By Scott Huff
HATFIELD – The Suburban High School Hockey League game between Souderton and Central Bucks West was barely over – yet both teams had an anxious eye on the next game.
“We need to play more as a team,” said Souderton coach Tom Coopersmith after his Big Red (10-6-1) notched a 7-3 SHSHL Continental Division victory over the Bucks. “If we play the way we played tonight, we are going to blown out of the building tomorrow.”
Souderton – which leads the SHSHL Continental Division with 21 points – will face SHSHL National Division power Council Rock North (15-1-1, 31) at the Face-Off Circle on Friday night (1/29/10). The puck will be dropped at 9 p.m.
“We are going to have to show people that we can beat the good teams,” said Coopersmith. “We can be crazy good, or we can struggle. Sometimes we just try to do too much.”
“We are a much more dangerous team in the second half of the season than the first half,” said Central Bucks West coach Dave Baun after his Bucks (1-13-3, 5) outshot Souderton 39-34 for the game. “I have a feeling that we are going to break out with a win very soon.”
Soon could be Friday night as CB West will return to Hatfield for a contest with Abington (5-8-2, 12). The puck will be dropped at 7:20 p.m.
“This season has been a really tough situation for the players,” said Baun. “It’s tough to keep coming out – playing hard – and not winning.”
The last time that Souderton played West the score was an identical 7-3. However, that game was a clear Indian win from the outset. This was one of those contests where the game was closer than the score.
“We haven’t had this many shots on goal in two years,” said Baun as the Bucks peppered Indian netminder Drew Politsky with 39 shots. “We were very basic – shoot the puck and go to the net.
“We are really playing to the top of our ability,” added Baun. “We have reset some of our goals, and right now we are looking for improvement.”
And believe it or not – Souderton is looking for improvement from their outstanding scorer Mike McCarthy. McCarthy scored four goals and added a pair of assists for a six-point night.
“When he wants to play, there is not a better player in the area,” said Coopersmith of his high-octane center who has now scored 23 goals with 18 assists in 17 games. “I have to keep reminding him that the younger players look up to him – the good and the bad.
“It really is his team,” added Coopersmith of his senior captain. “We are really going to have to count on him when we play the better teams. We play North twice - and (Council Rock) South, and Pennsbury once. We have a tough schedule ahead, and we really need to beat at least one of those teams.”
Winning is in the forecast for Central Bucks West.
“Once we get a win, we’ll get over that speed bump and get another,” said CB West sophomore Johnny Taylor who scored the third Buck goal. “We played this team close tonight, and the bench was really into it.
“We are ready to win games – we now have a mindset that we can win games,” added Taylor. “They beat us bad the last time, but this time was different.”
Souderton got off to a fast start to take a 3-0 first period lead. Rodney Anders fired home the first Big Red goal, and McCarthy scored midway through the period – and at the close of the period – to propel the Indians to the advantage.
The second period – though – belonged to West. Andrew McNally and Matt Wing scored for the Black and Gold to make the score competitive at 3-2.
Brian McMullin scored a key goal for the Indians, but Taylor connected late in the period for the Bucks and it was anyone’s game going into the third period with Souderton holding a 4-3 lead.
The Bucks continued to press Politsky in the nets, but the Big Red goalie came up huge to keep West off the scoreboard for the remainder of the game.
“CB West hustled and battled for the puck,” said Politsky. “We have to play smarter hockey – we took too many penalties.
“Coach told us that we have to play ten times better if we want to stay in the game with Council Rock tomorrow,” added Politsky. “We are going to have to steal a win against a good team.”
Souderton controlled the final period as McCarthy scored three goals – two shorthanded in the final two minutes – as the Indians eased to the win.
This game is in the SHSHL history books – and both the Big Red and Bucks are looking forward to writing a winning chapter to that book in the near future.
Central Bucks West 0 3 0 - 3
Souderton 3 1 3 - 7
First Period Scoring:
S: Rodney Anders (Michael McCarthy) 11:04
S: McCarthy (Corre Summers & Ryan Uchniat) 8:38
S: McCarthy (Anders & Sommers) 1:57
Second Period Scoring:
CBW: Andrew McNally (unassisted) 14:47
CBW: Matt Wing (Nathan Routier & Matt Chapchen) 10:58
S: Brian McMullin (McCarthy & Uchniat) 9:27
CBW: Johnny Taylor (Routier & Wing) 0:53
Third Period Scoring:
S: McCarthy (Sommers) 10:29
S: McCarthy (Uchniat & Sommers) 1:58
S: McCarthy (Sommers) 1:44
Goal Tending:
Souderton – Drew Politsky 36 saves
CB West – Danny Rosenblum 27 saves
- Log in to post comments
0
