2000 Malvern’s Gehring found his game this season

His game was inconsistent as a freshman. Every once in a while, Jim Gehring would flash a scintillating play, weaving his way through a maze of players to slam a shot past some unsuspecting goalie. Other times, his game just wasn’t there. This season, Gehring decided it was time to stop teasing his teammates and coaches with his potential and start performing on a regular basis.
The result was spectacular. The Malvern Prep forward only a sophomore-led Inter-County League Division AAA in scoring with 19 goals and 29 assists in 16 league games. He had only four penalty minutes. Gehring came up huge in big games, scoring a hat trick in a victory over La Salle, then three more goals in a Flyers Cup Division AAA quarterfinal win over Monsignor Bonner. There’s no denying the contribution the 5-foot-10, 170-pound left winger made. He finished the season with 74 points (32 goals and 42 assists) in 25 games. He was a plus-63 in plus-minus rating, well ahead of the next-highest Malvern player. Those numbers made him The Inquirer’s player of the year in Chester County.
“I think last year Jimmy knew- and everyone else knew he had the talent, but he may have been afraid to prove it,” Malvern captain Chris Lawrence said. “He knew he

would have to step up for us this year. From the first game on, he was the best player on the ice. “Jim always had the ability; it was just a matter of bringing it out. He showed signs where he could be great, and he just needed a little confidence and took off from there.” But there still was disappointment in the season for Gehring. He wanted to win a state title for the seniors on the team, especially his linemate Lawrence, a senior. But the Friars’ successful season came to a halt in a 5-2 loss to archrival La Salle in the Flyers Cup AAA semifinals, denying Malvern a chance at the state title. “Our whole line made a significant contribution this year, and I think the other players really fed off our performance,” Gehring said. “In some ways, it was a satisfying season. I got a chance to show everyone in the league what I can do, helping out our team in general. Every year, we have high expectations of reaching the Flyers Cup finals, so when we don’t make it, it’s definitely disappointing.” Gehring knows he will have a much larger responsibility next season as one of the players the Friars will look to for goals. They’ll count on him to make more of a leadership contribution. The captain’s responsibility could

fall on Gehring next season. In fact, he wants it.
“I’m hoping everything falls on me because I’ve said it before: I play better when the pressure is on me,” Gehring said. “I am thinking ahead. I really want to take over Chris’ role next year. I don’t mind being bold like that, not at all.” Gehring was more assertive this season. As a freshman, he often would stand back and let the upper-classmen take control. His focus was more on defense. He entered this season with an offensive attitude. Playing alongside Lawrence and sophomore right wing Mike McMullen, Gehring knew where his linemates would be without looking. The three made up the most dangerous line in the area. Lawrence, who finished with 16 goals and 29 assists in 15 league games, was always a threat with the puck, often drawing defenders to him and leaving McMullen and Gehring open ice for scoring chances. “I benefited a lot from those two,” Gehring said. “We kept up our intensity the whole season. When someone was down, we’d do something to pick them up during the game. Everything clicked a lot better, just from the get-go. I enjoyed playing with this line. The better we played, the more fun we had.”