Nine SHSHL teams will be competing in the Flyers Cup Tournament. Check out the previews. Photo courtesy of Tracy Valko: https://solsports.zenfolio.com/f710114994
By GORDON GLANTZ
Rest for the weary?
LOL!
In the quest for the Holy Grail that is the Flyers Cup Tournament?
Forget about it.
While getting here may not have been everything that matters for some of these teams, it is the only thing that matters now.
For SHSHL teams – 9 in all -- it begins on Monday evening in A action and continues in AA on Tuesday.
Let’s take a closer look.
Class A
Who: PW (8th seed) vs. Unionville (9th)
When: Monday, March 4, 6 p.m.
Where: Hatfield Gray
The Winner Gets: Top-seeded West Chester East at Ice Line on Thursday, March 7.
About PW: The Colonials (12-3 overall) finished first during the regular season in the SHSHL American Division but fell, 5-3, to an undermanned Bensalem team in the championship. … David Branigan (25 goals, 16 assists), Dylan Novitsky (19 goals, 13 assists), Jason Segal 14 goals, 16 assists in 13 games) and Timothy Murphy (10 goals, 19 assists) pace the offense while the defense is anchored by Danny Guller (9 goals, 19 assists) and Jayson Yoder (5 goals, 10 assists).
Between the Pipes: Julian Lucks has gone the distance, posting a solid 3.33 goals against average and an .875 save percentage.
PW Coach Dave Cox says: “We are feeling good going in. Things didn’t go the way we wanted in our championship game, obviously, but we played very hard for three full periods. We are focused now on what’s ahead. The seniors are ready to leave everything out there for each game. We’ve also been able to have a few practices since our loss, and being together has really helped to shift our emotions and get ready for Monday night.
“As for Unionville, we know they’re coming in ready for a fight. We have done some pre-scouting, and we will be ready to take them on.”
About Unionville: The Longhorns placed fifth in the Ches-Mont division of the ICHSL with an 8-11 mark, scoring 72 goals and giving up 76. … Anthony Kulp (14 goals, 12 assists), Alex Tomaszewicz (9 goals, 13 assists) and Cole Blackburn (15 goals, 5 assists) are the main players to watch.
Between the Pipes: Zack Tomaszewski is 7-9. He is allowing 3.99 goals per game and boasts an .855 save percentage.
Class AA
Who: Pennridge (1st seed) vs. Bensalem (16)
When: Tuesday, March 5, 8:30
Where: Hatfield Gray
About Pennridge: Two years removed from a state title, the Rams are looking to bounce back from a loss to rival Council Rock South in the National Division title game, and they will do so as the No. 1 seed in the bracket and with a 17-2-1 record. The top line consists of Kevin Pico (33 goals, 49 assists), Andrew Savona (42 goals, 35 assists) and Shane Dachowski (28 goals, 36 assists) with James Rush (14 goals, 9 assists) leading the supporting cast. Colin Dachowski (10 goals, 19 assists), Tyler Manto (4 goals, 9 assists) and Nick Young (1 goal, 10 assists) lead a stingy defense.
Between the Pipes: Jacob Winton is allowing 2.73 goals per game while posting an .895 save percentage.
Pennridge Coach Jeff Montagna says: “This is a tough matchup for us. (Bensalem) beat us last year. They have an elite offensive player and an elite goaltender, which makes them very dangerous. We need to regroup after the (Council Rock) South game and not look past Bensalem or we could go home early.”
About Bensalem: Despite being undermanned, the Owls posted a 5-3 win over PW to claim the SHSHL title. They are now 14-3 on the season. Alex Hood, the elite offensive player to whom Montagna was referring, scored four times in the title tilt and has 57 goals and 20 assists for the season. His supporting cast includes Alex Bazylevich (15 goals, 27 assists), Lucas Gonzalez (12 goals, 19 assists), Brandon Stahl (4 goals,12 assists) and Justin Rapone (7 goals, 5 assists). They will be at full strength on Monday.
Between the Pipes: It’s no secret that the greatest secret weapon in playoff hockey is a hot goalie, and Ricky Gonzalez fits that description. He has post 2.88 goals against average and a .911 save percentage.
Bensalem Coach Bill Hood Says: “It does help to have a hot goalie. Ricky has been awesome all season and he will have to be so again Tuesday night.”
Who: Central Bucks South (6) vs. Avon Grove (11)
When: Tuesday, March 5, 6:30
Where: Hatfield Ice Blue
About Central Bucks South: The Titans are 12-6-1 after falling to Council Rock South, 4-1, in the SHSHL semis. DJ Lindenmuth (22 goals, 15 assists), Sean Cutter (9 goals, 20 assists), Ryan Frey (21 goals, 6 assists) and Jeffrey Kvecher (10 goals, 15 assists) lead the attack while Aidan Linso (7 goals, 16 assists) stands tall on the back end.
Between the Pipes: Freshman Nathan Napolitano (2.77, .899) has emerged as a revelation.
Said CB South Coach Sean McGinty: “The boys will continue to play for each other and compete each shift, while taking the game one period at a time. Hard work, compete and sacrifice.”
About Avon Grove: The Red Devils were 10-9-2, good enough for third place in the Ches-Mont. They scored 85 goals and surrendered 72. With a supporting cast of six players with 10 or more points, Brendan Chandler (22 goals, 11 assists) and William Gorman (14 goals, 17 assists) lead the charge.
Between the Pipes: Owen El-Attar has a 3.44 goals against average and a .860 save percentage.
Who: CB East (8) vs. Downingtown East (9)
When: Tuesday, March 5, 6:30 p.m.
Where: Hatfield Gray
About CB East: The Patriots are 11-5-2. Corey Kosick has paced the offense with 27 goals and 12 assists while Jaden Young has added 10 goals and 6 assists. On the back end, Dave Brown (3 goals, 10 assists) and Drew Trask (4 goals, 6 assists) have been sound.
Between the Pipes: Going the distance this season has been Cole Breen, who has a 3.77 goals against average and an .891 save percentage.
About Downingtown East: The Cougars were 10-10 and placed fourth in the Ches-Mont, scoring 89 goals and giving up 70. Jack Wolf (21 goals, 16 assists) and Brody Matthews (20 goals, 14 assists) lead the attack while Christian McCuch (9 goals, 6 assists) stands tall on the blue line.
Between the Pipes: The Patriots could see either Basil Hemberger, who was 4-6, or Maelee Ambrass, who was 6-4. Hemberrger has a goals against average of 3.07 and a save percentage of .885. Ambrass is allowing 3.67 goals a game with a save percentage of .883.
Who: Downingtown West (4) vs. Souderton (13)
When: Tuesday, March 5, 6:15 p.m.
Where: Ice Line
About Downingtown West: The Whippets are 15-4, scoring 107 goals and giving up 48. Luke Didomenico (24 goals, 13 assists) and Blake Groton (20 goals, 12 assists) led an attack that also features Joseph Butler (13 goals, 19 assists), Aleks Kepino (10 goals, 15 assists) and Kenneth Gottman (9 goals, 12 assists). Clayton Smart anchors the defensive corps.
Between the Pipes: Justin Adams (2.77 goals against, .899 save percentage) was 10-3 in 13 starts.
About Souderton: The sixth-place finisher in the National Conference is back in the Flyers Cup tournament and looking to blindside some teams with an attack led by Max Ryon (43 goals, 21 assists), Seth Grossman (25 goals, 31 assists) and Nick Smith (15 goals, 22 assists). With a 7-11 record, Souderton has scored 111 goals but has yielded 153.
Between the Pipes: The stats – 8.36 goals against, .741 save percentage – don’t really do Connor Paulus justice. He has literally saved the day for his team on multiple occasions.
Souderton Coach Ryan Uchniat Says: “The team is still plagued with a few key injuries, and will be relying heavily on Max Ryon, Seth Grossman and Nick Smith. The focus this week is to remain disciplined and stay out of the (penalty) box.”
Who: Haverford (5) vs. North Penn (12)
When: Tuesday, March 5, The Skatium, 7 p.m.
About Haverford: The Fords were second in the Central Division, posting a 12-6-1 record. They scored 60 goals and allowed 36. They were led by Ryan McGlade (17 goals, 14 assists), Owen Radadam (11 goals, 14 assists) and Gus Scuderi (9 goals, 13 assists). On defense, Brendan McCormick had 3 goals and 5 assists.
Between the Pipes: Dylan Viera was 9-6-1 while allowing 1.85 goals per game and posting an equally impressive .929 save percentage.
About North Penn: The Knights finished 5th in the National Division of the SHSHL with a 10-7-1 mark, scoring 81 goals and yielding 63. They are led up front by Nolan Shingle (10 goals, 20 assists), Samuel Norton (20 goals, 13 assists) and Cole Pluck (16 goals, 16 assists) while James Boyle (7 goals, 7 assists) anchors the defense.
Between the Pipes: La Salle transfer Maks-Joseph Harkins has been outstanding, posting a 2.34 goals against average and a .915 save percentage. There is also depth with Aiden Quigley (3.26, .874).
Who: Council Rock South (2) vs. Spring-Ford (15)
When: Tuesday, March 5, 6 p.m.
Where: Grundy
About Council Rock South: Fresh off a 7-2 win over Pennridge in the National Conference championship game, the Golden Hawks (19-1) come into the tournament flying high and feeling invincible. Jake Weiner, who had a hat trick in the title game, has 33 goals and 21 assists on the season while defenseman Kevin Koles has 24 goals and 28 assists. The long list of others to watch includes Blaize Pepe (17 goals, 27 assists), Illia Mukhin (14 goals, 20 assists), Gavin Nisenzon (17 goals, 14 assists), Chase Tovsky (10 goals, 19 assists) and Nikita Volubuiev (11 goals, 14 assists in 11 games).
Between the Pipes: Trevor Rakszewski (2.20, .882) is the primary starter.
About Spring-Ford: The Rams were 7-10-2 in the regular season, scoring 59 goals and allowing 79. In 13 games, Hayden Wedemeyer scored 17 times and had 6 assists. Broden Nickel checked in with 10 goals and 8 assists.
Between the Pipes: Grant Olson has a goals against average of 3.82 and an impressive .900 save percentage.
Who: Boyertown (3) vs. Pennsbury (14)
When: Tuesday, March 5, 8:30
Where: Ice Line
About Boyertown: The Bears, winners of the Pioneer Athletic Conference, are 18-2. They have scored 99 goals and given up 39. A balanced attack features Luke Hennessey (15 goals, 11 assists) and Bryce Derstine (16 goals, 8 assists). The defense is anchored by Chase Ebersole (2 goals, 15 assists) and Ryan McGuffin (1 goal, 11 assists).
Between the Pipes: Tyler Griffith has been a virtual brick wall, allowing a stingy 1.98 goals per game and posting a .928 save percentage.
About Pennsbury: The Falcons won the Flyers Cup a year ago and came within a goal of the state title. This year, after a rough regular season, they were granted a second chance. They come in as both a team with nothing to lose and everything to gain but also with a chip on their shoulder. They are led by Christopher Sarver (13 goals, 9 assists), Shane Gleisner (10 goals, 9 assists) and Logan Doyle (8 goals, 8 assists).
Between the Pipes: Doing his best to keep the Falcons in games was Christopher Sarver (4.88, .851).
Pennsbury Coach Ryan Daley Says: “We’ve been doing our homework on Boyertown and we feel like we have a good game plan going into Tuesday’s game.”
“We have the whole team healthy and ready to go. We’re ready to defend our Flyers Cup championship.”
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