Ben Reese recaps all the action in Pennsbury’s 8-5 win over North Penn in SHSHL action Wednesday. Photos provided courtesy of Keith Clemens Photography. https://solsports.zenfolio.com/f1064915949
By Ben Reese
HATFIELD — Justin Marlin has had to step up this season for the Pennsbury ice hockey team.
He has moved into the top defensive position for coach Ryan Daley’s Falcons. And with that move comes more responsibility, both defensively and offensively.
Well, Marlin certainly took that to heart. On Wednesday night at Hatfield Ice, he scored four goals to pace the Falcons to an 8-5 victory over North Penn.
“He’s a great kid,” Daley said. “I’ve coached him four years, seen him develop.
“This year he has an A (assistant captain) on his jersey. He’s just what you want in a leader.”
OK, but what about this offensive surge?
“He had big shoes to fill after Reese Millman graduated last year,” Daley said. “He’s done an absolutely stellar job.
“We had Millman for four years, a phenomenal defenseman, put up a lot of points in those years. Marlin was more defensive in those years.
“This year he absolutely took over the offense from the blue line. I’m never expecting four goals from a defenseman. He’s firing on all cylinders.”
As Daley said, Marlin has taken on the responsibility as an assistant captain. He is more concerned with his team than his own numbers.
Did you ever score four goals in a game before?
“Maybe when I was little,” Marlin said. “But it’s only because of 11 (Brendan Macainish) and 77 (Logan Doyle). They fed me all night.”
Marlin scored his first two in the first period to give Pennsbury a 2-1 lead. He added two more in the second to finish up his scoring night, netting his first hat trick as a varsity player.
“Those were goals I should have buried.” Marlin said. “I was wide open for a majority of them.”
Then he threw some accolades to Macainish.
“He’s the rock for our offense,” he said. “He really set me up tonight.”
North Penn coach Kevin Vaitis realized coming into the game that the Falcons had a lot of offense.
“With Macainish, Marlin, they have a lot of firepower,” Vaitis said.
As for Marlin, he said, “I knew he was good and big. I didn’t know he was that aggressive. He’s extremely talented back there on D.”
Matthew Yothers spotted the Knights a 1-0 lead, scoring 3:50 into the contest with assists from Nolan Shingle and Gabriel Dunn. That lead was erased, thanks to back-to-back goals by Marlin. The big turnaround in the game came in the second period. The Falcons entered the stanza with a 2-1 lead which didn’t last too long.
Jack Bates scored for the Knights with only 1:47 gone in the second period to tie the game. Then John Stinson untied it at 6:28 to give North Penn its first — and last — lead.
Macainish fired one past North Penn goalie Nick Crist at 6:56 to again tie the game, this time at 3-3. Things got a little strange after that.
Pennsbury scored the next two goals, the first one on Logan Doyle’s penalty shot at 9:06 and the second, Marlin’s third goal, shorthanded, to take a 5-3 lead.
Then Derek Delong cut the margin in half with a power-play goal at 15:15 of the period. Twenty-four seconds later, Macainish tallied his second goal and, 11 seconds after that, Marlin notched his fourth.
“The second period was a little interesting,” Vaitis said. “I thought early on in the period we had chances where we came back, tied it and even took the lead at one point.
“The power play has been a little bit of an issue for us. We’re just giving up too many shorthanded goals and shorthanded chances. That’s the stuff we’ve got to look to eliminate. We’ve got to be better in the second period.”
The two teams traded goals in the third. Jake McCaw scored for the Falcons and Tyler Porubski tallied for the Knights.
In the end, Marlin finished with his four goals and Macainish had two goals and three assists. Doyle also chipped in with a goal and two assists.
Oh, Pennsbury also scored four different ways. First, in the 5-on-5, then on the power play, then shorthanded and finally on a penalty shot. The only one Pennsbury missed out on was an empty-net goal.
All in all, a big offensive night for the Falcons.
Pennsbury 8, North Penn 5
Pennsbury 2 5 1 — 8
North Penn 1 3 1 — 5
First period: 1, Matthew Yothers NP (Nolan Shingle, Gabriel Dunn) 3:50; 2, Justin Marlin Pb (Brendan Macainish, Andrew Falkenstein) 5:19; 3, Marlin Pb (Logan Doyle, Sean Taggart) 15:17 PP.
Second period: 4, Jack Bates NP (Luke Haftel) 1:47; 5, John Stinson NP (unassisted) 6:28; 6, Macainish Pb (Jake McCaw) 6:56; 7, Doyle Pb (penalty shot) 9:06; 8, Marlin Pb (Macainish, Falkenstein) 9:25 SH; 9, Derek Delong NP (Cole Pluck, Stinson) 15:15 PP; 10, Macainish Pb (Falkenstein, Doyle) 15:39; 11, Marlin Pb (Macainish) 15:50.
Third period: 12, McCaw Pb (unassisted) 0:37; 13, Tyler Porubski NP (Shingle) 6:24.
Shots: Pb 34, NP 24. Saves: Aaron McDaniel (Pb) 19, Nick Crist (NP) 26.
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