Pennridge 10 C.B. East 0

Pennridge overwhelmed shorthanded Central Bucks East Wednesday night and rolled to the win in a SHSHL National Division semifinal at Hatfield Ice that was halted with 5:48 remaining in the third period.

Kevin Pico had a five-point night for the top-seeded Rams (18-1-2) with three goals and two assists. Andrew Savona contributed two goals and two assists.

Shane Dachowski, Ian Brouse, Josh Kelly, James Rush, and James Embert also scored goals.

The fourth-seeded Patriots (12-6-2) were without several players and coach Jeff Mitchell because of suspensions and injuries.

“We knew they were going to be down,” said Pennridge coach Jeff Montagna, “but we knew we could not look past them. We played very well and got scoring from all four lines.

Pennridge will face Council Rock South for the National Division title Thursday night at Hatfield Ice. Game time is 7:45.

C.B. East 0 0 0—0

Pennridge 4 4 2—10

First-period goals: Andrew Savona (P) unassisted, 5:22; Savona from Kevin Pico, 8:46 (pp); Pico from Savona and Shane Dachowski, 12:24; James Rush (P) from Jared Garber and Pico, 14:28

Second-period goals: Dachowski (P) from John Mikulich and Savona, 1:04; Ian Brouse (P) from Dhilan Howard and Ryan Mikhulich, 4:08; Josh Kelly (P) gtom Dachowski and John Mikulich, 5:50; Pico from Dachowski and Tyler Manto, 10:14

Third-period goals: James Embert (P) from Nathan McKean and Kelly, 8:16; Pico (P) unassisted, 11:12

Game terminated with 5:48 remaining in the third period

Shots: C.B. Est 11, Pennridge 67 Saves: Cole Breen (CBE) 57, Jacob Winton (P) 11

Playoff Ponderings SHSHL 2-27-24

Wednesday, February 28

National Division Semifinals

Pennridge vs. 4. Central Bucks East

8:45 at Hatfield Ice

Pennridge (17-1-2)

The Rams will put one of the most potent lines in SHSHL history on ice. Kevin Pico has scored 28 goals and added 47 assists for 75 points. Andrew Savona has added 40 goals and 31 assists for 71 points while Shane Dachowski has provided 27 goals and 33 assists for 60 points. The trio finished first, third, and fifth respectively in the SHSHL in regular-season scoring.

Goaltender Jacob Winton carries an .897 save percentage and a 2.64 GAA.

Pennridge went 1-0-1 against East this season.

Central Bucks East 12-5-2

The Patriots will be without three players and Head Coach Jeff Mitchell Wednesday night due to suspensions but they will have the services of Corey Kosick who has scored 27 goals and added 12 assists for 39 points. Jaden Young has provided 10 goals and added 16 assists.

Goaltender Cole Breen carries an .895 save percentage and a 3.43 GAA.

The Patriots are hoping to get a chance to play for their first SHSHL title since 2011.

2. Council Rock South vs. 3. Central Bucks South

7:20 at Grundy Arena

Council Rock South (18-1)

The Golden Hawks are hoping for a chance to successfully defend their division title, something no National Division team has done since Central Bucks South won four straight division crowns from 2015-18.

Kevin Koles leads his team in scoring with 24 goals and 26 assists for 50 points. Jake Weiner is next with 28 goals and 20 assists for 48 points while Blaize Pepe has contributed 16 goals and 27 assists for 43 points.

Trevor Rakszawski is the probable starter in goal. He’s maintaining a 2.34 GAA with an .876 save percentage.

The Golden Hawks own two wins over the Titans this season.

Central Bucks South (13-7-1)

It’s been six years since the Titans last won an SHSHL title; they’re looking for a chance to play for another.

D.J. Lindenmuth paces the team in scoring with 22 goals and 15 assists for 37 points. Sean Cutter has added nine goals and 19 assists for 28 points. Nathan Napolitano carries an .883 save percentage and a 2.75 GAA in goal.

Dom Varacallo maintains an .880 save percentage and a 3.08 GAA.

The two semifinal winners will play for the National Division title Thursday night at a site and at a time TBD.

All four semifinalists will move on to the Class AA Flyers Cup on March 5

1.Pennridge will play 16. Bensalem

2. Council Rock South will play 15. Spring Ford

6. Central Bucks South will play 11. Avon Grove

8. Central Bucks East will play 9. Downingtown East

American Division Final

Plymouth Whitemarsh vs. 3. Bensalem

6:50 at Hatfield Ice

Plymouth Whitemarsh (13-3)

The Colonials will be trying for their first American Division title since 2020. David Branigan leads the team in scoring with 23 goals and 16 assists for 39 points. Dylan Novitski is next with 19 goals and 12 assists for 31 points. Jason Segal has contributed 14 goal and 16 assists for 30 points.

Goaltender Julian Lucks carries an .882 save percentage and a 3.21 GAA into the final.

The Colonials won two of three meetings with Bensalem during the regular season.

Bensalem (13-3)

The Owls will try and make history Wednesday night as they seek their first SHSHL title. Alex Hood was second in scoring in the entire SHSHL during the regular season; he’s scored 53 goals and added 20 assists for 73 points. Bensalem will be without second-leading scorer Alex Bazylevich who is serving a suspension but Lucas Gonzales has contributed 12 goal and 19 assists for 31 points.

Goaltender Ricky Gonzalez maintains a .907 save percentage and a 2.87 GAA.

Both teams are assured of moving on to the Flyers Cup. The Colonials are seeded eighth in the Class A field and will face Unionville on March 4. The Owls are seeded 16^th in the Class AA field and will go against Pennridge on March 5.

Flyers Cup Schedule

A total of 41 teams in four divisions will skate in the 45^th annual Flyers Cup tournament.

Eight teams will comprise the Class AAA bracket, 16 more will compete in Class AA, 12 in Class A and five in the Girls Division.

The Delaware/South Jersey bracket has been eliminated this season.

First-round games are scheduled for Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, March 4 – 6; the tournament is expected to conclude March 19 or 20.

Nine SHSHL teams made the tournament field as did four APAC teams.

Here is an overview of the tournament schedule

All sites and times beyond the first round are tentative and subject to change.

Class AAA Quarterfinals

Monday, March 1. La Salle vs. 8. Perkiomen Valley 8:30/Hatfield Ice

Tuesday, March 5 4. Holy Ghost Prep vs. 5. Father Judge 8:30/Grundy

Monday, March 4 2. Malvern Prep vs. 7. Devon Prep 6:15/Ice Line

Monday, Match 4 3. St. Joseph’s Prep vs. 6. Salesianum 7:00 Skatium

Semifinals March 18 (tentative)

Finals March 19 or 20

Class AA First Round

Tuesday, March 5

1.Pennridge vs. 16. Bensalem 8:30/Hatfield

8. Central Bucks East vs. 9. Downingtown East 6:00/ Hatfield

4. Downingtown West vs. 13. Souderton 6:15/Ice Line

5. Haverford High vs. 12. North Penn 7:00/Skatium

2. Council Rock South vs. 15. Spring Ford 6:00/Grundy

7. Lower Merion vs. 10 Cherokee 9:00/Skatium

3. Boyertown vs. 14. Pennsbury 8:30/Ice Line

6. Central Bucks South vs. 11 Avon Grove 6:30 at Hatfield

Thursday, March 7

Quarterfinals

Pennridge/Bensalem vs. C.B. East/Downingtown East

Downingtown West/Souderton vs. Haverford/North Penn

C.R. South/Spring Ford vs. Lower Merion/Cherokee

Boyertown/Pennsbury vs. C.B. South/Avon Grove

Semifinals

TBD The week of 3-11

Finals

March 19, 20, or 21 Site TBD

Class A First Round

Monday, March 4

8. Plymouth Whitemarsh vs. 9. Unionville 6:00/Hatfield

5. Lower Dauphin vs. 12. Radnor 7:45 Ice Line

7. Palmyra vs. 10. Penncrest 8:30 Ice Line

6. Springfield-Delco vs. 11 West Chester Henderson 9:00/Skatium

Quarterfinals

Thursday, March 7

PW/Unionville vs. 1. West Chester East TBD/Ice Line

Lower Dauphin/Radnor vs. 4. Marple Newtown TBD

Palmyra/Penncrest vs. 2. Garnet Valley TBD

Springfield/WC Henderson vs. 3 Hershey TBD

Semifinals TBD

Finals March 19 or 20 Site TBD

Girls

Wednesday, March 6

Quarterfinal

4. Conestoga vs. 5. Lower Merion 7:45/PNY

Semifinals

Wednesday Match 13 tentative

Avon Grove vs. Conestoga/Lower Merion 6:45/PNY
Downingtown West vs. 3. West Chester Henderson 5:00/PNY

Monday March 18 tentative

Championship 6:00/PNY

The Flyers Cup selection show aited air on the Flyers Cup YouTube Channel

it can be accessed HERE.

Pennridge 7 C.B. South 1

The last pieces of the SHSHL playoff puzzle are now in place.

Pennridge turned in a solid, workmanlike, effort Wednesday night, en route to a 7-1 win over Central Bucks South at Hatfield Ice.

The Rams closed the SHSHL regular season at 16-1-1 in divisional play (17-1-2 overall) and will be seeded first when the National Division playoffs commence next week.

Andrew Savona once more occupied center stage, scoring four goals and assisting on another.

His linemate, Kevin Pico, assisted on three goals while Shane Dachowski, the third member of the trio, scored two goals and assisted on another.

Pico spoke to the significance of the win with the playoffs at hand.

“It was huge,” he said. “Our last game of the season. To put up that many goals and get that first seed locked in.

Pennridge coach Jeff Montagna noted his team’s effort over the full 51 minutes.

“Tonight was probably our best game of the year,” he said. “One thing this team does really well is, when the goal is in front of them and they know what they’re playing for, they take it to a different level. They’ve done that for three years, they did that tonight. It was a great game all around.”

Dachowski gave the Rams the lead with 2:26 left in the opening period. In the second session, the floodgates opened when Savona, James Rush, and Savona again, scored three unanswered goals in a span of 11 minutes, 21 seconds. The first two were shorthanded, the third, Savona’s second coming just as a South penalty expired. For all intents and purposes it was game, set, and match Pennridge at that point.

The Titans (12-5-1 in the division, 12-7-1 overall), who will be seeded third for the playoffs never really got things started. Their only goal came off the stick of Ryan Montagna with 6:36 left in the third period.

“You’ve got to show up,” said South coach Shaun McGinty. “We lost three periods in a row. Defensively, we weren’t there. We gave up two shorthanded goals on four power plays. I said to the boys, ’There’s no mathematical equation that’s going to issue a W.

“You lose three periods in a row, you can’t win a game; you’ve got to take it one period at a time.”

The Rams, who were Class AA Flyers Cup finalists a year ago, and Flyers Cup and state champions the tear before, will now have a week-long break before beginning another postseason challenge.

“I think it will be a good week to have off,” Pico said, “resting up and then get going again.

“Some of our guys’ club seasons are over so now that we have [only] high school, it’s definitely a nice time that we can rest. Looking forward to playoffs, definitely.”

Ice chips: Pico leads the entire SHSHL in scoring with 28 goals and 47 assists for 75 points. Savona is next with 40 goals and 31 assists for 71 points, followed by Shane Dachowski (27-33-60).

“You can watch high-school hockey for a long time,” Montagna said. “You’re not going to find a better line than those three. It’s amazing, some of the things they do on the ice.”

C.B. South 0 0 1—1

Pennridge 1 4 2—7

First-period goal: Shane Dachowski (P) from Kevin Pico, 14:34

Second-period goals: Andrew Savona (P) from Pico, 1:47 (sh); James Rush, unassisted, 2:04; Savona (P) from Pico and Colin Dachowki, 13:08; Savona (P) from Nick Young, 16:05

Third-period goals: Savona (P) unassisted, 8:18; Ryan Montagna (CBS) from Colin Mendham and Sean Cutter, 10:24; Shane Dachowski (P) from Savona, 15:08

Shots: C.B. South 31, Pennridge 37; Saves: Nathan Neapolitan (CBS) 30, Jacob Winston (P) 30

Hockey Happenings is looking for individuals interested in supporting our coverage of the upcoming SHSHL playoffs. Contact us at the link above or at rwoelfel2013@gmail.com for details.

Pennridge 9 Pennsbury 1

For the first time in some time, Pennridge put all the pieces together at the same time.

After falling behind six minutes after the opening faceoff, the Rams got down to business and posted a 9-1 win over Pennsbury in a SHSHL national Division encounter at Hatfield Ice.

With the win, the Rams improved to 16-0-1 overall and 15-0-1 in divisional play. The Falcons fell to 3-12 overall and in the division. The loss eliminates Pennsbury from SHSHL playoff contention.

The contest was far more competitive than the final score indicates. The Rams but the game away with five goals in the third period but they worked for everything they got; to the immense satisfaction of their coach, Jeff Montagna.

“It was our best effort in about two months,” he said, “since the Council Rock South game.

“I told them the blueprint of how we want to play. You just wear teams down and we wore that team down.”

The Falcon took it to the Rams early on. Chris Sarver have Pennsbury a 1-0 lead 5:47 into the first frame with a splendid dash down the right wing that finished when he backhanded the puck past Pennridge goaltender Jacob Winton.

Tyler Manto and Andrew Savona answered to give Pennridge a 2-1 lead after one period. Kevin Pico and Colin Dachowski added goals in the second stanza.

It was still a contest at that point and Dachowski was impressed with the fact that he and his mates were staying focused on the business at hand.

“I think the last couple games, we haven’t been playing like that,” he said. “We haven’t been playing more like a team. Going into the playoffs in four weeks, we’ve got to be ready and I think we showed that tonight.

Shane and Colin Dachowski, Savona, Dean Venner, and Nolan Shaw all scored third-period goals for Pennridge as the falcons’ gas tank dropped toward empty.

But Pennsbury coach Ryan Daley was impressed with his team’s effort.

“I think for two periods we were right there with them,” he said. “Their goalie is good. I feel like I say that a lot but he had a great game.

Daley noted his team had a number of quality chances.

“If you were really watching that game, we really did have a lot of scoring chances,” he said. “And the puck just wasn’t finding our stick, or [Winton] made a great save, or his defensemen blocked it. They were right spots at the right time.

“But, I was happy with the way we played, I was happy with the effort.”

Pico had a five-point night that included four assists. Shane Dachowski finished with three assists.

With the results of Wednesday’s games, the field for the National Division playoffs has been finalized. The six teams include Pennridge, Council Rock South, Central Bucks South, Central Bucks East, North Penn, and Souderton. The Rams and the Golden Hawks will have byes into the semifinals.

Pennsbury 1 0 0—1

Pennridge 2 2 5—9

First-period goals: Chris Sarver (Pb) unassisted, 5:47; Tyler Manto (Pr) unassisted, 8:33; Andrew Savona (Pr) from Kevin Pico and Shane Dachowksi, 13:11

Second-period goals: Pico (Pr) from Shane Dachowski and Savona, 7:09; Colin Dachowski (Pr) from Pico, 12:45 (pp)

Third-period goals: Shane Dachowski (Pr) from Nolan Shaw and Pico, 1:20; Dean Venner (Pr) unassisted, 5;10; Shaw (Pr) from Justin Dinsmore, 10:22; Savona (Pr) from Pico and Shane Dachowski, 11:20; Colin Dachowski (Pr) unassisted, 12:29

Shots: Pennsbury 26, Pennridge 46; Saves: Aaron McDaniel (P) 37, Jacob Winton (P) 25

SHSHL Update for 1-22-14

National Division W L T OW OL Pts

x Pennridge (14-0-1) 13 0 1 0 0 0 27

x Council Rock South (14-1-0) 13 1 0 0 0 26

x Cent. Bucks South (10-3-1) 10 2 1 0 1 22

Central Bucks East (8-4-1) 8 4 2 0 0 17

North Penn (7-5-0) 7 5 0 0 0 14

Souderton (5-8-0) 5 8 0 3 1 11

Pennsbury (3-10-0) 3 10 0 0 2 8

Cent. Bucks West (2-11-1) 2 11 1 0 1 6

Neshaminy (1-10-2) 1 10 2 0 0 4

Council Rock North (1-12-0) 1 12 0 0 1 3

American Division W L T OW OL Pts

x Plymouth White. (9-3) 8 1 0 1 1 17

x Bensalem (9-2) 7 2 0 1 1 15

Abington (4-5-1) 4 3 0 0 0 8

Wissahickon (2-10) 2 8 0 0 1 4

Springfield (1-10) 1 8 0 0 1 1

x clinched playoff spot

National Division Scoring G A Pts

Kevin Pico (Pr) 23 36 59

Andrew Savona (Pr) 28 26 54

Shane Dachowski (Pr) 22 25 47

Kevin Koles (CRS) 22 22 44

Maxwell Ryon (Soud) 29 12 41

Jake Weiner (CRS) 22 18 40

Blaize Pepe (CRS) 15 21 36

Seth Grossman (Soud) 16 17 33

Corey Kosick (CBE) 18 8 26

Illia Mukhin (CRS) 11 15 26

American Division Scoring G A Pts

Alex Hood (Bens) 43 14 57

Alex Bazylevich (Bens) 10 19 29

Seamus Donofry (Ab) 6 21 27

Dylan Novitski (PW) 16 10 26

David Branigan (PW) 15 11 26

Tim Murphy (PW) 9 15 24

Daniel Guller (PW) 7 16 23

Owen Quinn (Sp) 13 9 22

Jason Segal (PW) 11 11 22

Michael Romano (Ab) 10 9 19

Pennridge 3 C.B. East 3

The bubble of invincibility that has surrounded the Pennridge Rams all season long burst Thursday night.

Ethan Cenci’s goal with 1.3 seconds remaining in regulation gave Central Bucks East a 3-3 draw with the Rams at Hatfield Ice. It was the first blemish of the season for Pennridge, which now stands 11-0-1 in the SHSHL National Division and 12-0-1 overall.

Pennridge took a 2-1 lead into the third period but Jaden Young tied the game for East with 4:19 left in regulation off a Pennridge breakdown.

The Rams seemingly dodged a bullet when Tyler Manto beat Cole Breen with a rocket from the left circle with 2:11 remaining to put his team back in front. It was Manto’s second goal of the game.

But just 30 seconds later, he was sent to the box for roughing, giving the Patriots a power play. With 5.8 seconds showing on the clock, Manto’s teammate Shane Dachowski was whistled for cross checking, giving East a two-man advantage and, more importantly, the offensive zone faceoff it needed to set up the game-tying goal which came off a scramble in front of Pennridge netminder Jacob Winton.

Dachowski’s penalty also allowed the Patriots to start the overtime with a four-skater-to-three advantage.

Pennridge had seemingly more opportunities during the extra five minutes but the clock struck zero with the two teams and seemingly headed in opposite directions.

For the Patriots (6-3-1 overall and in the division) it was a result that felt like a win.

“I can’t explain how proud I am of the boys,” said East coach Jeff Mitchell, “for just sticking there at the end.

“We pretty much had a good momentum on the bench the entire game. It started to get a little chippy at the end of the second, getting into the third. We started to lose our way a little bit but the boys banded together.

We had pretty much production from all three lines. Not so much points, but getting the puck out and maintaining great possession. And Cole kept everything out he should have.”

Pennridge coach Jeff Montagna minced no words while accessing the performance of his own team.

“We were terrible tonight,” he said. “We took penalties that cost us, but when you play the way we did and let them hang around the way we did, it was only a matter of time.

“We did not deserve to win that game. Period. It was as bad as we’ve been all year. And it’s as angry as I’ve been all year.”

Pennridge 2 0 1—3

C.B. East 1 0 2—3

First-period goals: Corey Kosick (CBE) unassisted, 5:24; Andrew Savona (P) from Colin Dachowki and Kevin Pico, 5:49; Tyler Manto (P) from Colin Dachowki, 16:56

Third-period goals: Jaden Young (CBE) from Drew Trask and Ryan Gergen, 12:41; Tyler Manto (P) from James Embert, 14:49; Ethan Cenci (CBE) unassisted, 15:59

Shots: Pennridge 36, C.B. East 25; Saves: Jacob Winton (P) 22, Cole Breen (CBE) 33

Pennridge 6 C.B. South 5 OT

HATFIELD TOWNSIP—It was quite a comeback. Trailing 5-1 early in the third period, Pennridge rallied for a 6-5 overtime win over Central Bucks South Thursday night at Hatfield Ice in a SHSHL National Division encounter.

James Rush scored the winning goal 1:23 into overtime.

The win, the Rams’ 10^th without a blemish this season, comes 24 hours after Wednesday’s much-celebrated win over Council Rock South. From the Rams’ perspective, Thursday’s comeback win was just as emotional, a comeback fueled in part by an injury to a goaltender.

With 2:29 left in the second period and the Titans (6-3-1, 6-2-1 in the division holding a 2-1 lead, Pennridge netminder Jacob Winton was involved in a collision with a South player in his crease. After a lengthy delay, Winton, the only goaltender the Rams had dressed, remained in the game.

No penalty was called on the play but when play finally resumed the emotional temperature of the game rose exponentially.

“I don’t think he tried to run the goalie,” said the Rams’ Colin Dachowski, “but if your goalie goes down like that, you always want to have his back and come back for him.”

Winton himself seemed to be feeling the effect of the collision. Ryan Frey extended South’s lead with 56 seconds remaining in the second period before D.J. Lindenmuth and Joey Slobodrian connected two miutes apart in the third to give the Titans a four-goal lead with 11:05 remaining in regulation.

Pennridge coach Jeff Montagna knew Winton was struggling.

“He wasn’t right,” Montagna said. “I think three of the next five shots they scored on. I don’t know what [the collision] did. I think it kind of ignited some of them because they were upset that it happened. I’m not really sure what happened on the play. But it did wake us up a little bit.”

Andrew Savona, with help from Kevin Peco, got Pennridge back in the game with a pair of shorthanded goals just 18 seconds apart to make it a 5-3 game with 9:43 left in regulation.

Pico scored a goal of his own during a power play to make it a one-goal game with 7:56 still left, the key question was whether the Titans could stymie the Pennridge assault.

Savona gave an emphatic answer when he completed a hat trick and tied the game with 4:19 remaining.

Rush’s winning goal came on his team’s only shot of the extra session.

South coach Shaun McGinity said his team’s lack of experience in pressure situations led to its undoing.

“Individuals allowed themselves to become individuals rather than team,” he said, “and we had about a minute-and-a-half of a lapse. Pennridge, being the team they are with the experience they have, they were able to capitalize on two shorthanded goals.

“Once that ball starts to roll. It’s a challenge for young players to gather themselves back together.

“I’ll take the onus on that; I’ve got to do a better job of helping them regain that focus.”

Coming just a day after the emotional won over Council Rock South, Montagna praised his team’s resolve.

“It’s really difficult, after last night’s emotion, to go down 5-1 and somehow summon the energy and emption to rally like they did,” he said. “That’s as good a rally as you’re ever going to see especially coming off last night,

Pennridge 0 1 4 1—6

C.B. South 0 3 2 0—5

Second-period goals: Jeff Kvetcher (CBS) unassisted, 7:54; Nolan Shaw (P) unassisted,9:29; Sean Cutter (CBS) from Kvetcher and Jake Kunkle, 13:55; Ryan Frey (CBS) from Ryan Montagna,16:04

Third-period goals: D.J. Lindenmuth (CBS) unassisted, 3:50; Joey Slobodrian (CBS) from Aidan Linzo, 5:55; Andrew Savona (P) from Kevin Pico, 6:59 (sh); Savona (P) from Pico, 7:17 (sh); Pico (P) from James Rush and John Mikolich, 9:04 (pp); Savona (P) from Mikolich, 12:41

Overtime goal: Young (P) from Colin Dachowski, 1:23

Shots: Pennridge 35, C.B. South 41; Saves: Jacob Winton (Pr) 36: Dominic Varacallo (CBS) 29

Pennridge 7 C.R. South 3

HATFIELD TOWNSHIP—The level of anticipation could not have been higher for a regular-season game, particularly one being played nearly two weeks before Christmas.

A full house at the Hatfield Ice Blue Rink greeted Pennridge and Council Rock South when they took the ice Wednesday night for a matchup between two bona fide SHSHL and Flyers Cup title contenders.

On this night, it was Rams who emerged victorious by a count of 7-3 to remain unbeaten at 9-0 overall and in SHSHL National Division play. The Golden Hawks suffered their first setback of the season; they stand at 8-1 overall and 7-1 in the division.

Both teams rely on potent offenses and the stars were shining brightly. Shane Dachowski collected a hat trick for the Rams and added two assists. Andrew Savona’s two goals were accompanied by three assists.

Kevin Koles and Blaize Pepe had two-point nights for South; each contributed a goal and an assist.

But even amidst all this firepower, a goaltender stood out, namely Pennridge’s Jacob Winton. The Rams were outshot 40-30 but Winton a junior, finished his evening’s work with 37 saves.

“They’re an absolutely amazing high-output team,” Winton said of his opponents. “We knew that coming into it. They’re an absolutely great hockey team.”

Winton made some big stops at key times when the outcome was still in doubt. Among them was his denial of Illia Mukhin on a backhander five minutes into the second period.

“Obviously, that boosts my confidence,” he said, “giving me that extra jump when they come down. And I think it gives my team an extra jump when they go down to the other end of the ice.”

The Golden Hawks drew first blood when Jackson Mosley beat Winton 6:54 into the opening period. Colin Dachowski answered for Pennridge when he put in his own rebound with 1:37 left in the period, allowing his team to draw even in a period that saw it outshot 12-9.

Pennridge coach Jeff Montagna noted that his netminder stepped up on a night when the spotlight was shining bright.

“He was never in this environment,” Montagna said, “even in the Flyers Cup finals. He was awesome tonight.

“In a 1-1 game I thought he made one of the best toe saves that you’ll see a goalie make. I thought that was the turning point in the game.”

Kevin Pico’s goal 5:33 into the second frame gave Pennridge the lead for good. Shane Dachowski extended the lead at 9:00 before Kevin Koles put in a rebound to make it a one-goal game with 8:22 left in the middle session.

Shane Dachowski took over from there, completing his hat trick before the period ended.

The Hawks found themselves shorthanded more than they would have preferred, they drew 14 penalties for 36 minutes. The Rams were whistled for nine infractions for 26 minutes. The two teams will have a rematch on February 7 at Grundy Arena.

C.R. South 1 1 1—3

Pennridge 1 4 2—7

First-period goal: Jackson Mosley (CRS) from Blaize Pepe, 6:54; Colin Dachowski (P) unassisted,15:23

Second-period goals: Kevin Pico P) from Nick Young and Andrew Savona, 5:33; Shane Dachowski (P) from Pico, 8:00; Kevin Koles (CRS) from Jake Weiner and Illia Mukhin, 8:38; Shane Dachowki (P) Savona 9:26; Shane Dachowski (P) from Pico and Savona, 14:56 (pp)

Third-period goals: Savona (P) from Shane Dachowski and Pico, 1:04; Savona (P) from Pico and Shane Dachowski, 6:15 (pp); Pepe (CRS) from Koles, 14:52

Shots: C.R. South 40, Pennridge 30; Saves: Trevor Rakszawski (CRS) 32, Jacob Winton (P) 37

SHSHL Update

National Division W L T OW OL Pts

Council Rock South (7-0) 6 0 0 0 0 12

Pennridge (6-0) 6 0 0 0 0 12

Cent. Bucks South (4-2-1) 4 1 1 0 0 9

Central Bucks East (4-2) 4 2 0 0 0 8

North Penn (3-2) 3 2 0 0 0 6

Pennsbury (2-4) 2 4 0 0 1 5

Cent. Bucks West (1-4-1) 1 4 1 0 0 3

Souderton (1-4-0) 1 4 0 1 0 2

Neshaminy (0-4-2) 0 4 2 0 0 2

Council Rock North (0-6) 0 6 0 0 0 0

American Division W L T OW OL Pts

Bensalem (4-1) 3 1 0 0 1 7

Plymouth White. (4-1) 3 0 0 0 0 6

Wissahickon (2-2) 2 2 0 0 1 4

Abington (1-2-1) 1 1 0 0 0 2

Springfield (0-6) 0 5 0 0 0 0

National Division Scoring G A Pts

Kevin Pico (Pr) 11 16 27

Andrew Savona (Pr) 12 14 26

Shane Dachowski (Pr) 12 12 24

Kevin Koles (CRS) 10 14 24

Jake Weiner (CRS) 11 6 17

Corey Kosick (CBE) 12 4 16

Blaize Pepe (CRS) 8 7 15

Maxwell Ryon (Soud) 8 6 14

Seth Grossman (Soud) 7 5 12

Chase Tovsky (Soud) 3 9 12

Gavin Nisenon (CRS) 5 5 10

Jordan Sarne (CRS) 3 7 10

American Division Scoring G A Pts

Alex Hood (Bens) 16 5 21

David Branigan (PW) 8 4 12

Daniel Hussa (Wiss) 9 2 11

Alex Bazylevich (Bens) 2 8 10

Tim Murphy (PW) 2 7 9

Seamus Donofry (Ab) 2 6 8

Cole Salayda (Bens) 3 4 7