By GORDON GLANTZ
In the whacky world of sports, a year can be an eternity.
Take, for example, the Bensalem ice hockey team.
Last season, the program was resurrected after being dormant for an approximate decade.
As expected, the Owls took their lumps and were content to skate away with three wins and point to better things down the road.
Despite being somewhat undermanned in comparison to some other teams in the SHSHL, the future is suddenly now.
The Owls have already achieved the unimaginable by knocking off Pennridge, the defending state champion.
“It was probably the worst warmup I have ever seen,” said second-year coach Jordan Roth. “I got them in a little huddle before the game. I said, ‘Hey, if you don’t want to play, I’m cool to go back home and go to bed.’ It was 9:15 on a school night. We didn’t get done until 11:30. My glasses broke. We were just so excited.
“They showed up. They shot the puck. They were having fun. They weren’t being rude to one another on the bench or anything like that. They were there to play hockey. They were just playing the system. They were getting pucks deep. We were not being a one-man show.”
Team captain and top sniper Alex Hood (14 goals, 3 assists) added that the best part of the win was that everyone played a role in it.
“It took everybody on the team to beat them,” said Hood, who plans to play at the next level. “(Goalie) Ricky Gonzalez really stood on his head. We just came out with an attitude like we had nothing to lose, and I think that’s why we were able to beat them.”
That was followed up with another win, 7-5 over C.B. East before the bottom fell out in a 9-4 loss to Souderton, dropping their early record to 2-5.
“It was very disappointing,” said Roth. “We have dug ourselves a big, big hole but we have nothing to lose.”
The lesson, heading into the holiday respite, is that there is no one they can’t beat and no one they can take for granted in a National Division with a lot of parity in the early going.
“I think we can take every game as a lesson, whether we win or lose,” said Hood. “I think there was a lot of stuff for us to clean up in the loss, for everybody on the team, but I think we can learn from that game and use it in our next game (CB East, Jan. 6).”
For Roth, it is pretty much the same outlook, with lack of bodies being the main concern.
“There is a lot of season left, a lot of hockey left, we’re surviving,” said Roth. “My roster, last year, was small. This year, it is also small, but my studs are growing and their stamina is completely high. While it’s hard, I’m just so proud of them.
“There are 50 minutes in a game, and some are playing up to 45 minutes. If I had just two more players who played club hockey, we would be a force to be reckoned with. We’re surviving.”
Under the Hood
While Roth relies heavily on 9 of his 13 rostered players, the conversation begins with Hood, his junior captain.
“He wears his heart on his sleeve,” said Roth. “He and I have a relationship where we talk to each other and I make sure he is getting his water.
“He leads by example. He is just a great kid, who will do anything and everything that you could ever ask for. He just puts his time in and works so hard.”
Hood began playing the game as a toddler, and plays for both Bensalem and the Mercer (NJ) Chiefs.
The time he spent in the offseason appears to be paying dividends on the stat sheet.
“This year, I have been scoring a lot more for Bensalem and for club,” he said. “I’ve been scoring some more cleaner goals, not as many dirty goals. I was on the ice a lot this summer and practiced my shot, and I think that has helped me a little bit.”
Despite his torrid output, Hood is more concerned about the final outcome than individual numbers.
“I’m more interested in us winning as a team,” said the 5-8, 155-pounder. “I want to win with this group of guys. We only have two wins so far this year, but we have made a lot of improvements and I’m really proud of the guys.”
The other player Roth was quick to mention was none other than Hood’s closest friend, goalie Ricky Gonzalez.
To the naked eye, Gonzalez’s numbers (5.27 goals against average, .828 save percentage) are nothing that jumps off the stat sheet.
But seeing is believing.
“He faces a lot of shots,” said Roth, adding that the team doesn’t even have a backup goalie. “My message to him is, ‘See puck, stop puck.’ He just brings it. Without him, we don’t have a team.”
His younger brother, freshman Lucas Gonzalez (3 goals, 2 assists), is also a close friend of Hood’s and a welcome addition to this year’s nucleus.
“He’s a young kid, but he’s a fantastic player,” said Roth. “He will go into the corners and do all the dirty work and get rewarded with the puck going in the net. He just buys in.”
Another core player, sophomore defenseman Alex Bazylevich (1 goal 5 assists), is seen as a team-first player who will lay his body on the line for the cause.
“He blocks shots like you wouldn’t believe,” said Roth. “He also wears his heart on his sleeve for you.”
Because of the numbers game, none of Roth’s skaters are locked in at any position.
“My players play anywhere,” said Roth, who is grateful for the steadying presence of assistant coach Art Mackley, the father of senior Danny Mackley (2 goals, 4 assists). “I have been playing hockey all of my life. If you have the right 8-9 players, you are going to win a game.
“We are in every game. But, once the third period hits, we are tired.”
According to Hood, being together as a unit since last year helps in the rough times.
“I think we have really grown well as a team, and I think we’re pretty tight,” he said. “I think it is our love for the sport that keeps us together and keeps us in these games. We’re a very positive team that has grown together. It has really shown this year, and it’s really fun to be a part of.
“A lot of teams look at us as an easy opponent. We are just going in with a nothing-to-lose attitude, and that propels us to want to win even more.”
Starting Over
Roth’s hockey background and the fact that he was a teacher of special education (K-2) in the district made him a natural fit when he was approached about coaching the team as a start-up last season.
“I’m a teacher, it just goes with the passion,” he said. “I just love the idea of helping kids succeed and seeing players develop.
“This is super important. They need to have that outlet. They need to know what it’s like to represent your school. They need to have that culture. Hopefully, we are giving them the opportunity to embrace the memories they are making and, with the work ethic, that they are getting in what they are putting out.”
Hood reflects back on the formation of the squad and is glad it all came together.
“We had the numbers from the freshman class coming up, so we were able to start the team,” he said. “We had Ricky Gonzalez in net. That was the biggest factor with the team.
“Jordan Roth, our head coach, he saw we had the interest. He really loves hockey, and he really has given up his time and effort to us, and we see how dedicated he is to us. That’s how we started it all.”
As they continue to try and gain more equilibrium, the Owls will attempt to be a team that nobody looks past.
“We are a very gritty team,” said Roth. “We like to be in your face and be a hard team to play against each game. I like to do a 1-2-2. I want them to be aggressive and to have some pride. That’s why I was upset after the last game (against Souderton). If we had won the game, we’d really be in good shape right now.
“It’s really more of a pride thing. It’s about respecting your teammates. Everything happens before you get to the rink. You have to respect your opponent. We have to be able to play a full three periods. If we take one shift off, it’s that much harder for us to gain momentum back. It’s that much harder to reset. We don’t have a reset button.”
Looking Ahead
While the Owls are feeling confident they can at least be in the .500 range, the program will not only have key players returning, but a pipeline in place.
“We have a middle school team,” said Roth, who stretches himself thin by playing guitar on the weekends and refereeing games for extra cash. “There is a stud on the middle school team. He is currently in 8th grade, but the hard part is that he might go to (Holy Ghost Prep) or to La Salle. It’s tough.
“There were teams at Bensalem in the past, but there was no consistency. There would be a team for five years, and then it would fold. There would be a team for 10-15 years, and then it would fold. Now, you know, we’re back at it and trying to keep it consistent.”
Without question, Hood not going to a private school and taking a chance on a fledgling Bensalem program was gargantuan in getting it all off the ground.
Roth is eternally grateful for his loyalty.
“I credit a true Bensalem Owl,” said Roth. “His mom went to Bensalem, his dad went to Bensalem, his sisters went to Bensalem. He went to the elementary school where I actually teach. I’m just lucky to have him. He better not be going anywhere at this point.”
Roth says the development of the middle school program, even with Hood just playing club hockey, provided the impetus to give it a go last season.
“They had a nucleus of guys there, and I kept trying to advertise as much as I could to try and get kids,” he said. “I’m going to have a good core of players for next year, but I’m going to really need a few more players to keep it going. We could be a force, but we need the bodies. We are just trying to get by.
“We are just taking it one shift at a time.”
The Leader Board
At 14 goals, Hood sits tied for second in the league, along with Abington’s Pat Stelacio, one behind Pennsbury’s Brendan Macainish, who leads the league with 25 points.
Quakertown’s Brendan McNally is next with 13 tallies. Tied with 12 each are Seth Grossman (Souderton), Will Hussa (Wissahickon), Matthew Flynn (PW) and Matthew Kramer (Abington).
In terms of helpers, David Branigan (PW) and Ian Heydt (Abington) lead the circuit with 12 each while Stelecio and Andrew Savona (Pennridge) each have 10.
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