HE ANSWERS TAUNTS WITH BIG GOALS
Ron Stone handles verbal taunts with a stick. But instead of tattooing his foe with the lumber, the diminutive 5-7, 150-pounder deposits hockey pucks in nets for St. James.
In four games last week, Stone lit the lamp 10 times, five times on the power play. He assisted on 14 other goals, which means the freshman averaged six points a game.
His best effort came against arch-rival Penncrest when he tallied four goals and three assists. And then there was the hat trick he tossed at Monsignor Bonner, a team that paid for its physical style of play when Stone registered all of his numbers on the power play.
Not surprisingly. St. James (15-0-1) claimed victories in each of the contests heading into the all-star break. And not surprisingly, Stone, along with linemates Larry Moulder and Anthony Lyman; Bulldog goalie Mike Sims (three shutouts) and defenseman Mike Eubanks, all made the Delaware Valley Hockey League all-star team.
Stone also earned a spot on the Daily Times Athletic Honor Roll for his efforts, which include 31 goals and 34 assists, which lead the team.
“Ron has been skating since he was three years old and is probably the most pure and natural player in the whole league,” said Rob Jowder, who coaches the Jimmies along with Rob Stone, Ron’s brother. “He’s not just a
scorer: he plays the whole game, whether it’s penalty killing or on the power play. He’s a heady, complete hockey player. He’s elusive, and he just doesn’t like to leave the ice.”
As could be expected, Stone and his linemates are marked men when they hit the ice. The physical abuse comes in the form of slashes and crosschecks. The verbal abuse is unprintable.
“Let’s say we’re breaking out of our zone,” said Stone. “They’ll (opponents) bump into us, then say something like, ‘Hey, you wanna play hockey?’ Or worse. But Stone – who is the largest member of his line – and his pals take it in stride, then cash in on the resultant power plays.
How does he avoid the bumps, hooks and other such intimidating tactics? “I just pray I don’t get hit too hard,” said Stone.
That Stone and the rest of the Bulldogs are playing hockey at all is a credit to a group of St. James boosters who’ve pushed hard to keep the team on ice. With a roster of just 15 skaters, the Jimmies were facing numbers and financial problems in a sport that requires payments upfront.
It costs something in the neighborhood of $350 a year, plus equipment to partake in the sport.
“It was up in the air because of the numbers,” said Jowder. “It’s an expensive sport, and there just weren’t a lot of kids involved. But the school has been helpful, and we have a group of parents and fans that have been really great, coming out to support the team.
“In one game, we even had the St. James Bulldog mascot (Rich Haines) put on a jersey and skate across the ice.”
So, the St. James ice hockey program is on the rebound, thanks in no small part to a smallish line led by Stone, who also plays for the Valley Forge Colonials, a midget league (15-17 year-olds) team.
The Jimmies’ next goal? To win the league championship and battle another league in a playoff series
