April 3, 1995
Nothing takes the spirit out of a hockey team like having a five-on-three advantage for nearly two minutes in a tied game in the third period, not scoring, then letting up a goal 21 seconds later. That’s what happened to Downingtown Wednesday night at the Skatium in Havertown, and it not only sapped the Whippets of their spirit, it also put an end to their hopes of a Flyers Cup title. Germantown Academy’s Rich Podulka came out of the penalty box with 5 minutes, 50 seconds remaining in a 2-2 game, went deep into the Whippets’ zone, and deflected a Dan McDonald slap shot from the left point. Downingtown goalie Travis Sinden waved his glove hand to the side but came up empty, the puck already behind him, and the Patriots were up, 3-2. The Whippets even had another power play before the game was over but generated only two shots, and GA held on to win, 3-2, and sweep the best-of-three series. The Patriots had won last Monday’s opening game, 4-2, at the Face-Off Circle in Warminster. “We don’t score on that five-on-three and we’re shooting and missing the net,” Whippets coach Frank Rochon said. “That’s pretty tough.” “It was dramatic stuff,” said Patriots coach John Ioia, whose team has won back-to-back Flyers Cup titles. “They had a big chance, and after it was all nip and tuck for us.” Downingtown appeared fortunate
even to be within reach of winning Wednesday’s game. GA kept the Whippets bottled up in their own end. much of the first two periods with good forechecking, and that aspect of the Patriots’ game gave them. twice as many scoring chances. But even when GA scored it got its first goal just 16 seconds into the first period Downingtown labored back to tie it. The Whippets scored on their first shot of the game T. J. Friesen’s blast from the point after just 1:28. GA went up midway through the period, using an extra skater with a delayed penalty on Downingtown and pressuring the Whippets until Podulka scored from in front. Still, Downingtown came back to tie the game, 2-2, on Jared Garson’s breakaway goal 6:31 into the second period. It was anyone’s game in the third, but Downingtown appeared to lose something in its stride by not getting any decent scoring chances on its five-on-three power play. And when Podulka scored, one could sense this wasn’t the Whippets’ night. “I think they came out a lot more fired up, and they skate very well,” Rochon said. GA, which won the Suburban League, ended its season Saturday in the state championship at the Skatium against Meadville, finishing with a 33-5 record in a 4-1 loss. Downingtown, which won the Eastern League title, finished its season at 30-9-5.
Sneak Attack
In the Tier II championship Tuesday night, Malvern Prep went up against Conwell-Egan not knowing a whole lot about the Eagles. Within the first 15 minutes, the Friars found out all they needed to know the Eagles could fly. Conwell-Egan overpowered Malvern early in the game, building a 4-0 lead in the first period and extending it to 7-0 after the second. Only in the third period did Malvern look suited to play with the Eagles, holding them to a 2-1 edge, but the final outcome was a lopsided one, 9-1. “Nothing went right and nothing bounced our way,” said Oliver Bedwell, who scored Malvern’s lone goal. “I feel like we got humiliated,” Friars forward Andrew Shaver said. Malvern’s problems were both mental and physical. Before the game, some of the Friars were looking over the team rosters, which included heights and weights, and showed Conwell-Egan to be a much bigger team. “They looked at their size and right there went mental,” Friars coach Jim McCrossin said. “I think some of our younger guys were a bit intimidated,” Shaver said. “I think some were a little scared to go into the corners, and they took it to us and beat us.” Malvern ended its season at 16-15-2. Conwell-Egan went on to win the state title in the Tier II state title game Saturday, defeating Pittsburgh North Catholic, 7-4.
Indians fall short in quest for the crown
The blowout in the state title game ended what was otherwise a season of triumph for Unionville.
The ideal scenario for Unionville hockey coach Mac McGarry in his last season with the Indians would have been to go out with the ultimate prize, a state championship. On Saturday at the Skatium, the Indians had the opportunity but didn’t come close. Facing the Pittsburgh area’s Bishop McCort for the Tier III title, the Indians ran into an unbeaten, faster, and far more talented team and fell hard, 9-1. “I heard they were well-balanced, which was OK, but I didn’t think they were that good,” McGarry said. “They were a hell of a hockey team.” Despite the lopsided loss, the end of the season wasn’t all that disappointing for McGarry who is leaving to begin a program at Kennett High School, next season players. or his. The team’s first goal was to win a division title in the Inter-County League, which it did in February The next goal was to win the Flyers Cup Tier III title, something the Indians had never done before. The Indians accomplished that Tuesday night, crushing Neshaminy, 6-0, with a wonderful team effort and a spectacular performance by defenseman Brian Smith, who had three goals and a pair of assists and was named Tier III’s most valuable player. Taking the state title would have been the cherry on top, but it became apparent soon after the drop of the puck that it was a long shot. “I’ve never seen a team at this level that had so many fast skaters,” Indians defenseman John Gustin said of McCort. Speed wasn’t the only problem. The Crimson Crushers, who came into the game at 23-0-1 and as the defending Tier III state champs, also didn’t miss on any decent scoring chances they created. The first goal came four minutes into the game on a breakaway, when Josh Piro found the upper right corner of the net. The next came 34 seconds later when Kris Carlson popped in a rebound. And at 12:57, McCort put Unionville in a 3-0 hole when Brett Huston scored what would be the first of three short-handed goals.”They were just too fast for us,” McGarry said. The Indians would eventually fall behind 5-0. Their lone goal then came from Smith, late in the second period, when he broke down the right side, cut in, and stuffed a wrist shot past goalie Mark Martinek. Smith didn’t get many other chances, because nearly every time he touched the puck, the Crimson Crushers smothered him. He left the game with 6:30 remaining after taking a vicious hip check into the boards and injuring his left knee. In all, McCort outshot the Indians, 32-12.”What’s disappointing is the score, because I’d hoped we’d do a lot better than this,” said McGarry, whose team ended the season at 20-7-1. “But a Unionville team has never gotten this far, and we got the Flyers Cup I’m not disappointed in the season in any way.”
Bishop McCort…3-3-3–9
Unionville…………0-1-0–1
First period: 1, BM, Josh Piro, 4:37. 2, BM, Kris Carlson (Jason Jakubowski, Justin Loftis), 5:11. 3, BM, Brett Huston, 12:57.
Second period: 4, BM, Shawn Dishong, 2:49. 5, BM, Huston, 8:26. 6, U, Brian Smith, 10:45. 7, BM, Huston (Greg Kutchma).
Third period: 8, BM, Ken Repak (Matt Solomon, Loftis), 7:11. 9, BM, Kutchma (Huston, Sean Hart), 8:07, 10, BM, Kutchma (Huston), 8:21.
Saves: BM, Mark Martinek (11 saves on 12 shots). U, Joe Hellrung, (23-32).
By David T. Shaw
The Philadelphia Inquirer
