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By GORDON GLANTZ
The puck drops on the SHSHL’s second season this week, with the division champions to be crowned by week’s end.
On Monday night, at Hatfield Blue, the National Division will kick off the festivities with a twin bill dressed to kill.
Fourth-seeded Pennridge (11-7) will take on fifth-seeded Central Bucks East (10-7-1) at 6:10, with the winner meeting top-seeded Council Rock South (17-1), which had a bye, on Wednesday (6:10, Hatfield Blue).
Before the ice is able to freeze up again Monday, third-seeded Central Bucks South (15-3) will tangle with sixth-seeded Pennsbury at 8 p.m.
The winner of that battle draws second-seeded North Penn (16-2), which also had a bye, at 8 p.m. Wednesday at Hatfield Blue.
When all the smoke clears, the championship will take place Thursday at 7 at Grundy.
“It’s going to be interesting,” said Council Rock coach Joe Houk, whose team earned the top seed and a first-round bye in the AA Flyers Cup bracket. “We have to take care of our own deal first, and not worry about anybody else. If we do that, we’ll be OK. That’s all we can do.”
In addition to the Golden Hawks, North Penn nailed down a No. 2 seed in the Flyers Cup while CB South was fifth, Pennridge seventh and CB East No. 11.
In the American Division, meanwhile, the playoffs commence Tuesday night with second-place Hatboro-Horsham (9-7) and third-place Springfield (8-8) meeting at 6:10 at Hatfield Blue.
The winner will then face first-place Plymouth Whitemarsh (15-1), which had bye, for the title Thursday (8 p.m., Hatfield Blue).
PW is the No. 8 seed in the Class A field for the Flyers Cup. Hatboro-Horsham is 14th.
Familiar Foes
Pennridge coach Jeff Montagna and Central Bucks East coach Jeff Mitchell have a unique history.
Aside from seeing each other on a regular basis in the SHSHL, Mitchell played for Montagna on the club level.
“He played four years of club hockey for me,” said Montagna. “Good defenseman, tough as hell.”
That sub-plot will certainly be that bit of added spice to the pot Monday night.
“I always liked coaching against him,” added Montagna.
The feeling is mutual.
“I won a lot of championships playing under him,” Mitchell said. “I’d like to give him a little lesson back, especially after seeing some of the success that he has had the last couple of seasons.”
That success with the Rams includes state titles in 2022 and 2024.
Although Pennridge finished 11-7, just a notch ahead of the Patriots (10-7-1), there were several games that could have gone either way.
All told, Pennridge had five one-goal setbacks, including four after a 7-1 start to the season.
The Rams – especially with Montagna’s traditional knack for saving the best for last – are that team that no one really wants to see.
“I’m good with how the season went,” said Montagna. “We were very close to things being a lot different. I just want them to compete every night and we did that.
“We get a clean slate now to make another run. We are not the favorites and, hopefully, we can use that in our favor.”
The Rams feature snipers such as Shane Dachowski (30 goals, 22 assists) and James Rush (21 goals, 24 assists) while Landan Bishop (10 goals, 16 assists) and Nolan Shaw (10 goals, 6 assists) add depth.
Nick Young (4 goals, 12 assists) keys the defense in front of standout goalie Jacob Winton (2.56 goals against, .919 save percentage).
“It needs to be a tight game,” said Mitchell. “If it’s not a tight game, it will be a blowout.”
That was seen firsthand. The Rams throttled the Patriots, 8-0, early in the season but fell, 3-2, in a second meeting.
“They have a lot of talent,” said Mitchell. “Their scorers are always at the top of the league and they know how to make you pay when you go shorthanded or when you make a mistake or if you are not clean with your breakouts. They are coached tremendously.”
The Patriots lack a ton of firepower but have a formula for success.
The balanced attack is led by Alex Wilson (14 goals, 6 assists) and Jaden Young (10 goals, 6 assists) while defensemen Dave Brown (6 goals, 7 assists) and Patrick O’Brien (3 goals, 4 assists) help hold down the fort in front of sound veteran goalie Cole Breen (3.87, .881).
“We just have to be able to make sure that we can actually score when we get our chances,” said Mitchell. “I’m feeling good about it. We just need to be able to play our game.”
Flying Under the Radar
Central Bucks South finished a strong third in the National with a 15-3 mark, but Pennsbury (6-12) flies in under the radar with nothing to lose and everything to gain.
While the Titans posted a 9-2 win the second meeting between them, the Falcons gave them all they can handle in a 4-3 battle earlier in the season.
The Titans are led by Sean Cutter (16 goals, 19 assists), Jeffrey Kvecher (12 goals, 21 assists), Joseph Slobodian (17 goals, 13 assists), Ryan Frey (13 goals, 15 assists), Logan Hood (13 goals, 14 assists) and Jamison Crouch (6 goals, 15 assists).
Nathan Napolitano (3.54 goals against, 8.66 save percentage) and Jake Matkowski (3.75, .838) split time in net.
“The team is demonstrating consistent performance,” said C.B. South coach Shaun McGinty. “Every player prioritizes the success of the team, driven by the shared goal of winning for the team. The players are dedicated to supporting one another, forming a cohesive group that strives for mutual success with each member embracing their role.
“We have exhibited the level of competitiveness required for the playoffs and the Flyers Cup. It is imperative that we peak at the right moment. The team will continue to focus on taking it one shift at a time, understanding the small battles within each game.”
For the Falcons, who barely edged out Souderton for the final playoff berth in the National, Shane Gleisner has notched 22 goals to go along with five assists).
Shane Hicks (14 goals, 17 assists) and Christopher Sarver (10 goals, 20 assists) are the leading overall point suppliers. Jacob Sarver has added 11 goals and 13 assists.
The goalie is Brendan Milliken (5.58, .812).
“They’ve got a good squad,” said McGinty of Pennsbury. “We need to play our game – pucks deep, pressure, strong and responsible in the defensive zone and physical play.”
Waiting in the wings for the winner will be a North Penn squad captained by Chase Kelly Del Ricci (2 goals, 8 assists) and featuring plenty of firepower with Cole Pluck (21 goals, 33 assists), Samuel Nutter (28 goals, 25 assists) Nolan Shingle (19 goals, 16 assists), James Boyle (9 goals, 19 assists) and Danial Cabrales (12 goals, 12 assists).
Goalies Andrew Norton and Aidan Quigley have posted five shutouts between them. Norton (2.28, .901) has three shutouts and Quigley (1.91, .923) has two.
While the Knights were ecstatic with the No. 2 seed for the AA field in the Flyers Cup, North Penn coach Kevin Vaitis knows they can’t look past the task at hand.
“League playoffs are this week,” said Vaitis. “Flyers Cup can wait for the following week. We have been playing some really good hockey, but everyone goes back to 0-0 for the playoffs.”
American Express
It seems hard to imagine that Hatboro Horsham wasn’t even eligible for the playoffs because it had combined teams with William Tennent and then Upper Dublin the last two seasons.
Coach Shane Smith is gushing with pride.
“I am,” he confirmed. “This has been a special year for the Hatters.”
HH is been led upfront by Vincent Graziani (21 goals, 24 assists), Nathan Nemchinov (25 goals, 18 assists) and Victor Wilkins (20 goals, 9 assists).
Aiden North (2 goals, 14 assists) led the defense in front of goalie Eric Miller (4.85, .803).
Although the Hatters won the season series against the Spartans, Smith is well aware that this a different Springfield team.
“I told the boys at the beginning of the season that this was a championship-caliber team,” said Smith. “I believe they can win this thing.
“We have to prepare well, though, because Springfield has been hot.”
How hot?
Red hot.
The Spartans skate into the postseason with six straight wins under their belt.
The late-season surge secured the program’s first playoff berth since making a reappearance three seasons ago, although it was not enough for a Flyers Cup nod.
The Spartans edged out Wissahickon (8-8) for third place, and the final playoff spot, by handing PW its first loss of the campaign in a 4-2 decision in the season finale.
They are led by defenseman Owen Quinn (11 goals, 22 assists) and forwards Grayson Quinn (14 goals, 9 assists in 10 games), Gavin McManus (7 goals, 12 assists), Kellen Warman (11 goals, 6 assists) and Gabriel Wells (7 goals, 6 assists).
The two goalies – Liam Baskin (3.02, .886) and James Sarsfield (3.91, .878) – have combined for three shutouts, with Baskin posting two and Sarsfield posting one.
“The coaches are very happy with the resilience of this team, and they are very excited for this opportunity,” said Springfield coach Don Quinn. “However, we can’t be satisfied just to be here.”
PW is led by defenseman Daniel Guller (19 goals, 31 assists) and forwards Blake Ambler (18 goals, 12 assists) and Cooper Kanze (15 goals, 15 assists).
The goalie is Julian Lucks (2.48, .913).
Planning Ahead
Although Council Rock South made it through the regular season with just one setback, veteran coach Joe Houk is not expecting an easy ride from here on out.
The National Division postseason will be followed by the subsequent Flyers Cup Tournament.
“We will have to have a more blue-collar style of play,” said Houk. “There are four or five teams that are equal in the league this year. You’ve got us, but also Pennridge. You’ve got CB South. A team like Pennsbury should have a better record. And, of course, you’ve got North Penn. All of us are capable of beating each other at any time.
“You are hoping for success. You have to show up.”
The Golden Hawks have plenty of firepower - with the likes of Jake Weiner (41 goals, 19 assists), Jeremy Rayher (29 goals, 29 assists) and Jordan Sarne (17 goals, 23 assists) -- but high-scoring affairs usually don’t go too well in the playoffs.
No one knows this better than Houk, as he prepares for either Pennridge or C.B. East.
“It’s going to come down to the team that comes out plays defense properly,” he said. “We just can’t go out and focus on offense.”
While he has full faith in goalie Trey Prozillo (2.98, .880), he knows the defense needs to be present.
“Our defense has to get better,” said Houk. “Our hockey IQ and awareness has to get better. That’s what I’m working on.”
Beyond defense and goaltending, there are the role players in the lower lines.
“I don’t have a problem with my top two lines,” said Houk. “The offense is there. They can generate it. You win championships with your third and fourth lines. They have to do the hard work, matching up against the other team’s top lines and shutting them down, and all that good stuff.”
Girl Talk
The top scoring female in the SHSHL this season was Souderton’s Julia Kaminsky, who had a goal and five assists for six points.
She was followed by Abington’s Katherine Weinhold, who had two goals.
Wissahickon’s Brielle Rumsey had a goal and an assist for a pair of points. Central Bucks West’s Tessa O’Keefe had a pair of assists.
Tillie Boccella of Springfield had a goal to her name while Wissahickon’s Sabrina Honeycutt and CB West’s Emily Kremser had assists.
Neshaminy’s Gianna Raggio made two starts in goal while Wissahickon’s Caitlin Campbell made a relief appearance in net.
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