Penn-Trafford 3 North Penn 1

WEST GOSHEN— For the first time in a long time, North Penn was presented with a puzzle it could not solve. The Knights’ bid for a second consecutive Class AA state title fell short Saturday afternoon at the hands of Penn-Trafford by a margin of 3-1 at Ice Line.

A capacity crowd witnessed a final contested at an elite level.

“Hats off to them,” said North Penn coach Kevin Vaitis. They’re a good hockey team. Their goalie played outstanding. I’m proud of our guys.”

The Knights took the ice minus leading scorer Samuel Norton who was serving a suspension.

“It obviously hurt some things not having Sam out there,” Vaitis said. “He’s such a huge part of our team.

“We can all play the ‘What if’ scenarios with things like that, but I’m proud of the guys and how hard we worked.”

Hockey coaches talk a lot about games between evenly matched teams being decided a freak bounce here or there. The Warriors (20-7) scored the first goal of the game with the help of a bounce that was to say the least, out of the realm of the ordinary.

With just under seven minutes left in the opening period, the Warriors’ Zach Grkman launched a shot on goal from the center of the ice, just as he crossed the red line. The puck slid along the ice until it reached a point roughly midway between the faceoff circle hash marks when it abruptly sailed high in the air and over the shoulder of North Penn goaltender Andy Norton.

With 6:32 left in the opening session, Penn-Trafford had a 1-0 lead.

The Warriors extended their lead 7:51 into the third period. Liam Lehneke launched a shot from the right point that caromed off the end wall to Norton’s left, Norton however lost track of the puck which was lying behind his left pad when Brock Bienemann tucked it inside the post.

North Penn (25-2) kept battling and with 61 seconds left in regulation, North on the bench and an extra attacker on the ice, Nolan Shingle was able to get the best of Penn-Trafford netminder Tyler Funk.

But Ben Zierski brought the curtain down on the affair with an empty net goal with six seconds remaining, a goal that coincidentally brought down the curtain on one of the most remarkable seasons and certainly the most remarkable two-year stretch in the 50-year history of the North Penn hockey program.

“When you look at North Penn and the history we’ve had, nobody can attest to what these guys have accomplished,” Vaitis said. “I’m proud of them.

“The loss} hurts, it stings but time will allow us to heal together and we won’t forget the ride we had the last two years. We had a remarkable ride and for the guys coming back, we’re going to have a really good hockey team next year.

“We’ll take some time to heal and get over this, and start to get ready for next year.”

• In Saturday’s other two state championship games, Quaker Valley defeated Hershey 6-2 for the Class A title, while Seneca Valley bested Holy Ghost Prep 7-2 in Class AAA.

Penn-Trafford 1 0 2—3

North Penn 0 0 1—1

First-period goal; Zach Grkman (PT) from Nico Castelli, 10:28

Third-period goals: Brock Bienemann (PT) from Liam Lehneke, 7:51; Nolan Shingle (NP) from Gabe Dunn and Chris Silvotti, 15:59; Ben Zierski (PT) unassited,16:54 (en)

Shots: Penn-Trafford 39, Holy Ghost Prep 33; Saves: Tyler Funk (PT) 32, Andy Norton (NP) 36

Penn-Trafford 1 0 2—3

North Penn 0 0 1—1

First-period goal; Zach Grkman (PT) from Nico Castelli, 10:28

Third-period goals: Brock Bienemann (PT) from Liam Lehneke, 7:51; Nolan Shingle (NP) from Gabe Dunn and Chris Silvotti, 15:59; Ben Zierski (PT) unassited,16:54 (en)

Shots: Penn-Trafford 39, North Penn 33; Saves: Tyler Funk (PT) 32, Andy Norton (NP) 36

State Class AA Championship Sat. 3-21

North Penn vs. Penn-Trafford 2:00 at Ice Line

North Penn (25-1)

Coach: Kevin Vaitis

Key players: Nolan Shingle 28 goals, 21 assists, 49 points; Chris Silvotti 24-20-44; James Boyle 13-17-30 Andy Norton .950 save %

Penn-Trafford (18-5)

Coach: BJ. Zagorec

Key players: Sean Goodman 27 goals, 18 assists, 45 points: Ben Zierski 10 goals, 27 assists, 37 points; Brock Bienemann 16-14-30; Zack Grkman 10-12-22; Tyler Funk .916 save %

Ice chips: North Penn is trying to become the fourth SHSHL team in five years to win a Class AA state title. They will however be shorthanded; leading scorer Samuel Norton is under suspension and will not dress.

The Knights are an experienced group. Eighteen of the 23 players on this year’s Flyers Cup roster on part of last year’s state-title team.

The Warriors are seeking theit first state titie

North Penn 3 Boyertown 1

North Penn was presented with an abundance of opportunities Tuesday night. Eventually, the Knights began cashing them in. it took some time but North Penn found a series of winning combination en route to a 3-1 win over Boyertown in the Class AA Flyers Cup final at Hatfield Ice.

Having successfully defended its Flyers Cup crown, North Penn (26-1) will attempt to defend its state title against Penguins Cup champion Penn-Trafford in Saturday’s Class AA state-title game (2:00 at Ice Line). The Knights will go into that game shorthand. Samuel Norton, one of the SHSHL’s most prolific point producers over the course of his career, drew a major penalty for boarding plus a game misconduct in the third period and will be serving a mandatory suspension.

It took the Knights until early in the second period to solve Boyertown goaltender Lucas Yancey. Daniel Cabrales broke the scoreless deadlock at the 3:59 mark with a blast from the right point during a power play.

Nolan Shingle made it a 2-0 game at the 11:07 mark off a perfectly timed feed from Ismael Cabrales.

“I think [Boyertown} is a great team,” said North Penn defenseman James Boyle. “I think we had a lot of opportunities, it was just about bearing down.

“I think we finally figured it out and we were able to net a couple there and the lead. I think it was just patience and not giving up must keep on working until we get one.”

Special teams played a role all evening; there were 10 minor penalties called in the first two periods. By the time the clock wound down to six minutes remaining in regulation, with, six more infractions had been whistled.

With 4:18 remaining Boyertown (17-6) lost the services of senior forward Jack Schreiber, who was called for interference and then received an additional penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct, plus a 10-minute misconduct and a game misconduct.

Norton was banished with 3:39 remaining and when North Penn goaltender Andy Norton was called for delay of game for knocking his net off its pegs, the Knights were two men short.

The Bears took advantage. Logan Brown converted the power-play chance with 2:09 to go and the Knights found themselves hanging on until Boyle scored into an empty net with 61 seconds remaining.

Boyle was the recipient of the Bobby Clarke Award as the tournament’s Most Valuable Player.

“I think it’s just as special the second time around as it was the first time around,” said North Penn coach Kevin Vaitis.

“Going back to back is tough and I’m just so proud of these guys for the work they put in all season.

“I’m so happy for all of them, The seniors especially. They were on this team three years ago when we won one. It’s a remarkable turnaround and I’m so happy for everybody.”

By the numbers: After Tuesday night, North Penn is 47-4 over the past two seasons … SHSHL teams have won five consecutive Class AA Flyers Cups.

Boyertown 0 0 1—1

North Penn 0 2 1—3

Second-period goals: Daniel Cabrales (NP) from James Boyle, 3:59 (pp); Nolan Shingle (NP) from Ismael Cabrales, 11:07

Third-period goals: Logan Brown (B) from Zach Rosen, 14:51 (pp); James Boyle (NP) unassisted, 15:59 (en)

Shots: Boyertown 28, North Penn 39 Saves: Lucas Yancey (B) 36, Andy Norton (NP) 27

Dunn Has Been Through it All at North Penn

Somewhere a bell is tolling, signaling the end of Gabe Dunn’s high-school hockey career is close at hand. But that moment hasn’t arrived just yet.

Dunn and his North Penn teammates will take on Boyertown Tuesday night in the Class AA Flyers Cup final (8:45 at Hatfield Ice). The winner will face Penguins Cup champion Penn Trafford on Saturday in the state-title game.

The top-seeded Knights, the defending Cup and state champions, have enjoyed a remarkable run the past two seasons, compiling a 46-4 record, including 25-1 this season.

It’s quite a turnaround from Dunn’s freshman season when the Knights won just one SHSHL game. As a four-year varsity player, he’s seen a lot.

“Hockey and life have interchangeable skills,” Dunn said. “As a four-year varsity player, I have been exposed to many different situations and levels of success. I have had to mature through that experience and make the most of the situations as they happen.

“My freshman year we went 1-8-1 in league play That’s not because we weren’t working. That’s not because we weren’t doing the right things. We just had to battle through that. To learn from it and use it to get better.

“As my role as a hockey player changed over that time I had to learn to communicate better, to manage feedback effectively, and to thrive in a high-stress, competitive environment.

I have had to explore my role on the ice over the years and I have also explored my role as a teammate and. Through all these things, we just kept going. As we push through, the outcomes change. we as individuals got better. We as a team got better.”

Dunn says a key reason for North Penn’s run of success has been the players’ willingness to accept their assigned roles.

“I believe the reason our team is great at accepting our roles and the reason we have had success is because we all know our end goal.” he said.

“With that goal always in mind, both as teammates and friends we know who is best suited for every situation. If we need a big hit to change the pace, we have a guy. If we need net front pressure, we have a guy. If we need someone to pick corners, well, we have a guy for that too. It’s our diversity and varying skill sets that set us apart and allows us to be successful.”

Dunn’s own role has evolved over the course of the season, out of necessity.

“At the start of the season I was a “defensive defensemen”,” he said. “That was my role. With a couple early season injuries on the team, the coaches needed to move a few people around to re-balance the lines and I was asked to play forward. Come to find out I’m pretty versatile and I can be multi-dimensional. Changing from being that last line of defense to a hard forechecker felt like a natural switch. It has been a lot of fun and I’m glad I have been able to make meaningful contributions.

“I think it has really helped me to see myself differently not just in hockey, but in all things. Today isn’t yesterday. You don’t have to be the guy you were yesterday.”

Flyers Cup Class AA Finals Preview

Tuesday, March 17

North Penn vs. 2 Boyertown 8:45 at Hatfield Ice

North Penn

Coach: Kevin Vaitis

Record: 25-1

Key players: Sr. James Boyle 17 goals, 11 assists, 28 points; Jr. Samuel Norton 22-23-55; So. Andy Norton .924 save %

In this tournament: Def. Shawnee 9-2 in first round; def. Owen J. Roberts 6-3 in quarterfinals; def. Downingtown West 4-1 in semifinals.

2. Boyertown

Coach: Joe Slowik

Record: 17-5

Key players: So. Brayden Kotzen 17 goals, 23 assists, 40 points; Sr. Logan Brown 22-14-36; Sr. Zach Rosen 22-10-32; So, Lucas Yancey .907 save %

In this tournament: Def. Souderton 12-2 in first round: def. Pennsbury 5-3 in quarterfinals; def. Council Rock South 4-3 in semifinals.

Ice chips: North Penn is trying to become the first Class AA team to successfully defend a Flyers Cup title since Downingtown East won its third straight championship in 2019 … SHSHL teams have won the last four Class AA Cup titles. Three of the four went on to win the state championship including North Penn last year … The last SHSHL team to successfully defend a Class AA Cup title was Council Rock South in 2012.

North Penn 6 Owen J. Roberts 3

Over the course of his four-year career at North Penn, James Boyle has made it a point to step up when his team needed him most. He came up big Thursday night.

Boyle set the tone by scoring his team’s first two goals in the second period as the Knights bested Owen J. Roberts 6-3 at Hatfield Ice Arena to advance to the Class AA Flyers Cup semifinals. The top-seeded and defending-champion Knights (24-1) will face fourth seed Downingtown West next Thursday in the semifinal at the same venue (6:30 start).

Boyle, who is regarded as one of the area’s premier defensemen, missed Tuesday’s first-round win over Shawnee due to illness.

“It was good to get back,” he said, and get a couple right away.”

North Penn coach Kevin Vaitis cited Boyle’s contributions to the Knights’ success over the past two seasons.

“I said at one point that {North Penn’s Samuel Norton} is probably the best player in the league,” Vaitis said, “but James is right up there. He’s honestly, the energy of this team.

“We won on Tuesday but it wasn’t our best game. We were missing something; were missing James.”

The evening’s opening goal was set up when Norton made a dash down the left wing and made a cross-ice pass to Boyle who collected the puck between the circles and beat Wildcat goaltender Page Faith on the netminder’s glove/left side 6:55 into the frame. It was his 16^th goal of the season.

His 17^th came five-and-a-half minutes later when Vaitis used his timeout with the Knights in the midst of an extended power play; the Wildcats’ Maximillian Connell was serving a double minor for boarding and unsportsmanlike conduct. One minute, 37 seconds later, Quinn Rafter was sent off for slashing Vaitis took advantage of the situation to give his power-play unit a breather.

“I think that was huge,” Boyle said, “to settle down and just gather ourselves to capitalize on the five-on-three. I think we needed it, just to settle ourselves down.”

North Penn’s two-man advantage was extended when the Wildcats’ Jaxton Rafter drew a minor penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct followed by a 10-minute misconduct and a game misconduct

By the time things had quieted down, Nolan Shingle and Chris Silvotti had added power play goals and North Penn had a 4-0 lead.

“We had a full five-on-three for two minutes,” Vaitis said. “It was a 1-0 game at the time. Our power play unit was out there at the beginning of {the four-minute power play}. We called a timeout to draw a couple things up, but also to give them a breather.

“It was a big moment for us, and the boys did a great job on that power play.”

Declan Leahy extended North Penn’s lead 5:38 into the third period before Brody Majcher got Owen J. Roberts (13-8) on the scoreboard with 9:42 left in regulation. Shingle added a sixth goal for the Knights before Richie Pupek and Tyler Moyer added goals for the Wildcats.

Emotions were on edge throughout the final period. By evening’s end, each team had been called for 10 penalties.

Now the Knights will prepare for Downingtown West.

“It’s going to be a tough game,” Vaitis said. “They’re a good team down there in the Intercounty League. We have some time off here to go rest up, practice Monday, watch some film on Monday, and get ready for therm.”

Owen J. Roberts 0 0 3—3

North Penn 0 4 2—6

Second-period goals: James Boyle (NP) from Samuel Norton and Nolan Shingle, 6:55; Boyle (NP) from Norton, 12:18: Shingle (MP) from Ismael Cabrales and Norton, 13:21; Chris Silvotti (NP) from Shingle, 14:21

Third-period goals: Declan Leahy from Silvotti and Gavin Lombardi, 4:38; Brody Majcher (OJR) from Colin Daugherty, 7:18; Norton (MP) from Shingle, 9:44; Richie Pupek (OJR) from Daugherty, 14:14; Tyler Moyer (OJR) from Majcher and Tanner Nau, 15:21

Shots: OJR 41, North Penn 50; Saves: Page Faith (OJR) 44, Andy Norton (NP) 38

North Penn 6 C.B. South 3

Big games are often decided when winning teams and/or big-time players step up. Such was the case Thursday night as Sam Norton and his North Penn teammates came up big when the moment demanded it.

North Penn scored three straight goals over the second half of the second period to separate themselves from Central Bucks South and went on to a 6-3 win over the Titans in the SHSHL National Division championship game at Hatfield Ice. It was the 21st win in 22 starts this season for the top-seeded Knights, who claimed a SHSHL title for the fourth time in team history. They will be the top seed for the Class AA Flyers Cup and will face Shawnee in the opening round Tuesday night.

For now, the defending Cup and state champions will celebrate with another trophy.

“A win like that is always enjoyable,” Sam Norton said. “It’s a great experience. I’m going to remember it for a while.”

The third-seeded Titans (16-6) struck first when Ryan Montagna finished off a two-on-one during a South power play just 89 seconds into the opening period. It gave his team the lead but North Penn goaltender Andy Norton was unfazed.

“I try to focus on what’s coming next,” he said, “the next shot, I just put it behind me. I really trust my team. I trust they are going to put another one in the net.”

Which Sam Norton did two-and-a-half minutes later to tie the game. Norton followed with his second goal of the night not quite threo minutes after that and Declan Leahy made it a 3-1 game with 3:08 left in the first period.

South however, wasn’t going anywhere. Ryan Frey found the back of the net 3:05 into the second frame and Joey Slobodian tied the game at the 8:30 mark, making the second half of regulation theoretically a new game.

It was time for Sam Norton to step up once more. Twenty-eight seconds after Slobodian’s game-tying effort, Norton completed a hat trick to put North Penn in front for good. Daniel Cabrales followed with a goal with 6:44 left in regulation and Nolan Shingle completed the scoring for the night with exactly five minutes remaining.

“It wasn’t our greatest {game},” said North Penn coach Kevin Vaitis. “We had some mistakes but we capitalized on some as well. And, when you get to this point in the season and you’re playing a team like that, it’s not going to be perfect.

“I thought the guys worked hard. Even when they came back to tie it at three, nobody panicked. We’ve been in situations like this before and we just keep working through it.”

The Titans worked hard as well against an opponent that leaves an opponent little margin for error.

“We’re proud of our team,” said South coach Josh Sklar. “They battled to the end. You’ve got the two top teams. In the league going at it and sometimes the bounces just don’t go your way.”

Sklar pointed out that competing against the Knights requires going full bore for three full periods.

“Every shift means something,” he said. “Every shift is important. We’re a deep team, but we battled. We tried, we did our best.

• The Titans are seeded sixth in the Class AA Flyers Cup and will face Downingtown East Tuesday night in the first round…. North Penn’s previous SHSHL titles came in 2002, ‘09, and ‘14. The Titans are seven-time champions, their last coming in 2018.

C.B. South 1 2 0—3

North Penn 3 3 0—6

First-period goals: Ryan Montagna (CBS) from Dom Gibson, 1:29 (pp); Samuel Norton (NP) unassisted, 4:01; Norton (NP) unassisted, 6:54; Declan Leahy (NP) from Ismael Cabrales, 12:52

Third-period goals: Ryan Frey (CBS) unassisted, 3;05; Joey Slobodian (CBS) unassisted, 8:30; Norton (NP) unassisted, 8:58; Daniel Cabrales (NP) from Landon Hostetter, 10:16; Nolan Shingle (NP) from I. Cabrales, 12:00

Shots: C.B. South 44, North Penn 22; Saves: Nate Neapolitan (CBS) 38, Andy Norton (NP) 19

North Penn 11 Pennsbury 1

The North Penn Express kept rolling on Wednesday night. Chris Silvotti delivered three goals and three assists while Samuel Norton and James Boyle delivered two goal=s each as the Knights routed Pennsbury 11-1 in a SHSHL National Division semifinal at Hatfield Ice.

Top-seeded North Penn (21-1) will host third seed Council Rock South in Thursday’s final (6:10 start)13-6-1.
Pennsbury (13-6-1) the fourth seed, will move on to the Flyers Cup and prepare to face Haverford High Tuesday night.

It didn’t take long Wednesday night for North Penn and Silvotti in particular to get rolling. Silvotti scored twice with a goal from Daniel Cabrales in between to give North Penn a 3-0 10:01 into the first period. Shane Gleisner scored what would be Pennsbury’s only goal with 4:55 left in the opening session but James Boyle and Silvotti answered before the period ended.

Samuel Norton scored twice in a span of 2:23 early in the second frame and Declan Leahy, Boyle, and Liker Haftl added additional goals before the contest was halted via the 10-goal rule with 4:28 left in the third period.

The Knights accumulated 52 shots on goal

“The boys played really well tonight,” said North Penn coach Kevin Vaitis. “That’s a a very good Pennsbury team and they played us tough twice earlier in the year. We knew we had to play our A game tonight and I thought we played really well in all zones of the ice.”

Vaitis says his team will have to step up against the Titans Thursday night.

“They knocked us out of the league playoffs last year so it would be nice to win and get some revenge for that game this year,” he said. “However they are a very good team so we need to repeat our performance tomorrow night if we want to win again. We have to be ready. “

Pennsbury 1 0 0—1

North Penn 5 3 3—11

First-period goals: Chris Silvotti (NP) from Derek Lugara and Declan Leahy; 1:43; Daniel Cabrales (NP) unassisted, 4:34; Silvotti (NP) from Chase Kelly Del Ricci and Declan Willison, 10:01; Shane Gleisner (NP) from Francis DeLucia, 12:05; James Boyle (NP) from D. Cabrales and Silvotti, 14:13; Silvotti (NP) frim Lugara, 15:45

Second-period goals: Samuel Norton (NP) from Nolan Shingle, 3:07 Norton (NP) from Ismael Caabrales 3:30; Leahy (NP) from Silvotti and D. Cabrales, 14:07

Third-period goals: Boyle (NP) from Silvotti, 1:57; Luke Haftel (NP) from Gabriel Dunn and Boyle, 12:32; Landon Hostetter (NP) from Tyler Evans and Milo Little, 15:23

Shots: Pennsbury 27, North Penn 52; Saves: Brendan Milliken (P) 41, Aidan Quigley (NP) 26

SHSHL Playoff Schedule

The Suburban High School Hockey League playoff schedule for 2026 is now set. Pairings and game times are listed below.

Monday, February 23

National Division First Round

Central Bucks South vs 6. Central Bucks East 7:00 at Hatfield
Pennsbury vs. 5 Pennridge 7:10 at Grundy

Wednesday, February 25

National Division Semifinals

North Penn vs. Pennsbury or Pennridge 6:30 at Hatfield
Council Rock South vs. Central Bucks South or Central Bucks East 7:20 at Grundy

American Division Semifinal

Hatboro-Horsham vs. 3. Springfield 8:30 at Hatfield

Thursday, February 26

National Division Final

@ 6:10 at Hatfield

American Division Final

8:20 at Hatfield

@ If Council Rock South is the highest seeded finalist this game will be played at Grundy

North Penn 7 Pennridge 0

While the U.S. men’s hockey team was celebrating its opening win at the Olympic Games, North Penn took the ice Thursday night and continued its winning ways. The Knights took on Pennridge already assured of the SHSHL regular-season title. But they appeared to not let that circumstance distract them from the tasks at hand.

Chris Silvotti and Nolan Shingle scored twice and three other players scored one goal each as North Penn left Hatfield Ice a 7-0 winner.

With their regular-season finale against Council Rock South to come next Wednesday, the Knights stand at 19-1 overall and a perfect 15-0 in divisional play. For the defending Class AA Flyers Cup and state champions, Thursday night was business as usual.

“They knew {they had clinched the regular-season title} going into this game, but it was never brought up before the game,” said North Penn coach Kevin Vaitis. “They truly look at it one game at a time and that’s the mentality they’ve had all season.”

Silvotti and Tyler Evans gave North Penn a 2-0 first-period lead. Silvotti, Declan Leahy, and Shingle extended the lead in the second stanza and ended the suspense, since Aidan Quigley was working on a shutout at the other end of the ice. The junior finished with 19 saves.

For all the Knights have accomplished this season; they are the highest scoring team in SHSHL National, it is their defensive prowess that is especially noteworthy. In 15 divisional games this season, North Penn has allowed just 20 goals.

“It just comes down to our practices and our mentality going into the games,” Quigley said. “We’re focused and we stay focused, it keeps the team in the game.”

Quigley, a junior, notes that defensive is the top priority for the Knights. “We play defense first,” he said, “then move to offense. Our defense is very good. They also know when to move up and join the offense. I think that leads to a lot of our goals, when our defenseman are up in the play too after making a good defensive play.”

Shingle and Gabriel Dunn added third period goals for the Knights, who launched 54 shots at Pennridge goaltender Andrew Slutsky.

For the Rams (5-10-1, 5-10), who are battling with Central Bucks East and Souderton for the division’s last two playoff spots, it was a difficult evening.

“We were outclassed,” said Pennridge coach Jeff Montagna. “They’re the better team and we need a lot of things to go right. We had chances, and if we’re going to have a chance against this team, we need to finish some of them.

“Obviously, it’s hard to compete with them; they’re the defending state champs. But, if we’re not going to finish, we don’t have much of a chance.”

• The Rams close the regular season next Thursday against Central Bucks East,

North Penn 2 3 2—7

Pennridge 0 0 0—0

First-period goals: Chris Silvotti (NP) from Ismael Cabrales and Gabe Dunn, 3:12; Tyler Evans (NP) from Milo Little and Landon Hostetter, 13:36

Second-period goals: Silvotti (NP) from Ismael Cabrales and Briggs Hostetter, 1:03; Declan Leahy (NP) from Chase Kelly Del Ricci and Evans, 6:56; Nolan Shingle (NP) from Daniel Cabrales and Ismael Cabrales, 12:08

Third-period goals: Shingle (NP) from Silvotti and Ismael Cabrles 1:57; Gabriel Dunn (NP) from Leahy and Daniel Cabrales

Shots: North Penn 54, Pennridge 19; Saves : Aidan Quigley (NP) 19, Andrew Slutsky (Pr) 47