Defending Class A champion Upper Moreland defeated Upper Dublin 3-1 in a key SHSHL American Conference game Thursday. To view photos of all the action, please visit the Photo Gallery.
By Andrew Marcus
Last season the Upper Moreland ice hockey team was the final team to make the playoffs, and when all was said and done, the Golden Bears were the lone team standing. Upper Moreland’s victory over Upper Dublin last March earned the Golden Bears the SHSHL Class A championship.
The Flying Cardinals were not quick to forget, and on Thursday, despite a new look to their team, were out for revenge.
However, thoughts of a successful payback bid lasted only a few minutes. The Cardinals scored first, but the Bears once again had the final say, earning a 3-1 win against their American Conference rivals.
The Bears let their guard down and the Flying Cardinals, hungry for a win, grabbed the 1-0 lead in the second period. Patrick Echevarria stuffed home what would be the Flying Cardinals’ lone goal. Captains Samuel Etskovitz and Tyler Peskin each registered an assist.
“We lost a lot of seniors, and we are trying to find different ways to score goals,” Peskin said. “We played well, but they had more opportunities and their goalie (Jared Burch) is pretty talented.”
The Cardinals connected with their first line, while the Bears skated with their third line on the ice. It was a miscue that was impossible for the Cardinals to make, considering they only played with two lines.
“We are shorthanded to start with, plus injuries,” Etskovitz said. “Last year we had four lines, but we still are playing hard. We do not have as many people this year, but we are giving it our all.”
Before the Cardinals’ confidence could creep in completely the Bears tightened their skates and went to work. Whether falling down a goal was the wake-up call needed or not, suddenly the Bears found some skating room.
While the Cardinals’ goalie Zach Hansen was brilliant, finishing with 29 saves, the one time he could not completely cover up the puck, the Bears’ Jake Park was there to poke it behind the goal crease.
“We told the guys they were going to come out fast,” Bears’ coach Jim Stampler said. “But because we played them in the championship last year and a couple times before that we knew what to expect.”
The eventual game winner came a mere seconds later when Kyle Landis followed up a Colin Burch breakaway and rocketed the rebound past Hansen. The go-ahead goal was all senior goalie Jared Burch would need to solidify the win. Colin’s older brother stopped 19 of the 20 shots he faced.
“Little Burch made a play off the boards,” Landis said. “I kept skating and got my stick on the loose puck. We have Jared back in goal this year, and he is great, plus we have a couple new faces on defense (which) has given us some extra fire power.”
The Bears’ Matt Iehle completed the scoring in the early moments of the third period. By the looks of their 5-2 record, the defending Class A champs have never lost momentum from last year’s playoff run.
One of the Golden Bears’ losses came to the newest member of their conference, Archbishop Wood, and Wissahickon is also off to fast start.
The Golden Bears know it is all about getting better each time they take the ice. Their goal is to make the playoffs and, just like last year, see what happens.
“We don’t give up,” Iehle said. “With Wood playing down this year, Lansdale Catholic and Wissahickon, it is going to be tough. We will fight until the whistle blows.”
UPPER DUBLIN 0 1 0-1
UPPER MORELAND 0 2 1-3
Period 1
(no scoring)
Period 2
UD – Patrick Echevarria (Samuel Etskovitz, Tyler Peskin) 9:34
UM – Jake Park (Matthew Baumgardner) 11:14
UM – Kyle Landis (Colin Burch, Nick Park) 11:59
Period 3
UM – Matthew Iehle (Colton Arzini, Matthew Baumgardner) 11:11
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