Vistit the Ice Hockey Photo Gallery for full photo coverage of both Souderton's Senior Recognition Night and the game action of Souderton vs. CR North.
COLMAR – It was hard-fought and hard-hitting … sometimes a little too hard-hitting. And a spate of penalties – for Souderton in the second period and Council Rock North in the third – made it difficult for either team to get into the offensive flow of the game.
After surrendering the first goal, Souderton scored three straight and held off a furious North scramble in the game’s waning moments to earn a 3-2 victory on the Big Red’s Senior Night at Hatfield Ice. The win also clinched a postseason berth for Souderton.
“I thought we played well,” said Souderton coach Matt Montagna. “I thought both teams played exceedingly aggressive and I thought that took the whole flow out of the game. I just got done telling (the team), that’s not going to work during the playoffs. It started in the beginning and it didn’t stop. And we don’t condone that.”
Souderton survived a rough second period, which saw the Big Red whistled for five penalties, among them a five-minute major and a game misconduct. It also provided Council Rock with a pair of extended five-on-three power plays. The Indians converted when a Harrison Pitts blast from the point made its way through a screen and zipped under the crossbar for the game’s first goal with 6:29 left in the second period.
Souderton battled tough on the penalty kill, and turned the tide while still shorthanded. Leading scorer Brian McMullin stepped out of the penalty box after serving a two-minute minor for roughing and proceeded to take the puck and run circles around the rink, taking valuable time off the Big Red’s penalty kill.
“(McMullin) came out of the penalty box, got control of the puck and we lost the wind in our sails,” said Council Rock North coach Eric Tye.
Later in the shift, McMullin tied the score when North goalie Hayden Richards went to the boards to clear the puck out of the zone, but the Souderton senior intercepted the outlet pass and fired it into the yawning net.
“I saw the goaltender come out, he was on his backhand, so I jumped on it when he slid the puck up there,” said McMullin, whose three-point night gives him 57 on the season, second-best in the SHSHL. “I waited to see how the defenseman laid out and then fired it on the net and it went through. That goal definitely helped us out a lot. We were going through all those penalties, and getting frustrated. Getting that goal definitely put us back into the rhythm.”
“That’s why he’s out there,” Montagna said of his leading scorer. “I can put him out in any situation, he scores in any situation – power play, shorthanded, even strength. There’s not much more to say. His play speaks for itself. He does it to every team.”
The Big Red took the lead with 32 seconds remaining in the period on a shot from the point from James Ware (McMullin assist) through a screen.
Souderton goalkeeper Zach Hecht was the story of the third period. The senior netminder turned aside nine North shots in the frame, many of them quality shots. He denied Josh Gregov and AJ Garboski in close early in the period, and was stellar in the final minute, stopping a flurry of Indian shots in a scramble around the net.
“Zach was the key to this game,” Montagna said. “When our goalies are on, we can play with anybody. When our goalies play their game and give us a chance, we’re in good shape.”
“I talked to the refs after the game, asked them how close we came at the end,” Tye said. “They said that goalie stood on his head to keep that puck from going in about four times.”
Hecht – whose squad went up 3-1 on McMullin’s second goal with 3:31 left only to see the Indians draw back to 3-2 on a Garboski goal seven seconds later off the ensuing faceoff – stood tall late in the game to help his team secure the win.
“I don’t really get phased that much under pressure, I kind of enjoy it,” he said. “I think it helps me step my game up a lot.”
With the victory, the Big Red secured a berth in the SHSHL playoffs, a dramatic turnaround from last season’s 3-15-2 league record. With one game remaining in the regular season – a Feb. 15 meeting with Council Rock South – the Big Red stand at 8-8 in the Continental Division, 10-9-2 overall.
“We’re not used to making the playoffs,” Hecht said. “This gives us a big boost of motivation. It definitely means a lot. Tonight we came together, we all knew what had to be done and we went out and did it.”
Of course, once the postseason begins, the Big Red will be looking to play a much more composed game. Nine penalties and extended time on the penalty kill simply won’t cut it in the second season.
“We’ve got to be more disciplined,” Montagna said. “And they need to play defense. You can’t score a goal and sit back. We have to work on playing a complete hockey game.”
Council Rock North falls to 8-8-1 in the National Division (11-10-2 overall). The Indians have also clinched a playoff berth, but they are battling Pennsbury for seeding. As fate would have it, Pennsbury and North will match up in both teams’ regular season finale on Feb. 16 at Grundy Ice Rink.
Council Rock North 0 1 1 – 2
Souderton 0 2 1 – 3
Scoring
First period
No scoring
Second period
CRN – Harrison Pitts (AJ Garboski, Josh Gregov), 6:29.
S – Brian McMullin (Dylan Manto), SH, 4:15.
S – James Ware (McMullin), PP, 0:23.
Third period
S – McMullin (Rodney Anders), PP, 3:31.
CRN – Garboski (Alec Greenhalgh), SH, 3:24.
Shots on goal
Council Rock North 4 10 9 – 23
Souderton 4 9 10 – 23
Saves
Hayden Richards (CRN), 20
Zachary Hecht (S) 21.
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