2011 Rink 'Rap (Vol. 4)

This week's ice hockey notebook takes an in-depth look at North Penn and Tennent as well as the race for the top spot in the American Conference.

GOALIE CAROUSEL SUCCESSFUL AT NORTH PENN … Fans of professional hockey in the Philadelphia area are more than familiar with the term "goaltending carousel." It's a problem that has plagued the Flyers for more than a decade, when neither goaltender can establish himself as the No. 1. It throws off consistency, makes it difficult to maintain rhythm and often sabotages a team's hopes of postseason glory.
The North Penn Knights, however, are finding themselves to be a very pleasant exception to the goaltending carousel. In fact, switching netminders Jake Wolff and Cody Matthews on a regular basis has been a key to the Knights' success this season.
"Our goaltending has been fabulous," said North Penn coach Kevin Vaitis, whose squad is the only SHSHL team in Class AA or Class A without a loss. "Jake and Cody have both played equally well. I've been fine alternating them back and forth."
North Penn is tied atop the Continental Division at 6-0-3 for 15 points (Central Bucks South has a 7-0-1 league record for 15 points) and is 7-0-5 overall on the season. The Knights have two wins via shutout (with each goalie earning one shutout) and have held seven opponents to two goals or fewer en route to a stingy 2.25 goals against average in the first dozen games of the season.
The two junior goalkeepers -- and the rest of the team -- are used to the duo rotating between the pipes. The Knights did the same thing last year when Wolff and Matthews were sophomores.
"We got to the playoffs and we went with one goalie,” Vaitis said. “And when the Flyers Cup started, we went back to the other one. They were both sharp. If they both play well, the coaches are confident in either one of them playing."
Vaitis said the competition doesn't cause hard feelings between the two, because they understand how important it is for the team to make the two-goalie system work.
"I don't think they look at it as a competition where one's trying to take the other's job," Vaitis said. "They look to push each other for the betterment of the team, which is nice to see.
"They have a good attitude about it. They have a lot of fun when they're out there together on the ice, and they're cracking jokes with each other and with the other players during practice."
The keepers are aided by the play of a stellar defensive unit led by Caleb Witzaney, whom Vaitis calls "the best defenseman in the league."
The Knights are no slouch on the offensive end of the rink, either. Averaging 5.4 goals per game, North Penn has already racked up four games in which they've scored seven or more goals. Sophomores Jeremy Snyder (14 assists, 20 points) and Matt Stella (9 goals, 16 points) lead the scoring on a team that already has eight players in double-digit scoring. Seniors Ryan Merk (9 goals, 13 points), Ted Stoler (8 goals, 15 points) and Doug Barber (11 points) have provided a deft scoring touch and the necessary leadership on a team that lost nearly 50 goals due to the graduation of three of their top scorers last season.
"Those three have been very crucial," Vaitis said. "The guys that we graduated were the ones we relied on last year. We're doing the same thing this year where the seniors are the ones we rely on from game to game. We have two seniors, Eric Himmel and Richard Feher, who bring a lot of energy to the team with the way they play. They're hard-working and they can spark the team when needed."
North Penn's partners atop the Continental Division sent a message on Dec. 8 with a 4-2 victory over previously unbeaten Council Rock South. As it turns out, the Golden Hawks are up next on the Knights' schedule, as the two teams will square off at 8:55 p.m. Friday at the Bucks County Ice Sports Center in Warminster.
And while the players may be looking to show they can also do what Central Bucks South did, Vaitis is concentrating on his own team. Should they continue to improve, the Knights will have a good chance to accomplish the lofty goals they've set for themselves this season.
"I think (the Council Rock South game) is something that the kids definitely look at," Vaitis said. "From our standpoint, we're looking to get better and better each week and seeing what areas we need to improve upon. Our guys are definitely looking at this game, and we know we're going to have to bring our A Game.
"Our overall goal is to win a Flyers Cup, and go on to compete for the state championship. Before that, we're  looking to win the league. Right now we're focusing on how do we get better and better each week, and if we continue to do that, hopefully we'll be able to accomplish our goals."

TENNENT SENIORS LEAD THE WAY … Every senior wants his or her senior year to be the best. Everyone wants to make that last campaign the most successful of his or her high school career.
That's not going to be the case this year at William Tennent, where the Panthers have struggled to a 1-7 National Division start (2-7 overall). But for the team's three seniors, they're more than doing their part to help set up the team for the future.
Senior Vincent Rosica joined the team this year and joined four-year players Brian McGee and Tom McMonagle as the elder statesmen on a team loaded with youth and inexperience. According to coach Nick D'Aurizio, the Panthers couldn't have a better trio to show them the way.
"The three guys each have different dynamics to them," D'Aurizio said. "Brian is the quiet guy -- he never complains, he always works hard. Vince is the jokester -- he's always keeping it loose. And Tom wears his emotions on his sleeve. You can see him get upset when we lose, you can see him getting up for the big parts of the game.
"Those three represent the kind of dynamic that we try to model our team after -- keep it loose, work hard and don't complain, and play with that emotion. They embody a nice mix of traits that you want to see out of your seniors. You don't want apathetic seniors. You want guys who care and show up and work hard, and those three guys definitely fit that mold."
It hasn't been easy for a team that hasn't seen a winning season in quite some time and suffered through a winless 2009-10 season. Rather than allowing the players to grow more and more frustrated, D'Aurizio has tried to keep games in perspective and foster a positive attitude among the team.
"Something I've been preaching from the start, I try to keep the environment loose and the guys feed off that," he said. "We lose a game … it's not the end of the world. As coaches, we do push the finer points of the game, but this year we're not looking at wins and losses, we're trying to improve every game. And I think they're starting to get the hang of that. We lose a game, you don't walk into a dead quiet locker room. Guys are still bummed when we lose, but they know they're working toward something.
"It's still been fun. I still want to come to the rink. And I think they do too, and that's the most important thing, I want the kids to like the game and like their four years they played at Tennent."
Of course, with such a young team, there is plenty of raw and developing talent that might help reverse the team's fortunes in the future, perhaps even in the second half of this season.
Junior Clint Aussprung has established himself as a sniper, with 11 goals and 12 points in seven games so far. Gary Matyok has seven assists and DJ Mulhern has five helpers.
"Clint's a guy I've had since the beginning," D'Aurizio said. "To see him go from a little kid to a junior, he's developing into a man and he's really taking the game to the next level. A kid like that you always want on your team. He's one of the top players in the league and he's really carried our offense so far. He's also a leader, a guy the kids look up to. He leads by example and the guys feed off of him.
"Clint, Matyok and Mulhern -- those are the three guys we are molding our team around, along with Jeff Mitchell. They're guys who've been there, been through ups and downs. They are the core going into next year, and they've really taken it on to step up their games."
The Panthers are also set between the pipes, with sophomore Dan Deegan and freshman CJ Lineman splitting time in the cage.
"They're both good goalies and they're just going to get better as they get older," D'Aurizio said. "We're blessed to have two very good young goaltenders we can move forward with the next couple years."
The Panthers, whose wins came back-to-back against Central Bucks West and Hatboro-Horsham, have a crucial stretch in front of them. Beginning with Thursday's matchup against Upper Dublin (7 p.m., Bucks County Ice Sports Center), the Panthers will have five straight games against teams against whom they feel they match up well. The Panthers will face Abington on Friday, Upper Moreland on Dec. 22, then face Neshaminy in a home-and-home set that will take them into the new year.
"We've got a stretch of games here that can make or break our season," D'Aurizio said. "They're going to be a real test to see where we are and where we're going.
"We're looking at improving the little things that will add up. And I do think they're starting to get it. I'm honestly not measuring it by wins. I want to win hockey games, but we'll take it game by game. As long as we keep improving, we're going to start winning hockey games. I do want to see improvement but I do want that to translate to wins eventually. I want to see improvements, I do want to see some wins and I think they expect it from themselves.
"Two years ago we didn’t win a hockey game. We've still got some kids here that went through it. Last year we got a little taste of success. The kids don't take it for granted. When you win, it's sweet. We want to get back to that feeling."

CRUSADERS ON TOP … Over in the American Division, Lansdale Catholic is enjoying a comfortable lead, but the Crusaders don't have anything locked up yet.
LC stands at 5-1 in league play for 10 points (7-3-1 overall) and are far and away the top offensive team in the division, averaging 5.18 goals per game.
Upper Dublin and Wissahickon are tied in second place with three points on identical 1-2-1 league records. Both have two games in hand on the Crusaders. Upper Moreland is a point back with a 1-3 record and also has two games in hand on LC.
The Crusaders won't play another league game until the new year. They'll close out 2011 with a game at 8:30 p.m. Thursday against Hatboro-Horsham at Hatfield Ice, then will battle Central Bucks East, Council Rock North and La Salle's JV squad to end December.
The Crusaders' lone league defeat came at the hands of Upper Moreland, which won the first game of a home-and-home series early in the season. The Golden Bears await the Crusaders on Jan. 12. LC has also played two tightly contested games against Wissahickon, winning 2-1 and 6-4. The Trojans will get one more shot as the Crusaders on Feb. 3. And LC will begin 2012 against Upper Dublin, the team it beat by a narrow 5-4 count in mid-November.
Among the teams jockeying for position (and a possible chance at running the tables and challenging for the league title), The Flying Cardinals and Golden Bears will meet twice more (Upper Dublin won the first of three games between the teams, 3-0), and the Cards have two more games against their local rivals from Wissahickon. The teams tied 2-2 in their first meeting of the season.
Upper Moreland and Wissahickon will meet twice this week, with the Golden Bears hosting Thursday's game at 7 p.m. at Bucks County Ice Sports Center, and the Trojans welcoming the Bears the next day at 9 p.m. at Wintersport Ice Sports Arena. Wissahickon defeated Upper Moreland, 4-1, in both teams' first game of the season.
Hatboro-Horsham sits at 1-9 overall, and the Hatters are unable to compete for the divisional crown because the team has no goaltender and has been forced to use club goalies during games.
The Golden Bears are allowing a division-best 3.25 goals per game. An experienced defense, led by Eric Tompkins, Robert Goold and Josh Barber, have kept pucks away from the net. And when they get through, three-year starting goalkeeper Jared Bunch is there to turn them aside. The Bears are led offensively by Sean Lloyd's 13 goals and 19 points, and Matt Baumgardner's 18 points.
Nick Sette is setting the pace for Lansdale Catholic … and the rest of the SHSHL, for that matter. The Lansdale Catholic forward leads the league with 30 points (his 16 goals and 14 assists are both second-best in the league). Anthony Valerio joins Sette among the top 10 scorers in the league with 17 points in eight games.
Sam Etskovitz leads Upper Dublin with 15 points, as well as three power play goals. Ben Hoffman has 12 points, and Steve Barbera and Robbie DeGregorio have each added six goals to the Cardinals' offensive output this season.
Wissahickon has shown some offensive firepower throughout the season. Joey Sutow leads the way with 10 goals among his team-leading 13 points. David Pataki (12 points), Dustin Rabinowitz (11) and Luke Honorowski (10) are also in double-digits in scoring.
While the Hatters are struggling for victories, there are some offensive bright spots. Manny Billones leads the way with 11 goals and 15 points. Patrick Durkin is right behind with 9 goals and 14 points.