National Conference
Boyle anchors Falcons’ defense - When Jack Boyle stepped onto the ice as a freshman for Pennsbury, head coach Ryan Daley noticed a difference between Boyle and a typical freshman.
A big difference.
“When I first met Jack as a freshman, he was just as big and intimidating a player as he is now,” said Daley. “That was my first year as well, and I’m looking at Jack thinking, ‘There’s our physical game. There’s our big, physical defenseman to build around for the next four years.’”
And build they did. Then a young and inexperienced team, the Falcons took their share of lumps in Boyle’s freshman season. Over the next two years, as the team gained experience and the younger players added size, strength, and skill, the Falcons’ fortunes began to turn around.
It all led to the 2021 season—a season that almost didn’t happen, a schedule that was postponed due to the pandemic and very well could have been cancelled outright.
The Falcons are making the most of it. Sporting a 9-0-1 record and riding an 8-game winning streak, Pennsbury is enjoying the fruits of four years of labor.
“A big part of having a successful season is consistently working hard to improve overall,” said Boyle, an assistant captain on this year’s squad. “For a defenseman, it’s about getting quicker, making smarter plays, knowing when to use the body, when to go for the puck in corners. It’s all about learning the game better and making the smart decisions that will help the team.”
Smart, solid, and consistent play have defined the efforts of the Falcon blueliners this season, who have made big contributions in all three zones throughout the season. Juniors Reece Millman and Connor Coyne and sophomore Justin Marlin join Boyle as the top four defenseman, and their efforts allow for the explosive Falcon offense to take extra chances when they need to.
“Reece Millman is an absolute stud, he’s a really good player,” Daley said. “Justin is just a sophomore and he’s making such a big impact. Connor is a solid player who does a great job. We have a really nice, well-rounded defense.
“Having those guys back there plays a huge part for offense. It allows them to be confident that the defense has their back, so they’re able to try to make some riskier plays to try to set up some better scoring chances.”
And the quartet is proving to be just as adept at moving up on the play as they are in foiling an opponent’s rush down the ice. Millman is tied for team lead with 10 goals and is third in points with 14. Marlin has 5 goals and 5 assists to his credit this season, and Coyne has 3 goals and 5 assists.
“Coach has been great at encouraging the defense to play aggressively,” Boyle said. “He wants us to take shot when we have the opportunity. Reece is very fast, he’s a great stickhandler, he can move up and fit right in. The chemistry among everyone on the team is a huge part of the year. We’re all friends, we’ve played together before, we all know and trust each other.
“Overall though, we’ve just really been trying to focus, helping Marek (Jorgenson) out in front of the net, blocking shots, keeping kids outside, everything we’ve been working on the last four years, we’re just trying to do that and it’s paying off.”
Pennsbury will look to keep things rolling as they head into an emotional matchup with massive postseason implications. Pennsbury will host neighborhood rival Neshaminy at 7:20 pm tonight at Grundy Ice Arena. The teams meet in the annual Gannon Cup matchup, honoring the memories of Patrick Gannon and Phil Oseredzuk in what is certain to be an emotional game. In addition, the Falcons are out to avenge their only setback of the season, a 7-6 overtime loss in mid-January, and continue to gain momentum as the playoffs and Flyers Cup approaches. Neshaminy has been battling inconsistency down the stretch, but a second win over Pennsbury and regaining the Gannon Cup could serve as the perfect springboard into the postseason.
“I’m looking forward to it, I think it’s going to be one of the best games of the year,” Boyle said. “I know all the players are excited. We’re working hard, getting ready. Our energy is high, we’re always excited to be out on the ice. We’re looking to keep it going and to make a good run in the Flyers Cup.”
“Obviously this is a huge rivalry for us and a big event for both teams,” Daley said. “There are a lot of implications for Neshaminy for the playoffs, so this is huge for them. For us, we’re sitting at 9-0-1 and that 1 was a loss to Neshaminy. As hungry as they are, we’re just as hungry to get a little payback and end the season the right way.”
Continental Conference
Povizan leads young Indians - Sometimes a simple victory can make a world of difference.
And back-to-back wins can be the foundation for the future.
It hasn’t been the easiest of years for the Souderton hockey team. Young, inexperienced, and playing in a stacked conference, the squad had some rough outings in the early stages of the season. But as the year has progressed, improvements can be seen. A 10-0 season-opening loss to North Penn turned into a much more competitive 8-5 loss when the teams met for the second time a month later.
And after opening the season with seven consecutive losses, the Indians have not one, but two victories under their belts after a 4-2 win over Central Bucks West on March 5, followed six days later by a 2-1 overtime triumph against those same Bucks.
“This group is coming around,” said Souderton coach Ryan Uchniat. “We’ve had our ups and downs, but the past 4 or 5 games, I think they’ve grown accustomed to what they need to do in order to be competitive—trying to get those dirty goals, crashing the net, and backchecking.
“We played North Penn tight the second time we played them. We played Pennsbury tough. We’re hitting that growth stage right now.”
Captain Carter Povizan has played a huge role in the development of the team. A defensive lynchpin who can move up to offense if needed, the junior has provided a strong example the younger players with his work ethic, his versatility, and his consistent play.
“Carter is a guy who has floated around the lineup,” Uchniat said. “He’s played a little offense for us, but when he’s on D, he shuts it down. He’s that shutdown type of defenseman you need. He’s silky smooth, but he’s also physical, and he approaches game with a calm demeanor, he doesn’t get rattled.”
And Povizan has no preference as to where he lines up, so long as it’s on the ice with his teammates.
“Wherever coach wants me, I’ll play as long as I’m out there competing and having fun,” Povizan said. “I like playing offense just as much as defense. It’s fun to switch it up once in a while.”
The positive outlook and consistent play that Povizan brings has been a big help in the development of the younger players, as well as the team chemistry as a whole.
“You can definitely tell in the locker room lately, the mentality has changed, we have a lot more confidence,” he said. “Finally getting that first win after the start we had, it was amazing. And I think we’re going to build off of it. I think we have a really bright future. Next year is going to be another challenge, but I think this group is ready for the next step next year.”
Povizan is not alone in serving as an example for the younger players. Souderton is getting strong leadership from seniors Jaden Garrick, Cara Hockey, Thomas Thompson, and goalkeeper Amanda Kaminsky, who will be playing Division III hockey at King’s College next year. The underclassmen, highlighted by the game-changing abilities of freshman Seth Grossman (whose 14 goals place him among the top 5 in the league), are developing and gaining valuable experience and confidence down the stretch.
“Our seniors have been great leaders this year,” Povizan said. “And the freshmen and young guys have done a great job learning what it takes to play at this level. We really have a unique team this year. Everybody clicks and works well together.”
“We’ve got a couple sophomores out there who are looking more comfortable,” Uchniat added. “Timmy Alexander is a guy who just started playing hockey in seventh grade, and he’s second on the team in points. In the last game against West, he had both goals. He’s got wheels, and he’s getting better and better.”
If the late-season Souderton squad wants to see just how it stands with conference foes, the chances will be there. The Indians visit Central Bucks East tonight at 8:50 pm at Hatfield Gray, then close the season with two games against conference frontrunner Pennridge.
And after that, the sky could be the limit for this team.
“Next year I think will be a good year,” Povizan said. “We haven’t really done what we’ve wanted to do the last three years, we haven’t had a winning season since I’ve been here. Hopefully next year changes and can make things happen and make the playoffs.”
“Guys like Carter, Timmy, Seth, they’re going to be a big part of our game moving forward,” Uchniat said. “We have a young crop, but they’re working hard, doing things the right way, learning. I feel like next year is the year we turn it around.”
American Conference
There’s no doubt that Wissahickon boasts one of the most high-octane offenses the league has seen in years. Averaging well over 8 goals per game, and featuring three 20-plus-point scorers—including the remarkable Bryan Garry—the Trojan offense has rightfully garnered a lion’s share of attention this season.
But as is often the case, the unsung heroes for the first-place Trojans are fellows who toil in anonymity—the steady, solid blueliners who hustle and grind, sacrifice the body, and protect the defensive zone.
“They are the backbone of the team, they’re just stellar back there,” said Wissahickon coach Ken Harrington. “They’re so consistent, they’re so tough to get by, they rarely make mistakes.
“As explosive as our offense is with Bryan (league-leading 62 points) and Nick Hussa (38 points), I think we’ve also got two of the top three defensemen in the league with Nolan Ryan and Ty Schiff back there.”
Matt Winkowski and Konrad Foulk round out the top four. And while the Trojans possess a ton of talent, they don’t always have a ton of bodies. That can make for games full of double-shifting and extended time on the ice against teams looking to notch a win over the league-leading Trojans.
The defense is up to the task.
“Our defensemen make a united wall in front of the goalie,” Harrington said. “They prevent a lot of shots on goal, keep attackers well wide. They make it easy for our goaltenders.”
The defenders also know how to slide up and help out in the offensive zone. Ryan (8 points), Schiff (7 points), Foulk (5 points) and Winkowski (4 points) are all contributing on the scoresheets as well, and that’s important as the postseason fast approaches and the intensity of games and quality of opponents rise.
“We’ve been working on them to communicate with the forwards, tell them to throw puck backwards to help slow things down and set up plays or rushes,” Harrington said. “And we’re working with the offense, throw it back to the D to eat up time and try to create passing lanes.
“We want to be smart. A lot of times in club or high school hockey, guys try to go end to end, and several of them can do it. We’ve been teaching puck possession. We need time to rest, when we’re going up against a team that has 20 guys on the roster, we need to be able to slow it down and let the guys on the bench catch their breath before they get back out there again. And it’s working. We’re scoring even more lately because we’re sharing the puck more.”
Garry—who leads the league in goals (37), assists (25), and points (62)—is joined by Nick Hussa (16G, 22A, 38P), Daniel Glazer (12G, 10A, 22P), and AJ Pounds (9G, 9A, 18P) as part of a nearly unstoppable attack that scored at least 8 goals in 8 of 11 games coming into this week.
“We’ve got a lot of talent up front,” Harrington said. “Bryan and Nick are just so talented. But we’re not just relying on those guys. We’re getting contributions from everyone.”
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