Pennridge captured its second Flyers Cup in three years with a 7-3 win over Council Rock South at Hatfield Ice on Wednesday. Photos courtesy of Tracy Valko. Check back for a gallery of photos: https://solsports.zenfolio.com/f710114994
Flyers Cup AA final
#1 PENNRIDGE 7, #2 COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 3
Jacob Winton was all business, fielding one question after another from reporters in the crowded hallway outside his team’s locker room after Wednesday’s big win. His expression never changed.
Until, that is, the Rams’ goalie was asked what it felt like to defeat archrival Council Rock South to capture the prestigious Flyers Cup AA trophy. The smile that lit up his face told the story.
“I’m still speechless,” Winton said.
On this night, he didn’t have to say a word. The Rams’ goalie let his performance do the talking, stealing the spotlight with a brilliant 49-save effort.
“That’s an incredible hockey team we just played,” said Pennridge coach Jeff Montagna, whose team fell to Rock South 7-2 two weeks earlier in the SHSHL title game. “You’re not going to beat them without your goalie playing the way he did.”
Winton set the tone for a stellar outing in the game’s opening minutes, turning away one shot after another from the Golden Hawks’ dangerous first line.
“It was great that he didn’t let any in,” Shane Dachowski said. “That was amazing. They could easily pop one or two there, and it could be a completely different game.”
Dachowski certainly did his part to alleviate the pressure on Winton, turning a pass from Andrew Savona on a breakaway into the game’s first goal midway through the opening period.
“That was always our goal – to try and get that first goal and give us some confidence,” Savona said. “When we have our goalie behind us making crazy saves, getting his confidence – that’s huge for him in a big game like this.”
“As soon as you score a goal, momentum shifts instantly,” Winton said. “We just kept going from there.
“We knew they were going to come out hard. It’s been us and them for three, four years running. We were just trying to match their intensity and come out a little bit stronger each and every shift.”
The Rams’ early lead disappeared a minute later when Rock South’s Chase Tovsky scored with an assist from Blaize Pepe, but the Rams regained the lead when Kevin Pico scored with 1:30 remaining in the period, using assists from Tyler Manto and Savona.
The Rams – despite being outshot 18-5 – led 2-1 after one period.
“Making those saves set the tone for later in the game,” Winton said. “I think it put us in the right mindset going into the second and third period.”
“We took their best shot in the first period,” Montagna said. “We came out of it with the lead, and it’s so important to get the lead against that team.”
Less than a minute into the second period. Rock South’s Gavin Nisenzon scored with an Ilya Kudzinau assist to knot the score. Four minutes later, the Rams had an answer – once again it was Shane Dachowski working his magic and scoring a power play goal to give the Rams a 3-2 lead.
That score stood until Pico (Shane Dachowski assist) stunned the Hawks with a highlight reel goal into the top of the net with 3:22 remaining to give the Rams a 4-2 lead after two periods.
“I look up and see where the open spot is and try and shoot it there,” Pico said. “It happened to go in – I was pretty hyped about that.”
Just minutes earlier Winton and the Rams survived some intense pressure from the Hawks, who were on a power play.
“Definitely in the second period, it got a little hairy in there,” Winton said. “But as the game went on, we settled down a little bit.”
There was no mistaking the significance of Dachowski’s goal – which turned out to be the game-winner since, through two periods, Rock South had a 38-14 advantage in shots but trailed by two on the scoreboard.
Just over three minutes into the third period, Colin Dachowski found the net with an assist from Ryan Mikulich to give the Rams a 5-2 edge. That score stood until Rock South’s Illia Muhkin (Nikita Bolobuiev/Kevin Koles assists) scored midway through the period.
Shane Dachowski answered less than a minute later, scoring his third goal of the game and ninth of the Flyers Cup Tournament with assists from Pico and Nick Young.
“Even at 5-2, we know how powerful their offense is, so we weren’t comfortable,” Colin Dachowski said. “They made it 5-3, and I feel like when we got that sixth goal, that really put it away.”
For good measure, Savona (Colin Dachowski assist) scored with 2:30 remaining in regulation. When the final whistle sounded, the Rams celebrated winning their second Flyers Cup trophy in three years.
“It’s hard to describe – I’m so proud of us right now,” Savona said. “Losing to them 7-2 in our league championship and being able to come out here tonight and just want it – we were hungry, and we came out and showed it.
“We knew we had to lock down on defense more. I think we felt a little disrespected from people saying (Rock South) should have been the one seed, so we just wanted to prove a lot of people wrong. It feels great, it’s amazing.
“This means so much,” Colin Dachowski said. “After the year we had our sophomore year (a state championship) and then to keep losing championships. To be honest, it feels so much better now.
“After the (SHSHL) championship game two weeks ago, they posted all over social media they should have been the one seed. (That loss) definitely left a bad taste in our mouth.”
It’s only a number – Teams don’t typically win when they’ve been outshot 52-29, but Montagna, for one, wasn’t surprised or particularly concerned about that number. As a matter of fact, he was pretty much expecting the shots to heavily favor the Golden Hawks.
“We knew we were going to give up shots,” Montagna said. “We were giving up certain shots to prevent other shots. The shots were real lopsided, but there was a method to what we were doing tonight.”
And that method worked to perfection. In addition to Winton all but standing on his head to keep the puck out, the Rams’ defense did their part as well.
“We clogged the middle up because in the SHSHL championship (a 7-2 loss to Rock South), that’s where they beat us a lot, so we just clogged up the middle, kept their shots outside and cleaned up out front,” standout defenseman Colin Dachowski said.
“We set up in a zone, kept a high guy in the slot,” Shane Dachowski said. “It didn’t matter how many shots we gave up – we knew we were going to let up a lot and then be opportunistic.”
The effort of the Rams’ defense we not lost on Winton.
“When you’ve got a defensive set like we do, it makes your job so much easier,” the Rams’ goalie said. “You don’t have to worry so much where rebounds are going to because you know they’re going to have your back every single part of the game.”
In Pennridge’s loss to Rock South in the SHSHL title game, the Golden Hawks held an equally lopsided 47-22 advantage, but listening to Montagna tell it, the defense wasn’t nearly as effective clearing the puck out of harm’s way.
“We did it terrible the last two times we played them, so it was about time,” the Rams’ coach said. “Again, it was a point of emphasis. They live in the slot area, and they have killed us there the last three times we played them. It was a complete point of emphasis.”
A line for the ages – Kevin Pico, Andrew Savona and Shane Dachowski have been golden for the Rams all season, combining for over a hundred goals and a hundred assists during the regular season.
So, it was hardly a surprise that on the season’s biggest stage, they once again stood tall, accounting for all seven of their team’s goals.
“As a coach, your first thought every time is – it’s about team, team, team team, team,” Montagna said. “But Kevin (Pico’s) line – they took on the responsibility of putting the whole program on their back.
“The things they do – it’s not normal. They are, without a doubt, the greatest line I literally have ever seen at tier one, tier two. The things they do on the ice – they had all seven (goals) tonight. Everyone knows who to stop, and it doesn’t matter.
“Every time that team gave a punch to us tonight, they responded back, and we’re built that way. They’re going to score, the other guys play defense. They’re an incredible line, they’re incredible hockey players.”
The three have seen plenty of ice time together over the years, and there’s no mistaking the confidence they have in each other.
“A million percent,” Pico said. “Whenever they have the puck, I know what they can do and how to get it done, so I trust them 100 percent.”
“It’s just the chemistry,” Savona said. “We’ve known each other for so long with club hockey and playing with each other for the last 3-4 years. We know each other so well, and we know where we’re going to be.”
In four Flyers Cup Tournament games, the trio has combined for 21 goals and 18 assists.
Winton on top of his game – Winton added to what was already an impressive Flyers Cup Tournament with his 49-save effort in Wednesday’s win.
“He was incredible,” Montagna said. “It’s not a 4-2 game going into the third without him playing the way he did.
“For him to bounce back after a really tough league championship – to bounce back the way he did against the same team – he was great tonight.”
Winton’s numbers for the Flyers Cup tournament are remarkable – he faced 132 shots but allowed just eight goals for a dazzling .939 save percentage.
Looking ahead - Pennridge will face Penguin Cup champion Thomas Jefferson in Saturday’s PA Cup game at Skatium in Havertown at 2 p.m. Thomas Jefferson, the second seed entering Penguin Cup Tournament, defeated Penn-Trafford 8-4 in the title game.
Council Rock South 1-1-1 3
Pennridge 2-2-3 7
Shots: CRS 52, Pennridge 29. Saves: Trevor Rakszawski (CRS) 9, Trey Prozzillio (CRS) 13, Jake Winton (P) 49.
First period: 1. Shane Dachowski P (Andrew Savona) 7:46; 2. Chase Tovsky CRS (Blaize Pep), 3. Kevin Pico P (Tyler Manto, Andrew Savona) 1:30.
Second period: 4. Gavin Nisenzon CRs (Ilya Kudzinau) 16:37; 5. Shane Dachowski P, 12:42; 6. Kevin Pico P (Shane Dachowski) 3:22.
Third period: 7. Colin Dachowski P (Ryan Mikulich) 13:25; 8. Illia Muhkin CRS (Nikita Volobuiev/Kevin Koles) 8:20; 9. Shane Dachowski CRS (Kevin Pico/Nick Young) 7:40; 10. Andrew Savona (Colin Dachowski) 2:30.
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