REDSKINS GAINING MOMENTUM, CONFIDENCE … For the Neshaminy ice hockey team, this season is all about focus and consistency.
The Redskins are making progress, though, and are starting to turn things around after a rough start to the 2011-12 season.
"When we played, there were certain games they get up for," said Neshaminy coach Ray Sherno. "We played Pennsbury early in the year (a 4-4 tie on Nov. 23), and they came out strong. The next game it was like they weren't ready to play. They couldn’t seem to get it to go. That's just part of going through the motions with a young team.
"We're looking to maintain our consistency overall, even throughout a game. When we played Pennridge (a 9-3 loss on Dec. 22), it was 1-1 after the first period and we're looking pretty good, and then one thing happens and they lose their focus and confidence a little bit. Playing consistent the whole game has been our biggest problem."
The Redskins have just two seniors on the team -- Zach Thomas and goalkeeper Collin Mazer. They and the rest of the experienced Neshaminy skaters are working to get the younger players to the level they'll need to achieve if the 'Skins hope to compete in the overwhelmingly competitive National Division.
"Zach's been very good this year," Sherno said. "He's a quiet kid, but he leads a lot by example. We have other leaders on the team with Jake Kitchenman and Jordan Ducko, so Zach sits back and lets them go. Those guys are very good players and they're more vocal, so Zach can sit back and let them do the talking. He leads more on the ice, he's playing a lot harder this year. I'm hoping the other kids can see that and learn from that."
They seem to be. And suddenly the team that started the season with one win in its first nine games has earned victories in three of its last four games, including two convincing back-to-back wins over conference-mate William Tennent (a 9-2 victory on Dec. 23 followed by a 6-0 win on Jan. 5.
In the next two weeks, the Redskins take on Pennsbury -- the team they tied earlier in the season -- at 7:15 p.m. Jan. 12 at Grundy Ice Center, and Abington -- the team the 'Skins topped 5-1 on Dec. 15.
Riding on the wave of momentum and confidence they're building, and playing two teams they have had success against, could just add up to a quick move up the standings for Neshaminy, which currently sits in a tie for fifth place at 3-6-1 for 7 points (4-8-1 overall).
"We're trying to keep the kids positive," Sherno said. "When you have the record we have, it's tough to stay positive every game. We keep telling them, 'You make a run here, you still have a chance at making the playoffs.' Some of the guys are feeding off that. But some of the younger guys, they maybe don't think they can. We're asking them to believe in themselves.
"Coming out of the layoff, we have Tennent, Pennsbury and then Abington -- two teams we already beat and the other team we tied. If we can use that as a stepping stone to get going, get a few wins out of that, maybe we can show them we can do it.
"We're shooting for (the postseason). You don't want to throw the season away. If you make a run here, there's a chance. We have to play a couple teams that are ahead of us, but if we can get some wins and start to build something off the break, maybe we can get a win and catch some of the teams ahead of us. That's one of our goals right now."
FRESHMAN GOALIE LIFTING PATRIOTS … Central Bucks East came out of the winter break riding a four-game league winning streak and having come out on top in six of its last seven games.
The new calendar year didn't open kindly for the Patriots, who dropped a decisive 7-1 contest to Council Rock South.
East coach Ken Latchum has no doubts that his team will be able to put that game behind it. Because he has no doubts that the team's youngest player -- who plays arguably the most important position -- will do the same.
Freshman goalkeeper Steven Gilchrist has proven to be something of a revelation this season. And while he's had his off-nights, he's also had six games in which he's held the opposition to two goals or fewer.
"Steven was the big question mark of the year, and he has been a huge surprise," Latchum said. "He's put in a lot of hard work and determination. The last couple summers he's gone to clinics, worked at being a goaltender, and it's shown a lot. He has been a great surprise. I knew he was a good goaltender, but he's played above and beyond expectations, and it's really helped the team out.
"Once your teammates start talking about you, then you know you're on the right path."
And he's looking to blaze that path. As the season has progressed, Latchum said he's seen Gilchrist becoming more and more aggressive in the crease.
"We tell Steve, 'In the defensive zone, you have to speak up and be more aggressive,'" Latchum said. "The last three, four games he's been real aggressive. The game against Pennsbury (a 2-1 East win on Dec. 22), a couple times he got real aggressive in front of the net. As the season goes on, he's getting better and better and more comfortable.
"We told him in the beginning of the year, 'If a goal gets by you, forget about it and keep working on your goaltending.' He's done that and he's been spectacular."
Gilchrist has received solid support from his defensive corps, led by Zach Davis, Conor Long, Joe Ridolfi and jack-of-all-trades Matt Berry.
That defense, combined with the scoring touch of Austin Baty (15 points), Nick Patullo (13) and Austin Chase (9), has the Patiots primed for a second-half run. East sits in a fourth-place tie in the Continental Division with 10 points (4-5-2, 6-6-2 overall), four points back of third-place Pennridge, five behind second-place North Penn and nine back of frontrunner Central Bucks South. But the Patriots get one more crack at each of those teams.
And a couple big wins would go a long way toward the Patriots achieving their goal of their fifth-straight Flyers Cup appearance.
"We recently started talking about making the playoffs and Flyers Cup," Latchum said. "Being such a young team, we didn’t really want to talk about it for a while, but the talk started up before we went to break.
"They're ready to go. They're a great bunch of kids. I love coaching this team. I'm really having a lot of fun with these guys. They really have all eyes are focused on their goal."
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