know how hard those guys worked and we want to work just as hard, if not harder.”

H-H 5 Plymouth Whitemarsh 2

The second-seeded Hatboro Horsham Hatters clawed their way into the SHSHL American Division Championship game and brought its grit to the final upsetting the favored and defending divisional champions the Plymouth Whitmarsh Colonials 5-2 on Thursday night.

The victory marks the first for the Hatters since 2018. The game was also the first win for Hatboro Horsham against the Colonials this season. The teams met four times with Plymouth Whitemarsh claiming victory in all four contests by a combined score of 31-21.

The Hatters came out hot holding a 6-1 shot advantage through the first five minutes before Joseph Magnin Jr. capitalized on the team’s sixth shot of the game thanks to the help of Francis Stanchek and Cole Meyer. Six minutes later Evan Snow collected the loose puck off an initially blocked shot and found the stick of Victor Wilkins to give the Hatters a 2-0 advantage at the end of the first period.

The Colonials offense gained momentum leading the Hatters 11-5 in shots through the first 12 minutes of the second period. Wilkins found himself in the penalty box for a cross check leaving Plymouth Whitemarsh with the advantage firing off five shots in the two minutes. As the penalty expired, Charles Spause collected the puck off to the left and passed into the center for the quick flick into the net by Luke Smith to put the Colonials on the board, 2-1.

Wilkins wasted no time finding the stick of William Moffa to regain a two-goal lead for the Hatters just 14 seconds later. Daniel Guller made it a one-goal game for the Colonials once more off the assist from Cooper Kanze to end the period trailing the Hatters 3-2.

Hatboro Horsham turned up the heat in the final period. The duo of Wilkins and Snow paired up once more just 51 seconds into action to create a two-goal lead for the Hatters for the second time, 4-2.

“I love playing with the younger guys. I like bringing them up and helping them out. He [Snow] stepped up big time. He’s never played like that before and I couldn’t ask for anything more for me or my linemates,” stated Wilkins on the duo’s performance.

Guller saw his chance to cut the deficit to one once more with a breakaway fighting through two defenders but ultimately was stuffed by goaltender Eric Miller. Magnin secured his second goal of the night off the assist from Vincent Graziani securing the 5-2 victory.

Despite the heart-breaking loss, the Colonials look to what lies ahead as they prepare for the Class A Flyers Cup seeded at No. 8 and ready to face Springfield-Delco on Monday night.

“Not the way we wanted to end things, but a good season overall. I think we did a lot of good things and looking to bounce back from this and hopefully roll into the Flyers Cup with a better outcome,” said Plymouth Whitemarsh head coach Vince Forti.

As for the Hatters, head coach Shane Smith touched on the singular message he gave his team heading into the contest.

“Love. We started off with our speech and we did the old Herb Albert. We play them five times. They may beat us four times, but tonight is our night. And tonight proved to be our night,” said Smith.

“We’ve gone to task with them and have had a few close games. I told the boys at the beginning of the season that this is a championship team, and I believed in them and loved them. They came out and have done everything we ever asked. Our goaltender stepped up and had a game like he never has before. We got everything we needed out of the boys. I can’t say enough for them. This was all them.”

As for senior captain Wilkins, this night and this moment was one that he will never forget.

“It means everything. We worked so hard for this. Coming out against an undefeated team like PW. It’s surreal. I couldn’t ask for anything else for my senior season,” exclaimed Wilkins.

The journey isn’t quite over for the Hatters yet as they also move onto the Class A Flyers Cup. Seeded at 14, Hatboro Horsham will celebrate tonight before shifting their focus to Radnor on Monday.

First Period Scoring: Joseph Magnin Jr. (HH) from Francis Stanchek and Cole Meyers, 12:09; Victor Wilkins (HH) from Evan Snow, 6:59

Second Period Scoring: Luke Smith (PW) from Charles Spause, 2:30; Wiliam Moffa (HH) from Victor Wilkins, 2:16; Daniel Guller (PW) from Cooper Kanze, 0:37

Third Period Scoring: Victor Wilkins (HH) from Evan Snow, 16:09; Joseph Magnin Jr. (HH) from Vincent Graziani, 7:03

Shots: Plymouth Whitemarsh 39, Hatboro Horsham 29

Saves: Eric Miller 34, Julian Lucks 27

H-H 8 Springfield 6

Hatboro-Horsham scored three times in the third period to overcome a 6-5 deficit and went on to an 8-6 win over Springfield (Montco) Wednesday Night in a SHSHL American Division semifinal at Hatfield Ice.

The result puts the second-seeded Hatters into the American Division title game against top-seeded Plymouth Whitemarsh Thursday night at Hatfield (7:00 start).

Connor Smith tied the game for the second-seeded Hatters with 5:03 remaining in the final period. Vincent Graziani scored the game-winning goal, his third goal of the night, with 2:52 remaining before adding an empty net goal with 1:17 left.

Graziani finished the evening with four goals and an assist. Connor Smith added two goals. His teammate Nathan Nemchinov finished with four assists. Victor Wilkins and Darius Graziani also scored for the Hatters.

Ronan Klein, Gabriel Wells, Kellen Warman, Tyrell DeFreitas, Gavin McManus, and Grayson Quinn all scored goal for the third-seeded Spartans who closed their season at 8-9.

Springfield-Montco 2 4 0—6

Hatboro-Horsham 3 2 3—8

First-period goals: Connor Smith (HH) from Aidan North and Nate Nemchinov, 4:05; Ronan Klein (S) from Owen Quinn and Grayson Quinn, 7:35; Vincent Graziani (HH) from Darius Graziani, 8:46; Darius Graziani (HH) from Nemchinov 12:46; Gabriel Wells (S) from Owen Quinn and Gavin McManus 16:22 (pp)

Second-period goals: Kellen Warman from Quinn, 4:49; Tyrell DeFreitas from McManus and Grayson Quinn, 6:05; Victor Wilkins (HH) from Nemchinov and Vincent Graziani, 8:14 (pp); Vincent Graziani from William Moffa, 12:57; McManus (S) from Chris Cahill, 14:04; Grayson Quinn (S) from McManus, 15:54 (pp)

Third-period goals: Connor Smith (HH) from Darius Graziani, 11:57; Vincent Graziani (HH) unassisted, 14:08; Vincent Graziani (HH) from Nemchinov, 14:08 (pp)

Shots: 32, 44 Saves: James Sarsfield (S) 36, Eric Miller (HH) 26

SHSHL Playoff Update for 2-26-25

National Division Semifinals

At Hatfield Ice

8:00 North Penn (17-2)

Coach: Kevin Vaitis

Players to watch: Samuel Norton 30 goals, 27 assists, 57 points; Cole Pluck 32-24-56; Nolan Shingle 20-16-36; Aidan Quigley 1.92 GAA, .924 save percentage; Andrew Norton 2.28 GAA, .901 save percentage

Central Bucks South (16-5)

Coach: Shaun McGinty

Players to watch: Sean Cutter 18 goals, 19 assists, 37 points; Jeff Kvecher 13-22-35; Joey Slobodrian 17-15-32; Dom Gibson 17-15-32 Jake Matkowski 3.75 GAA, .838 save percentage; Nate Napolitano 3.53, .866

Notes: The teams split two regular-season meetings. South won 6-5 on Thanksgiving Eve, November 27, and North Penn prevailed 4-2 on November 11.

The winner will play North Penn or Central Bucks South for the division title on Thursday. The highest seeded finalist will host.

North Penn is seeded second for the upcoming Class AA Flyers Cup. South is seeded fifth.

At Grundy Arena

7:30 Council Rock South (18-2)

Coach: Joe Houk

Players to watch: Jake Weiner 41 goal, 19 assists, 60 points; Jeremy Rayher 29-30-59; Jordan Sarne 18-23-41; Trey Prozzillo 2.98 GAA, .880 save percentage

Pennridge (13-7)

Coach: Jeff Montagna

Players to watch Shane Dachowski 35 goals, 26 assists, 61 points; James Rush 25-26-51; Jacob Winton 2.50 GAA, .921 save percentage

Notes: Council Rock South won both regular-season meetings, 6-5 on January 8 and 5-2 on February 13 Tonight’s winner plays North Penn or Central Bucks South for the division championship on Thursday. The highest seeded finalist will host. South is seeded first for the upcoming Class AA Flyers Cup. Pennridge is seeded seventh.

American Division Semifinal

At Hatfield Ice

6:10 (2) Hatboro-Horsham vs (3) Springfield-Montco

Hatboro-Horsham (9-8, 9-7 in the American Division)

Coach: Shane Smith

Players to watch: Vince Graziani 22 goals, 25 assists, 47 points; Nate Nemchinov 27-28-45; Eric Miller 4.97 GAA, .800 save percentage

Springfield (8-8 overall and in the division)

Coach: Don Quinn

Players to watch: Owen Quinn 11 goals, 22 assists, 33 points; Grayson Quinn 14-9-23; Liam Baskin 3.02 GAA, .886 save percentage

Notes: Hatboro-Horsham won three of four regular-season meetings between the two teams. Wednesday’s winner faces top-seeded Plymouth Whitemarsh for the division Thursday at Hatfield Ice (6:00 start).

Hatboro-Horsham will be the 14^th seed in the upcoming Class A Flyers Cup regardless of how they fare Wednesday or Thursday. Springfield was not selected for the Flyers Cup.

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H-H 9 Wissahickon 6

It all came together for Hatboro-Horsham Friday night at a most opportune moment. Nate Nemchinov scored three goals and added an assist while three other players delivered to goals each. The result was a 9-6 win over Wissahickon in a SHSHL American Division matchup at the Bucks County Ice Sports Center.

The result leaves the Hatters two points clear of the Trojans in the battle for second and third places in the division standings, the last two playoff positions (Plymouth Whitemarsh has already clinched first place).

The two teams both have 7-6 divisional records (both are 7-7 overall) but Hatboro-Horsham has the edge because two of its divisional losses came in overtime.

Nemchinov noted it was a night when all the pieces fit from the Hatters’ point of view.

“We were just playing a team game,” he said, “getting pucks deep and winning board battles. Just doing the little things right and those little things created goals.

The goals came fat and furious early on. The Hatters’ Will Moffa and the Trojans’ Aiden Brooks took turns finding the back of the net before Nemchinov won a pair of battles for loose picks saw him score twice himself and put his team up 3-1 after 17 minutes.

Hatboro-Horsham coach Shane Smith cited his team’s cohesiveness.

“We’ve had several talks with the team about what it takes to be a championship team and win,” he said. ‘I think they realized that some of the one-on-one type play wasn’t effective. Everyone made a strong commitment to come out and play a team game.”

The Hatters’ Vince Graziani and Wissahickon’ Logan Honeycutt traded goals to start the middle period before Victor Wilkins scored and Graziani added a second goal of his own to make it a 7-2 game after 34 minutes.

Joe Gambino offered a response for Wissahickon 79 seconds into the third period but Nemchinov and Moffa continued the Hatters’ goal-scoring barrage. It was 9-3 with 10:51 left in regulation before the Trojans finished the evening with three straight goals.

The final score made the game seem closer than it actually was.

“We showed up to the party much too late,” said Wissahickon coach James Rumsey. “Hatboro-Horsham wanted it more than we did tonight.”

Nemchinov say the Hatters will approach their three remaining games with a playoff mindset.

“They’re all must-win games,” he said. “We’ve got to play these games like they’re playoff games and keep doing the little thing right hopefully clinch the second seed.”

• The Hatters and Trojans will close the regular season against each other on February 19^th,

Hatboro-Horsham 3 4 2—9

Wissahickon 1 1 4—6

First-period goals: Will Moffa (HH) from Aiden North, 4:04; Aiden Brooks from Link Matozzo, 8:09; Nate Nemchinov (HH) unassisted, 11:52; Nemchinov (HH) from Reid Rochestie, 14:55

Second-period goals Vince Graziani (HH) from Connor Smith 1:42; Logan Honeycutt (HH) from Ben Raebiger, 2:56; Victor Wilkins (HH) from Brady Gurt, 3:22; Wilkins (HH) from Nemchinov, 6:36; Vince Graziani from North, 8:55

Third-period goals: Joe Gambino from Raebiger, 1:19: Nemchinov (HH) from Darius Graziani, 2:35 (pp); Moffa (HH) from Wilkins, 6:09; Gambino unassisted, 7:59, Gambino from Logan Dicus, 8:39; Brooks unassisted, 9:45

Shots: Hatboro-Horsham 39, Wissahickon 38 Saves: Eric Miller (HH) 32, Fletcher Lynch 30

Hatboro-Horsham 8, Wissahickon 7

By Amanda Graham

Hatboro-Horsham and Wissahickon got their second look of the season at each other on Thursday night and while the game held the same excitement and back-and-forth action it was the Hatters that walked away with the victory this time around, 8-7 Thursday night at Hatfield Ice.

Nathan Nemchinov’s goal with 45 seconds left in regulation was the game winner.

With the win, the Hatters improved to 5-3 in SHSHL American Division play and 5-4 overall. The Trojans dropped to 5-3 overall and 5-2 in the division.

Looking to avenge their overtime loss the last time the two teams met, Hatboro-Horsham came out of the gate hot and dominated the offense with the only shots in the first two minutes.

The tides quickly turned in favor of Wissahickon when Jack Raebiger took the puck up ice for the unassisted goal, 1-0. Hatboro-Horsham continued to dominate the offense over the course of the next three minutes tallying eight more shots, but the Trojans’ Benjamin Raebiger collected the puck from Logan Honeycutt converting their second shot of the game for the 2-0 lead.

Penalty trouble hit Wissahickon hard doing down by two players but the team’s grit prevailed when Benjamin Raebiger found the back of the net for his second goal of the game to put the Trojans in a three-goal advantage.

The Hatters took advantage of the power play and began mounting their comeback scoring three goals in the final five minutes of the first period to even the score. Darius Graziani started the resurgence with a goal off the assist of Victor Wilkins before going on to help Nathan Nemchinov, the Hatters top scorer of the night, with one of his two goals over a 45- second span.

“I knew the team was better than what they were playing. We called a timeout to help settle it in and we kept chipping away to get us back to even again,” said Hatboro-Horsham coach Shane Smith.

Penalty trouble continued to plague the Trojans, a holding call in the final 18 seconds of the first period to begin the second a player short. Benjamin Raebiger broke the tie in favor of the Trojans with his third goal of the night just under four minutes into the second period. A slashing call on Wissahickon gave the Hatters a chance to even the score with Victor Wilkins answering the call for the power-play goal.

With 6:19 left to play in the second, Benjamin Raebiger collected the loose puck off a blocked shot and found the back of the net for his fourth goal to break the tie and put the Trojans back on top, 5-4. Logan Honeycutt followed up two minutes later with the unassisted shot creating the first two-goal advantage for Wissahickon for the first time since early in the first period, 6-4.

The scoring didn’t slow in the final period. Vincent Graziani and Nathan Nemchinov found the stick of Darius Graziani (6-5) just a minute and a half in to start what would become a four-goal comeback for the Hatters. Offense slowed over the ensuing two minutes, but Graziani and Nemchinov converted their shots within 45 seconds of one another to push Hatboro-Horsham into the lead, 7-6. Scoring machine Raebiger capitalized on the power play a minute later to keep Wissahickon in reach evening the score at seven apiece.

Just 15 seconds later and down a player, Vincent Graziani and Darius Graziani worked together to get the puck to the stick of Nemchinov for the Hatters game-winning goal, 8-7. The goal marked the fourth of the game for Nemchinov.

“The game winning goal, we needed it. It was a clutch goal. Three minutes left in the game, we needed to burry one and luckily we got it and capped off the game,” Nemchinov said.

Coming back from an overtime let down the last time these teams faced one another, Hatboro-Horsham knew a victory was key for them tonight.

“They knew that this was a big game for them,” Smith said. “They knew that this was an important game for them. It was exciting to see my captains and upperclassmen take the lead. I didn’t have to do much cheering on for the boys. They really cheered each other on and pumping each other up.”

“I thought we played great,” said Wissahickon head coach James Rumsey. “We were down a lot of people and played late last night, but I think they all played extremely well and tried their hardest. [Goaltender] Fletcher did great and he kept us in there a lot.”

Lynch finished the game with 39 saves.

Hatboro-Horsham 3 1 4 – 8

Wissahickon 3 3 1 7 – 7

First Period Goals: Jack Raebiger unassisted, 13:39; Benjamin Raebiger from Logan Honeycutt, 10:08; Benjamin Raebiger unassisted, 05:58 (sh); Darius Graziani (HH) from Victor Wilkins, 05:01(pp); Nathan Nemchinov (HH) unassisted, 01:30; Nathan Nemchinov (HH) from Vincent Graziani, 00:45.

Second Period Goals: Benjamin Raebiger unassisted, 13:31; Victor Wilkins (HH) unassisted, 11:17 (pp); Benjamin Raebiger unassisted, 06:19; Logan Honeycutt unassisted, 04:12.

Third Period Goals: Darius Graziani (HH) from Vincent Graziani and Nathan Nemchinov, 15:24; Vincent Graziani (HH) from Darius Graziani and Nathan Nemchinov, 04:54; Nathan Nemchinov (HH) from Vincent Graziani, 04:09; Bejamin Raebiger from Joseph Gambino IV, 03:19 (pp); Nathan Nemchinov (HH) from Vincent Graziani and Darius Graziani, 03:04 (sh).

Shots: Hatboro-Horsham 47, Wissahickon 17; Saves: Eric Miller (HH) 10, Fletcher Lynch 39

Wissahickon 7 H-H 6, OT

Hatboro-Horsham and Wissahickon got their first look at each other Thursday night, a month into the SHSHL season.

The wait was worth it.

The Trojans and the Hatters matched each other shift for shift and goal for goal for 51 minutes and beyond before Jack Raebiger’s goal 51 seconds into overtime gave Wissahickon a 7-6 win at Hatfield Ice Arena.

The third period and overtime served as a fitting climax to the evening. There were seven goals scored in the final period including three on power plays and two in shorthanded situations.

There were five penalties called in the third period, one of them a misconduct that accompanied a boarding call.

Raebiger’s winning goal, his second goal of the game came after a puck caromed out of the Wissahickon defensive zone to center ice. Raebiger, the Wissahickon captain, won a closely contested sprint for the puck and beat Hatter goaltender Eric Miller to send the Trojan fans home happy.

“I saw that puck and my legs were cramping up,” he said. “My calves were cramping up, but I did not want to lose to that team.”

The Trojans (3-2, 3-1 in the SHSHL’s American Division) took a 3-2 lead into the third frame. Ben Raebiger’s goal 2:11 into the period extended his team’s lead but Reid Rochestie and Darius Graziani scored goals for the Hatters (3-3, 3-2) 20 seconds apart to tie the game with 5:34 remaining in regulation. Graziani’s goal came during a power play.

Plenty of fireworks remained. Ben Raebiger and the Hatters’ Aidan North traded goals before Joseph Gambino’s rocket from the left wing seemingly put the Trojans over the finish line with 47.6 seconds remaining.

But Hatboro-Horsham got a last chance when a stoppage resulted in a faceoff in the circle to the right of Trojan goaltender Fletcher Lynch. The Hatters won the faceoff and the ensuing scramble near the crease and Nathan Nemchinov scored just before the final buzzer.

Jack Raebiger said he was anticipated a right game with the Hatters who returned to the American Division as a unified team this season.

“We saw their record,” he said. “We saw they beat the teams that we beat and we lost to the team that we lost against [Plymouth Whitemarsh] and we thought this was a crucial game for us.”
Thursday’s game was the first of three meetings between the Trojans and the Hatters. The next is set for December 19 and Hatboro-Horsham coach Shane Smith was not surprised with how Thursday’s game evolved.

“When we looked at the other games that we both played we kind of had similar scores,” he said. “So, we knew it was going to be a dogfight and a battle all the way through.”

Wissahickon 0 3 3 1—7

Hatboro-Horsham 1 1 4 0—6

First-period goal: Vincent Graziani (HH) from Darius Grazianai, 7:58

Second-period goals: Jack Raebiger unassisted, 2:15; Evan McCutcheon unassisted, 7:47; Victor Wilkins (HH) from Nathan Nemchinov and Joseph MaGinn, 8:50; Logan Honeycutt from John Kuffner, 16:54

Third-period goals: Ben Raebiger from Jack Raebiger, 2:11 (pp); Reid Rochestie (HH) from MaGinn, 11:06; Vincent Graziani (HH) from William Moffa and Darius Graziani, 11:26 (pp); Ben Raebiger from Honeycutt and Aiden Brooks, 12:20 (pp); Aidan North (HH) from Vincent Graziani, 15:27 (pp); Joseph Gambino from Jack Raebiger, 16:13 (sh); Nemchinov (HH) from North and Darius Graziani, 0:00

Overtime goal: Jack Raebiger (W), :51

Shots: Wissahickon 25, Hatboro-Horsham 35; Saves: Fletcher Lynch 29, Eric Miller (HH) 18

Plymouth Whitemarsh 11 Hatboro-Horsham 6

HATFIELD TOWNSHIP—The start of a new hockey season marks a new beginning. That was especially so for Hatboro-Horsham and Plymouth Whitemarsh, who squared off Thursday night in an SHSHL American Division matchup at Hatfield Ice Arena.

The Colonials, who qualified for the Class A Flyers Cup tournament a year ago, were playing their first game for new coach Vince Forti.

The Hatters are returning to pure status in the SHSHL this season, meaning that every player on the roster is Hatboro-Horsham High School student which in turn makes the team eligible once more for postseason play.

But the Hatters took the ice minus goaltender Eric Miller, who was absent due to a concussion. Connor Smith, a defenseman by trade, stepped in in Miller’s place and gave a solid effort and made a number of quality saves, but the Colonials overcame an early 2-0 deficit and went on to post an 11-6 win.

Blake Ambler paced Plymouth Whitemarsh with four goals: he assisted on two others. Chris London delivered three goals and Daniel Molony two. Cooper Kanze, a freshman playing in his first high-school hockey game, added a goal and two assists.

“It was fun,” Kanze said. “I like the challenge. It’s way different from middle school, but way more fun.”

Vincent Graziano and Nathan Nemchinov scored goals 37 seconds apart to give Hatboro-Horsham a two-goal lead with 4:15 left in the opening period.

But the Hatters lost Reid Rochestie to a game misconduct penalty during an altercation and momentum shifted in the Colonials’ direction.

Ambler cut the deficit in half at the 2:15 mark before Kanze pushed the puck past Smith just as the buzzer sounded to end the period.

The goal counted and the Colonials rolled on from there, scoring eight times in the second period in a span of 9 minutes, 46 seconds.

Nemchinov scored his second goal of the night for the Hatters to tie the game at 3-3 with exactly 10 minutes left in the middle period but the Colonials responded with seven unanswered goals.

“We got off to a bit of a slow start, Forti said. But we stuck together as a team and really picked it up and came out with a solid win.”

Hatboro-Horsham coach Shane Smith praised his son Connor’s effort in goal.

“I thought he did a hell of a job,” He said. With [38] shots on net and he made some big saves. Unfortunately, we ended up on the losing end of the deal, but we have a lot to build on.”

Hatboro-Horsham 2 2 2—6

Plymouth Whitemarsh 2 8 1—11

First-period goals: Vincent Graziani (HH) unassisted, 12:08; Nathan Nemchinov (HH) unassisted, 12:45; Blake Ambler (PW) from Ryan Jagher, 14:59; Cooper Kanze (PW) from Ambler, 0:00

Second-period goals: Daniel Moloney (PW) from Chris London and Julian Zawislak, 5:06; Nemchinov (HH) from Evan Snow, 7:00; Chris London (PW) unassisted, 7:49; London (PW) from Luke Smith, 7:58; Ambler (PW) from Smith, 8:47; Ambler (PW) from Kanze and Smith, 10:40; Molony (PW) unassisted, 12:42; Daniel Guller (PW) from Ambler, 14:07; Ryan Campbell (PW) from Morgan Hulitt, 14:52; Joseph Mangin (HH) Darius Graziani, 16:37

Third-period goals: Victor Wilkins (HH) unassisted, 2:24; Kanze (PW) from Guller and Ambler, 3:57; Darius Graziani (HH) from Vincent Graziani, 6:31

Shots: Hatboro-Horsham 30, Plymouth Whitemarsh 38; Saves: Connor Smith (HH) 27, Julian Lucks (PW) 24