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By Ben Reese
HATFIELD — The game was like a yoyo.
It went up and down. First one team took control and then the other team came back to take the lead only to see the first team rebound to tie the game.
That sent the game to overtime. In the extra period, Council Rock North, the No. 5 seed in the SHSHL playoffs, scored with 5:05 gone to grab a 4-3 victory over No. 4 seed Central Bucks South.
The Indians rushed out to a dominant 2-0 lead in the first period. They stymied every attempt at a goal by the Titans in the opening 17 minutes.
South came roaring back in the second, scoring three times to take a 3-2 lead into the third period. Rock North evened things up in the third to send it into overtime.
From there, the Indians once again took over. Zach Weissman ended the game five minutes into OT with a goal off an assist from Wilton Pasch.
“I picked (the puck) up at the blue line when we were breaking it out,” Weissman said. “I chipped it up the boards to their far blue line and I just crashed the net like a normal play.
“I knew the stakes, but I crashed like a normal play. I couldn’t give up. It bounced to my stick, so I put it in the back of the net. Considering the stakes, the first round of the playoffs, it’s the best goal I’ve scored.”
Was there anything set up special for the overtime period, coach Greg McDonald was asked.
“Some of it was to just create offense off the transition in the neutral zone,” McDonald said. “There was nothing special in that.
“What happened was guys just blocking shots, making a play at the blue line. (Making) hockey plays up and down the ice.”
Your team dominated play in the first period. How?
“We leaned on certain guys,” McDonald said. “They were fresh in the first period. That’s all it was.”
“They were winning the one-on-one battles early in the first period,” CB South coach Shaun McGinty said. “They owned the first period.”
But, then in the second period, South grabbed the momentum.
“We were able to bounce back in the second,” McGinty said, “get shot totals up and get that lead.”
The Indians faded in the second period after the domination of the first.
“I think we pushed the guys a little too much too early,” McDonald explained. “I think the long sheet of ice cost us. We had a couple guys out there for three minutes at a time.”
Then in the third, Rock North rallied. The Indians evened the score with slightly more than four minutes remaining in the stanza on a goal by Noah Epstein CRN (Zach Weissman and Nicholas Hahn assists)
“We killed off two penalties, (one a) five-on-three,” said McGinty, “and after that, they controlled it. Our goalie was keeping us in it, but we just couldn’t get the bounce. Unfortunately, that’s the way the game goes sometimes.”
The win propels the Indians into the AA semifinals on Wednesday, March 2. The defeat ends the SHSHL season for the Titans.
Weissman is excited about continuing to play.
“We’ve always been the underdog this season,” he said. “(We) started off with not a good record.
“We’ve been on a winning streak. We’re just all clicking. When we pass the puck and play as a team, we’re really dangerous. We shouldn’t be doubted by anyone.”
The Indians broke out of the gate quickly. Karson Gainey scored a short-handed goal with 3:03 gone in the first period and then Jackson Mosely added a power play marker at the 10:45 mark.
South came rushing back in the second period. The Titans scored three goals – the first by Colin Mendham and then back-to-back goals by Aidan Gaffney - while keeping North off the scoreboard.
The lone tally in the third period belonged to the Indians as did the game-winner in overtime.
CR North 4, CB South 3
CR North 2 0 1 1 — 4
CB South 0 3 0 0 — 3
First period: 1, Karson Gainey CRN (Nicholas Hahn) 3:03 SH; 2, Jackson Mosely CRN (Jackson Accardi) 10:45 PP.
Second period: 3, Colin Mendham CBS (DJ Lindenmuth) 4:14; 4, Aidan Gaffney CBS (Adam Cusick) 10:14; 5, Gaffney CBS (unassisted) 16:16.
Third period: 6, Noah Epstein CRN (Zach Weissman, Nicholas Hahn) 12:22.
Overtime: 7, Weissman CRN (Wilson Pasch) 5:05.
Shots: CRN 20, CBS 28. Saves: Ian Goldberg (CRN) 25, Jason Magaruh (CBS) 16.
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