Neshaminy 5, Pennsbury 2

BRISTOL— The atmosphere resembled that of a Flyers Cup game, Which was not surprising; any contest between Pennsbury and Neshaminy, whatever the sport, is sure to be crackling with intensity.

It was Neshaminy that had the better of things Thursday night, 5-2 in a SHSHL Class AA Division game before a large and energetic audience at Grundy Arena. Joey DeMatteo scored three goals to help the Skins (9-3, 7-2 in divisional play) avenge a Thanksgiving Eve loss to the Falcons (8-4-1, 4-4-1)

The game was tight for 32 minutes before Neshaminy scored three goals in the third frame.

Neshaminy coach Matt DeMatteo said his team responded to the emotions of the evening without being overwhelmed by those emotions.

“We’re still a bit of a younger team,” he said. “We only have three seniors and part of learning how to win is learning how to play mature, and learning how to play the way the game dictates.”

The first period was played on even terms with the ‘Skins looking for open ice while the Falcons employed a dump-and-chase strategy. Neshaminy’s Robert Seewagen scored the period’s only goal with 40 seconds remaining off a Pennsbury turnover, It was one of a series of miscues that hurt the Falcons’ cause and undermined a solid performance by Topher Seiler, their goaltender.

“Our goalie stood on top of his head,” said Pennsbury coach Ryan Daley. “He couldn’t have played any better.”

Thomas Gallagher extended Neshaminy’s lead 1:40 into the second period when he found open space in the right circle and put the puck in the top right corner of the net. Erik Eisler answered back at 11:46 to make it a one-goal game heading into the third period.

Joey DeMatteo took over from there, scoring twice in a seven-minute span to put his team up 4-1 with 6:44 left in regulation. Eisler scored his second goal of the game on a power play with 4:57 left but DeMatteo fired the puck into an empty net with 37 seconds remaining.

The senior said his team took a different approach to the rematch with the Falcons. “We focused on emotion way too much in that game,” he said, “and we just kind of put all that aside and just played the game and focused on the game.”

Neshaminy came into the game ranked sixth in the Class AA Flyers Cup power rankings. The Falcons were ranked 10th this week.

Pennsbury 0 1 1—2
Neshaminy 1 1 3—5
First-period goal: Robert Seewagen (N) unassisted, 15:20.
Second-period goals: Thomas Gallagher (N) from Trevor Kuhn, 1:40; Erik Eisler (P) from Beau Bruslius and Ben Dous, 11:46.
Third-period goals: Joey DeMatteo (N) unassisted, 2:15; DeMatteo (N) from J.J. Hathaway and Matt Buchinski, 9:16; Eisler (P) unassisted, 11:03 (pp); DeMatteo (N) from Michael Knipple, 15:23 (en).
Shots: Pennsbury 21, Neshaminy 38; Saves: Topher Seiler (P) 33, Brian Nelson (N) 19

Wednesday’s Neshaminy-Pennsbury Game Will Send a Powerful Message

Like the other games being played around the Suburban High School Hockey League on Wednesday night, the matchup between Pennsbury and Neshaminy (7:20 at Grundy Arena) won’t count in the league standings. But it will be a special occasion, and an emotional one.

The two teams will play for the Gannon Cup, which is named for Patrick Gannon a former Neshaminy Middle School hockey player who tragically died in an accident at age 13. He played club hockey with many of the players on both teams who will be in uniform Wednesday night.

“We thought it would be a great way to remember him during the game every year,” said Neshaminy coach Matt DeMatteo.

Neshaminy won the inaugural Gannon Cup game last year

As tragic as Patrick Gannon’s death was, he gave back to others via organ donation. The game is being played in part to benefit the Donate Life and the Gift of Life Foundation in his memory. There will be an assortment of gift basket raffles and a Chuck-a-Duck fund raiser.,

Patrick Gannon will be recognized prior to game time along with Phil Oseredzuk, a former Neshaminy player who was killed in a kayaking accident last May at age 16. His jersey will be retired before the game and will thereafter be displayed at Grundy Arena.

North Penn 4 Pennsbury 2

By Rick Woelfel

HATFIELD TOWNSHIP—Prior to taking the ice Monday night in their Suburban High School Hockey League quarterfinal, Pennsbury and North Penn were fully aware they are scheduled to face each other next Wednesday in the opening round of the Flyers Cup tournament. With that fact in mind, the Falcons and the Knights would have been forgiven for playing things close to the vest, since the results of the SHSHL playoffs have no bearing on the Flyers Cup seedings.

Instead, they chose to go another way. Both teams stepped up their games Monday night, the Falcons, who were seeded sixth in the SHSHL tournament, especially so.

It took a third-period goals from Josh Kaufhold and Nathan Oh to give the Knights a 4-2 win in an entertaining affair at Hatfield Ice. North Penn (11-3-3) will face second-seeded Pennridge on Wednesday at 7:00 in the semifinals while Pennsbury (7-8-3) will wait for next Wednesday’s rematch in the Flyers Cup.

Oh, who assisted on Kaufhold’s winning goal, was quick to point out that winning a SHSHL title would mean a lot to the Knights.

“Winning the league would mean so much for us,” he said. “Obviously, (Central Bucks South) has been on top forever and for us to get some hardware, that would be awesome. It would be great for me and the rest of the seniors.”

Jake Nelson gave the Knights an early lead when he scored just 2:02 into the first period but Ben Dous scored twice for the sixth-seeded Falcons (7-7-3) to give them a 2-1 lead after one frame.

Tyler Greenstein tied the game for North Penn with 5:51 left in the second period on the most picturesque play of the night; he skated up the middle of the ice and split the two Pennsbury defensemen before beating Falcon netminder Topher Seiler with a forehander.

At the start of the third period it was anyone’s hockey game.

The teams hadn’t played each other since November 29 and North Penn coach Kevin Vaitis noted that both had evolved since then. “Obviously both teams have changed a lot over the last three months,” he said. “Hats off to them. They came out really ready to play and they kind of went toe-to-toe with us for two periods.”
Kaufhold scored the winning goal on a power play with 9:09 left in the third period. The goal came while the Falcons Beau Yedman was in the box serving a hooking penalty.

Oh added an empty net goal with four seconds remaining.

Despite the loss, and his team’s elimination from the SHSHL playoffs, Pennsbury coach Ryan Daley feels his team has taken some big steps forward of late. The Falcons were 4-1-1 in their last six games prior to Monday night.

“The kids have been on fire,” he said. “I was telling the guys before the game that we’re a dangerous team. We’re an underdog playing extremely good hockey and I knew we had good shot. A couple bounces didn’t go our way, but it’s hockey.”

Notes: Both goaltenders came up with some big saves. Seiler and North Penn’s Nick Ebbinghaus combined to stop 52 shots.

Pennsbury 2 0 0—2

North Penn 1 1 2—4

First-period goals: Jake Nelson (NP) from Tyler Greenstein, 2:02; Ben Dous (P) from Jake Sieger, 11:34; Dous (P) from Sieger and Erik Eisler, 12:51.

Second-period goal: Greenstein (NP) from Jared Albano and Luke Van Why, 10:09.

Third-period goals: Josh Kaufhold (NP) from Nathan Oh, 6:51 (pp); Oh (NP) from Albano, 15:56 (en).

Shots; Pennsbury 25, North Penn 33; Saves: Topher Seiler (P) 29, Nick Ebbinghaus (NP) 23

SHSHL Standings

The Suburban High School Hockey League has concluded varsity competition until January 2. The standings below include results through December 20, which was the last day of play before the holiday break.

Class 2A

National Division W L T Pts

Neshaminy (3-2-1) 2 2 0 4

Pennsbury (3-3-2) 2 2 0 4

Council Rock South (4-2-2) 1 1 2 4

Truman (2-2-2) 1 1 1 3

Abington (2-3-2) 1 1 1 3

William Tennent (2-6) 1 4 0 2

Continental Division W L T Pts

Central Bucks South (6-2) 5 0 0 10

North Penn (5-2-1) 4 1 0 8

Pennridge (5-1-1) 4 1 0 8

Central Bucks East (5-2-1) 2 2 0 4

Central Bucks West (2-5) 0 3 0 0

Souderton (0-9) 0 6 0 0

Class A American Division W L T Pts

Wissahickon (5-0-2) 4 0 2 10

Lower Moreland (4-1-3) 2 1 3 7

Hatboro-Horsham (2-2-1) 2 2 1 5

Plymouth Whitemarsh (3-2) 2 2 0 4

Upper Dublin (3-5) 0 5 0 0

Through varsity games of 12-20-18

Council Rock North and the co-op team of Upper Moreland/Archbishop Wood are playing independent schedules.

C.B. South Shuts Out Pennsbury

WARWICK—Central Bucks South and Pennsbury have taken different roads this season. The Titans as usual are setting the standard against which their opposition in the Class AA Division of the Suburban High School Hockey League is compared.
The Falcons feature a lineup with an abundance of young players adjusting to the rigors of high-school hockey.

It came as no surprise that South dominated Wednesday’s meeting at Revolution Ice Gardens. The Titans rolled to a 10-0 win in a game that was halted with 3:55 remaining in the third period due to the 10-goal rule.

But both teams had things to feel good about. The Titans (5-2, 4-0 in league play) stayed focused for the most part while winning their fifth straight game after opening the season with two losses. Captain Colin Abbonizio delivered a hat trick while Reis Braccio and Stephen McMillan scored twice each and goaltender Mason Moyer turned aside all six shots he saw.

South coach Shaun McGinty was absent Wednesday night but his aide de camp Tyler Skorski was pleased with the effort.

“We had every excuse to come out there and lay an egg if we wanted to,” he said. “We were short of bodies (due to a school play and one suspension). If they wanted an excuse, they had every excuse in the world.”

Alex Glushek scored for the Titans exactly one minute into the game and South was off and running to a four-goal first period.

One of the goals came from Abbonizio. “Our goal was to mercy rule them and get out of there quick,” he said. “So, that’s what we were focused on, really. Staying focused, getting out of there quick, all that.”

The margin was 6-0 after the second frame. Pennsbury coach Ryan Daley made a goaltender change at that point, lifting freshman Topher Seiller, who made 28 saves in the first two periods. Mark Jorgenson went the rest of the way.

Seiller was one of six freshmen in the lineup for the Falcons.

We’re a young team,” Daley said. “We’re a majority of freshmen and sophomore guys, they’ve got a lot of learning to do.”

Daley, who played for Pennsbury himself when he was in high school, said Wednesday’s game was an opportunity for his players to get a sense of what is needed to play consistently at a high level.

“It helps our guys see what a top-level team in this league can be,” he said. “We’re in the same league. (C.B. South) is not a AAA team. We’re both AA teams. And for us to have that big of a gap, it really should get our guys going. I hope it does, it gets me going.”

For his part. Skorski feels the young Falcons are headed in the right direction. “They seem young,” he said, “They seem like they have talent but I think we had some of our older guys who were just bigger, stronger, and faster.

“But in terms of skill that’s going to be a good team in the next couple years.”

By Rick Woelfel

Pennsbury 0 0 0—0

C.B. South 4 2 4—10

First-period goals: Alex Glushek (CBS) from Ryan Gingras and Josh Weber, 1:00; Colin Abbonizio (CBS) unassisted, 3L42; Reis Braccio (CBS) from Flo Kraus and Connor Gaffney, 12:01; Stephen McMillan, from Dominick Liberta, 12:35.

Second-period goals: Liberta (CBS) from Braccio and D.J. Loverdi, 9:33; Abbonizio (CBS) from Liberta and McMillan, 12:12.

Third-period goals: Braccio (CBS) from McMilland and Harry McLaughlin, 5:53; Connor Gaffney (CBS) from Gringras and Kraus, Abbonizio (CBS) from Braccio and Weber, 11:03, McMillan (CBS) unassisted, 12:05.

Shots: Pennsbury 6, C.B. South 44; Saves: Topher Seiller (P) 28 and Mark Jorgenson (P) 6, Mason Moyer (CBS) 6.