SHSHL American Division Semifinal: P-W 7 Quakertown 2

HATFIELD TOWNSHIP—The moment came with dramatic suddenness, like a bolt of lightning across a clear sky. Isaac Mishkin’ s goal was just the first of the night. But it proved to be a jumping off point as Mishkin and his Plymouth Whitemarsh teammates went on to a 7-2 win over Quakertown Wednesday night in the SHSHL American Division semifinal at Hatfield Ice.

The result puts the second-seeded Colonials (12-6) into next Wednesday’s division final against Abington (7:10 at Hatfield Ice). The Colonials will learn Sunday of they have been selected for the Class A Flyers Cup tournament, which begins the week of March 6.

Quakertown (10-5-1-1) remains eligible for the Class AA Flyers Cup.

Mishkin’s goal came on a shot from center ice that eluded Quakertown goaltender Matt Krem just before the buzzer that ended the first period.

From that moment on, the Colonials had the upper hand.

“Playoffs, you just throw the puck at the net,” said Plymouth Whitemarsh coach Dave Cox. “You never know what can happen.

“I couldn’t be prouder of everyone on that team. They’re resilient. We’ve struggled in practices and at other games. But this is a special group of boys.”

Dylan Novitsky and Matt Flynn scored goals to give the Colonials a 3-0 with 6:44 left in the middle period. Will Shaw got the Panthers on the board seven seconds before the period ended but the Colonials broke the game open in the third frame with goals from their big guns.

Flynn (26 goals 46 points coming into Wednesday), David Branigan (12 goals, 37 points, and Dylan Novitsky (15 goals, 27 points) all found the back of the net before Will Shaw beat Chris Maslij in the Quakertown net.
Maslij stopped 35 of the 37 shots he saw.

“We just wanted to go in and work hard and play our game,” he said. “We really just wanted to get to the net, get as many shots as possible, and just really outwork them if we could.”

Quakertown 0 1 1—2

Plymouth Whitemarsh 1 2 4—7

First-period goal: Isaac Mishkin (PW) unassisted, 16:59

Second-period goals: Dylan Novitski (PW) from David Branigan and Charlie Spause, 6:43; Matt Flynn (PW) from Timothy Murphy, 10:16 (sh); Will Shaw (Q) from Keira Shaw and Jack Dilliberto, 16:53

Third-period goals: Flynn (PW) unassisted, :50; Branigan (PW) from Flynn and Sprouse, 8:41; Novitsky (PW) from Flynn, 10:38 (pp); Will Shaw (Q) unassisted, 11:33; Conlan Carpenter (PW) from Branigan, 15:32

Shots: Quakertown 37, Plymouth Whitemarsh 41; Saves: Matt Krem (Q) 34, Chris Maslij (PW) 35

SHSHL Playoff Preview

Wednesday, February 22

National Division at Grundy Arena

Central Bucks East vs. Pennsbury 7:20

Pennsbury

Coach Ryan Daley

Record: 12-5, 8-2 in divisional play seed 3

Key players:

Brendan Macainsh 31 goals, 17 assists 48 points

Andrew Falkenstein 6 goals, 22 assists, 28 points

Justin Marlin 14 goals, 13 assists, 27 points

Central Bucks East

Coach: Jeff Mitchell

Record: 8-8-1-0, 4-5-1-0 in the division seed 6

Key players

Corey Kosick 18 goals, 10 assists, 28 points

Stephen DiRugueris 7 goals, 6 assists, 13 points

Matt Mangiacapre .910 save percentage, 3.40 GAA

This season

12-1 Pennsbury 6 C.B. East 3

12-21 Pennsbury 6 C.B. East 1

Neshaminy vs. Central Bucks South 9:00

Neshaminy

Coach: Matt DeMatteo

Record: 11-5-1-0,6-3-1-0 in the division; seed 4

Key players:

Max Gallagher 23 goals, 11 assists, 34 points

Nolan Geria 9 goals, 15 assists, 24 points

J.J. Hathaway 4 goals, 1 assist, 5 points

Central Bucks South

Coach: Shaun McGinty

Record: 9-7-0-1, 6-4 in the division; seed 5

Key players:

Aydin Thierolf 15 goals, 14 assists, 29 points

D.J.Lindenmuth 9 goals, 11 assists, 20 points

Colin Mendham 8 goals, 10 assists, 18 points

This season

12-1 Neshaminy 6 C.B. South 4

12-21 Neshaminy 2 C.B. South 1

Winners advance to semifinals on February 1 vs. # 1 Council Rock South and #2 Pennridge

American Division at Hatfield Ice

Plymouth Whitemarsh vs. Quakertown 8:45

Plymouth Whitemarsh

Coach : Dave Cox

Record: 11-6, 7-5 in divisional play seed 2

Key players:

Matt Flynn 26 goals, 20 assists 46 points

David Branigan 12 goals, 25 assists, 37 points

Chris Maslij 2.86 GAA

Quakertown

Coach: Keith Krem

Record: 10-4-1-1, 6-4-1-1 in divisional play seed 3

Key players:

Branden McNally 17 goals, 15 assists, 32 points

Will Shaw 12 goals, 12 assists, 24 points

Matt Krem 2.79 GAA

This season

12-7 PW 7 Quakertown 5

12-16 Quakertown 5 PW 2

1-25 PW 3 Quakertown 2

Winner advances to championship game on March 1 vs. #1 Abington

Abington 5 Plymouth Whitemarsh 1

HATFIELD TWNSHIP— With their halo of invincibility having disintegrated, Abington took the ice Thursday night with a renewed sense of purpose.

And it showed. Three goals in four-and-a-half minute span late in the first period left the Galloping Ghosts in command on the way to a 5-1 SHSHL American Division win over Plymouth Whitemarsh at Hatfield Ice Arena.

It was the first start for Abington (9-0-1, 8-0-1 in the division) since it sustained the only blemish on its record, a 2-2 standoff with Quakertown two days before Christmas. Thursday’s result allowed the Galloping Ghosts to leave that game far behind them.

“It was very important to start fast,” said senior forward Jordan Heydt. “This is arguably the most important game of the season. It solidifies us for a really good chance at first place, taking about the playoff bracket for this year (which will include three teams).

“(The regular-season champion) having a first-round-bye is huge.”

Abington has built its record despite the fact that two of its top scorers, Pat Stelacio and Matt Kramer remain sidelined with injuries. That has led some line juggling and other adjustments.

“We really have to have our players step up,” Heydet said. “We have to have our assistant captain, captain, and even the freshmen, they all have to step up.

“They all have to play their roles. They don’t have to do a lot, but they just have to play the system and play like they know how to play.”

Griffin Carpenter gave Abington a 1-0 lead 10:25 into the first period off a feed from Sam Abramson. Heydt made it a 2-0 game at the 11:53 mark, and Sam Paulik gave his team a three-goal advantage when he scored during a power play with 2:01 left in the period.

Playing their third game in three nights, the Colonials (6-4, 5-3 in the division) found themselves trying to dig out of a deep hole.

“We’ve done it before,” said Plymouth Whitemarsh coach Dave Cox. “But tonight, it just wasn’t there. Our third game in three days, I think started to take its toll.”

The Colonials’ Conlan Carpenter beat Abington netminder Sam Nemec on a power-play effort 1:16 into the middle period. But that was all he and his teammates could manage.

Heydt and Abramson added goals for Abington in the third period.

“We came out with energy tonight,” said Abington coach Ken Brzozowski. “We kind of knew it was a big matchup, they’d been winning some games, they’re right behind us in the standings.

“We knew if we could come out of here with a win, it would really put us in a good spot for the rest of the year.”

• Ice Chips— The two teams will play again in a non-league game at the Wells Fargo Center on January 18 to celebrate both teams’ Senior Nights. Face-off time is now set for 7 p.m.; the Senior Night celebration will precede the opening faceoff.

Abington 3 0 2—5

Plymouth Whitemarsh 0 1 0—1

First-period goals: Griffin Carpenter (A) from Sam Abramson, 10:25; Jordan Heydt (A) from Sean Doyle and Seamus Donofry, 11:53; Sam Paulik (A) from Donofry and Devin Bates, 14:59 (pp).

Second-period goal: Conlan Carpenter (PW) from Dylan Novitsky, 1:16 (pp)

Third-period goals: Heydt (A) from Paulik. 4:17; Abramson (A) unassisted, 5:37

Shots: Abington 39, PW 20; Saves: Sam Nemec (A) 19, Chris Maslij (PW) 33

Abington, PW To Meet at Wells Fargo Center

Senior Nights are special for high-school hockey players, as they are for athletes in other sports, but Abington and Plymouth Whitemarsh are set to have an experience that is truly unique.

The Galloping Ghosts and the Colonials will honor their seniors when they face each other in a non-league game on Wednesday, January 18—at the Wells Fargo Center.

Plymouth Whitemarsh coach Dave Cox the game was arranged by the two club presidents, Abington’s Ed Stelacio and Plymouth Whitemarsh’s Bob Shoemaker.

“We have come together and kind of forged a relationship,” Cox said.

The experience will allow the two teams to recognize their seniors in traditional fashion, prior to game time which is set for 7:30. The SHSHL, at the insistence of local rinks, has prohibited Senior Night observances prior to league games this season because they tended to delay games and force games in later ice slots to start later than scheduled.

Abington coach Ken Brzozowski says each club’s desire to recognize its seniors led to the game being arranged.

“The presidents of the two clubs started talking,” he said, “and said ‘Hey, what can we do to still honor this great tradition?’

“It’s a tremendous opportunity for us. Last year we had a special game against Wissahickon (outdoors at the Spring Mountain resort) and to have this kind of great event again is something to look forward to.”

To cover the cost of purchasing the ice at the Wells Fargo Center for the event, both clubs are selling tickets to Flyers home games in February.

Plymouth Whitemarsh is selling tickets for the matchup between the Flyers and the New York Islanders on Monday, February 6 while Abington is selling tickets for a meeting with the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday, February 9. Tickets are $40 and $60 depending on location.

Cox, who played for Plymouth Whitemarsh, is anticipating the emotions the two teams will experience when they step on the ice at the Wells Fargo Center.

“I can only imagine how excited these kids will be,” he said. “Not too many kids can say they had that (experience).”

Wissahickon 6 Plymouth Whitemarsh 4

HATFIELD TOWNSHIP— Wissahickon charged out of the starting gate Thursday night and maintained its momentum all night long. The Trojans scored three times in the first period and went on to a 6-4 win over Plymouth Whitemrsh in a SHSHL American Division semifinal at Hatfield Ice.

Third-seeded Wissahickon (9-7) will face top-seeded Abington next Thursday at the same venue for the American Division title; the Trojans are the defending champions. The second-seeded Colonials dropped to 11-5.

Both teams are hoping to land bids in the Class A Flyers Cup tournament; the field will be revealed Sunday night.

Wednesday’s game wasn’t as close as the final score might have indicated. Ty Schiff, Will Hussa, and Nick Hussa scored the Trojans’ early goals and the Colonials spent the rest of the evening playing catchup.

“We’ve been turning it on lately,” said Wissahickon coach Ken Harrington,” and playing more as a team.”

The Trojans have won four of their last five games and Harrington says his players have enjoyed the emotions that that success has generated.

“They may not know it, but they know the feel of winning,” he said.

Luke Weikel scored consecutive goals for the Colonials, the first with nine seconds left in the first period, the next at the 3:01 mark of the second, to make it a one-goal game for a time. Hudson Honeycutt and Will Hussa responded for the Trojans however and while Plymouth Whitemarsh stayed close enough to force their opponent to stay focused, the Colonials never posed a serious threat.

That was due in part to the work of Michael Bonnani in the Wissahickon net, the senior made 32 saves. Bonnani was pressed into service as a goaltender two-and-a-half seasons ago. He says he’s grown as a player since then.

“I definitely have felt improvement,” he said. “I’ve come a long way from just flopping around in the net and getting hit in the face with pucks. I still get hit in the face but I’ve learned to deal with it better.”

Bonnani had a stout defense corps in front of him. “We played a defensive game,” said. “That’s how you beat these teams in this league. You have to play defense.

“We learned that throughout the season. We were getting scored on a lot and we had to switch it up and play team defense.”

Plymouth Whitemarsh coach Josh Aiello said the Trojans quick start proved too much to overcome but he was impressed with his players’ collective efforts.

“There’s no quit in the team,” he said. “(The game) didn’t start off favorably for us but we were dedicated and continued to nettle.

“We knew there would be a lot of back and forth especially with Wissahickon. They got the better of us tonight but I’m proud of our players.”

Wissahickon 3 2 1—6

Plymouth Whitemarsh 1 2 1—4

First-period goals: Ty Schiff from Nick Hussa, 6:22 (pp); Will Hussa from Schiff, 9:37; Nick Hussa unassisted, 15:48; Luke Weikel (PW) from Aidan Keogh, 16:51

Second-period goals: Weikel (PW) from Dylan Novitski, 3:01; (PW); Hudson Honeycutt from Griffin Lynch, 5:50 (pp); Will Hussa from Honeycutt, 12:09; Timothy Murphy (PW) from Weikel, 13:45

Third-period goals: Nick Hussa from A.J. Pounds, 4:34; Isaac Mishkin (PW) from Weikel, 16:46

Shots: Wissahickon 43, Plymouth Whitemarsh 36; Saves: Michael Bonnani 32; Kolton Galie (PW) 37

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Abington 9 Plymouth Whitemarsh 7

HATFIELD TOWNSHIP—The calendar says January, not July, but there were plenty of fireworks at Hatfield Ice Wednesday night. Abington and Wissahickon combined for 16 goals before the Galloping Ghosts prevailed 9-7 in a matchup of the two titans of the SHSHL’s American Division.

Abington improved to 6-1 overall and a division-leading 5-0 while the Colonials (5-1, 3-1) tasted defeat for the first time this season.
It was a big night for Abington junior Pat Stelacio who scored four goals. Luke Weikel matched him for the Colonials.

Stelacio got support however from teammates Matt Kramer (three goals), his brother Joe Stelacio, and Sam Paulik

“We knew it was going to be a tough game,” said Abington coach Ken Brozowski. We know that we’re going to get the best game from most teams in the league and you’re playing a team like PW; they’ve got a couple really good players on their team. Absolutely, we knew it was going to be a close game.

The fireworks show began early; each team scored twice in the first 7:34 of the opening period. Pat Stelacio and Weikel scored for Abington while Weikel found the back of the net twice for the Colonials.

Stelacio followed up with two additional goals 19 seconds apart. With 4:19 left in the first frame he already had a hat trick and his team had a 4-2 lead.

Stelacio, a junior, started his high-school career at Roman Catholic but switched to Abington this season.

“I wanted to play with my brother at Abington,” he said. “I have a lot of friends here, so it was the right move.”

Weikel completed his own hat trick just 28 seconds into the middle period, but Abington responded with five straight goals to build an 8-3 lead by period’s end.

Kramer, who came into the game leading the entire SHSHL in scoring, ended the period by completing his own hat trick. He now has 17 goals and nine assists on the season.

Plymouth Whitemarsh coach Josh Aiello was expecting a lot of offense, to a point.

“I wasn’t expecting a shootout,” he said, “but you have two teams that are able to put the puck in the net and you’ve seen it over the course of this season. I didn’t expect it, but I guess it’s not a surprise.”

The Colonials made a run early in the third period, scoring three goals in a span of 35 seconds to make it an 8-6 game with 10:09 still remaining in regulation. Danny Smith played a key role in the surge, scoring one of the goals and assisting on the other two.
But Plymouth Whitemarsh could get no closer. The teams traded goals down the stretch; the last goal of the night was Stelacio’s fourth.

Plymouth Whitemarsh 2 1 4—7

Abington 4 4 1—9

First-period goals: Pat Stelacio (A) from Griffin Carpenter, 2:09; Luke Weikel (PW) from Matthew Flynn and Aidan Keogh, 3:09; Sam Paulik (A) unassisted, 7:34; Weikel (PW) from Conlan Carpenter and Keogh, 10:03 (pp); Pat Stelacio (A) unassisted, 12:22; Pat Stelacio (A) unassisted, 12:41

Second-period goals: Weikel (PW) unassisted, :28; Matt Kramer (A) from Joe Stelacio, 2:12; Joe Stelacio (A) from Kramer and Brian Murdoch, 8:50; Kramer (A) from Joe Stelaio and Paulik, 12:04; Kramer (A) from Joe Stelacio and Paulik, 16:39

Third-period goals: Danny Smith (PW) unassisted, 6:16; Weikel (PW) from Smith and Keogh, 6:30; Tim Murphy (PW) from Smith and Weikel, 6:51; Pat Stelacio (A) from Ian Heydt, 7:22; Weikel (PW) from Mishkin, 15:50.
shots: Plymouth Whitemarsh 32, Abington 34; Saves: Kolton Galie (PW) 8 and Christopher Maslij (PW) 17, Ben Panella (A) 25

Flyers Cup Results: Monday, 4-5

Penncrest 5, Plymouth Whitemarsh 1
Five different Penncrest players scored goals in a 5-1 win over Plymouth Whitemarsh Monday night in a Class A Flyers Cup first-round game at Ice Works. Kain Walker led the way for the eighth-seeded Lions scoring one goal and assisting on the other four. Shane Kokoska, Ryan Anderson, Tyler Conn, and Van Evans also scored goals for the Lions, who will face top-seeded West Chester East in Thursday’s quarterfinals.

Conlan Carpenter scored the only goal for the ninth-seeded Colonials who closed their season at 7-6.

Plymouth Whitemarsh 0 1 0—1

Penncrest 2 1 2—5

First-period goals: Van Evans (P) from Kain Walker, 1:15; Ryan Anderson (P) from Walker and Shane Kofoska, 13:02

Second-period goals: Conlan Carpenter (PW) from Isaac MIshkin, 3:15; Walker (P) from Tyler Conn, 15:18 (pp)

Third-period goals: Conn (P) from Walker and Van Evans, 1:19; Shane Kokoska (P) from Walker and Evans, 8:16

Shots: Plymouth Whitemarsh 27, Penncrest 21; Saves: Kolton Galie (PW) 16, Gannon Walker (P) 26

West Chester Bayard Rustin 6, Radnor 2

10^th-seeded Bayard Rustin surprised seventh seed Radnor 6-2 Monday night in a Class A Flyers Cup first-round game at Ice Works.

Rustin, a six-time defending Flyers Cup champion, will face second seed Strath Haven on Thursday.

WC Bayard Rustin 1 2 3—6

Radnor 0 2 0—2

If you would like to promote your product or service during the Flyers Cup tournament, contact us at the link above.

SHSHL Semifinal Pairings Finalized

The matchups for Wednesday’s SHSHL semifinals are finalized, along with game sites and times.

National/Continental Division

5 Pennridge vs. 1 Pennsbury 7:20 at Grundy Arena

3 Council Rock South vs. 2 Central Bucks South 6:30 at Hatfield Ice

American Division

4 Hatboro-Horsham at 1 Wissahickon, 8:40 at Hatfield

3 Plymouth Whitemarsh at 2 Abington 9:00 at Bucks County Ice

Sites and times are subject to change

The championship games in both division are scheduled for Thursday with sites and times to be announced.

Plymouth Whitemarsh 9, Truman 0

HATFIELD— Every goaltender, at every level of hockey, starts a game hoping for a shutout. Kolton Galie archived that ambition Thursday night. The Plymouth Whitemarsh junior stopped 15 shots as the Colonials downed Truman 9-0 in a Suburban High School Hockey League American Division matchup at Ice Line.
It was the first shutout of Galie’s high-school career.

“It’s really nice,” he said. “They had a few nice shots on us and it felt really nice to be able to come out there and save them and our defense really put in the effort to keep the puck out of the front of our net.”

One observer who was particularly impressed with Galie’s performance was Truman coach Bill Keyser, who took it all in from his post behind the bench.

“(Plymouth Whitemarsh) played for their goalie tonight,” he said. “They played in front of him, the blocked shots for him, and they maintained the puck. They played really well today,”

Despite Tigers’ low shot total, Galie worked hard. At least half a dozen saves required maximum effort, notably on odd-man rushes. His best save of the night came when he denied James Gallagher on a breakaway 75 seconds into the third period to keep Truman (3-6 overall and in the division) off the scoreboard.

The Colonials (6-4, 5-4 in divisional play) dominated play from the start and recorded 36 shots themselves. Like many a goaltender elsewhere, Galie likes to stay busy.

“Of course, the less shots the better,” he said. “But then, when they do get a breakaway, I’m not warmed up enough to be able to it as quickly as I would with 30 or so shots.

The Colonials scored three goals in each period. Matthew Flynn finished with a hat trick and added an assist. Luke Weikel contributed two goals and four assists. Thomas Corcoran, Jack MIshkin, Aidan Keough, and John Cubbin scored one goal each.

“I think every line contributed,” said Colonial coach Josh Aiello. “Our offense played well, our defensemen made sure they covered, and adjusted to the two-on-ones and three-on-twos.

“And our goalie really played outstanding. It was Kolton Galie’s first career shutout at the high-school level. I’m just so proud of how. He’s really just getting stronger and stronger as the season goes on.”

Keyser was pleased with his own team’s effort. “My kids didn’t back down at all,” he said. “They worked hard. We had a couple injuries on the bench and running with a light bench, sometimes that can hurt you a little bit.”

Truman 0 0 0—0
Plymouth Whitemarsh 3 3 3—9
First-period goals: Luke Weikerl (PW) from Matthew Flynn, 3:48; Flynn (PW) from Weikel, 12:41; Thomas Corcoran (PW) from Zach Spera, 14:10
Second-period goals: Aidan Keogh (PW) from Weikel, :37 (pp); Jack MIshkin (PW) from Weikel, 5:49; Flynn (Pw) from Weikel and MIshkin, 11:56 (pp)
Third-period goals: Flynn (PW) unassisted, 2:08; John Cubbin (PW) from Weikel and Keogh, 5:53 (pp); Weikel (Pw) from Corcoran, 15:22
Shots; Truman 15, Plymouth Whitemarsh 36; Saves: Connor PIlla (T) 27, Kolton Galie (PW) 15

P-W’s John Cubbin Savoring Being Back on the Ice

HATFIELD—Plymouth Whitemarsh’s game against Upper Dublin Thursday night was something of an afterthought. The Colonials were scheduled to face Wissahickon in a SHSHL American Division matchup but that contest was postponed because of Covid-19 issues within the Wissahickon program.

So, Upper Dublin stepped into the breach and faced off against the Colonials in a non-league tussle that saw Plymouth Whitemarsh prevail 3-2 when Conlan Carpenter scored with 2:02 remaining in regulation time. The win was the Colonials’ fourth straight.

For John Cubbin however no evening on the ice can be considered mundane. Cubbin, a senior defenseman and the Colonials’ captain, is back playing hockey this year after missing his entire junior season while recovering from a concussion he sustained playing baseball the previous summer.

“It feels amazing,” Cubbin said, “I felt very restricted last year, not being able to play the sport I love. I didn’t feel like me, so I felt like I had to play.

“I’m hoping it makes a difference to the team, that’s why I decided to play. It seems like it is, so hopefully we can continue to grow and grind and continue to add on to our wins.

While Cubbin did not see game action last season, he was on the ice for every practice. That impressed his coach, Josh Aiello.

“I’m really proud of what John Cubbin has accomplished,” Aiello said. “He has spent a year not playing in games, but growing his education of the game, understanding the system, and conditioning, and really starting to fine-tune his craft.

“So, I’m really proud of what he’s accomplished. He’s a team-first kind of guy. He’ll help everyone from a freshman to a senior and its one of the reasons he’s the captain of our team.”
Cubbin admits it’s taken him some time to get his skates under him again. “I definitely feel a little bit rusty, a little bit sloppy in parts of my game,” he said. “A lot of this is like riding a bike, so you get it back pretty quick.”

Cubbin says he isn’t overly concerned about contact in the aftermath of his concussion. “I think I’m a big kid, I can fend for myself,” he said. “As a freshman, I was going out and trying to hit the biggest kid out there and now I’m a senior and I am one of the biggest out there, so I do believe that I can protect myself.”