CB South fell to Cherokee 7-6 in overtime in Thursday's Flyers Cup semifinal.
By Ben Reese
WARWICK – Five seconds changed the entire season for the Central Bucks South ice hockey team.
In those five seconds, Cherokee scored the tying goal at the 16:55 mark of the third period and then the Chiefs ended the Titans' season with a goal in overtime for a 7-6 win in the semifinals of the Flyers Cup at the Rink at Warwick.
South had taken a two-goal lead with slightly less than 4:30 remaining in the third period. Nick DeLaurentis scored both goals for the Titans, giving them a 6-4 lead.
But Cherokee would not be stopped. The Chiefs got within one goal at the 15:52 mark of the third and then, with five ticks left, Cole Zucker scored on the power play to tie the game.
That set up a 10-minute sudden death overtime period. It ended with 4:22 left on Brian Miller's unassisted goal.
The Chiefs will go into the Flyers Cup final on Tuesday against Parkland, a 2-1 overtime winner over North Penn. Cherokee will not be able to play in the PIAA championship game since it is a New Jersey high school.
“It's amazing what a couple minutes can do,” Tom Coyne, CB South's coach, said. “It was a turn of events that went in their favor. As disappointing as it is, it's just the way it rolls.
“There's a million excuses, but we couldn't get it (the puck) high off the glass (to get it out of the zone). We just picked a poor time to not be strong on the puck.”
It was almost a storybook ending for the Titans before the late tying goal and the overtime. DeLaurentis, who injured his knee 14:52 into the first period, came back in the third to score the go-ahead goal and what appeared to be an insurance tally. But it wasn't to be.
“I cranked up for a shot and was ready to take it,” said DeLaurentis of his injury. “Then I saw the guy come at me so I tried to stop and, at the last second, I kind of planted my foot wrong and I felt a pop and it was pretty bad pain.”
Actually, he started to shoot, drawing his stick back to take a slap shot, and then suddenly just dropped the stick as he crumpled to the ice. The amazing part was that he actually came back to play the third period.
“I didn't want to have any regrets,” he said, “like maybe go to the hospital and be all right and say maybe I could have played. It would have killed me so I was definitely going to give it a try. It hurts a lot more now than it did then.”
Coyne had nothing but kind words for his captain.
“We fought hard,” Coyne said. “Nick comes back on one leg.
“It doesn't look good for his knee and he gives it everything he's got. That's why he's captain of the team.”
There was also some deja vu involved in the game. One year and two days ago, Cherokee knocked CB South out of the 2012 Flyers Cup.
“I've known about that for one year and two days,” said Coyne with a laugh. “It was almost poetic that we were right back where we started a year ago. We just wanted to turn the tide and get over that last hurdle.”
The game started well for the Titans.
They scored the first goal of the game at 5:15 with Bobby Mallon firing the puck into the net off an assist from Kevin Casey.
However, Cherokee came right back, scoring 37 seconds later. John Cascio got the tying goal.
The Chiefs added another goal at the 13:58 mark. Brian Miller got his first of the game with the assist going to Casey Forte.
South evened things up with 31 seconds left in the period. Brandon Spognardi got the equalizer on the power play.
Cherokee took a 4-3 lead after the second period. Forte and David Mazilli sandwiched their goals around a Titan goal from Connor Bechtel.
CB South held sway in the third stanza. Dominic Bova (one goal) and DeLaurentis (two) took care of the scoring to give the Titans the two-goal margin.
However, Boomer Miller and Zucker came right back to tie it at the end of regulation. That set up the overtime.
Brian Miller's goal ended the hopes and dreams of the Titans.
DeLaurentis seemed to be more upset by the way things went than he was about his injury.
“We had a two-goal lead with not much time left,” he said, “but it just sucks because we did have that lead. For them to come back and then they rode that momentum right into overtime.”
But he did like his two late goals after getting hurt.
“The first one I just kind of got the puck and shot it,” DeLaurentis said. “I didn't really have to do too much.
“I kind of went back door on the second one. It was cool to do that but it would have been better to win.”
A sentiment echoed by his coach.
“It's a tough locker room right now, saying goodbye to some great guys,” Coyne said. “That's the toughest part as a coach.
“There's really only two feelings a coach can have and that's winning and misery.”
You know which one Coyne's feeling.
Cherokee 2 2 2 1 – 7
Central Bucks South 2 1 3 0 – 6
First Period
1. Bobby Mallon CBS (Kevin Casey) 5:15; 2. John Cascio C (John Martino) 5:52; 3. Brian Miller C (Casey Forte) 13:53; 4, Brandon Spognardi CBS (Casey 16:29 PP. Penalties: Michael Pilla CBS (interference) 11:31; Zach Tiernan C (slashing) 11:31; Brian Miller C (tripping) 14:43.
Second Period
5. Forte C (Brian Miller) 3:44; 6. Connor Bechtel CBS (Connor Matsinger, Mallon) 14:42; 7. David Mazilli C (John Bellardine, Cole Zucker) 16:58. Penalties: Bechtel CBS (roughing) 0:36; Dominic Bova CBS (slashing) 0:36; Brian Miller C (interference) 0:36; Brett Jacobs C (roughing) 0:36; Zach Tiernan C (hooking) 11:39.
Third Period
8. Bova CBS (Jake Bauer) 1:31; 9. Nick DeLaurentis CBS (Bechtel) 3:41; 10. DeLaurentis CBS (Bechtel, Bauer) 12:32; 11. Boomer Miller C (Aaron Huffnagle) 15:52; 12. Zucker C (Forte, Dylan Bradley) 16:55 PP. Penalties: Bauer CBS (interference) 5:10; Matsinger CBS (interference) 15:52.
Overtime
13. Brian Miller C (unassisted) 5:38. Penalty: Matsinger CBS (hooking) 2:00.
Shots: C – 34; CBS – 32. Saves: Jim Witkowski C 26; Jeff Pelkowski CBS 27.
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