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By Ben Reese
WARMINSTER — It might seem odd to say that an ice hockey team that had only six skaters and a goalie was heroic. But that is the way it seemed.
Bensalem only had enough skaters to put three forwards and two defensemen plus the goalie on the ice and it showed in a 7-1 loss to Council Rock South on Friday night at Bucks County Ice.
In fact, both teams were missing quite a few players. The Golden Hawks were split just about evenly between varsity and junior varsity players.
But that is where depth comes in. Unfortunately for the Owls, depth is something they don’t have.
At least four Bensalem players went the entire route, staying on the ice for all 51 minutes of the game. And another, Alex Hood, played 49 minutes, spending two minutes in the penalty box.
“I had multiple players (who played all 51 minutes),” said Bensalem coach Jordan Roth. “I’m so proud of them.”
Rock South coach Joe Houk appreciated what was taking place on the ice.
“They’re playing real good,” he said of Bensalem. “For six guys, they’re playing real solid.
“For six guys they really played a solid game. We’re deep enough we can (weather that problem). We’ve got a bunch of jayvee guys up and they played well.”
Even Rock South goalie Carson Lopez noticed the paucity of Owl skaters. He made sure to try to tire them out as much as he could.
“My strategy was to just play the puck as much as possible,” he said, meaning stopping the puck before in crossed the line, negating an icing call and a stoppage. “The more whistles they got, the more breaks they got.
“That isn’t a bad team. If you underestimate, them they are going to come out and make you pay for it. Six guys, 12 guys, 20 guys, you’ve got to play the same.”
So playing all the icing attempts was planned?
“That was the strategy,” he repeated. “Make them as tired as possible, play to their weaknesses.
“A team with six guys, it’s hard to keep your energy. You saw Alex Basylevich, he was laying down half the game in his own zone. I think that was partly due to the constant play and no stoppages.”
So, Coach Roth, how do you get more players?
“I’m a teacher in the district,” he said, “and I’ve got some things I want to do. I want to recruit more at the middle school level and see who is in the 19020 zip code that can ice skate. They’re on the team.”
Houk was concerned about his own team’s attitude to the Bensalem six.
“In games like this, you’ve got to watch,” the Golden Hawks’ coach said. “You get kids getting selfish and not doing stuff you’re supposed to do.”
In the long run, Houk didn’t have to worry too much.
In the first period, the Golden Hawks got a lead at the 15:19 mark when freshman Jake Weiner, off an assist from Jake Maurer, slid the puck past Bensalem goalie Ricky Gonzalez.
Things picked up in the second stanza. South scored the first three goals of the period in two minutes and 46 seconds to take a lead it would not lose.
Bobby Gilbert opened things up in the second, scoring at 3:32. Weiner followed with his second goal of the game at 5:42 and Jonah Weston added the third marker of the stanza at 6:18.
Bazylevich notched the lone goal for the Owls on the power play at 7:46. Cole Gainsley finished things up in the second for the Eagles at the 11:46 mark.
Council Rick South scored the only two goals of the third period. Gilbert got his second goal of the game at 3:22 and then finished off his hat trick with eight seconds left on the clock.
“We had a rough couple weeks but we’re getting back to the mojo again,” Houk said. “I thought the first period was very, very slow.
“Carson made a couple good saves and we started moving the puck around. All in all, I think it was a pretty good effort.”
Council Rock South 7, Bensalem 1
Bensalem 0 1 0 — 1
Council Rock South 1 4 2 — 7
First period: 1, Jake Weiner CRS (Jake Maurer) 15:19.
Second period: 2, Bobby Gilbert CRS (Dan Filippov) 3:32; 3, Weiner CRS (Jeremy Rayher, James Dilulio) 5:42; 4, Jonah Weston CRS (Gilbert) 6:18; 5, Alex Bazylevich B (unassisted) 7:46 PP; 6, Cole Gainsley CRS (Peter Pereborow)11:46.
Third period: 7, Gilbert CRS (Weston) 3:22; 8, Gilbert CRS (Weston)16:52.
Shots: B 26, CRS 60. Saves: Ricky Gonzalez (B) 53, Carson Lopez (CRS) 25.
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