DEALING WITH CONCUSSIONS …In recent years, the proper diagnosis and treatment of concussions have taken on the utmost importance in sports, especially in professional hockey. Former Philadelphia Flyers Eric Lindros and Keith Primeau are just two examples of players whose careers have been cut short due to repeated concussions, and currently, NHL superstar Sidney Crosby leads the growing number of players who are dealing with concussions and their lingering aftereffects.
When the Pittsburgh Penguins announced Crosby’s injury on Jan. 7, 2011, they expected Crosby to miss a week due to the concussion. He’s played in just eight games since then due to lingering symptoms.
At the high school level, concussions are being taken as seriously as they are at the professional level. While these are not franchises trying to take extra care of multi-million-dollar investments, that doesn’t make the health of these young men any less important.
Pennridge’s ice hockey team has two key players on the shelf due to concussions. As important as Kyle Henofer and Chris Murphy are to the team both as players and as leaders, Coach Larry Wheatley has not even the slightest qualms about making sure they are healthy and symptom-free before they resume skating.
“It’s not like when we were kids,” Wheatley said. “You had a headache and you took some aspirin, you went to bed, and as long as you weren’t puking and carrying on, you got up the next day, you went to school. It was done. When we were kids, there really wasn’t much research. You thought it was just a headache, or even if it was diagnosed as a concussion, you take a couple aspirin, you go to bed and that’s it. I don’t remember them doing anything special.
“Today, everyone is bigger, stronger, faster. Especially in the NHL, you see that a lot. Our kids aren’t quite that size, but they’re bigger and stronger and they’re more vulnerable. So unfortunately, when the collisions happen, they can be catastrophic.”
As unfortunate as it is to lose two high-caliber players – Henofer is one of the team’s top penalty killers and Murphy is a huge, physical presence on the blueline – Wheatley understands that the sport takes a distant backseat to the health and future of these young men.
“The fact is, with kids at this level, they love the game, but this isn’t going to be their livelihood,” Wheatley said. “Most of these guys, they’re never going to see the NHL. They have to be thinking about their future. They need to be able to think, to be able to go into work headache-free. They have to diagnose the problem and take care of it.
“We’re moving forward using the pieces we have. If we can get Kyle and Chris back, then it’s a gift. But until then, we just have to forge on and go with what we got. We have a good core group.”
The Rams stand at 8-2-2 (10-2-2 overall) for second place in the Continental Division, three points behind frontrunner Central Bucks South and a point ahead of North Penn. Despite the injuries (the Rams are also without goalkeeper Dustin Wexler with a groin pull), Pennridge has won five straight and is undefeated in its last 10 games. The Rams’ last loss came Nov. 3 to C.B. South.
“The kids have really stepped up their game,” Wheatley said. “We had problems in the spring where they really weren’t jelling, but now they’re like one big unit, you add another piece and they fit right in.
“This is probably the best Pennridge team I’ve ever had. I started the team back in 1998. Not to take anything away from those guys, they were great guys, too, but this is a talented, talented team. They can lose three key players and keep chugging along.”
That’s for sure. With 99 goals, Pennridge is the top-scoring team in the Suburban High School Hockey League. Despite losing Wexler, the Rams still have a top-tier goalkeeper in Eric McCrorie and a solid defense that has allowed an average of 2.5 goals per game.
Leading the offense is Matt Brown. His team-high 35 points (24 goals, 11 assists) has him tied for second in the league. Tyler Shagen is in the top 20 in the league with his 23 points (12, 11), and Shane Lyons (21), Justin Roberts (20) and Zach Heitzenrater (20) have also reached the 20-point plateau.
“We asked some of those guys because they stepped into the role of captains and assistant captains, we needed them to step up their play and be leaders on the ice,” Wheatley said. “They’ve done that. Matt especially. Matt’s the guy who kind of feels like he needs to carry the team on his shoulders. Hopefully he looks around the room and he can see other guys are helping out as much as he is. And there are.
“Tyler is one of the younger guys stepping up. Justin Roberts, other one of our captains, has really come into his own.”
It all adds up to a team that is having one stellar season, even with the subtractions to the roster.
For Wheatley, who is in his first year back at the helm of the Rams after being the team’s inaugural coach, the success is very satisfying. Especially given the Rams’ early days.
“When we first started, we were playing LVSHL (Lehigh Valley Scholastic Hockey League),” he said. “Suburban didn’t think we were good enough. For me, this is my year to prove a point that we do belong here. We have eight seniors, and I think they realize they have a chance to really show Pennridge in a good light and bring the spotlight to us, which we haven’t had in a long time.”
HIGH-SCORING AMERICAN …There’s no catching Lansdale Catholic, which has already clinched the American Division regular season title. The Crusaders stand at 7-1 for 14 points in the league (10-6-1 overall), double the points of second-place Wissahickon.
But there are any number of American Division players who have a shot at the SHSHL scoring title … even though Lansdale Catholic is pulling away with that one as well. LC’s Nick Sette is averaging a whopping 3.26 points per game. His 27 goals and 22 assists are both league-bests and he is leading the scoring race by more than a dozen points.
On the strength of a stunning 15 points in two games (5 goals, 2 assists against Hatboro-Horsham; 5 goals, 3 assists against Central Bucks West), Samuel Etskovitz of Upper Dublin has roared toward the top of the scoring leaders. With 19 points in his last four games, Etskovitz is tied for second (with Pennridge’s Brown) with 35 points.
Upper Moreland’s Sean Lloyd is fifth with 32 points. And though the Hatters are not eligible to play for the league title, they do boast two of the top 13 scorers in Manny Billones (26 points) and Patrick Durkin (24). Upper Moreland’s Matt Baumgardner (24) and LC’s Anthony Valerio and Andrew Hart (23 each) round out the top 15 scorers in the league.
ON THE HORIZON …While divisional showdowns are at a minimum this week, there are a couple of intriguing games on the schedule in the next five days:
Upper Moreland at Upper Dublin, 7:20 p.m. Jan. 19, Hatfield Ice. The Golden Bears enter the week a point ahead of the Cardinals in the American Conference and are 7-7 overall, looking to move above the -500 mark.
Pennridge at Archbishop Wood, 7:15 p.m. Jan. 20, Bucks County Ice Sports Center. The Rams are in second place in the Continental Division, the Vikings sit tied for third in the National Division. They’re jockeying for position with a feisty Council Rock North (13 points) and a red-hot Pennsbury squad (14), while the high-scoring Rams are looking put some space between themselves and North Penn while trying to get back to within striking distance of Central Bucks South.
Other interesting matchups include:
Central Bucks East at Wissahickon, 7 p.m. Jan. 19, Bucks County Ice Sports Center.
Council Rock North at Holy Ghost Prep, 7:15 p.m. Jan. 20, Grundy Ice Arena.
Council Rock South at La Salle (JV), 8:30 p.m. Jan. 19, Hatfield Ice.
Souderton at Upper Dublin, 8:55 p.m. Jan. 20, Bucks County Ice Sports Center.
And don’t look now … but next week’s slate includes the second meeting of the season between Council Rock North and Council Rock South on Jan. 27.
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