March 27, 1980
By Ted Silary
Philadelphia Daily News
Carmen DiGiandomenico. That’s 20 letters, three of them capitals. With a name like that, the superb defenseman on the hockey squad at Archbishop Carroll High got a taste for extra duty quite early in life and the way it appears, he can’t seem to shake it. With all due respect to the goal- scoring magic of the Chamness brothers, Scott and Phil, and the manner in which frosh Jeff Arnold I can gather assists, perhaps the most amazing fete on the team this season was rung up by Carmen DiWhatever, who hardly ever left the ice. ACTUALLY, THE solidly built junior, by design, was supposed to last 45 minutes no matter what.
As the Patriots last night mastered Malvern Prep, 6-2, at Penn’s Class of 1923 Rink to lock up the best-of-3 final series for the first Flyers Cup, Carmen vacated the ice four times- three times for penalties, totaling 4:05, and again with 1:30 remaining. after the championship was assured.
“Toward the end of freshman sea- son, I started to play a good percent- age of the time,” said DiGiandomenico, who managed one assist, “and I’ve played the entire game the last two years.
“This year, we have a lot of beginners. We’re kind of low on men to stick back on defense. For awhile, John Arizini and me were getting almost all the playing time, until John got hurt. “Sometimes, I do get down in the dumps, even depressed. Everybody likes to get some print and I don’t get too much. But when you take the championship (of the Inter-County League) three straight years and you still have one more year left to try to win it again, that’s what satisfies you.”
DIGIANDOMENICO started his hockey career at the age of 6, with a push from his father, Frank, an avowed Flyers fanatic, though he had never played the game. Since Carmen was bigger than most of the other kids, he was stationed on D and learned to flourish. “From time to time on my way up, I would move to forward on youth teams,” said Carmen. “But my father helped to coach five years with the Little Flyers and he always said that defense would have to be my position.
“When you play on defense and guys like Scott and Phil and Jeff are scoring so easily, you are not quite sure if what you do is appreciated. But when the guys say, ‘Nice game,” or the coach (Dave Callaghan) gives you a pat on the back, it makes you feel good. Even if I don’t score, the guys know I’m helping. “Going the distance is a matter of intensity and concentration. Every time you start to feel it, you have to say, I’m not tired,’ and keep on goin’. When the fatigue hits, you run the risk of getting cheap penalties.” MOST WEREN’T CHEAP, but The Patriots (24-5-1) did get called for 14 penalties. Thing was, it mattered not in the least. Scott Chamness and Arnold each hustled for shorthanded goals, one in each of the first two periods, as Carroll stormed to a 5-0 lead before Chris Lerro scored the first of two goals. Scott Chamness, who finished his career with 284 goals, was picked MVP and has the uncanny ability to toy with the opposition. “I’ve been playing this game for 13 years and I just go out and play my normal game,” said Scott, who plans to attend prep school next year. “There are things I can do by instinct by now. When I have the puck, I know where my centerman is going to be, or my other winger. It just goes with experience. “The key to winning this series was that we hardly ever let Malvern set up. We held them to 11 shots the first game (6-5 loss) and less than 20 the second. It was our goal all along. You can’t score if you don’t get shots. “We’re basically an offensive team, but in Carmen ‘DiJohn,’ we’ve got the best defenseman around. He’s the basis of our whole defense.” And Carmen DiGiandomenico’s name is the basis of the whole alphabet.
ICE CHIPS: Scott Chamness unleashed 14 shots on goal, scoring thrice… Mike Callow notched the final goal for Carroll… Dave Callaghan stepped down after the clash, joining Malvern’s Ray Bowman… Carroll goalie Robb Schnorr registered 15 saves and even had an assist.
Carroll………3 – 2 – 1 – 6
Malvern…….0 – 1 – 1 – 2
First period – 1, Carroll, S. Chamness (unassisted), 4:58. 2, Carroll, Arnold (Schnorr, Madigan), 9:49. 3, Carroll, S. Chamness (Madigan, Arnold), 14:36. Penalties Arnold, AC, 4:41; DiGiandomenico, AC, 7:23; DiBacco, MP, 8:13; M. O’Connor, MP, 8:38; P. Chamness, AC, 8:38; Madigan, AC, 10:09; DiBacco, MP, 11:14; McHugh, MP, double minor, 13:47; C. Lerro, MP, 14:17; DiBacco, MP, 14:36.
Second period – 4, Carroll, S. Chamness (P. Chamness, Arnold), 4:28. 5, Carroll, Arnoid (S. Chamness, DiGiandomenico), 13:17. 6, Malvern, C. Lerro (Washco), 14:43. Penalties S. Chamness, AC, 2:13; DiGiandomenico, AC, 6:07; P. Chamness, AC, 6:44; Burdo, AC, 13:01, S. Chamness, AC, 13:59, P. Chamness, AC, 15:00.
Third period – 7, Malvern, C. Lerro (K. O’Connor, M. O’Connor), 8:46. 8, Carroll, Callow (Burdo), 13:30. Penalties S. Charness, AC, 2:01; Arnold, AC, 4:19; Burdo, AC, 4:51; DiGiandomenico, AC, 8:41; DiBacco, MP, 9:04; lanelli, MP, 12:30.
Shots on goal – Carroll 13-10-8-31. Malvern 4-7-6-17.
Goalies – Malvern, Parvin – Carroll, Schnorr
Attendance – 2,207.
