By GORDON GLANTZ
If it’s true that only the strong survive, then only the strongest of the SHSHL have survived to the Flyers Cup tournament to face the cream of the crop from around the region.
Council Rock South, the regular season and playoff champions of the SHSHL National division, and North Penn are the first and second seeds in the Class AA. They have byes in the first round, which begins Tuesday.
The Golden Hawks will be back at it on March 6 (6:15, Hatfield Gray), taking on the winner of Conestoga and Boyertown.
They are led by standout Jake Weiner, whose three playoff tallies gives him 44 on the season to go along with 19 assists.
Jeremy Rayher has a total of 31 goals and 30 assists while Jordan Sarne has 19 and 24.
Venerable coach Joe Houk knows that his team will need consistent play, winning each shift to make a run at the Cup.
“If you play an ice hockey game for only an hour and a half, you better be full-fledged paying attention for that hour and a half,” said Houk. “You have time to rest later.”
North Penn will take on either familiar foe Pennridge or Avon Grove in second round nightcap (8:30) at Hatfield Gray.
“When you look at the teams at AA, there are lot of good teams, and you expect that at this time of the season,” said North Penn coach Kevin Vaitis. “We beat Pennridge twice, the second time in overtime, so we know that, if it is them, they will want to avenge the earlier losses to us this season.
“If it’s Avon Grove, I think they will be playing to prove the win over Pennridge wasn’t a fluke.”
The Knights are led by the likes of Cole Pluck (21 goals, 33 assists), Samuel Norton (18 goals, 29 assists), Cole Shingle (19 goals, 17 assists) and James Boyle (17 goals, counting playoffs, 20 assists).
Added Vaitis: “We have a very good team, but we need to come out with the intensity that, ‘This is now the Flyers Cup.’ The winner moves on and the loser has their season come to an end. We aren’t ready for the season to end.”
In addition to Pennridge, the No. 7 seed, two other National Division teams -- Central Bucks South (No. 5 seed) and Central Bucks East (No. 11) will be all be in action Tuesday and will be looking to move on.
Meanwhile, in the A bracket, which starts Monday, Plymouth Whitemarsh is the No. 8 seed. Hatboro Horsham, which claimed the playoff championship in a 5-2 upset over the Colonials Friday, is seeded at No. 14.
Let’s take a closer look:
Class A
Who: Hatboro-Horsham (No. 14 seed) vs. Radnor (11)
When: Monday, March 3, 6:30 p.m., Ice Line
The Winner Gets: Hershey, the No. 6 seed, which had a bye, on Tuesday at 8:30 p.m. at the Skatium
About HH: The Hatters were 9-7 in the regular season but are now 11-7 and have the wind at their backs.
Counting playoffs, Vincent Graziani has 23 goals and 26 assists while Nathan Nemchinov has 25 goals and 22 assists and Darius Graziani has 15 goals and 19 assists.
Senior captain Victor Wilkins has 23 overall goals after two clutch tallies in the title game.
Joseph Mangin has a pair of goals in the playoffs, both in the league final, after posting four to along with eight assists in during the regular season.
Defenseman Aiden North has two goals and 14 assists.
Between the Pipes: Playoff hockey is all about the hot goalie, and the Hatters have just that in sophomore Eric Miller, who stymied PW in the title game. After an .803 save percentage in the regular season, it sits at .877 in the playoffs.
HH Coach Shane Smith says: “I am very excited for the boys to get this opportunity. I like where the team is. They really came together over the past week and are playing some really good hockey.”
About Radnor: The Raptors were a deceiving 4-15 in a tough division. They lost four games by two goals or less.
They were led by Aaron Zuckerman (9 goals, 7 assists), Samuel Kane (8 goals, 6 assists), Steven Sucher (7 goals, 2 assists) and Connor Haines (3 goals, 6 assists).
Between the Pipes: James Danner will be trying to thwart the Hatters’ array of snipers. He had 5.78 goals against average and an .850 save percentage.
Added Smith: “As for the draw, I really don’t have much to say about them. We don’t have familiarity with Radnor or their normal opponents. I do know they played PW in a crossover game and PW won (4-2). I think that gives me confidence that we should be able to compete with them. I’m really just excited to see what the Hatters can do.”
Prediction: HH 6, Radnor 4
****
Who: Plymouth Whitemarsh, the No. 8 seed, takes on Springfield-Delco (9).
When and Where: Monday, March 3, Hatfield Blue, 6 p.m.
The Winner gets: The No. 1 seed, Garnet Valley, at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Ice Works.
About PW: For the second straight year, the Colonials were the team to beat in the American Division. They rolled to a 15-1 record and earned a first round bye into the championship game before falling to Hatboro Horsham, 5-2.
The Colonials, who have now lost two of their last three after a 14-0 start, are led by defenseman Danny Guller.
Counting playoffs, Guller has 20 goals and 31 assists. In 11 games, Blake Ambler has 18 goals and 12 assists to his name.
Others to watch are Cooper Kanze (15 goals, 16 assists), Luke Smith (11 goals, 14 assists) and Daniel Molony (11 goals, 6 assists).
Between the Pipes: Julian Lucks has gone the distance for the second straight season. He had impressive 2.48 goals against average and .913 save percentage.
PW Coach Vince Foti says: “Obviously, (the loss to HH) was not the result we wanted but, overall, I’m proud of the way the boys played this season. We’re going to try and put this one behind us and look to bounce back in the Flyers Cup.”
About Springfield-Delco: The Cougars were a somewhat deceiving 5-14, as seven of their losses were by two goals or less.
Defenseman Cole Kuzmick (6 goals, 11 assists) drives the engine.
Brandon Truax (6 goals, 13 assists), Alexander Losacco (14 goals, 2 assists) and Rocco Trivarelli (10 goals, 5 assists) lead the attack.
Between the Pipes: Adam Fitti is allowing 4.88 goals per game and has an .817 save percentage.
Prediction: PW 7, Springfield-Delco 3
Class AA
Who: Pennridge (No. 7) vs. Avon Grove (No. 10)
When and Where: Tuesday, March 4, 8:10
Where: Hatfield Gray
The Winner Gets: North Penn (No. 2) at 8:30, Thursday, at Hatfield Gray.
About Pennridge: The Rams have won two state titles in the last three years, so they have that recent history in their hip pockets.
While not quite as deep as those two teams, the Rams feature plenty of firepower in the likes of Shane Dachowski, whose three playoff goals, give him 33 for the season to go with 23 total assists and James Rush (22 goals and 26 assists, counting the postseason).
The supporting cast includes Landon Bishop (10 goals, 17 assists, including playoffs) and Nolan Shaw (10 goals, 6 assists).
Between the Pipes: Jacob Winton is allowing 2.73 goals per game while posting an .895 save percentage.
Said Pennridge Coach Jeff Montagna: "It's kind of our last stand. We've talked all year about being prepared come the Flyers Cup. We know the path is difficult, but we have guys who have been there before and we need them to lead us. Being competitive isn't enough anymore. We have to find a way to win close games."
About Avon Grove: The Red Devils feature Henri Gravel (15 goals, 21 assists), Trevor Sikorski (13 goals,15 assists), Parker Thompson (11 goals, 14 assists) and Drew Kennedy (10 goals, 10 assists) pace the offense while Richard Wright (4 goals, 10 assists) leads the defensive corps.
Between the Pipes: Jacob Calabretta (4.27 goals against, .831 save percentage) will be looking to keep Dachowski and friends in check.
Prediction: Pennridge 5, Avon Grove 3
****
Who: Central Bucks South (5) vs. Spring-Ford (12)
When: Tuesday, March 4, 8:30, at Hatfield Blue.
The Winner Gets: Haverford High, (No. 4) at the Skatium at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday.
About Central Bucks South: The Titans are led by the likes of Sean Cutter (20 goals, 20 assists, including playoffs), Jeffrey Kvecher (13 goals, 23 assists, including playoffs), Joseph Slobodian (18 goals, 15 assists, including playoffs) and Ryan Frey, whose two goals and four assists in the postseason give him 15 goals and 19 helpers for the season.
Between the Pipes: There has been a time share all season in net between Nathan Napolitano (3.54 goals against, .866 save percentage) and Jake Matkowski (3.75, .838), but Napolitano has drawn all the starting assignments in the postseason where he has 2.68 goals against average and .887 save percentage while going 2-1.
Said CB South Coach Sean McGinty: “CB South is fully prepared to compete. The players have fostered a strong and united culture within the locker room, prioritizing a team-first mentality. The coaching staff is excited to see their hard work and dedication translate into success through their run to the Cup.”
About Spring-Ford: The Rams were 10-9-1 in the Pioneer Athletic Conference.
They are led upfront by Dylan Cyr (20 goals, 32 assists), Broden Nickel (19 goals, 26 assists) and William Schaeffer (12 goals, 14 assists) while Aiden Pastor (12 goals, 21 assists) key the blue line.
Between the Pipes: Goalkeeper Grant Olson been solid in the crease, posting a 4.15 goals against average and an .878 save percentage.
Prediction: CB South 7, Spring-Ford 3
*****
Who: CB East (11) vs. Downingtown West (6)
When and Where: Tuesday, March 4, 6:30 p.m., Ice Line
The Winner Gets: Downingtown East (No. 3), Thursday, 6:30, Ice Line
About CB East: The Patriots do not have anyone in the Top 30 point producers in the National but they boast plenty of depth and a close-to-the-vest style that works for them.
Alex Wilson (14 goals, 6 assists) and Jaden Young (10 goals, 6 assists) lead the balanced attack while Dave Brown (7 goals, including one in the playoffs, 7 assists) and Patrick O’Brien (3 goals, 4 assists) key the stingy defense.
Ten Patriots have between five and 10 points thus far.
Between the Pipes: The one constant for the Patriots has been senior Cole Breen, who has a 3.87 goals against average and .881 save percentage.
CB East Coach Jeff Mitchell says: “I know we have a strong group and everybody has bought in to the mentality that it’s not about themselves but it’s about the team, so I’m hoping for some better results this year.”
About Downingtown West: The Whippets (10-9) have several skaters who can put the dog biscuit in the basket.
They are led by Aleks Kepino (18 goals, 18 assists), Brady Cusa (12 goals, 11 assists), Reed Surak (12 goals, 11 assists) and Bryce Schuler (11 goals, 10 assists).
Between the Pipes: There has been a time share this season in the crease between Justin Adams and Tom O’Brien, and they have almost identical numbers.
Adams has a 3.76 goals against average while O’Brien’s is 3.90. Adams boasts a solid .883 save percentage while O’Brien checks in at .856.
Added Mitchell: “We have always been successful and had winning records, but the Flyers Cup is the one thing that keeps escaping us. I definitely want to do more damage this year. I feel like we have always struggled to get past the first round. I don’t know if that is mental preparation or if we are just not used to the level of talent out West. They have always been close games. It always comes down to whoever scores last. I’m hoping to turn the tide on that this year.”
Prediction: CB East 4, Downingtown West 3 (overtime)
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