CR North defeated Neshaminy to pick up its first win of the SHSHL season Thursday. CRN/Neshaminy and Hatboro-Horsham/Upper Moreland photos provided by Keith Clemens Photography. Check back for a gallery of game action...CLICK HERE.
By Ben Reese
WARWICK -- The Council Rock North ice hockey program has fallen upon hard times.
The Indians hadn't won a game so far this season in the Suburban High School Hockey League as they entered play on Thursday night against Neshaminy at Warwick Ice Arena. That losing streak ended with a 6-5 victory over the 'Skins.
New coach Chris Gallagher, who took over the reins of the team from Eric Tye, is trying to build the program back up. The win will surely help.
"It's difficult,” Gallagher said of building the program. "But nights like tonight make it much easier. We feel very happy with the outcome.
"The first win. Few and far between. It was nice to get that monkey off our back."
Of course, rebuilding a program is easier with a bona fide star attraction on the team. That attraction is Mark Tosti, who took the scoring into his own hands, nailing down four goals and adding two assists.
"He's a phenomenal player," said Gallagher. "We're lucky to have him.
"He turned it up a notch tonight. It was an excellent effort by him.
"It was a team effort, too. They all worked together tonight. I think they did a great job."
As for Tosti, well, he realizes that the program needs to be rebuilt. And he doesn't mind helping.
"We're trying to get the school more involved," Tosti said. "North hockey really hasn't been big since North and South were together as Council Rock hockey.
"We're just trying to build that back up. We're trying to build hockey more in our community."
Tosti alone gave the Indians a 3-2 lead in the first period. He scored all three goals, tying the game at 2-2 and then scoring the go-ahead marker with 13 minutes gone in the period.
He added a fourth goal late in the second period, hitting the net with 14:30 gone. And he contributed an assist on Zac Herman's tally earlier in the stanza.
Then in the third, he notched his second assist. Brandon Simmonds scored the game-winner with assists from Tosti and Herman.
"I don't take credit for it," Tosti said of his goal scoring. "The guys, they're dishing me the puck. I'm just working my butt off to put it in, just trying to help the team."
This scoring explosion doesn't take anything away from Neshaminy. The 'Skins matched every North goal except the final one.
In fact, Neshaminy jumped off to a quick lead in the first period when Aric Miller scored with only 5:03 elapsed in the period. After Tosti scored his first goal, the 'Skins came right back on Sean Kain's unassisted goal for a 2-1 lead. However, Tosti erased that with his final two goals of the period.
Chase Jordan's goal opened the scoring in the second period and boosted Neshaminy into a 3-3 tie. The 'Skins took a 4-3 lead on Jordan's second goal of the period, this time on the power play.
But North came right back. The Indians' two goals gave North a 5-4 lead entering the final period.
Herman's goal gave the Indians a 6-4 lead. Anthony Sabatini notched the final marker of the game, scoring for Neshaminy on the power play.
Things could have been different in the third period. The officials disallowed a Neshaminy goal with 13:38 gone in the period, which would have tied the score at 6-6.
Tosti had some words of encouragement for his team's goalie, Madison Ambler, who faced 23 shots in the win.
"Maddie, she's coming in as a freshman," Tosti said. "It's kind of hard to do that at any school as a goalie.
"It's very difficult. We're starting to have her back. We're starting to put some pucks in the net. We're starting to come together as a team."
Tosti does have one regret about this season.
"Playing for Valley Forge, I can't be here all the time," he said of his club team. "I try to be here as much as I can to support the team."
But then he smiled.
"A win is a win," he said. "We'll take it."
Council Rock North 6, Neshaminy 5
Neshaminy 2 2 1 – 5
Council Rock North 3 2 1 – 6
First period: 1, Aric Miller N (unassisted) 5:03; 2, Mark Tosti CRN (Brandon Simmonds) 6:31; 3, Antonio Alicea N (unassisted) 8:27; 4, Tosti CRN (unassisted) 9:38; 5, Tosti CRN (Zac Herman) 13:00.
Second period: 6, Chase Jordan N (Miller, Christian Tomes) 5:53; 7, Jordan N (Tomes, Anthony Sabatini) 10:49 PP; 8, Zac Herman CRN (Tosti, Harrison Treiman) 12:56; 9, Tosti (Treiman) 14:30.
Third period: 10, Simmonds CRN (Tosti, Herman) 7:23; 11, Sabatini N (Charles Potash) 8:31 PP.
Shots: N 23, CRN 27. Saves: Steven Glik (N) 22, Madison Ambler (CRN) 18.
Wednesday, Jan. 11
WILLIAM TENNENT 4, COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 1
The Panthers moved a step closer to the top spot in the National Conference standings with their win over the conference-leading Golden Hawks.
Tennent set the tone for the game with a pair of goals in the opening period. Sean Ovington used assists from Mason McKeever and John Dern to put the Panthers on the board just 1:17 into the contest. A goal by Bobby Markus (Jack McKeever assist) sent the Panthers into the second period with a 2-0 lead.
Jack McKeever found the net 1:15 into the period, using a Blake Bagdon assist, and the Panthers led 3-0 heading into the final period. The Golden Hawks broke up the Panthers’ shutout bid when Jake Houk scored with assists from Dylan Feoli and Trey Elmer 1:23 into the period, and that 3-1 score held until Markus (Liam Ovington/Chris Kreider assists) scored an empty net goal.
Eric Lineman turned away 24 of 25 shots he faced to earn the win in goal for Tennent. Mason Procz stopped 19 shots for the Golden Hawks.
Council Rock South 0-0-1 1
William Tennent 2-1-1 4
Shots: CRS 25, WT 23.
Saves: Eric Lineman (WT) 24, Mason Procz (CRS) 19.
First Period
WT: Sean Ovington (Mason McKeever/John Dern)
WT: Bobby Markus (Jack McKeever)
Second Period
WT: Jack McKeever (Blake Bagdon)
Third Period
CRS: Jake Houk (Dylan Feoli/Trey Elmer)
WT: Bobby Markus (Liam Ovington, Chris Kreider)
HARRY S TRUMAN 4, PENNSBURY 3
The Falcons and Tigers went into the final period deadlocked 2-2, but the Tigers used goals by Kyle Bennett (William Findlay assist) and Steven Avellino (Kyle Huth assist) in the opening 5:20 of the period to go on top 4-2. Less than a minute later, Jake Sieger found the net for the Falcons to make it a 4-3 game. That score stood until the final horn.
Earlier, the Falcons took a 1-0 lead on a Jake Machlovitz goal (Nathan Raccagno assist). Truman’s Steven Avellino evened the scored three minutes into the second period, but another goal by Machlovitz (Jonathan MacBride/Cameron Polo assists) put the Falcons on top 2-1. In the closing minute of the period, Kyle Bennett scored the equalizer (William Findlay assist), setting the stage for the dramatic finish.
Huth turned away 24 shots in goal for the win while Pennsbury’s Brandon McCaffrey recorded 18 saves.
Pennsbury 1-1-1 3
Truman 0-2-2 4
Shots: Pennsbury 27, Truman 22.
Saves: Brandon McCaffrey (P) 18, Kyle Huth (HST) 24.
First Period
P: Jake Machlovitz (Nathan Raccagno)
Second Period
HST: Steven Avellino
P: Jake Machlovitz (Jonathan MacBride/Cameron Polo)
HST: Kyle Bennett (Codey Gordon/William Findlay)
Third Period:
HST: Kyle Bennett (William Findlay)
HST: Steven Avellino (Kyle Huth)
P: Jake Sieger
ABINGTON 12, LOWER MORELAND 2
Spencer Heuges had a hand in five goals to lead the Ghosts’ potent attack, assisting on four and scoring one. Perry Carpenter and Thomas Panella both had four-point nights with Carpenter contributing four goals while Panella had two goals and two assists. Eric Miller had one goal and two assists for three points.
In a high-scoring first period that saw the two teams combine for six goals, it was the Ghosts opening up a 2-0 lead after goals by Heuges and Panella. Brenna Bostock, who had both goals for the Lions, scored to make it a 2-1 game, but back-to-back power play goals by Nikolai Portner gave the Ghosts a 4-1 lead. Bostock’s second goal of the period, this one with a Jordan Altman assist made it a 4-2 game.
The Ghosts put the game out of reach with five unanswered goals in the second period. Carpenter scored the first two, and Panella, Miller and Shawn Lombardo followed with single goals to put the Ghosts on top 9-2 on their way to the decisive win.
Abington goalies Mason Large (five saves) and Jacob Snellenburg (13 saves) combined for 18 saves in the win. Lower Moreland’s John Duesler recorded 52 saves.
Lower Moreland 2-0-0 2
Abington 4-5-3 12
Shots: LM 20, Abington 64
Saves: John Duesler (LM) 52, Mason Large (A) 5, Jacob Snellenburg (13)
First Period
A: Spencer Heuges (Tim Burke)
A: Thomas Panella (Eric Miller)
LM: Brennan Bostock
A: Nikolai Portner (Spencer Heuges)
A: Nikolai Portner (Spencer Heuges/Thomas Panella)
LM: Brenna Bostock (Jordan Altman)
Second Period
A: Perry Carpenter (Spencer Heuges)
A: Perry Carpenter
A: Thomas Panella
A: Eric Miller (Thomas Panella)
A: Shawn Lombardo (Durando Angiulo)
Third Period
A: Perry Carpenter (Eric Miller)
A: Durando Angiulo (Sam Panella)
A: Perry Carpenter (Spencer Heuges)
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