April 24, 1979
By Don McKee
Inquirer staff writer
The regional scholastic hockey tournament resumes tonight with a doubleheader at the Face-Off Circle in Warminster. Archbishop Carroll (2-0) meets Archbishop Ryan (2-1) at 7 o’clock, and William Tennent (2-0) meets Malvern Prep (2-1) at 9, in the double-elimination tourney. Carroll and Tennent are heavily favored and, if both win tonight, will begin what would amount to a best- of-three championship series at 9:30 Thursday night in Lafayette Gardens, King of Prussia.
Tennent, No. 2 to Carroll in the final Inquirer Top Ten, is led by goalie Jim Kochersperger, who is a rookie in the nets and getting better every game.
“We needed a veteran goalie,” said Coach Rich Boerner, “and Jim just volunteered. He’s a senior who had
never played goal in organized hockey before, but he has all the moves. He’s a real student of the game.”In his first start, the erstwhile right wing shut out Council Rock, 5- 0. He played in 19 games in Tennent’s 17-4 regular season, compiling a fine 2.44 goals-against average. Since then, he’s gotten even better, giving up just nine goals in six games (a 1.50 average) as Tennent won the Suburban League playoffs, and only two goals in the two regional playoff games. For Tennent to have a chance against high-scoring Carroll, Kochersperger is a key. Another is the Lions’ strong defensive unit of Dave Gilles, Darrell Dundore, Kevin McGowan, and team captain Steve Pessiki. Kochersperger has fewer shots to face than most goaltenders. Tennent’s big scorer is tiny (5-foot-3) Ronny Manto, who had 24 goals
and 15 assists while centering for a line of freshman Joe Schultheis and assists leader Eric Matsinger. “We don’t have one big scorer,” Boerner said. “What has made us a good team, probably more than anything, is we have more depth than the majority of teams. “I understand Carroll does it mostly with eight super kids. Realistically, I think a team like that has to get tired by the third period. I think a lot of teams got so far behind Carroll in the first and second periods, they just gave up.” Tennent, a team oriented toward checking and defense, looks like the only team that can give speed-skating, super-scoring Carroll a game. The two met last year in the final of the regional and Carroll won, 6-5. If the two meet again, it should be an equally great matchup.
