Scott Huff features Pennridge, Hatboro-Horsham and Harry S Truman in this week’s SHSHL notebook.
By Scott Huff
And the beat goes on…
SHSHL Continental Conference ‘Snapshot’
Pennridge head coach Ken Doak had a pretty good feeling that his Rams were going to be a good ice hockey team this year.
He was wrong.
“I thought we would be a good team, but we have been a very good team,” said Doak. “The stars have really aligned for this team – we have gotten great goaltending, we have scored goals, and the younger kids that we were grooming have done a really nice job.”
The Pennridge goaltending has been excellent this season due to the superior play of junior Luke Stranick.
“The expectations for him coming into the season were high,” said Doak. “There was some pressure on him and he has played very well.
“Luke has size and has developed a great glove hand,” added Doak. “And he has a great ability to stop breakaways.”
The Pennridge offensive firepower has been generated by juniors Eric Slater and Michael Walker. Slater has 12 goals and 12 assists in just eight games, while Walker has 12 goals and 11 assists in eight contests.
“They have had a great season in both high school and club hockey,” said Doak of the Slater/Walker duo. “They play with a such a high motor.
“But the best thing about them is their leadership role on the team,” added Doak. “Both on the bench and in the locker room they give 1,000 percent to the team.”
The blue line is protected by junior Frankie Rota and junior Matthew Guinette. Juniors Jake Weisbecker and Bryson Egan provide excellent depth defensively.
“Our goal for the remainder of the season is to give CB South a run for the championship,” said Doak. “We have to see how that plays out, though. North Penn and Council Rock South also have some good teams.
“Anything can happen in the playoffs,” added Doak. “You lose one game – and you’re done.
SHSHL Continental Conference Standings
(Conference Standings Only) W L T Pts.
1. Central Bucks South Titans 4 0 0 8
Pennridge Rams 4 0 0 8
3. North Penn Knights 3 0 0 6
4. Souderton Indians 2 2 0 4
5. Central Bucks East Patriots 2 3 0 4
6. Central Bucks West Bucks 0 2 0 0
SHSHL American Conference ‘Snapshot’
Hatboro-Horsham has gotten off to an impressive start this season with a 6-1 SHSHL American Conference record – with the lone loss a tough 7-6 loss to unbeaten Wissahickon.
“My guys are confident that if and when we play them again we can give them (Wissahickon) a run,” said Hatboro-Horsham head coach Gus Salfiti. “A 6-1 start is a darn good start, and honestly, I really didn’t do the research to see what to expect for this year.”
A glance at the Hatter stat sheet illustrates the talents of senior Jacob Mueller. Mueller has scored 12 goals with eight assists in the seven HH games.
“Jacob plays the game with a great deal of intensity,” said Salfiti. “He is such a positive influence on the other players, and there isn’t anything he wouldn’t do for the team.”
Mueller has been paired with junior Sayvion Jones and senior Dylan McClure.
“Sayvion is a very smart player and is a very hard worker,” said Salfiti. “And Dylan skates hard and creates a lot of turnovers.”
Hatboro-Horsham showcases a pair of talented goaltenders in senior Ryan Bell and sophomore Joe Gambino.
“Ryan has been a back-up the last two years and has earned his turn to start,” said Salfiti. “He has only been a goalie for the last three or four years and has some a long way.
“It is hard to call Joe a back-up,” added Salfiti. “He plays, I think, with the Junior Flyers and gets a lot of ice time there.”
Salfiti mentioned four strong Hatter defensemen – led by Nathan Reilly. James McCoy, Shane Merger, and Kyle Mullen are also quality defensemen.
“They all are good stick handlers,” said Salfiti. “And they all play good team defense.”
The Hatters should continue their run for a possible conference championship as the New Year begins.
“We still have some things to work on,” said Salfiti. “We need to be more physical – nothing stops speed better than being physical.
“The game really is pretty simple,” added Salfiti. “Possession of the puck limits scoring opportunities for the other team. Execution is the key.”
SHSHL American Conference Standings
(Conference Standings Only) W L T Pts
1. Wissahickon Trojans 8 0 0 16
2. Hatboro-Horsham Hatters 6 1 0 12
3. Abington Ghosts 4 2 0 8
4. Upper Dublin Cardinals 3 4 0 6
5. Lower Moreland Lions 2 3 0 4
6. New Hope Solebury Lions 1 4 0 2
7. Plymouth Whitemarsh Colonials 1 6 0 2
8. Upper Moreland Golden Bears 0 5 0 0
SHSHL National Conference ‘Snapshot’
Harry S Trumanlost one of the elite SHSHL goal scorers to graduation in Michael Roarty – and the Tigers have missed the blue-chip talent this season.
“We have a very young team that has been carried offensively so far by both Codey Gordon and Steven Avelino,” said Truman head coach Bill Keyser. “And we have Kyle Huth back in goal for his fourth season in the program.”
Gordon leads HST in scoring with 10 points, while Avelino leads the Tigers in goals scored with six. Huth has a .842 save percentage with 176 saves.
“Codey is a real hustler that works hard and never quits,” said Keyser. “You know what you are going to get every shift when he’s out there.
“Steven is our captain and is trying hard to take his game to the next level,” added Keyser. “He is more of a finesse player with a lot of moves.
“Kyle is a big goalie that can intimidate some of the shooters,” continued Keyser. “He knows what it takes to win – he was in goal for championship teams and teams that have gone far in the playoffs.”
Keyser also cited the play of sophomore Robbie DiCrosta and junior Billy Findlay.
“Honestly, we have seven players that are varsity ready players, and another seven players that really should be on junior varsity,” said Keyser. “Playing in the AA division is tough on us – we can compete for the first two periods but seem to run out of gas in the third period.
“We want to compete with the teams that are on our ability level,” added Keyser. “And we want to still have fun playing against the teams that we know we really can’t compete with this season.”
One of those teams that the Tigers should compete with comes when HST meet Neshaminy on December 20th.
Truman goes into that contest off an impressive 9-3 victory over Upper Moreland in a non-league game.
In the win over the Golden Bears, Gordon scored four goals with two assists, while DiCrosta had two goals and four assists. Huth was outstanding in goal with 36 saves.
“We have some young kids that play the game with a lot of heart,” said Keyser. “We just want to improve as the season goes on.”
SHSHL National Conference Standings
(Conference Games Only) W L T Pts.
1. Council Rock South Hawks 4 0 0 8
2. William Tennent Panthers 1 2 2 4
3. Council Rock North Indians 1 3 1 3
4. Neshaminy Redskins 1 3 1 3
5. Truman Tigers 0 2 1 1
6. Pennsbury Falcons 0 5 0 0
‘ON ICE’ in the SHSHL
Wednesday – 12/20/17
North Penn vs. CB South @ Warwick – 8:40 pm
CB West vs. Pennsbury @ Grundy – 7:20 pm
Upper Dublin vs. Plymouth Whitemarsh @ Hatfield – 9:30 pm
Truman vs. Neshaminy @ Grundy – 9:00 pm
Thursday – 12/21/17
Upper Moreland vs. New Hope Solebury @ Hatfield – 7:10 pm
Council Rock South vs. La Salle II @ Hatfield – 8:30 pm
Abington vs. Central Bucks East @ Wintersport – 8:45 pm
William Tennent vs. Council Rock North @ Warwick – 8:45 pm
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