March 12, 2004
Player of the Year
Chris Brennan has achieved a lot in his time at Radnor. Sure, the talented senior has scored a ton of goals and dished out even more assists, but he has also mastered many of the intangibles that are associated with hockey. He is a great leader, who has led his team to two Flyers Cup Class A championships and one Class A Pennsylvania crown with chances still remaining to increase those totals. Keep in mind, though, that he has done all of this while being the main target of every team that he has played against. Never was his leadership more apparent than in a normal ICSHL crossover game against Archbishop Carroll in January. The Red Raiders lost the game, 8-7, as they played without a goalie, but every person in attendance could see the on-ice leadership Brennan exuded and just how much he meant to his team. “It was hard,” said Brennan after that contest. “I’ve never been involved in a game like that, but our team really came together and we almost pulled it out. “I’m proud of the way we played as a team. We rallied like we never have before.” With every shift, Brennan not only looked for ways to give the Red Raiders an offensive advantage but to help the team keep Carroll’s offense at bay. He hit anything that moved on the ice and was carefully able to pick and choose his spots to take scoring chances. He scored five goals against a very strong Patriots team in that game. Also, while his offensive ability and hitting were keys to the game, his defense and on-ice prowess were also superb. It is efforts like that which made Brennan the Daily Times Hockey Player of the Year for the second straight season.
Brennan is joined on the All-Delco team by fellow Red Raider Nick Ryder, Anthony Fitti of Haverford High (I), Mike Cauley of Cardinal O’Hara (I) at forward, Dan Corey of Cardinal O’Hara (I), Springfield’s Mike Cassidy, and Nick DeFruscio of Monsignor Bonner (I) on the blue line and Jason Mardinly, the Cardinal O’Hara (I) goaltender. All-Delco selections were made by the Daily Times after consultation with area coaches. “I’ve never said that Chris is very vocal, but this year, especially in the second half, he’s taken it upon himself to be more vocal,” said Ed Ritti III, the Radnor coach “Now when he’s says something, everyone looks to him and he backs it up with his play on the ice.
“He just leads our team. He wants to get two or three guys shadowing him every game because he knows when they do that, he can just feed his teammates all night. He’s a dangerous player to have on the ice because he recognizes situations so well and he doesn’t use his energy in spots that he doesn’t need to.” Brennan teamed with his brother John in 2001-2002 to lead the Red Raiders to the state championship game, which Radnor lost 5-4 to Serra Catholic. When John (the Daily Times Player of the Year in 2002) graduated, Chris knew his role would have to expand and he has embraced the challenge to this day. Many doubted whether Chris could lead a team to a Central League title, let alone a state championship last season. As usual, he proved those doubters wrong. The same people have said that Radnor cannot bring home a championship two years in a row and that is one more challenge that Brennan is willing to take head-on. “Throughout the year we’ve gotten a lot of criticism, but we’ve tried not to listen to it,” said Brennan, a member of the Junior Flyers Midget 17 Club team. “If anything, we’ve used it as a motivating factor.” Part of the reason Brennan and his teammates have achieve so much is due to the fact that program is under great leadership with coaches Ed Ritti III, Ed Ritti Jr., and Dave Wood. For Brennan, Ritti III, has been a great influence. “Coach is an unbelievable guy,” said Brennan. “He puts so much energy into and does so much for our program. “He’s got a wife and now they have a baby, and he still is at every practice trying to make us better as team. He’s helped me develop as a player and I can’t thank him enough for what he has done for the team.” A third straight ICSHL Class A Central crown already clinched and the Flyers Cup tournament still to come, the Red Raiders will have a chance to continue to prove their doubters wrong and to play for Ritti a few more times before the Brennan era officially ends at Radnor. “A lot of people doubt us and it has fired us up all year,” Brennan said. “We know that getting to the states is going to be much more difficult this year. It will be great if we can get back there, but if we don’t, the guys that are graduating can leave knowing that we still did a lot of great things while were here.”
ALL-DELCO TEAM
Nick DeFruscio, Monsignor Bonner (I): DeFruscio, a repeat All-Delco selection, was the captain for the Friars and Bonner’s most experienced player on defense. A stay-at-home defenseman, DeFruscio was in charge of leading a young defensive unit in the rugged AAA Elite Division, which proved to be a tough task. While the Friars did not achieve much team success this season, DeFruscio was as solid as ever. His aggressive and physical style of play were needed on the Friars’ blue line to compete against area powers like Malvern, O’Hara, and LaSalle. “Nick responded on the ice this year for the team,” said Bonner coach Mike “Bubba” Barry. “He was solid for us all year and we usually had him paired with our fourth and fifth defensemen in a rotation. He stepped up to that challenge and helped make those players better around him.”
Nick Ryder, Radnor: Ryder, a senior, who was a third-team All-Delco selection last season, has been the Red Raiders’ No. 2 center for the past two years and has tallied 21 goals and 23 assists for 44 points this season. Ryder’s consistency and overall excellent play have been an enormous part of Radnor’s three straight division titles. “Nick does so much for the team,” said Radnor coach Ed Ritti III. “I give a lot of responsibility on the guys that play center for me and Nick has embraced that. He has improved his game in every aspect and has been an important part of this team since he got here.” In his career, Ryder, who plays club hockey for the Junior Flyers Midget 17 club team, has been a member of two Flyers Cup Class A championship teams and one state title team. “When I need someone to win an important draw or to shut someone down, I look to Nick,” said Ritti. “To do all that and put up the points that he does is impressive.”
Mike Cauley, Cardinal O’Hara (I): The sophomore burst into the Delco spotlight this year with an amazing year competing in the AAA Elite Division. While routinely matching up against some of the finest AAA competition in the state, Cauley excelled as he has scored 20 goals and had 14 assists this season. Cauley, who plays for the Little Flyers Midget 16 club team, was looked to provide offense on a team that desperately needed it and he did not disappoint coach Bill Swahl. “Mike has a natural ability to score,” said Swahl. “He really matured this year. Every team saw him as a target and keyed on him. As a sophomore, to come in and lead our team in scoring, while playing the schedule that we had was great. I can’t say I’m surprised at how well he performed because we knew he had this kind of ability.”
Anthony Fitti, Haverford High (I): Fitti, a junior, was a third team All-Delco selection as a sophomore. Fitti is also a member of the Junior Flyers Midget 16 club team and has 20 goals and 23 assists for 43 points this season for the Fords. His excellent overall play, combined with his dazzling skills has made Fitti the most feared player in the EHSHL AA Division. Even with his offensive ability, Fitti was more than willing to drop back and play defense when Haverford needed him to when it was ravaged with injuries at the blue line earlier in the season. “Anthony has had a great year for us,” said Fords coach Brian Cleary. “He did so many things for us on the ice this season and is really one of the most dangerous players in this area. He’s got great skills and draws so much attention from other teams, that it opens up the ice a lot for his teammates.”
Mike Cassidy, Springfield: Cassidy, who plays for the Valley Forge Minutemen club team, stepped into the role as the Cougars top defensemen this season and did so with ease. The scrappy and physical senior has been a long-time fixture in the Springfield lineup and was one of the top defensemen in the area this season. “Mike made the switch from forward to defense in his sophomore year because we were short on defensemen,” said Cougars coach Jack Burke. “It turned out to be a good move for him. He’s got good speed and good hands, but the great thing about him is that he’s always willing to do what we ask him to do.” Cassidy, who constantly drew matchups against opposing teams’ top lines, chipped in with four goals and 12 assists for Springfield this season. Cassidy was an All-Delco honorable mention selection last season.
Dan Corey, Cardinal O’Hara (I): Corey has been one of the most steady and consistent players for the Lions over the past three seasons. The gritty senior played extremely well for O’Hara this season against high-powered offenses like Malvern Prep (I), La Salle (I), and Germantown Academy. “Dan is one of the best leaders I’ve had in my 13 years,” said Swahl. “We had a vote (for captain) before the season and every single guy voted for Dan. I think a lot of our success has been based on his leadership. When we had tough times, he was there to step in. That carried out to his play on the ice, too.” Corey, an All-Delco honorable mention selection last year, also contributed offensively from the blue-line as he had one goal and eight assists this season.
Jason Mardinly, Cardinal O’Hara (I): Mardinly, an All-Delco selection as a sophomore and a member of the All-Delco second team last season, is one of the state’s top goalies. Mardinly, a member of the Junior Flyers Midget 17 club team, did not post numbers like some of the county’s other goalies (7-4-1, 2.83 GAA, 92.4 save percentage), but the level of competition he saw night in and night out was at a higher level than anyone else. “I think that Jason is flat-out the best goalie in the area,” said Swahl. “He’s a leader on this team and we’re going to go as far as he takes us. He knows that kind of pressure is on him and he accepts it. He’s been a big part of our team’s success in each year that he’s played with us.” Mardinly’s performance in the Lions’ EHSHL Class AAA Division championship series against archrival Monsignor Bonner (I) further enhanced his reputation as one of the best goalies to come through Delco in recent years.
By Chuck Smith
The Daily Times
