Photo courtesy of Tracy Valko: https://solsports.zenfolio.com/f710114994
By Ben Reese
HATFIELD — It might have been the biggest game of the season for the Pennridge ice hockey team.
Maybe bigger than the first game against Central Bucks South, which the Rams won 3-2. Maybe even bigger than the early season 7-3 win over Council Rock South.
This one, a 7-1 victory over the Titans at Hatfield Ice, clinched the top seed for the Suburban High School Hockey League playoffs that begin next week. It was a win - especially after last week’s 8-7 overtime loss to Rock South –Pennridge really needed.
“It was huge,” said Andrew Savona, who scored four goals in the game. “In the last game of the season to put up that many goals and get that first seed locked in, it’s going to help us so much more in the playoffs, give us more confidence and keep us going. As long as we stay on the ice and do good at practice, I think we should be good.”
This despite a one-week layoff gained as the No. 1 seed.
For Pennridge coach Jeff Montagna, it was the culmination of a season of trying to keep the team focused on the ultimate goals - the league championship and the Flyers Cup title. And this game couldn’t have come at a better time.
“Tonight was probably our best game of the year,” Montagna said. “The one thing this team does really well is, when a goal is in front of them and they know what they are playing for, they take it to a different level.
“They’ve done that for three years; they did it tonight. It was a great game all around.”
Sparking the victory was the Rams’ first line of Savona, Kevin Pico and Shane Dachowski. In addition to Savona’s four markers, Dachowski netted two goals and Pico contributed two assists.
“You can watch high school hockey for a long time and you’re not going to find a better line that those three,” said Montagna. “It’s amazing some of the things they do on the ice.
“That last goal that Andrew scored, I don’t know if there is another player in the league who could pull that off. It was an incredible goal.”
The tally that the coach is referring to came in the third period. Savona swept in on Titan goalie Nathan Napolitano, fired a shot, got the rebound and as he was almost skating away from the goal on the right side and at a very bad angle, beat the goalie.
“It’s almost become routine,” Montagna continued. “You try not to take it for granted, but you see it every game.
“They are the focus of every single team we play, and it doesn’t matter. They are a special, special line.
“This is the best line I’ve seen in high school hockey in this area in 20, 30 years. I don’t know how you can be any better than this line is.”
In the first period, Shane Dachowski started the scoring off for the Rams. He took a pass from Pico and beat Napolitano at the 14:34 mark.
Things got really goofy for the Titans in the second period. Savona, James Rush and Savona again got the first three goals of the period, all short-handed, before Savona finished things off with an even-strength goal to finish off the period.
In the third, Savona again hit the scoring column with an unassisted goal at 8:18. Slightly more than two minutes later, CB South got its lone goal off the stick of Ryan Montagna, the Ram coach’s nephew, before Dachowski ended it at 15:08.
Titan coach Shaun McGinty wasn’t pleased with his team’s performance.
“You’ve got to show up,” he said. “We lost 3-0; we lost three periods in a row.
“We gave up two short-handed goals (actually three) and had four power plays (in the second period). There is no mathematical equation that’s going to equal a W.
“It’s an extremely uphill battle when you’re trailing 5-0 going into the third period. It’s another lesson learned for the boys, and they’ve got to come ready to go.”
All of this leads up to the playoffs on Wednesday, Feb. 21. CB South, the third seed, will play Souderton, the sixth seed, at 7:20 at Hatfield Ice in the AA semifinals. That game will be followed by CB East, the fourth seed, playing fifth seed North Penn at 8:30 in the other semifinal.
The A semifinal will also be on Wednesday night. At Grundy, No. 3 Abington will take on No. 2 Bensalem at 7:20 p.m.
Pennridge 7, CB South 1
CB South 0 0 1 — 1
Pennridge 1 4 2 — 7
First period: 1, Shane Dachowski P (Kevin Pico) 14:34.
Second period: 2, Andrew Savona P (Pico) 1:47 SH; 3, James Rush P (unassisted) 2:04 SH; 4, Savona P (Pico, Colin Dachowski) 13:08 SH; 5, Savona P (Nick Young) 16:05.
Third period: 6, Savona P (unassisted) 8:18; 7, Ryan Montagna CBS (Colin Mendham, Sean Cutter) 10:24; 8, S. Dachowski P (Savona) 15:08.
Shots: CBS 31, P 37. Saves: Nathan Napolitano (CBS) 30, Jacob Winton (P) 30.
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