IT’S TOUGH TO SKATE AROUND THIS RINK<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the year of the defenseman, ice hockey coaches were in
agreement that Council Rock’s Tim Rink<\/a> was the
best.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

PLAYER OF THE YEAR<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

NEWTOWN<\/strong> – The high school ice hockey coaches of Lower Bucks County were defensive about their nominations for the second annual Golden Team this year. In a sport where the guys who put the puck in the net naturally draw the most attention, the area’s coaches were adamant about promoting the defensive side of the game and the players who kept the puck away from their own goal rather than in their opponent’s. In this, the year of the defenseman, no player dominated more from the blue line than Council Rock’s Tim Rink<\/a>, the Courier Times Player of the Year. “He’s the best player in the league,” said Rock coach Paul Gilligan<\/a>. “He’s the best defenseman; he’s big (5-10, 180), strong, smart, vicious; he has a terrific shot, can skate with the puck. He controls the game from his position.” Rink’s main task throughout the season was to stop the other team’s top scorers. He did his job very well.
The Indians won their second straight Suburban High School Hockey League playoff title by defeating high-powered Germantown Academy two games to one in the finals. “His job is to neutralize<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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other teams’ best players along with Frank Jannotta (Rink’s defensive partner),” Gilligan<\/a> said. “Against GA the first time, they had a bad game, and we lost. If they play badly, we’re not going to win.” With each of Rock’s top offensive players missing time at various points of the season due to injuries, Rink was the glue that held everybody else together.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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ALL-AREA FIRST TEAM<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Rob Beacham <\/strong>
Forward
School:<\/strong> William Tennent
Year:<\/strong> Junior
Stats: <\/strong>5-8, 155 pounds. 12 goals and 17 assists in 19 SHSHL games.
Honors: <\/strong>Team captain. SHSHL All-Star. Had an assist in All-Star game. Had three goals and three assists in two games during SHSHL Tier II semifinal series win over Hatboro-Horsham. Said coach Mike Lang<\/a>. “The guy I trust the most out there. The hardest worker in the league.

Mike Gadash<\/strong>
Fwd.\/Def.
School: <\/strong>Bensalem
Year:<\/strong> Junior
Stats:<\/strong> 6-1, 170 pounds. 21 goals and 30 assists in 22 league games.
Honors: <\/strong>LBCSHL All-Star. Had a goal and four assists in LBCSHL Tier II play-down game win over Father Judge. Scored twice in LBCSHL quarterfinal win over Neshaminy. Team’s best all-around player.

Bill Mooney <\/strong>
Defense
School:<\/strong> Conwell-Egan
Year: <\/strong>Senior
Stats:<\/strong> 5-8, 185 pounds. 7 goals. 18 assists and plus-35 in 22 LBCSHL games.
Honors:<\/strong> Team captain. LBCSHL All-Star. Scored the team’s lone goal in All-Star game, named game co-MVP. Known as a hard-hitter with good mobility and propensity for setting the tone of a game.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Matt Skinner<\/a><\/strong>
Forward
School: <\/strong>Council Rock
Year:<\/strong> Senior
Stats: <\/strong>6-2, 210 pounds. 18 goals and 14 assists in 15 SHSHL games.
Honors:<\/strong> SHSHL All-Star. Scored in All-Star game. Had four goals and two assists in three games during SHSHL final series win over Germantown Academy. Had four goals and three assists in two games during SHSHL semifinal series win over Wood.

Brian Urban<\/a> <\/strong>
Goaltender
School:<\/strong> Conwell-Egan
Year: <\/strong>Senior
Stats:<\/strong> 5-10, 155 pounds. 2.03 goals against average, 13-3-1 in LBCSHL games.
Honors:<\/strong> LBCSHL All-Star. Made 14 saves in All-Star game. Three-year starter, helping the team to league finals three times and the title in 1996. Defeated high-scoring Bensalem, 8-1, in Game One of LBCSHL semifinal series, saving 20 shots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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ALL-AREA SECOND TEAM<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dan Fox | (F) | Junior | Conwell-Egan | 29G, 17A, 46PTS plus-43, LBCSHL All-Star
Randy Rongione<\/a> | (F) | Junior | Bensalem | 43G 40A 83 PTS LBCSHL Scoring Champion
Kenny Gould<\/a> | (D) | Senior | Bensalem | 42G 14A 56PTS LBCSHL Top scoring defenseman
Shaun McGinty | (F) |Senior | Council Rock | 12G 27A 39PTS, SHSHL All-Star
C.J. Neidig | (D) | Senior | Neshaminy | LBCSHL All-Star
Chris Yorty | (D) | Sophomore | AB Wood | SHSHL All-Star
No goalie selected<\/p>\n\n\n\n
HONORABLE MENTION<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Archbishop Wood:<\/strong> Dan Andrzejewski<\/a>, Fr., forward; John D’Amato, Sr., defense, Steve Meade, Fr., forward: Nick Siter, Sr., forward.
Bensalem:<\/strong> Neil Chiaradio, So, forward: Mike Tobin, Sr., forward.
Conwell- Egan:<\/strong> Rob Bannon, So., defense, Mike Delfin<\/a>, So., forward: Dan Lenza, Sr., forward: Brian Tetley<\/a>. Fr., forward.
Council Rock: <\/strong>Frank Jannotta. So., defense: Eric Putnam, Jr., forward: Jerry Salerno, Sr., forward: Shaun Young, Sr. forward.
Harry S Truman: <\/strong>Jeff Polk, Sr., forward; Dan VanBuskirk, Jr., forward; Jim Worthington, Jr., forward.
Holy Ghost: <\/strong>Dan Britt, Jr., defense.
Neshaminy:<\/strong> Ryan Bannon, So, defense, Patt Duffy, Jr., defense, Brian Garrison, Sr., defense: Mark Wilkins<\/a>, Fr., goaltender
Pennsbury:<\/strong> Bill Farris, Jr., forward; Scott Fyffe, Jr. forward; Jim Gannon<\/a>, So., forward.
William Tennent:<\/strong> Brian Ball, Sr., defense; Matt Montagna, So., forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
COACH OF THE YEAR: <\/strong>Eric Tye | Archbishop Wood Vikings<\/p>\n\n\n\n
WARMINSTER<\/strong> – Some people don’t have this many good things happen in their lifetimes. Archbishop Wood coach Eric Tye packed it all into a few months. In September, he took over as coach of his alma mater, Archbishop Wood (Class of “89). It’s his first head coaching job. Within weeks, the Vikings went from last year’s league cellar dweller to 8-0-1 in their first nine games. With the team fighting for a Tier I playoff spot, Tye became a father after the birth of his daughter on Jan. 20. By mid-February, Tye’s Vikings had clinched a playoff berth, their first in Tier I since the coach was a senior at Wood. Although Wood lost to eventual champion Council Rock in the semis, the job Tye did just to get his team there is worthy of the Courier Times Coach of the Year award. “We put a whole new attitude into the team,” he said. “I don’t know if the players were under the impression they couldn’t win before. We just started a positive attitude with them.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
By William J. Kenny
Courier Times<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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