Ben Reese recaps the action at Wednesday’s Pennridge/CB West contest.
By Ben Reese
HATFIELD — Pennridge and Central Bucks West played an ice hockey game on Wednesday night at Hatfield Ice.
Pennridge won the game 10-2, scoring three goals in the first and second period and adding four in the third while holding the Bucks to single goals in the second and third stanzas. The Rams outshot West 81-15, so, as is quite obvious, the game was lopsided.
However, these two teams share some similarities. Pennridge is trying to get back to the level it has held in two of the last three years, winning the state championship in both 2022 and 2024.
CB West is just trying to regain some of the momentum it has held in past seasons. So far this year, the Bucks haven’t won a game, but they haven’t given up either.
It’s not an easy task for either team. They are both attempting to regroup and advance this season.
Pennridge coach Jeff Montagna was asked how difficult it has been to bring this championship team together after losing so many quality players, players who participated on both title-winning teams.
“I don’t think it’s been hard,” Montagna said. “We’ve had a formula; that formula has had success.
“A lot of the guys that are here have been here, and they know what that formula is. The hard part has been getting guys to understand that they don’t have to replace the guys that left.”
It must be working because the Rams are right near the top of the National Division of the Suburban High School Hockey League.
Shane Dachowki, the last remaining big scorer from past teams, realizes that things will be different without his brother Colin, Kevin Pico, Andrew Savona and Tyler Manto among others. He also knows that things are going to work out.
“It’s definitely harder, but you just have to keep going,” he said. “Of course, it’s going to be harder because of how great they were.
“As long as we stick to the game plan and everyone does the little things, we’ll be fine. (The new guys) are doing great. They are scoring a lot, and they are going to have to step up and I think they are doing a pretty good job right now.”
Dave Baun, the CB West coach, really has a different side of the problem. He is trying to build up a program which has been down the past few years.
“It’s emotionally trying for the coaches and some of the players,” Baun said. “We all recognize that this is a cyclical game that we’re playing.
“We all have our ups and downs. If someone is losing all the time, then something is wrong with the system.
“In our division, in the last 10 years, I believe that every single team in our division has won the championship. That’s the way it should work.
“This year isn’t our year, but we’re hoping in the next couple it will be. We’ve got some good players coming into the program, and we have more players coming into the program. I’m optimistic.”
So, back to the game.
Pennridge opened the scoring at the 4:22 mark of the first period when James Rush scored against CB West goalie Isaac Mays with an assist from Jared Garber. Just over that 10 minutes later, Rush added another goal, this time with help from Landan Bishop and Sal Daquino.
With one second left in the period, Dhilan Howard finished up the first period scoring. The Rams held a 3-0 lead going into the second period.
Rush completed a hat trick with only 30 seconds gone in the third with assists from Dachowski and Bishop. The Rams put two more goals on the board, one each from Justin Dinsmore and Nolan Shaw.
But sandwiched in between the first and second Pennridge goals was one by Anthony Dowd for the Bucks. He beat Rams’ goalie Andrew Slutsky with only 1:58 elapsed in the second.
The third period started out like a shootout. Within the first 4:49 of the period, three goals were scored.
The Bucks’ Alex Korolev got the first one at the 3:44 mark. The next two went to the Rams, Rush adding his fourth marker at 4:04 and Sachowski scoring at 4:49. The final two goals for Pennridge were tallied by Kaden Gunning on the power play and Dachowski shorthanded.
“We’re not what we were,” said Montagna. “So we can’t pretend that we are.
“I’ve stressed to them from day one that we have to be different but not lose that formula of how we do things, how we’ve done things the last five years, not just the last three.
“It hasn’t been hard. It’s been different.”
Pennridge 10, CB West 2
CB West 0 1 1 — 2
Pennridge 3 3 4 — 10
First period: 1, James Rush P (Jared Garber) 4:22; 2, Rush P (Landan Bishop, Sal Daquino) 14:23; 3, Dhilan Howard P (Kaden Gunning) 16:59.
Second period: 4, Rush P (Shane Dachowski, Bishop) 0:30; 5, Anthony Dowd CBW (Jack Misoda, Tessa O’Keefe) 1:58. 6, Justin Dinsmore P (Garber, Bishop) 4:17; 7, Nolan Shaw P (Dachowski) 10:08.
Third period: 8, Alex Korolev CBW (Brandon March) 3:44; 9, Rush P (unassisted) 4:04; 10, Dachowski P (Rush, Garber) 4:49; 11, Gunning P (Daquino, Nicholas Young) 7:01PP; 12, Dachowski P (Rush, Young) 14:26 SH.
Shots: CBW 15, P 81. Saves: Isaac Mays (CBW) 71, Andrew Slutsky (P) 13.
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