COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH vs. COUNCIL ROCK NORTH
This is the matchup that most expected. And the matchup everyone wants to see.
Council Rock North and Council Rock South ... rivals, club teammates, top two teams in the SHSHL National Division, if not in the league itself ... meeting once again with the Varsity AA championship on the line.
The two teams have already provided two stellar games this season, and nothing less than two or three more tightly played battles are expected from the finals.
"You want to finish on top for bragging rights. But it's all good, clean hockey," said South coach Joe Houk. "A lot of these kids on both teams know each other, they play together on club teams. I've been friends with (North coach) Eric Tye for 20 years."
While both teams boast high-octane offenses (five of the top 10 league scoring leaders are on either South or North), both coaches expect the upcoming series to be low-scoring affairs. And that can be directly attributed to the masked men between the pipes.
"I've been saying for the last two years, I've got the best goalie in all of high school hockey," Tye said of his senior netminder, Jessie Goldberg. "He's been here four years, and I've never seen him as focused as he is right now. I've never seen him this hot. He's let up more than two goals in a game three times this year. And it's not just him, the five guys in front of him do the job, too."
Goldberg has a shutout to his name this season as well as seven games (including two in the playoffs) in which he's allowed only one goal.
"Any high-scoring games I think are going to be a fluke," Houk said. "Jessie's a hell of a goaltender. If he stands on his head, it's going to be hard to get one by him."
Of course, Houk has a pretty solid netminder in senior Sean Boyd, who has posted a shutout and had five games in which he allowed just one goal, as well as a very capable backup in David Chiokadze, who has a pair of goose-eggs this season.
"Sean's the senior, he's earned it, and we're going with him right now," Houk said. "Sean's been awesome all season. Even in the playoff game against Central Bucks South (a 7-4 Golden Hawks' victory), he got stronger and stronger as the game went on."
Another key to this series, according to both coaches, may not be their respective top offensive lines, but rather getting production out of the second and third lines.
"Our third line knows what their role is, they give the others a breather," Tye said. "That third line is key: AJ Garboski (2 goals,1 assist), Jim McKenzie (1,2) and Alex Trier (2, 5). They do a good job. And it's not like they're playing every third shift. They can sit while we're shifting the first line then the second line then first line again. But they make the plays when they're out there. And they're the biggest cheerleaders on the bench. This is a good learning experience for those guys."
Houk echoed the sentiment in regards to his squad.
"My second and third lines will be key," he said. "They're the most important assets of the team. Our first line is going to be there. The defense is always there. But if we can get great production out of the other guys, that's the key. A lot of the games, (opposing teams) try to shut down your number one line, we've had a lot of guys scoring and contributing."
Both teams will be looking to take a quick start in the series and take control with a Game 1 win. While the Golden Hawks are flying high with five straight wins (by a combined score of 33-11), the Indians have won seven of their past eight games, including a thrilling overtime victory over Pennsbury to clinch a berth in the finals.
"To go through what they did last week, playing a game late Wednesday (a 4-1 win over Pennridge) and then playing 5 p.m. Thursday and going to overtime, that's growing up lessons right there," Tye said. "We're where we need to be right now."
As far as injuries go, the Hawks enter the series without Jonathan Houk, who is likely out for the rest of the season with a broken collarbone. Zack Goodman is expected to be ready to play in the series opener.
And as with all playoff series -- and local rivalries -- past games mean nothing. All that matters now is winning two of the next three games. Both teams are ready. Both teams want it. Both believe they're capable of winning the championship.
Still, neither coach wanted to provide any added incentive to the opposition, choosing instead to focus on the respect and skill that will be on display in the Varsity AA final.
"It's going to be hard-nosed and physical," Houk said. "It should be interesting. We're excited. If North is at the top of their game, it's going to be really tough. But my guys have been through this all before, with the playoffs and the Flyers Cup. We'll be ready."
"The biggest concern is winning the Suburban League championship, that's the goal every team has," Tye said. "The next goal is the most important -- you've got the Flyers Cup coming up, and you put the best two teams in the league, everyone expects it to go three games, we're going to be beating the hell out of each other, the goal is for both teams to come out healthy.
"But Council Rock South expects to win and Council Rock North expects to win. I expect them all to be close games, I don't predict any blowouts. But I do believe that Game 1 is huge. Whoever wins Game 1 and then has two days to rest is really in the driver's seat."
Regular season records
Council Rock South 19-0-3 (21-0-3 overall) for 41 points, first in National Division
Council Rock North 19-2-1 (21-2-1 overall) for 39 points, second in National Division
Goals scored: Council Rock South 142, Council Rock North 120
Goals allowed: Council Rock North 43, Council Rock South 44
Season series
Nov. 25 Council Rock South 2, Council Rock North 2
Jan. 22 Council Rock South 3, Council Rock North 1
Scoring leaders
Council Rock South: Patrick Grilli (40 goals, 35 assists); Tyler Dietrick (23, 47); Peter Malamud (24, 45)
Council Rock North: Scott Titus (25, 36); Kyle Weitz (35, 17); Thomas Elmer (17, 25)
Playoffs
Council Rock North def. Pennridge, 4-1 (Feb. 24)
Council Rock South def. Abington, 5-0
Council Rock North def. Pennsbury, 2-1 OT (Feb. 25)
Council Rock South def. Central Bucks South, 7-4
Varsity AA Finals
March 1, Council Rock North at Council Rock South, 6:50 p.m., Face-Off Circle
March 4, Council Rock South at Council RockNorth, 7 p.m., Face-Off Circle
March 5, Council Rock North at Council Rock South, 7:20 p.m., Face-Off Circle (if necessary)
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