Pennridge defeated CB East in SHSHL action on Thursday. Ben Reese recaps all the action. Wissahickon was a winner on Wednesday while Hatboro-Horsham and Lower Moreland battled to a tie. Souderton/North Penn photos provided by Keith Clemens Photography. CLICK HERE for a gallery of photos.
By Ben Reese
HATFIELD -- Pennridge accomplished something Thursday night at Hatfield Ice that hasn't been seen around here in quite some time, if ever.
The Rams pitched a shutout at Central Bucks East in the first period of their Suburban High School Hockey League game. On the scoreboard, of course, but also in shots.
Pennridge didn't allow the Patriots to put one shot on goalie Luke Stranick in the opening 16 minutes of the game. It was that first period which led the Rams to a 6-2 victory.
"We've done that for weeks – team defense starting in our offensive zone," said Pennridge coach Jeff Montagna, "Guys being in position where they can attack the puck and still be in a real good defensive position.
"That first period was as well as we've put it together all year. We didn't give them an inch to move and it started in our offensive end."
East coach Ken Latchum was on the receiving end of that blanking.
"We got outskated," he said. "They pressured us and their feet never stopped moving.
"They didn't glide once. Those guys, including their third line, which is mostly freshmen, just motored.
"All they did was dump the puck in and pressure and hang three guys high. At no time did all three of their lines stop moving. Their legs were moving the whole game."
The recipient of a lot of that movement was Eric Slater. The Pennridge forward scored three goals and assisted on two others.
"We started to really focus on defense," Slater said. "It was pretty obvious in the first period. We didn't allow a shot. It carried us through the rest of the game."
Montagna knows what he has in Slater. In a league that has become known for its snipers, Slater stands out above the rest. His three goals give him 16 for the season.
"He's lethal," Montagna said. "You give him an inch, he's lethal.
"You add that shot to his offensive ability and it's almost impossible to shut him down. The thing is, you shut him down and shut him down and then give him an inch and he'll kill you.
"He's big and he can fly and it's hard to stay with him and he knows how to get to open spots on the ice. It's amazing how often he crosses the red line in position to attack offensively. He just knows how to get there."
When asked about his ability to locate open spaces, Slater was quick to deflect the credit.
"It helps playing with teammates that open up so much space for me," he said. "Credit goes to them."
It was a game in which every Ram got some credit, especially in the first period. They peppered East goalie Matt Ogonowski with 20 shots and scored twice.
Slater took care of the first goal, scoring at the 9:55 mark. Matthew Guinette added the second marker of the period with only 1:27 remaining in the stanza.
The Patriots got their first shot on goal in the second period and also their first goal. The shot came with 29 seconds elapsed in the period and the goal came with 9:47 gone on a shot by Rob Kern, which came after Slater's second goal and made it a 3-1 game.
Pennridge collected three more goals in the third, one by Slater (who assisted on the other two). In addition to Slater's tally, Blake Stewart and Conrad Frisch each added a goal.
East also got its second goal in the third period. Nick LoCastro found the back of the net on a power play.
Slater had the last word.
"I think we're getting better as we play," he said. "By the time the playoffs roll around, we should be playing our best hockey."
Look out SHSHL.
Pennridge 6, CB East 2
CB East 0 1 1 – 2
Pennridge 2 1 3 – 6
First period: 1, Eric Slater P (Blake Stewart) 9:55; 2, Matthew Guinette P (unassisted) 14:33.
Second period: 3, Slater P (unassisted) 4:51; 4, Rob Kern CBE (Nick LoCastro, Sean Gorman) 9:47.
Third period: 5, Stewart P (Frankie Rota, Slater) 2:20; 6, Slater P (unassisted) 8:17 SH; 7, LoCastro CBE (Phil McIntyre, Owen Connor) 9:36 PP; 8, Conrad Frisch P (Slater) 11:50.
Shots: CBE 9, P 36. Saves: Matt Ogonowski (CBE) 30; Luke Stranick (P) 7.
Wednesday, Dec. 12
LOWER MORELAND 6, HATBORO-HORSHAM 6
The Hatters opened up a 4-1 lead after one period and extended that to 5-1 early in the second only to watch the Lions close out the game with a 5-1 tear, forcing both teams to settle for a 6-6 tie.
The final score does not reflect the Lions’ dominance – they held a 54-14 advantage in shots on goal, and only the remarkable 48-save effort of Joe Gambino kept the Hatters in the game.
In the opening period, the Hatters received a pair of goals from Tarek Elsabbagh – the first with a Ben Heywood assist and the second with an assist from Alex Howieson. Ben Heywood (Tarek Elsabbagh/Ziyad Elsabbagh assist) and Jordan Gillis (Gianni Vegas assist) each added single goals.
The Hatters led 5-1 after Marcus Soucy scored a short-handed goal 5:15 into the second period. John Snyder Jr had the assist. A goal by Coleman Peppelman (Vincenzo DeMaio/Noah Gazzara assists) marked the beginning of the 5-1 Lion tear. Adam Bostock (Peppelman assist) scored to make it a 5-3 game before Tarek Elsabbagh (Heywood/Gillis assists) scored a late goal for the Hatters to make it a 6-3 game.
The Lions owned the third period, firing 24 shots on goal. Noah Gazzara (Bostock/Peppelman assists), Bostock (Peppelman assist) and Devin Green (Bostock assist) each scored a goal for the Lions with Green’s equalizer coming at the 13:36 mark of the period.
Peppelman’s five-point night led the Lions while Bostock had four points. Tarek Elsabbagh led the Hatters with four points.
Lower Moreland 1-2-3 6
Hatboro-Horsham 4-2-0 6
First Period: 1, Ben Heywood HH (Tarek Elsabbagh/Ziyad Elsabbagh) 1:02; 2, Coleman Peppelman LM (Nicholas Khimmoian) 8:38; 3, Tarek Elsbbagh HH (Ben Heywood) 10:45; 4, Tarek Elsbbagh HH (Alex Howieson) 14:37; 5, Jordan Gillis HH (Gianni Vegas) 15:12.
Second Period: 6, Marcus Soucy HH (John Snyder Jr) 5:15; 7, Coleman Peppelman LM (Vincenzo DeMaio/Noah Gazzara) 7:21; 8, Adam Bostock LM (Coleman Peppelman) 10:18; 9, Tarek Elsbbagh HH (Ben Heywood/Jordan Gillis).
Third Period: 10, Noah Gazzara LM (Adam Bostock/Coleman Peppelman) 11:01; 11, Adam Bostock LM (Coleman Peppelman) 12:09; 12, Devin Green LM (Adam Bostock) 13:36.
WISSAHICKON 12, UPPER DUBLIN 1
The Trojans were led by the six-point effort of Sean Garry, who scored twice and assisted on four goals. Adding five-point nights were Matt Cade (two goals, three assists) and Bryan Garry (four goals, one assist). Daniel Glazer added a hat trick.
Sean Garry (Cade assist) put the Trojans on the scoreboard 6:33 into the opening period only to watch Upper Dublin’s Chris Barbera (DJ Giammaruit assist) knot the score three minutes later. Bryan Garry (Sean Garry assist) scored the go-ahead goal at the 10:42 mark, and Glazer followed with back-to-back goals. The Trojans led 4-1, and they were off and running.
The second period featured an eight-goal explosion by the Trojans. Bryan Garry’s three-goal burst led the surge. Cade added a pair of goals while Sean Garry, Glazer and Nicholas Hussa each chipped in one goal. The Trojans held a 44-14 advantage in shots. Michael Henderson earned the win in goal, turning away 13 of 14 shots. UD’s Liam Nixon was credited with 32 saves.
Wissahickon 4-8-0 12
Upper Dublin 1-0-0 1
First period: 1, Sean Garry W (Matt Cade) 6:33; 2, Chris Barbera UD (DJ Giammaruti) 9:56; 3, Bryan Garry W (Sean Garry) 10:42; 4, Daniel Glazer W, 15:16; 5, Daniel Glazer W, 15:56.
Second Period: 6, Sean Garry W (Bryan Garry/Matt Caade) 0:12; 7, Bryan Garry W (Sean Garry) 1:31; 8, Matt Cade W (Nicholas Hussa) 2:52; 9, Matt Cade W (Sean Garry) 3:25; 10, Daniel Glazer W (Nicholas Hussa) 4:10; 11, Bryan Garry W (Sean Garry) 12:45; 12, Nicholas Hussa W (Ben Junker) 13:32; 13, Bryan Garry W (Matt Cade) 14:02.
Shots: Wissahickon 44, UD 14. Saves: Michael Henderson (W) 13, Liam Nixon (UD) 32.
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