Ben Reese recaps all the action in North Penn’s 4-3 overtime win over Pennridge in SHSHL ice hockey action Wednesday. Photos provided courtesy of Tracy Valko. Check back for galleries of photos: https://solsports.zenfolio.com/f833388304
NORTH PENN 4, PENNRIDGE 3
By Ben Reese
HATFIELD — James Boyle is a defenseman for the North Penn ice hockey team.
That statement isn’t earth-shattering without another word added to it. The word is last.
James Boyle is the last defenseman (named Boyle) on the North Penn ice hockey team, which beat Pennridge Wednesday night at Hatfield Ice 4-3 in overtime. On a goal from — James Boyle.
With 1:45 gone in the five-minute overtime period, Boyle beat Pennridge goalie Jacob Winton to the blocker side up high. It ended a very good, close hockey game.
What happened on that goal, James?
“They were coming back on us,” he said. “I just poked it away.
“I was trying to make something happen. I was able to pick the corner and score.”
Why the upper right corner of the net?
“(I was) just reading the goalie, seeing where he was,” Boyle explained. “I was moving right so he was coming with me, so I went to the opposite side.”
Pennridge coach Jeff Montagna had nothing but praise for Boyle.
“A great player made a great play to win it,” Montagna said. “Boyle’s a great player. He made a great play and put the puck in a perfect spot.”
Boyle’s coach, Kevin Vaitis, couldn’t stop smiling.
“What’s there to say about Mr. Boyle,” he asked. “(He’s) one of the best players in the league, one of the top defensemen, if not THE top defensemen in the league.
“The guy brings it every game. He lives for these games. He gets up for these games.
“I knew going into this game he was going to have a great game. We were missing Cole Pluck (mono) and Nolan Shingle got hurt in the first period (upper body injury), so we had to juggle a whole lot of things.
“We had four D (defensemen). I can’t talk enough how the defense did tonight. Between James, Chase (Del Ricci), Landon (Hostetter) and Gabe (Dunn) and Andy (Norton) in net, just did a great job.”
That defense probably saved the Knights from disaster. As it was, Norton had to make 38 saves for North Penn.
Pennridge started off the scoring in the first period when Shane Dachowski beat Norton at the 2:55 mark. But the Knights came right back slightly more than a minute later as Danial Cabrales tied the game at 4:09 on the power play.
However, the Rams finished the period with the 2-1 lead after Nolan Shaw scored on a breakaway for a short-handed goal at 13:15.
The teams traded goals in the second period. Sam Norton tied things up for North Penn with a short-handed goal at 6:55 before Nathan McKean put the Rams back on top with a power-play tally with only 4.7 seconds left in the period.
It looked like the game was going to stay that way to the final whistle as the teams battled through most of the third period without a goal being scored. Until, with 15:27 gone, Declan Leahy tied the game again.
It was that goal which upset Montagna the most.
“We deserved better,” he said. “Unfortunately, they called that timeout.
“I told the guys that there’s one thing they can’t do. They did it.
“They got a lucky bounce to tie the game. What are you going to do?”
Then it came down to Mr. Boyle.
“He’s the last Boyle,” said Vaitis, “but he does have a nephew coming up. That Boyle name just keeps ringing.”
So, James, how does it feel to be the last in a relatively long line of Boyle defensemen?
“It’s a little bit weird,” he said. “My other two brothers (George and Thomas) are supporting me.”
So, who is the best defenseman?
“Probably me, for sure,” said James with a smile.
North Penn 4, Pennridge 3
North Penn 1 1 1 1 — 4
Pennridge 2 1 0 0 — 3
First Period: 1, Shane Dachowski P (unassisted) 2:55; 2, Danial Cabrales NP (Nolan Shingle) 4:09 PP; 3, Nolan Shaw P (unassisted) 13:15 SH.
Second period: 4, Sam Norton NP (unassisted) 6:55 SH; 5, Nathan McKean P (Dachowski) 16:55 PP.
Third period: 6, Declan Leahy NP (James Boyle, Chris Silvotti) 15:27.
Overtime: 7, Boyle NP (unassisted) 1:45.
Shots: NP 32, P 4. Saves: Andrew Norton (NP) 38, Jacob Winton (P) 28.
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