GHOSTS RE-APPEAR ON THE SCENE -- It's fair to call last season a rebuilding year for the Abington ice hockey team. In fact, the Galloping Ghosts were reconstructing the team from the ground up. As a result of a dearth of players and a lack of experience, the Ghosts decided not to field a varsity squad for the 2010-11 season.
"We had chosen to play at the AA level for the JVs last year," said Abington coach Pat Croce. "We didn’t have enough kids to foster two teams and didn't have the talent to play at a varsity AA level, so we wanted to take some baby steps and try to rebuild the program. So last year we wanted to try to teach the proper way to play the game, with the goal for the next year to foster two teams."
This year, the Ghosts have reappeared in the SHSHL National Conference, and they're taking the steps necessary to ensure they'll not only be a member, but a force to be reckoned with, for years to come.
"They're certainly learning from every game they're playing in and they're seeing the different adversities they're facing as opportunities they can use to their advantage to get better," Croce said. "It's a battle every night, no matter what team you're playing. They're taking it well and they're battling hard."
The Ghosts have begun the new season at 2-5-1 overall (1-3-1 in divisional play), with victories over Hatboro-Horsham and Central Bucks East and a tie against Council Rock North.
But Croce is not measuring progress by marks in the win column. He's looking for improvement from game to game, shift to shift. He's hoping that as the season advances, the players gain confidence, play smarter and present a challenge to any and every opponent.
"I think it's 90 percent mental for our team, because a lot of these guys have great skills, they just lack the confidence that a lot of these teams have from winning," Croce said. "For our guys, it's about having the confidence in themselves and each other that when they're playing their best hockey, they can play with anyone, regardless of who it is.
"To me, as a coach, it's more important for them to establish themselves consistently each shift. I personally would like to see them compete for every loose puck, compete for every inch of ice when they have the puck, rather than breaking it down to needing to get a couple more wins to feel positive. Because let's face it, you can play your best hockey game and still not get the W. For me personally, I don't like to measure ourselves based on wins and losses. I think it's more important for the guys to know that if they work hard and compete for every inch of the ice, that's all they can control."
And things are starting to come together for the Ghosts, from team captain Konrad Thallner, through the seniors, down to the underclassmen and even a couple of freshmen on the squad.
Thallner has taken the initiative as a leader, Croce said, going as far as attending a coaches' meeting with the officials so he could provide his teammates with a better understanding of how the referees were planning to make their calls this season.
"Konrad took a night off from work, came out, attended the meeting so he could communicate the meeting to the players, because he thought the players could better understand it coming from him as opposed to coming from a coach," Croce said. "I think for the most part, he's really taking it upon himself to do all the right things that a leader is supposed to be doing. That's one example of him taking over to try to establish some sort of legacy to leave behind."
The Ghosts also boast a young defense that will only improve in the future. Nick Scipione, Alex Gordon, Anthony Pronzato, Matt Berman and Justin Adamski anchor the blueliners and provide ample protection for junior Bryan Rossi, the Ghosts' starting goalkeeper.
Offensively, Abington is led by Kevin Junod (12 points) and Ken Mascaro (10 points), with numerous other players willing and able to chip in with goals and assists.
"The beginning of the year, we were kind of concerned as to where our goals were going to come from," Croce said. "We were focused on building around our defense and goaltender. Our forwards, to our surprise, have really stepped up and carried the play a little bit. We're not just relying on one line to get it done, it really could be any one of our guys as long as we're playing to the system.
"Kevin Junod has really stepped up his game to where he's come into his own as a really skilled player in the league. Ryan Waddell and Ken Mascaro are two other seniors that have really upped their play and focused on establishing the program and helping it grow."
And with that growth … the wins will come.
"I'm looking for the guys to keep things simple and being very difficult to play against," Croce said. "I want them competing for every puck, every shift, every game. I want them to focus on the little things that make big things happen, and having that be the foundation that we can build something off of.
"They're focused on the things they can control and learning how to deal with adversity, and once those things fall into place, I think they're going to surprise a lot of people as well as themselves."
CENTRAL BUCKS EAST IN THE HUNT -- When his Central Bucks East squad lost a close 4-2 decision to Central Bucks South in the first game of the season, then followed that with ties against Pennridge and North Penn, coach Ken Latchum believed his young team could play with anyone in the league.
When East topped Council Rock North, 4-3, on Dec. 1, the Patriots knew it as well.
"The kids came out like gangbusters in the first period and put 12 shots on (Rock North)," Latchum said. "The guys are really getting hold of the system. That was a physical game, where probably half these kids have never played in a game like that, and they responded very well. It was a nailbiter -- we were up 3-2 and they tied it, then we came back and scored with about 5 minutes left. It was a good experience game and a rewarding game for the kids."
Despite having a young team and a freshman goalkeeper, the Patriots find themselves in third place in the Continental Division at 3-4-2 for 8 points. They're a point up on Pennridge and two ahead of Souderton, but the Patriots also remain in striking distance of league leaders North Penn and Central Bucks South, both of whom are undefeated in league play.
In what is shaping up to be a highly competitive division, the Patriots -- who have played nothing but league games thus far -- are showing that Central Bucks East is a contender.
On a team that features no players who have yet reached double digits in scoring, the Patriots are doing it in their own end.
"I expected our defense was going in to be our strongest point," Latchum said. "We're pretty solid defensively all the way through."
Senior Conor Long stabilizes the defensive unit. Joined by Joe Ridolfi, Zach Davis and Cameron Fox as leaders in the Patriots' own end, the defense has helped surprising freshman Steven Gilchrist quickly adapt to life between the pipes.
"Goaltending was a worry coming into the season," Latchum said of his netminder. "We knew he had the talent, we just didn't know how he was going to handle it. I would tell him, 'Just go out and don't worry about it. If you make a mistake, I'm not going to get on you. Just do what you do and play your game.' But he's been a pleasant surprise. I was expecting him to be deathly afraid playing at the varsity level. But he's played well above expectations. He is playing like a junior or senior, which makes our job a lot easier."
While East may not have an explosive offense, it does feature any number of players who can step up and put the puck in the net. Austin Batty leads the team with five goals and nine points. Davis is second with seven points and Matt Berry, Ridolfi, Austin Chase and Joe Sculley each have six. Nick Patullo has four points, all of them goals.
"Between the first and second line, with Nick, Matt, Joe and Austin, those guys are really holding those lines together," Latchum said. "And it's been nice to see the second and third lines, to see those kids come through. If you want to win, you really have to use all three lines so by the third period you have fresh legs. I have the confidence to put them on the ice.
"Even with forwards, defense is the big thing -- teaching defensive responsibilities. The kids have picked it up really well so that's helped out a lot."
After eight league games to open the season, the Patriots will play crossover games against Holy Ghost, Upper Dublin and Lansdale Catholic in their next three contests before heading back into league play.
Latchum said he expects his team to approach the crossover games the same way they do a league matchup. And he expects the team to continue to learn and to improve.
Because whether this team is young or not, Latchum expects big things out of it by the end of the season.
"We want to keep it basic on the ice, keep it simple," Latchum said. "I like pressure on the offensive side, I like to pressure the defense, and I like everyone to know their responsibilities in the defensive zone. Reading and reacting. You get to know that, you're an all-around good hockey player.
"I just told them, I expect to make the playoffs and I expect to get into the Flyers Cup. We just want to take it one little step at a time, make sure the kids keep learning and gaining confidence and know their abilities can take them there."
DEFENSE FIRST AT UPPER DUBLIN -- Upper Dublin first-year coach Chalie Sgrillo has a very simple message for his team.
"You're not going to win every game 15-1."
It can be a tough lesson to learn, especially during game action, but knowing when to attack and when to play a more conservative style is something Sgrillo has been preaching since he took over the squad.
"From what I've heard about previous teams, I know they were a skilled team, but I don't know that they've ever played the kind of defensive style that I bring to the table," he said. "That's something I've been trying to get across from the beginning of our season, and it's starting to come around. I've seen it the past couple games, the lightbulb is starting to go on.
"There are times to attack, times to chip in and play smart off the puck. You've got to know that, if we're up 3-1, we don't need that odd-man rush. You need to know when to attack, when to hang back and protect."
That defense-first style is a change for the Flying Cardinals, who had three players among the top 10 scorers in the SHSHL last season (Brian Markman, Sam Etskovitz and Tyler Peskin). But with superstar Markman having graduated, Upper Dublin finds itself looking to a defense-first style this season.
And the Cardinals are starting to see the results.
"There was a little bit of a learning curve," Sgrillo said. "There was some frustration early on; guys wanted results the next day. But it's going to be a process. As each game's going on, little pieces of the puzzle are starting to come together and I think they realize that if they stick to the game plan, we'll be a successful team in this league."
Key to the defensive efforts has been senior blueliner Jonathan Bebey. A jack-of-all-trades who can play in any situation, Bebey has been the rock that the rest of the defense has been able to rely on and rally around.
"Jon's an all-around solid defenseman," Sgrillo said. "He doesn't make many mistakes with the puck. He's smart off the puck, good with his stick, good first-pass guy. He's my top penalty killer, top power play guy -- he plays the big minutes. You know that whatever situation you put him in, he's got it covered."
The Cards have also been pleasantly surprised by the standout efforts of freshman goalkeeper Zach Hanson, who posted a shutout in the Cards' most recent game, a 3-0 victory over divisional foe Upper Moreland.
"I couldn't have asked for much more out of him," Sgrillo said of the freshman. "He's been a stud so far this season. He's young, so sometimes he's not as focused as he should be, but he'll only get better. He has good gameday preparation, he's serious. He's not emotional -- he doesn't let a goal affect him, he'll bounce right back. He's been everything you look for in a goalie."
Offensively, the Cardinals are fairly low-scoring, but spread-out. Etskovitz -- whose brother Ben has become a solid member of the defense -- leads the team with seven goals and 15 points. Ben Hoffman has 12 points, Steve Barbera (9 points) and Robbie DeGregorio (8 points) each have six goals for the Cards, and Gil Lederhandler has six assists among his seven points.
The Cards have scored more than five goals in a game only twice in their first nine games -- including a 10-goal outburst against Hatboro-Horsham -- but their experience and ability has kept them close in most games this season.
"We've got a good corps, the first- and second-liners that have been there," Sgrillo said. "It seems to be this year that one guy's clicking for a couple games and I have to roll with that, but it could be anyone who's stepping up. I'd rather have a little bit from everyone that having to put all that on one guy's shoulders."
The Cardinals sit at 3-5-1 overall, 1-2-1, 3 points for a tie for second in the SHSHL American Division. They'll face crossover games in their next four contests before returning to league play for five of the final seven games. They'll face division-leader Lansdale Catholic once more (the Crusaders won the first two meetings between the teams and sit top the American with 10 points).
But if the Cardinals continue to show improvement, Sgrillo expects they can defeat LC -- and any other team in the division -- and have the ability to win the division.
"From what I've seen that we have, and from the other teams in the division, I expect nothing less than to win it if they get their act together and stick with the game plan," Sgrillo said. "I feel they have a legitimate shot. We've been in every game, and we made some mistakes that we won't make the second time around.
"We've gotten a chance to look at the teams in our division and what they bring to the table and what we can improve on. We can work on what we need to work on against the bigger teams in our crossover games, then we come back (into league play) and hopefully everything's rolling and hopefully we're able to make that push for playoffs."
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