Check out the SOL teams in action when Flyers Cup play begins this week.
In the NHL, teams are jockeying for position down the stretch as the playoffs loom just more than a month down the road.
At the high school level, league championships have been decided and local teams are gearing up for the ultimate prizes, the Flyers Cup and the opportunity to play for the state championship.
The Suburban High School Hockey League is well-represented in the Flyers Cup tournaments; the top three seeds in the Class AA tournament come from the SHSHL. League Class AA champion Central Bucks South brings the top seed into the tournament, with finalist North Penn holding the second seed. Council Rock South is seeded third, and Pennridge (6), Council Rock North (8), Souderton (13), Pennsbury (14) and Central Bucks East (16) will also play for the Flyers Cup.
In Class A, Archbishop Wood is seeded fourth, and the top four American Conference teams, Lansdale Catholic (12), Upper Moreland (15), Upper Dublin (16) and Wissahickon (19) will look to extend their seasons in the tournament.
Upper Moreland won’t be able to surprise anyone in the Flyers Cup. Seeded fourth in the SHSHL Class A playoffs, the Golden Bears shocked Lansdale Catholic in the semifinals and swept Upper Dublin in the finals.
The Bears, who open the tournament by hosting 18th seed Radnor at 6:40 p.m. Tuesday at Bucks County Ice Sports Center, are the SHSHL Class A champions. But they’re ready to see how far they can take it.
“We’ve never been to the Flyers Cup,” said Upper Moreland coach Jim Stampler. “It’s a great accomplishment and the guys are looking forward to it.”
“We’re going to come out with the same intensity as we’ve been doing all year,” said senior Matt Hoagland. “We’ll be ready.”
The first two rounds of the Flyers Cup tournament will be played this week. Games featuring SHSHL teams include:
Class AA
March 5
#20 Washington Township at #13 Souderton (10-11-2), 8 p.m., Hatfield Ice.
#19 Spring-Ford (6-11-1) at #14 Pennsbury (15-12-3), 8:45 p.m., Grundy Ice Arena
March 6
#17 Hempfield (13-6-2) at #16 Central Bucks East (7-13-2), 7 p.m., Warwick Ice Arena.
#9 Cherokee at #8 Council Rock North (12-11-2), 8:40 p.m., Warwick Ice Arena
March 8
Hempfield/C.B.East winner at #1 Central Bucks South (22-3-2), 7 p.m., Warwick Ice Arena.
Pennsbury/Spring-Ford winner at #3 Council Rock South (19-4-2), 7 p.m., Bucks County Ice Sports Center.
Souderton/Washington winner at #4 Perkiomen Valley (12-5-1), 6:45 p.m., Iceline.
#11 Boyertown (10-6-2) at #10 Pennridge (15-7-2), 9 p.m., Hatfield Ice.
Avon Grove (8-8-2)/Wilson winner at #2 North Penn (15-5-5), 7:20 p.m., Hatfield Ice.
Class A
March 5
#17 Williamstown at #16 Upper Dublin (9-12-2), 6:40 p.m., Bucks County Ice Sports Center.
#19 Wissahickon (7-12-2) at #14 Garnet Valley (8-7-3), 7:45 p.m., Aston
March 6
#18 Radnor (6-11-1) at #15 Upper Moreland (12-11), 6:40 p.m., Bucks County Ice Sports Center.
#12 Lansdale Catholic (11-11-1) at #5 Moorestown, TBD, Flyers Skate Zone, Voorhees.
March 8
Archbishop Carroll/Unionville winner at #4 Archbishop Wood (14-9-1), 8:40 p.m., Bucks County Ice Sports Center.
Wissahickon/Garnet Valley winner at #3 Springfield (12-3-3), 7:30 p.m., Aston.
March 9
Upper Moreland/Radnor winner at #2 Methacton (15-2-1), 8:45 p.m., Iceline.
NOTHING TO LOSE … Last season, Central Bucks East won the SHSHL Class AA Championship and made the Flyers Cup Final.
This year, East is the lone SHSHL team in the Flyers Cup that did not qualify for the league playoffs. The Patriots finished in fifth place in the highly competitive Continental Division with a 5-10-2 league record (7-13-2 overall).
Following a season of immensely high expectations, the Patriots enter the 2012 Flyers Cup as the 16th seed – lowest seed of any SHSHL team – and have little to no expectations.
And that just might make the Patriots the most dangerous team in the tournament.
“There is no pressure on us at all this year,” said East coach Ken Latchum. “Last year there was a lot of pressure on us. This year, I told the kids, ‘No one expects us to do anything and you can shock a lot of people if you take it one game at a time.’”
The young and inexperienced Patriots have been inconsistent this season, but they have managed to play some strong games against quality opponents. East has notched wins over playoff teams Council Rock North, Pennsbury and Souderton, and have recorded ties against Pennridge and North Penn.
And with a quality goalkeeper in freshman Steven Gilchrist and a solid defense, Latchum believes the Patriots can make some noise in the Flyers Cup.
“Anything can happen,” he said. “Goaltending will be the big key, that’s for sure, especially in these one-game eliminations.
“Defense and goaltending will be our key. If we play low-scoring games, I think we have a good shot. We’re not a high-scoring team, so we can’t get into shootouts with teams. We’ve got to play them tight and rely on our defense and goaltending.”
The Patriots will also rely on the experienced players – who know what it takes to win a league title and play in the Flyers Cup finals – to lead the way.
“We’ll be looking to guys like Nick Patullo, and Conor Long on defense,” Latchum said. “Conor is a guy we’re really going to rely on. He’s been the heart of that defense with his enthusiasm and passion. We’re going to really rely on his leadership in these games.”
And in the end, it will all come down to which Central Bucks East team shows up to play. If it’s the squad that defeated Council Rock North in December and Souderton in February, Latchum is confident in the Patriots’ chances.
“If we get the team that showed up against Souderton, we have a good chance of winning,” he said. “With these young teams, it’s about getting that consistency. If I get that team that plays the system and forechecks well and hard, we’ll be a tough team to beat, especially in a one-game elimination.”
SOUTH’S CAPTAIN A MARVEL … Defensemen, by nature of the position, spend a good deal of their time on the ice right in front of their own goaltender. That also holds true for Central Bucks South senior captain Tim DiRugeris. The only difference is, DiRugeris also spends a lot of time in front of the opposition’s goaltender.
When the Titans are on the power play, DiRugeris doesn’t man the point … instead he positions himself directly in front of the opposing team’s goalie.
“They usually put me in front of the net because they know I’ll stand in front and screen the goalie and battle in front,” said DiRugeris, who endures shoves, checks and hacks while wreaking havoc at the top of the crease. “I’ve gotten worse things in front of the net. I like doing my job.”
It also helps that DiRugeris as comfortable taking slap shots as he is blocking them.
“Every coach has a different opinion on whether to play me `n offense or defense,” he said. “This year I actually play offense on my club team.”
“Tim’s not afraid to take a shot and one of the other things he gives to us is his physical play,” said South coach Tom Coyne. “He sometimes rolls on the edge of spilling the drink, but he usually gets the job done.”
“That’s my go-to if the other team has momentum,” DiRugeris said with a laugh. “We get them back that way and hopefully it stops their momentum and gives us some.”
It’s also not uncommon to see DiRugeris helping out on offense or jumping up to aid on a rush up the ice. In Game 1 of the SHSHL Class AA Finals, DiRugeris quarterbacked an offensive sequence from the point, intercepting attempted clearance passes and firing them back on net. It led to a Kevin Casey goal that knotted the score at 3-3 and swung the momentum firmly into the Titans’ corner.
Not long after, DiRugeris smartly saw a chance to join Nick DeLaurentis on a two-on-one rush that DeLaurentis scored on to give the Titans the lead.
“Tim’s a smart player, a great leader,” DeLaurentis said. “He makes a lot of things happen on both ends the ice. That’s why we love him.”
“I just like to get up on that rush when I see an open lane,” DiRugeris said. “I do get nervous sometimes, ‘Am I going to screw this up?’ But I’m actually pretty confident with this team when we move up on a rush because I know something will probably come out of it. Whenever I join the rush, I just look to do whatever possible to make something happen.”
Few can argue that he’s done that. DiRugeris has 9 goals and 6 assists for Central Bucks South, the SHSHL Class AA Champion and top seed in the Flyers Cup Class AA tournament. The Titans will begin their pursuit of the Flyers Cup on March 8, when they host the winner of the Central Bucks East/Hempfield game at 7 p.m. at Warwick Ice Arena.
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