They’re doing it quietly, but the Central Bucks East Patriots are off to a solid start in the Suburban High School Hockey League. Freshman Sean Gorman scored two goals as East stayed unbeaten with a 6-3 win over Neshaminy Monday night at Revolution Ice Gardens.

The Patriots have won four straight after a season-opening tie and are 2-0 in the SHSHL Class 2A league standings
East coach Ken Latchum was elated at his team’s effort but was particularly enthused about his third line; Richard Kaczmarczyk (goal), Dan Tori (two assists), and Brendan Lynch (goal) combined for four points.

“The third line made me ecstatic,” Latchum said. “They were our best line. They played awesome”
The first period started with a shootout, a flurry of four goals, two each way, in a span of just 3:35. Robert Seewagen got things started for Neshaminy (2-1-1, 2-1 in the league) when he sped up the center of the ice and beat East goaltender Matt Oganowski with a shot from four strides inside the blue line just 63 seconds after the opening faceoff. Owen Connor answered for the Patriots from the high slot at 2:32. Seewagen scored his second goal on a power-play effort at 3:25 but Jason Cluckey tied the game for East just 15 seconds later.

The Patriots added two goals late in the period, from Kaczmarcyzk at 14:12 and Gorman on a two-on-one situation at 15:33. They extended their lead in the second frame on goals from Lynch at 5:20 and Gorman at 12:41.

Connor noted that he and his teammates did the little things well. “We played our positions really well,” he said. “We got the puck in deep and applied a lot of pressure.”

The Patriots were swarming all around Neshaminy goaltender Steven Glik. Neshaminy assistant coach Mike McColgan, filling in for the absent  Matt DeMatteo, said his team didn’t give their netminder a lot of help, particularly in the first period. “We didn’t knock guys down in front of the net,” he said. “We just kind of let them have a free hand. The goaltender had three shots he didn’t really see, three goals.

“We had a lack of energy on our forecheck. It really wasn’t buzzing at all for us tonight.”

Brett Nelson scored the goal of the game for Neshaminy at the 9:07 mark of the third period.

The Patriots had a 39-23 advantage in shots. Both goaltenders were sharp after the run-and-gun first period. Oganoswski finished with 20 saves, including a sensational stop on Neshaminy’s Joey DeMatteo in the third period while Glik, one of the premier netminders in the area, finished with 33 saves.

Latchum was pleased to get a quality effort from his entire lineup. “You need three lines to play,” he said. You want to win, you need three lines.”

By Rick Woelfel

Neshaminy 2 0 1—3

C.B. East 4 2 0—6

First-period goals: Robbie Seewagen (N) unassisted, 1:03; Owen Connor (CBE) unassisted, 2:32; Seewagen (N) from Joseph DeMatteo, 3:25 (pp); Jason Cluckey (CBE)  unassisted, 3:40; Richard Kaczmarczyk (CBE) from Nick Locastro and Dan Tori, 14:12; Sean Gorman (CBE) from Connor Kelser and Rob Kern, 15:33.

Second-period goals: Brendan Lynch (CBE) from Tori and Chris Mangiacapre, 5:20; Gorman (CBE) from Kern and Cluckey, 12:41.

Third-period goal: Brett Nelson (N) from Josh Haines, 9:07.

Shots: Neshaminy 23, C.B. East 39; Saves, Steven Glik (N) 33, Matt Oganowski (CBE) 20.

If you would like to promote your product or service on Hockey Happenings, e-mail us HERE for more information