Plymouth Whitemarsh defeated Wissahickon in a key Class A game Thursday. Check out all the results.
By Ben Reese
WARWICK -- Plymouth Whitemarsh's ice hockey team is getting offensive at just the right time.
That doesn't mean that the Colonials are offensive to see or smell or anything derogatory.
It just means that they are getting their offense going in the right direction at the right time. They proved that Thursday night at the Revolution Ice Garden in a 7-1 victory over Wissahickon in a Suburban High School Hockey League Class A game.
The Colonials built a 2-1 lead after the first period and then piled on the goals. They scored three in the second and two more in the third.
"We were taught to go 110 percent every shift," PW captain Chris Rinaldi said. "We're finally succeeding in that.
"I'm happy right now with the way we're playing. Obviously, it's working."
It is the culmination of a lot of hard work and a change in philosophy, according to coach Josh Aiello.
"Coming into the new year, our plan was that we were going to turn over a new leaf," Aiello said. "We've had a whole new approach.
"We had a game plan and we were able to execute. Tonight we came out on top and it was all due to our players working hard."
That hard work was evident right from the beginning of the game. Plymouth Whitemarsh scored with only 2:57 gone in the opening period and kept up the pressure to take the lead after Wissahickon had tied the game at 1-1.
"We're averaging maybe five goals a game but we're hitting our stride," said Aiello. "We've got all of our seniors back. We're ready to finish the year strong and go into the playoffs.
"The way we play a game is almost a microcosm of the way we play a season. Last year, we started off slow and finished the season winning five of the last seven games.
"This year, we're in a similar way. We're coming on strong. We're certainly a second-half team, getting hot at the right time, going into the playoffs."
Rinaldi and all his teammates also know that this surge is coming at exactly the right time.
"It's not how you start but how you finish,” he said. "I think we have a great finish coming up. We're doing well with it."
Rinaldi got the Colonials off on the right foot in the first period. He took a pass from Joseph Eisenlohr and beat Wissahickon goalie Jake Modelevsky for a 1-0 PW lead.
The Trojans' Ryen Haney evened the score a little less than three minutes later. He knocked in a rebound of a Kyle Wolf shot for the 1-1 tie.
But that was a close as the Trojans could get. PW goalie Cole Shula blanked them the rest of the way.
Chris Zawislak scored what proved to be the game-winner at the 9:00 mark of the first period on a power play. The assist went to Rinaldi.
The Colonials came out of the break between periods smoking. Skyler Goldstein scored off a Will Jowett assist only 46 seconds into the second period.
At the 3:32 mark, Plymouth Whitemarsh scored again. Adam Friedman got credit for the goal after Modelevsky made the save on a shot but then couldn't control the puck and it rolled into the net.
That was also the end of Modelevsky in goal for the Trojans. He was replaced by Noah Katz after facing 21 shots and stopping 17.
The goal scoring didn't stop for PW with the change in the net. John Sciarrone gave the Colonials a 5-1 lead on the power play with only 1:01 left in the second stanza.
Plymouth Whitemarsh finished up its scoring in the third period. Eisenlohr scored unassisted on the power play and Jowett finished off the scoring 3:15 later.
The victory was an important one for the Colonials in the standings and the playoff hunt. But it also had another meaning.
"We've been playing these guys (Wissahickon) for a while and it's always a battle," Aiello said. "They've had our number for the past few years."
But Rinaldi had another view of the game.
"I think we sent them a message that we're not to be played around with," he said of Wissahickon, who the Colonials may meet in the playoffs. "We're ready to play."
Plymouth Whitemarsh 7, Wissahickon 1
Plymouth Whitemarsh 2 3 3 – 7
Wissahickin 1 0 0 – 1
First period: 1. Chris Rinaldi PW (Joseph Eisenlohr) 2:57; 2. Ryen Haney W (unassisted) 5:40; 3. Chris Zawislak PW (Rinaldi) 9:00 PP.
Second period: 4. Skyler Goldstein PW (Will Jowett) 0:46; 5. Adam Friedman PW (unassisted) 3:32; 6. John Sciarrone PW (Goldstein) 14:59 PP.
Third period: 7. Eisenlohr PW (unassisted) 5:02 PP; 8. Jowett PW (Daniel Isackman, Christopher Ward) 8:17.
Shots: W -- 25; PW -- 36. Saves: Jake Modelevsky (W) 17; Noah Katz (W) 12; Cole Shula (PW) 24.
NORTH PENN 5, CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 1
North Penn was missing two of its top scorers but that didn't seem to bother the Knights. Alex Peterson, the leading scorer in the league, and Jake Heckenberger both had prior commitments and missed the game.
But the Knights scored early and often against the Patriots. After East notched the first goal of the game on a Colin Quinn shot, North Penn scored the next five unanswered goals.
Alex Ebbinghaus tied the game on the power play with only 1:04 left in the first period. Andrew Galetta tallied the lone goal in the second period.
The Knights scored three times in the third. Derek Heckler netted the first two goals in the period and Nathan Oh finished up the scoring.
North Penn 5, CB East 1
North Penn 1 1 3 – 5
CB East 1 0 0 – 1
First period: 1. Colin Quinn CBE (Asher Zenstein, Bryan McIntosh) 6:03; 2. Alex Ebbinghaus NP (Joe Hawks, Derek Heckler) 14:56 PP.
Second period: 3. Andrew Galetta NP (Ebbinghaus) 14:17.
Third period: 4. Heckler NP (Nathan Oh) 2:25; 5. Heckler NP (unassisted) 6:14; 6. Oh NP (Corey Stouffer) 11:04.
Shots: NP -- 25; CBE -- 20. Saves: John Roberts (NP) 19; Zach Treger (CBE) 20.
CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 6, SOUDERTON 0
The Indians kept the Titans off the scoreboard for one period, battling the conference leaders to a scoreless tie. The Titans scored three goals in both the second and third periods to earn the convincing win.
Matt Stoll put the Titans on the scoreboard with nine minutes remaining in the second period, connecting on a short-handed goal with a Thomas Liberta assist. Back-to-back goals by Damon DeLaurentis – the first with assists from Joseph DeLaurentis and Jason Bechtel and the second with a Bechtel assist – put the Titans on top 3-0.
Third period goals by Joseph DeLaurentis (Bechtel assist) Bechtel and Evan King (Nick Morelli assist) closed out the scoring.
Aaron King turned away all 11 shots he faced in the shutout win. Dawson Anders was credited with 35 saves for the Indians.
Souderton 0 0 0—0
Central Bucks South0 3 3—6
Wednesday, Feb. 3
CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 8, PENNRIDGE 3
The Rams took a 2-0 lead in the opening period, but they were outscored 8-1 in the next two. Thomas Liberta (two goals, two assists) led a balanced Titan attack with four points.
Goals by Michael Padgeon (Luke Gotwals/Troy Crosson assists) and Patrick McGinley (Joe Finlayson/Michael Walker assists) spotted Pennridge a 2-0 lead. Liberta put the Titans on the scoreboard 4:28 into the second period when he found the net on a power play, using assists from Connor Matsinger and Jared Conroy. Pennridge’s Michael Walker scored a short-handed goal to put the Rams on top 3-1, but they would not score the rest of the way. Goals by Matsinger (Jason Bechtel/Damon DeLaurentis assists) and Alex Rubas (Bechhtel/Matt Stoll assists) knotted the scored after two periods.
The third period belonged to the Titans. Jason Bechtel scored the go-ahead goal 2:05 into the period, using a Nick Smith assist. Back-to-back goals by Stoll as well as single goals from Liberta and Damon DeLaurentis put the finishing touches on the Titan win.
Pennridge goalie Mike Weaver kept his team in it with a heroic 64-save effort. Aaron King earned the win for the Titans, turning away 16 shots.
Central Bucks South0 3 5—8
Pennridge 2 1 0—3
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