CR South & Pennridge were winners in Flyers Cup action Thursday. Check the recaps.
#2 COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 7, #10 CHEROKEE 1
They are a team on a mission.
Led by a senior class that has had its share of postseason heartbreaks, the Golden Hawks – after rolling to the SHSHL Tournament title – have their sights set on a bigger prize. A prize that would erase memories of disappointments past.
“We’re very familiar with losses throughout the years,” senior Chase Tovsky said. “Sophomore year we lost in two championship (games). Last year, we didn’t even make it to the Flyers Cup championship, and this year, we just know that we’re not willing to go through that again. This is our last chance, and we know we have the team to do it.”
None of the players have forgotten what it felt like to see their seasons end too soon.
“Terrible, horrible,” senior Gavin Nisenzon said. “But it really set us up for this year. All the losses, all the bad stuff, seeing your seniors sad and upset really motivates you to play harder the next season. This is the culmination.”
Two days after routing Spring-Ford 12-0, the Golden Hawks sent Cherokee home for the season, and this was more than just a battle to see which team could score the most goals, this was a game that required discipline, the kind of discipline some teams might not have, and listening to coach Joe Houk tell it, the Golden Hawks might not have had the discipline they displayed Thursday if the two teams had met earlier in the season.
“We had penalty issues all year,” Rock South’s coach said. “I’ve been talking to them, and finally, the last two weeks they’ve really kind of (bought) in. I had to walk a couple of them off the ledge here tonight, but they hung in there and they really were good. I didn’t want to see anybody get hurt.”
The Chiefs entered Thursday’s game with a telling track record.
“Here’s the bottom line, you’ve got a team that comes off a game two nights ago – they lose a coach for too many penalties,” Houk said. “Their head coach was not on the bench because of too many penalties. I knew what we were up against. I was talking to a couple people from their league, and they said – ‘You’ve got to watch them. They’re very deep, but they lose their minds.’ Here’s the crazy thing about it – it was
like they lost their minds from the beginning.”
Any thoughts the Chiefs could get the Hawks caught up in their mind games and retaliate were put to rest in a hurry. While a steady parade of Chiefs headed to the penalty box, the Golden Hawks just played their game on the ice until – after a Cherokee game misconduct and head contact major penalty - the game was halted with 7:09 remaining in the third period.
“From the beginning of the season, we knew the only thing that would really hold us back from getting where we want to be is ourselves,” Tovsky said. “A lot of team’s game plan around just getting in our heads and trying to get us off our game. Throughout the season, we’ve gotten better.
“Tonight, really showed how if we’re able to keep our heads against a team like that, we’re going to be very successful.”
In Thursday’s win, the Golden Hawks controlled play from the outset.
Illia Muhkin (Jake Weiner assist) scored two minutes into the game, and despite the Hawks’ dominance, the Chiefs tied the score midway through the period on a goal by its captain, Luke Resto. Three minutes later, Kevin Koles – whose four-point game led the Hawks – scored a power play goal that turned out to be the game-winner, using assists from Tovsky and Blaize Pepe. With three minutes remaining in the period, sophomore Jake Weiner scored his first of three goals – this one with a Peter Pereborow
assist – to put the Golden Hawks on top 3-1 after one period.
“We want to go all the way, so just ignore them and keep our heads straight on the prize,” Weiner said. “We’re still writing our story here – we’re not done.”
That 3-1 score stood until Pepe scored with 3:17 remaining in the second period with assists from Koles and Tovsky. Just over a minute later, Weiner (Koles assist) scored a power play goal on a breakaway to send the Hawks into the final period with a 5-1 lead.
Five minutes into the third period, Weiner (Koles/Muhkin assists) completed his hat trick with another power play goal. Pepe’s power play goal with assists from Tovsky and Koles put the Hawks on top 7-1 with 7:27 remaining.
“We got pucks deep on them, and we wore them down a little bit because once we get control of the puck in their zone, we cycle very, very well,” Houk said. “I thought the guys did a real good job.
“Their goalie (Liam Flynn) played a good game – he faced 40 shots. We persevered through this, so now we play another day, which is beautiful.”
Seconds later after Pepe’s second goal, the game was halted.
“It’s not worth getting injured or getting suspended,” Weiner said. “We saw them dying, and we just jumped on them.”
Thursday’s win was the 13th straight for a Rock South squad that hasn’t lost since Dec. 13.
“It’s team camaraderie,” Nisenzon said. “It’s also really a testament to how hard we’ve worked all season long to get to this point. Only a couple of games left in the season, and we really want to make them count.”
Rock South – the number two seed behind Pennridge - found itself playing its quarterfinal game at Hatfield Ice in front of a sparse crowd for the 6 p.m. game.
“We found that out – we just put our heads down and kept grinding for it,” Weiner said. “Our seeding doesn’t matter to us.
“We have a target on our back. Coming in, we’d just won 2-for-2 in the SHSHL, and everybody wants to beat us. We’re grinding – not letting the fans or anybody on the ice get in our heads Our whole team is seniors, and we just want to win for them. They’ve been here before and lost – they don’t want to go out on a loss again.”
There was plenty of credit to go around after Thursday’s win.
“Tonight I thought Kevin Mostoller stepped up well, Jake (Weiner) stepped up really good, Jimmy Dilulio has been playing lights out for me – he just goes out there and works hard,” Houk said. “And our goaltending - Trevor Rakszawski has been lights out right now, and I’m riding his coattails. When you’re not facing a ton of shots, it’s hard.
“I always tell the kids – ‘The only thing that’s going to beat you is yourselves.’ If you keep your composure and continue doing what you’re doing, and you listen to what I’m telling you, you have no problem.”
Rakszawski turned away 18 of 19 shots he faced to earn the win in goal for the Golden Hawks, who held a 40-19 advantage in shots.
Council Rock South will face #3 Boyertown in next Thursday’s Flyers Cup semifinal.
Cherokee 1-0-0 1
Council Rock South 3-2-2 7
Shots: Cherokee 19, CRS 40. Saves: Liam Flynn (C) 33, Trevor Rakszawski (CRS) 18.
First period: 1. Illia Muhkin CRS (Jake Weiner) 15:02; 2. Luke Resto C (Anthony Jentsch) 7:47; 3. Kevin Koles CRS (Chase Tovsky/Blaize Pepe) 5:06; 4. Jake Weiner CRS (Peter Pereborow) 3:01.
Second period: 5. Blaize Pepe CRS (Kevin Koles/Chase Tovsky) 3:17; 6. Jake Weiner CRS (Kevin Koles) 1:53.
Third period: 7. Jake Weiner CRS (Kevin Koles/Illia Muhkin) 12:06; 8. Blaize Pepe CRS (Chase Tovsky/Kevin Koles) 7:27.
#1 PENNRIDGE 5, #9 DOWNINGTOWN EAST 2
Win and advance.
Pennridge did just that in a quarterfinal contest at Hatfield Ice.
The Cougars struck first, but the top-seeded Rams answered with three straight goals on their way to the win.
Parker Nassour put the Cougars on the scoreboard with just over five minutes remaining in the first period, but it took the Rams less than two minutes to score the equalizer when Shane Dachowski found the net with an assist from Andrew Savona. The two teams went into the second period deadlocked 1-1.
Colin Dachowski turned a Kevin Pico pass into a goal six-and-a-half minutes into the second period, and with 28 seconds remaining in the period, Pico scored with assists from Shane Dachowski and Nick Young, putting the Rams on top 3-1 heading into the final period.
A goal by Downingtown East’s Brody Matthews seven minutes into the third period made it a one-goal game, but the Rams closed it out with back-to-back goals by John Mikulich (Tyler Manto assist) and Savona (Shane Dachowski assist) for the 5-2 final.
Jacob Winton was credited with 22 saves in goal to earn the win in goal for the Rams.
Pennridge will face #4 Downingtown West in Thursday’s semifinal. The Whippets defeated #5 Haverford 8-2 in a quarterfinal contest.
Downingtown East 1-0-1 2
Pennridge 1-2-2 5
Shots: DE 24, Pennridge 47. Saves: Basil Hemberger (DE) 42, Jacob Winton 22.
First period: 1. Parker Nassour DE (Christian McCuch/Dylan Miller) 5:21; 2. Shane Dachowski P (Andrew Savona) 3:41.
Second period: 3. Colin Dachowski P (Kevin Pico) 10:22; 4. Kevin Pico P (Shane Dachowski/Nick Young) 00:28.
Third period: 5. Brody Matthews DE (Thomas Wolf/Dylan Miller) 9:54; 6. John Mikulich P (Tyler Manto) 7:31; 7. Andrew Savona P (Shane Dachowski) 00:33.
#3 BOYERTOWN 4, #6 CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 1
The Titans saw their season come to an end in Thursday’s quarterfinal round in a game that was a whole lot closer than the final score suggests.
The Titans, despite holding an 11-10 edge in shots, trailed 1-0 after one period. Boyertown’s Logan Brown scored a short-handed goal six minutes into the contest for the only goal of the opening period.
Ryan McCuffin (Bryce Derstine assist) scored a shorthanded midway through the second period to send the Bears into the final quarter with a 2-0 lead.
The Bears’ lead grew to 3-0 after a McGuffin goal in the opening minute of the third period. Four minutes later, South’s Joey Slobodrian scored with assists from Peter Herring and DJ Lindenmuth to make it a 3-1 game, but the Bears got that goal back when Luke Hennessey scored with seven minutes remaining in regulation for the 4-1 final.
Boyertown goalie Tyler Griffith negated the Titans’ 28-22 advantage in shots with a 27-save effort.
Central Bucks South 0-0-1 1
Boyertown 1-1-2 4
Shots: CBS 28, Boyertown 22. Saves: Nathan Napolitano (CBS) 27, Tyler Griffith (B) 18.
First period: 1. Logan Brown B, 10:45.
Second period: 2. Ryan McGuffin B (Bryce Derstine) 8:15.
third period: 3. Ryan McGuffin B (Chase Ebersole) 16:25; 4. Joey Slobodrian CBS (Peter Herring/DJ Lindenmuth) 12:39; 5. Luke Hennessey B (Bryce Derstine/Noah Cutillo) 7:02.
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