Neshaminy, Souderton & William Tennent are featured in the first SHSHL Notebook of the 2021 season.
By Craig Ostroff
NATIONAL CONFERENCE
Veteran trio leads Neshaminy - It’s been an offseason unlike any other. From delaying the start of the season, to new precautions instituted, to the limited practice time, it’s been difficult for area teams to find any semblance of balance and consistency.
However, one rule of hockey remains true, even in times like these: In order to be successful, you need your best players to lead the way. Fortunately, Neshaminy has two senior forwards and a senior blueliner who stack up against anyone in the league.
“I think we’re all kind of figuring it out as we go along,” said Neshaminy coach Matt DeMatteo, whose team was 1-1-0-0 overall and 1-1-0 in the National Conference. “We haven’t had the number of practices or scrimmages we usually do. We’re trying to find our way as a team and come together, and having those three guys is a big part of it. Individual talent alone allows us to compete in games, so it’s a nice thing to fall back on, having three guys that talented who can step up and take control of the game.”
The defensive end of the ice is anchored by Matt Buchinski, a tough but speedy D-man who is relied upon not only to stop the oncoming rush, but also to set up the Neshaminy offense.
“Matt is such a huge part of our defense,” DeMatteo said. “He’s that guy that will gut it out against the oppositions’ top players. He’s a great skater, and he really allows us to do some things in the back end. He’s great at using his legs to get the puck out, but he’s really good at creating offense as well.”
And when the puck is in the offensive end, that’s when Robbie Seewagen and Thomas Gallagher take over. Seewagen is a dynamic forward who can move from center to the wing as needed and can play either position equally well. He’s tallied 5 points (3G, 2A) in two games.
Gallagher has two goals and an assist thus far. Boasting a solid all-around game, Gallagher is quick to punish any team that focuses too much on Seewagen.
“Robbie is one of the best power forwards in the league,” DeMatteo said. “He’s been a leader for us a couple years now. Rob is pretty much the focal point of other teams’ defenses, and I think he relishes it, he enjoys the challenge, and if he’s not scoring, he’s able to create opportunities and space for the players around him as well.
“Tommy has been a consistent contributor since his freshman year, for four years he’s been a big part of what we’re doing offensively. Tommy, I think, flies under the radar a little bit. He’s not as big and powerful and flashy as Rob, but he’s a very complete player. Teams will have a plan for Robbie, and Tom steps up and he can get the job done as well.”
Their efforts during games are just one aspect of why the senior trio is so crucial for Neshaminy. The three have provided consistency and leadership during a trying offseason and a rushed preseason as teams try to get back into game shape and develop chemistry quickly.
“We’re pulling in guys from a lot of different places,” DeMatteo said. “They’re coming from a lot of different clubs, and in some cases different levels. Robbie plays Junior hockey with the Junior Flyers, we’ve got guys playing A and B level with clubs. It’s a really wide swath, so having leaders like them who play at a bit of a higher level, it challenges the rest of the team to follow their lead. They work hard in practice, and they’re good examples for the younger guys to follow.
“They all contribute differently. Robbie I think is more the vocal leader, more the face of the team. Thomas is very quiet, but he lays it all out on the ice. He’s a clutch player and he’s very consistent, you can always count on Tommy to come through and do his job in big moments in big games. Matt is a good mix between the two. He can be vocal, but you just look at his effort out there and I think it makes the players around him want to be better.”
Neshaminy will be back on the ice at 7:20 pm Thursday at Grundy Ice Arena, hosting Central Bucks West in a nonleague matchup.
“With everything going on, you can’t really catch a read this early,” said DeMatteo. “You generally have an idea, but this year a lot is up in the air regarding the powerhouse teams. When you look at the first two games we played, we were not terribly good. We’ve been underperforming, we’ve been a little sloppy with the puck, so teams don’t have a read on us yet. But we’re treating every team we play like they’re best in the league, we have our leaders stepping up and the rest of the team is following their lead, so I’m looking forward to seeing what happens.”
CONTINENTAL CONFERENCE
Indians building for success - The last several years have not been easy ones for the Souderton ice hockey team. Chemistry has been hard to find and wins have been difficult to come by.
With a new year and a clean slate in the 2021 season, Souderton coach Ryan Uchniat has a different feeling about this year’s squad.
Things are looking up. With a stacked freshman class and a solid group of veteran leaders, there’s a bright future on the horizon. And the steps the Indians take this year will go a long way in laying the foundation for success over the next several years.
“We’re in the midst of a turnaround here at Souderton,” Uchniat said. “We’ve had a couple of rough years, but we have an outstanding crop that came into our freshman class.”
Seven of Souderton’s nine frosh play club-level hockey, and several are establishing themselves as key components for the team’s present and future. Freshman forward Seth Grossman has already announced himself with a four-goal game. Defenseman Ben Fadden is off to a strong start as well.
“Seth is already inserting himself into leader status,” Uchniat said. “He leads by example and he’s showing that he’s a great team player. Ben Fadden is a guy who’s playing very high level of hockey for the Junior Flyers. He’s a physical defensemen, Seth is a great two-way forward.”
But having a strong set of newcomers will only go so far without veterans to lead the way. And Souderton has its share of those as well. Junior captain Carter Povazan is set to provide stability as a leader for the next two seasons, and senior Amanda Kaminsky and sophomore Noah Connor are experienced goalkeepers who will keep the cage protected as the defense gains experience.
“There’s some growth that we have to go through, and a culture we need to certainly implement, but there are some very good signs within this club,” Uchniat said.
No one expects it to be easy, though. Nor do they expect the results to be immediate. The Indians stand at 0-2 overall heading into this week’s play, but while notches in the win column might still be at a premium, the Indians’ coach can sense that the veterans are leading and the newcomers are learning what it takes to be successful in the league.
“Practices have been tougher, there’s a higher level of competition in practice, you can see it,” Uchniat said. “We want our team to be hungry, and we want them to be excited about going up against some of these bigger, better clubs rather than being pessimistic about playing a top team. That starts with hard work at practice, trying to help build confidence moving forward.
“But we’ve got guys like Jaden Garrick, a senior defenseman, who comes to rink every day with a great, positive attitude. That helps not just from a micro standpoint of hockey, but those are characteristics that equate to long-term success in life, those are the kind of people who can put in that work to help create the culture we want to establish here.”
The Indians look to capture their first victory of season when they visit Central Bucks South at Hatfield Ice at 8:30 p.m. Thursday. Earning those wins will do wonders for confidence, but Uchniat stressed that he and the team are not basing their success on their record.
“It’s more important that we progress, get better each and every game, and the wins will follow,” Uchniat said. “We’re in a tough division, we’re a very young team, so our focus is more on progressing and getting better. And good things will happen. And I think they’re starting to see that. It’s going to be a challenge, but I think the team is up for it.”
AMERICAN CONFERENCE
Panthers looking for good things - In his 11 years as head coach of the William Tennent ice hockey team, Nick D’Aurizio has seen his share of successful teams as well as teams that have struggled. Often, that success goes hand in hand with the level of commitment brought by the players.
D’Aurizio is sensing a degree of commitment from his squad thus far this year that gives him hope for this season and beyond.
“This team seems to be really ready to put in the hard work it’s going to take if we want to be able to play with the top teams in our league,” D’Aurizio said. “In a season that’s been super weird, and with so many things up in the air for so long, it’s been great to see how focused they are. This team is unique.”
It all starts with the team’s leaders, and four-year varsity player and team captain Zach Devor, who has matured into the type of leader that D’Aurizio knew he could be back in ninth grade.
“When Zach came in as a freshman, we could see all the markings of a future captain, and ever since his freshman year, we’ve been working to hone in that leadership role,” D’Aurizio said. “As soon as last season ended, Zach was texting me about this season. He’s a natural leader, he’s the glue that holds this team together.
But the Panthers won’t be relying solely on Devor. Fellow seniors, defenseman Jon Kreider and dynamic forward Justin Carrelli—who had two goals and two assists in two games coming into the week—will also be counted upon to show the younger players the type of hard work needed for the team to be successful.
“Jon is your typical stay-at-home defensemen—he’s a quiet guy who really leads by example with tough, physical play,” D’Aurizia said. “Justin is one of the best in the league when he’s out there. He makes his linemates better with the way he plays and he makes the team better by the example he sets.
“All three of those guys have bought in and they’re taking on the roles of leading the team. Those guys have been great leaders and have really helped us early on.”
In addition to their efforts during games, the trio has been critical in practices and off the ice to keep the younger players focused and dedicated to success, both now and in the future.
“Our leaders do a really good job of keeping everyone on track,” D’Aurizio said. “We’re big on focus, we need to focus on practice. Coaches will always talk about ‘practice good habits’ and a lot of times it goes in one ear and out the other. But this team is starting to believe in those good habits.
“Every person on this team has a role. If every kid accepts their role and takes responsibility for doing their job, we’ll be successful. Getting that mentality is always the challenge at this level—getting the kids to sacrifice for the betterment of the team. But this team is starting to believe and I think you’re going to start to see results.”
The Panthers, who started the season 1-1-0-0 coming into the week, faced offensive powerhouse Wissahickon on Wednesday night, and will return to action at 7:20 pm Friday at Revolution Ice Gardens when they host Hatboro-Horsham.
SHSHL POINT LEADERS
1. Bryan Garry, Wissahickon 18 points
2. Adam Bostock, Central Bucks East, 12 points
3. Nicholas Hussa, Wissahickon, 11 points
4. Alex Howieson, Hatboro-Horsham, 10 points
5. Brendan Macainsh, 8 points
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