North Penn, CR South, CB South and Souderton were winners in the opening round of the SHSHL playoffs Monday. To view photos of the CB South/CB East, North Penn/CR North, and Souderton/Abington games, please visit the Photo Gallery.
By Ben Reese
HATFIELD – North Penn's ice hockey team got something unexpected Monday night.
It wasn't that the win over Council Rock North was unexpected, even though the Knights beat the Indians 10-0 in the first round of the Suburban High School Hockey League playoffs.
It was the way North Penn go to that 10-goal advantage. They scored eight goals in the first period in a span of less than 10 minutes.
“We really weren't expecting that,” North Penn captain Matt Barkley said. “Our plan was to come here and just stay on top of it and play our game.
“We weren't expecting a 10-goal win but that was nice to have.”
Kevin Vaitis, the Knights' head coach, was surprised.
“Putting up eight goals, I couldn't believe what I was seeing,” he said. “It was pretty impressive.”
It certainly was that. Even more impressive was that the eight goals were scored by seven players with only Matt Stella getting two.
“We were just getting bounces our way,” Stella said. “We had a good scoring attack.
“I know we have a balanced team with scoring, but we got some goals and just kept going. Every game, we just want to put shots on goal and make the goalie work in the first period and try to get the goalie out of there and just try to put as many goals as we can in.”
They did that. But, as Stella said, that is the Knights' offensive philosophy.
“The main point was to get traffic in front of the net and just clean up rebounds and stay out of the (penalty) box,” Barkley said. “After the first goal, it's a lot easier to score the rest. We've just got to get the first one.
“Our game plan was to just get shots on goal. You can't score if you don't shoot. We just got to get shots in (on net) and they went in.”
Prior to this game, Council Rock North goalie Hayden Richards had a 3.89 goals-against average. That average went by the boards with slightly more than six minutes gone in the first period.
“He played solid and he got a lot of saves,” Barkley said of Richards, “but we got the best of him tonight.”
A lot of getting the best of Richards had to do with the 20 shots the Knights fired on goal. At times, it almost looked like North Penn was the only team on the ice.
But then, with the Knights holding the 8-0 lead, all they needed was two more goals for a mercy-rule win. In the second period, both teams were scoreless.
“I have no idea what happened in the second period,” said Vaitis. “We got a little overconfident, a little cocky.
“It happens. But I just told the guys in the locker room, 'Exactly how you played in the first period, we play that way Wednesday and in the finals possibly, assuming we can get by Wednesday, you're going to make some real noise in the next couple weeks.' “
The Knights finished up the mercy-rule victory in the third period with Barkley netting the tenth goal with 6:06 on the clock.
Overlooked in the goal-fest was the play of North Penn goalie Cody Matthews. Matthews stopped all 13 shots on goal to record his first shutout of the season.
For the first four minutes of the game, it looked like it was going to be a close, hard-hitting affair. Neither team could mount a concentrated attack on the goal.
But at the 4:38 mark, Alex Peterson beat Richards with assists to Christian Ahn and Stella. And the scoring parade was on.
Thirty-nine seconds later, North Penn made it 2-0. Caleb Witzaney took a pass from Nick Capasso and beat Richards for his first goal of the playoffs.
The goals kept coming. Stella got his first of the period 1:15 later off assists from Ryan Nowicki and Jeremy Snyder.
Derek Heckler scored at the 6:35 mark. Ahn notched the fifth goal 2:40 later. Capasso scored the sixth with 3:08 left on the clock.
Stella's second goal came at 13:39 and Barkley finished off the first period scoring only four seconds later. The Knights scored every way possible, getting six even-strength goals, one power play (Barkley) and one short-handed (Ahn).
Then came the second period. North took out Richards and replaced him with Mike Leininger, who seemed to stem the tide, at least for a period.
But the Knights kept firing the puck on net. They added 18 more shots on goal in the second period.
In the third period, North Penn was still looking for those elusive two goals. The Knights got them, first from Capasso with 1:03 gone in the period (shorthanded) and then finally from Barkley at the 9:54 mark on the power play.
Stella, Barkley and Capasso all finished with two goals each. Witzaney, Heckler and Ahn added one apiece.
“We had contributions from everybody across the board,” Vaitis said. “We always get the ones from Witzaney and Barkley, but even guys like Heckler chipped in and Christian (Ahn) and Peterson had a couple as well as did Stella.”
Now it is on to the semifinals where the Knights will meet Council Rock South, a 6-3 winner over Pennridge. That game will be played Wednesday at 8:40 p.m. at Bucks County Ice. The finals are Friday, Monday and Tuesday in a best two-out-of-three format.
Then everyone must gear up for the 16-team Flyers Cup.
“If we go to the final, best of three (next Monday and Tuesday), and then Thursday we play in the Flyers Cup first round,” said Vaitis. “I told them that it's time for us to focus on the Suburban League playoffs. Next Thursday, we'll start focusing on the Flyers Cup.”
Barkley echoed his coach's sentiments.
“We're really looking forward to the Flyers Cup,” he said, “but our priority is winning these playoffs.”
The Knights got a good start on that goal.
Council Rock North 0 0 0 – 0
North Penn 8 0 2 – 10
First Period
1. Alex Peterson NP (Matt Stella, Christian Ahn) 4:38; 2. Caleb Witzaney NP (Nick Capasso) 5:17; 3. Stella NP (Jeremy Snyder, Ryan Nowicki) 6:32; 4. Derek Heckler NP (Jake Burns) 6:35; 5. Ahn NP (unassisted) 9:15 SH; 6. Capasso NP (Witzaney, Barkley) 12:52; 7. Stella NP (Ahn, Peterson) 13:49; 8. Barkley NP (Witzaney) 13:53 PP. Penalties: Nowicki NP (interference) 7:49; Mike Shander CRN (bead contact) 14:04; Joe Rutkowski CRN (cross checking) 15:17.
Second Period
No scoring. Penalties: Ahn NP (cross checking) 0:20; Mike Heverly CRN (cross checking) 0:20; Witzaney NP (cross checking) 2:47; Peterson NP (high sticking) 15:06; Rutkowski CRN (roughing) 15:06; Barkley NP (elbowing) 15:35.
Third Period
9. Capasso NP (Ahn) 1:03 SH; 10. Barkley (Ahn) 9;54 PP. Penalties: Witzaney NP (tripping) 6:57; John Humes CRN (head contact) 9:51.
Shots on goal: Council Rock North 13; North Penn 49. Saves: Hayden Richards CRN 12, Mike Leininger CRN; Cody Matthews NP 13.
COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 6, PENNRIDGE 3
In one of the night’s most exciting contests, the upstart Rams gave the Golden Hawks a run for their money, battling to a 1-1 tie at the end of one period and send the game into the final period deadlocked 2-2. A goal by Ben Weaver (Joey Finlayson assist) put the Rams on top 3-2 at the 7:03 mark of the third period, but that’s when Alexander Drobot exploded for three straight goals to give the Golden Hawks the lead and command of the game. Kyle Walter added an unassisted goal for the 6-3 final.
Goalie Dustin Wexler kept the Rams in the game with a 39-save effort. Rock South’s Justin Houk turned away 17 of the 20 shots he faced.
The Golden Hawks will face North Penn in a semifinal contest on Wednesday at Bucks County Ice.
PENNRIDGE 1 1 1-3
COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 1 1 4-6
Scoring Summary
Period 1
P-Tyler Shagen (powerplay) (unassisted) 2:42
CRS – Michael Ufberg (unassisted) 9:13
Period 2
P-Matt Brown (Yaglinsk) 4:12
CRS – Herschman Jared (Tyler Eline, Michael Ufberg) 9:52
Period 3
P-Ben Weaver (Joey Finlayson) 7:03
CRS- Alexander Drobot (Michael Ufberg) 9:47
CRS –Alexander Drobot (Kyle Walter, Michael Ufberg) 12:21
CRS – Alexander Drobot (unassisted) 14:30
CRS – Kyle Walter (unassisted) 15:32
Shots
Pennridge 3 1 11-20
Council Rock South 10 1 34-45
Goalies
Dustin Wexler (P) – 39 saves; Justin Houk (CRS) – 17 saves
SOUDERTON 3, ABINGTON 1
The Indians – thanks to goals by Chris Malanga and Dylan Manto (Kyle Milosec assist) – took a 2-0 lead into the third period when the Ghosts used a powerplay goal by Paul Abendroth scored an unassisted goal to cut that lead in half. Daniel Rock (Alex Politsky, Clay Anders assists) answered with a goal 23 seconds later to ice the win.
Souderton goalie Bryce McMichael turned away 13 of the 14 shots he face while Abington’s Bryan Rossi had a big night in the net, turning away 30 of the 33 shots he faced.
Souderton will face Central Bucks South in Wednesday’s semifinal round at Hatfield Ice.
ABINGTON 0 0 1-1
SOUDERTON 1 1 1-3
Scoring Summary
Period 1
S-Chris Malanga (unassisted) 7:10
Period 2
S-Dylan Manto (Kyle Milosec) 13:27
Period 3
A-Paul Abendroth (powerplay) (unassisted) 9:55
S-Daniel Rock (Alex Politsky, Clay Anders) 10:18
Shots
Abington 5 2 7-14
Souderton 12 12 9-33
Goalies
Bryan Rossi (A) 30 saves; Bryce McMichael (SA) 13 saves
CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 7, CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 2
The Titans exploded for a 3-0 lead in the first period and never looked back on their way to the big win. The Patriots made things interesting, scoring back-to-back goals by Joe Ridolfi (Austin Chase, Zach Davis assists) and Cameron Fox (Sean Parahus, Aaron Einstein assist) to make a 4-2 game. The Titans put the game out of reach with three fourth period goals, the first from Connor Bechtel (Nick DeLaurentis assist), followed by goals from Dominic Bova (Kevin Casey, Jake Bauer assists) and Brenden Clements (Brandon Spognardi assist).
South’s Jeff Pelkowski turned away 23 of 25 shots while East’s Evan Angotti was credited with 32 saves.
The Titans will take on Souderton in a semifinal game on Wednesday at Hatfield Ice.
CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 0 2 0-2
CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 3 1 3-7
Scoring Summary
Period 1
CBS-Mike Pilla (Connor Bechtel)
CBS-Cameron Calista (Jimmy Milanese, Tom Kelly)
CBS-Brenden Clements (Jimmy Milanese, Brandon Spognardi)
Period 2
CBS-David Cochran (Bobby Mallon, Brenden Clements)
CBE-Joe Ridolfi (Austin Chase, Zach Davis)
CBE-Cameron Fox (powerplay) (Sean Parahus, Aaron Einstein)
Period 3
CBS-Connor Bechtel (Nick DeLaurentis)
CBS-Dominic Bova (Kevin Casey, Jake Bauer)
CBS-Brenden Clements (Brandon Spognardi)
Shots
Central Bucks East 0 21 4-25
Central Bucks South3 21 15-39
Goalies
Evan Angotti (CBE) – 32 saves; Jeff Peklowski (CBS) – 23 saves.
- Log in to post comments
