April 15, 2018
ICE HOCKEY PLAYER OF THE YEAR – Tristan Devine
A goaltender plays the most pressure-packed position to be found in any team sport. They are their team’s last line of defense and their failures are obvious. Small wonder that netminders see the game of hockey differently than their teammates.
But between the pipes is where Holy Ghost Prep’s Tristan Devine is most at home. He started playing the position at age 9 when he replaced Shane Stevens, now his teammate at Holy Ghost, as the goaltender on their Pee Wee team. “You’re kind of the quarterback of the whole team,” he says. “Everything starts from the defensive zone, then breaks out to the offensive zone … I love being back there.” Devine had a remarkable senior season in goal for the Firebirds, helping lead them to the Flyers Cup finals before losing to St. Joseph’s Prep 4-2. He finished the season with a goals-against average of 2.74 and a save percentage of .901. Those numbers helped him earn Golden Team Player of the Year honors. Devine is not flashy in goal, but his fundamentals are solid and he’s made an abundance of big saves in big moments. He credits the coaches he’s had through the years, including Holy Ghost Prep coach Gump Whiteside, for his development. “They really helped me develop as a goalie and battle each practice,” he said. His technical skills aside, Devine understands the mental aspects of playing his position and is able to get past letting an occasional bad goal get past him. “You’ve got to just wipe it off,” he said, “act like it’s a 0-0 game again.” Devine hopes to play junior hockey next season but he will take an abundance of great memories with him from his time with the Firebirds. “I’ll always be friends with the seniors. I’ll be friends with everyone on the team, we’re all very close. As a senior, you know (the Flyers Cup) is your last time playing high school hockey.”
All-Area Team (Bucks County)
FIRST TEAM
Forward: Luke Aquaro, Holy Ghost Prep, Senior, The area’s most explosive goal scorer, with a knack for barreling through and around opponents. Recorded 30 goals and 28 assists for 58 points.
Forward: Zac Herman, Council Rock North, Senior, On a team blessed with offensive talent, Herman stood out. One of the fastest players in the area who finished with 22 goals and 22 assists for 44 points.
Forward: Shane Stevens, Holy Ghost Prep, Senior, Stevens’ contributions to the Firebirds’ success transcended his numbers. A gifted playmaker who contributed 11 goals and four assists.
Defense: Colin Kleiser, Council Rock South, Sophomore, The sophomore had a huge impact on the blue line. Scored 14 goals and added 29 assists for 43 points.
Defense: Tom McNulty, Holy Ghost Prep, Junior, Was a solid performer on the blue line while also being an offensive force. Scored 13 goals and had five assists for 18 points.
Goaltender: Tristan Devine, Holy Ghost Prep, Senior, His prowess in goal was a major factor in the Firebirds’ drive to the Flyers Cup finals. Recorded a 2.74 goals-against average with a .901 save percentage.
SECOND TEAM
Forward: Byron Hartley, Holy Ghost Prep, Sophomore
Forward: Max Massari, Holy Ghost Prep, Senior
Forward: Matt Meli, Council Rock South, Sophomore
Defense: Ryan Mudrick, Holy Ghost Prep, Senior
Defense: Casey Buck, Holy Ghost Prep, Senior
Goaltender: Steven Glick, Neshaminy, Junior
HONORABLE MENTION
Council Rock North: Brandon Simmonds, Cavan Tully, John Vanni
Council Rock South: Dylan Feoli, Mason Procz, Jared Wagenmann
Holy Ghost Prep: Alex D’Angelo
Neshaminy: Thomas Gallagher
Pennsbury: Cameron Polo
Harry S. Truman: Steven Avellino
William Tennent: Eric Lineman, Bobby Markus
By Rick Woelfel
The Bucks County Courier Times
