To view action photos of the CR North/CR South and Upper Moreland/Hatboro games, visit the photo gallery at the following link: http://photos.suburbanonesports.com/
By Scott Huff
WARWICK – Council Rock South captain Patrick Grilli proudly skated around center ice with the ‘Rock Cup’ hoisted high in the chilled air of the Bucks County Ice Sports Center.The unbeaten Golden Hawks (10-0 overall, 8-0 Suburban High School Hockey League) controlled the final two periods to defeat rival Council Rock North (1-5-2 overall, 1-4-2 SHSHL) – 6-1.
“This game means by far the most of any regular season game that we play,” said Grilli who scored two goals to pace the Hawk scoring attack. “North is our biggest rival, and it is great to play in front of such a big crowd.”
The fans came in droves to see the Thanksgiving Eve contest. The stands were choked to the limit with family, friends, alumni, and the respective student bodies.
“Everyone here knows everyone else – the players know the players, the coaches know the coaches, the parents know the parents, and the students know the students,” said Council Rock South head coach Joe Houk. “It is a great atmosphere to play a game in, and it is great to see all the support the community gives to us.”
Last year South edged North 4-3 on penalty shots to claim the Rock Cup. This time around it was expected to be easier – and it was.
“We hung with them for about a period – a period and a half maybe,” said Council Rock North head coach Eric Tye. “But CR South is the best team in high school hockey right now. We gained a lot experience, and we have nothing to be ashamed about.
“We had a lot of players that have never played in an atmosphere like this,” added Tye, who lost 13 of his top 16 players last season to graduation. “Next year we will know what to expect.”
Junior Indian captain Mark McDonald will monitor those 2012 expectations.
“Next year we will be more experienced, but right now we have to concentrate on the next game,” said McDonald. “Tonight was a great experience for the younger players on this team, and it is great to be able to compete in front of your friends and family.”
The game was indeed competitive in the early going. A goal by Tom Kroh of Rock North in the first period forged a 1-1 tie. But the Indians – who fired 23 shots on goal – could not beat South goal tender Steve Jastrow again.CR South – in addition to the two goals scored by Grilli – had single goals scored by Thomas Kopania, Vincenzo Primavera, Kyle Walter, and Jake Nevin. Grilli has now scored 18 goals in just 10 games this season.
“Sometimes it can be hard to get up for every single game, especially when teams really want to beat us because we are undefeated,” said Grilli. “But we have a lot of pride, and we want to keep winning and get far into the playoffs.”
“Teams always seem to bring their ‘A’ game when they play us,” said Houk. “We have gone through the schedule once now, and teams will have an idea of what they’re getting into when they play us. The second half of the season should be much tougher for us.”
Right now, Rock South has its collective mitts on the Rock Cup – the prestigious Flyers Cup could be down that long and winding road.
Hatboro-Horsham (7-1 overall, 5-1 SHSHL) moved into first place in the SHSHL American Conference with a resounding 8-0 win over Upper Moreland (0-8, 0-6).“This game with Upper Moreland is a game that both the fans and the players really get into,” said Hatboro-Horsham head coach Tricia Silvestri. “What happens in the stands also effects what happens on the ice. It can be a real battle.”
The Golden Bears did indeed battle with the Hatters in the first period and trailed by just 1-0. H-H’s Tim Boyle scored the lone goal of the period.
The Hatters opened up a 3-0 lead by the close of the second period. Patrick Durkin and Kelsey Koelzer scored goals for the winners.
The game was broken wide open in the third period as the Hatters scored five more unanswered goals. Boyle scored his second goal of the game; Manny Billones scored a pair of goals, while Chris Giuliani and Eric Foster scored single goals for the Hatters.A pair of Hatter net minders split the shutout. Jimmy Salfiti had 12 saves over the first two periods, while Vincent Mirarchi had five saves in the third period. Hatboro-Horsham launched 41 shots on goal.
“The kids always look forward to this game,” said Upper Moreland head coach Jim Stampler. “We are a young team, and we have been getting better.
“We haven’t won a game this year, and the players have to realize what it takes to get that win,” added Stampler. “It will come.”
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