ICE HOCKEY

Four Goal Second Period Propels CR South to Big Win over Pennsbury

Golden Hawks icemen celebrate one of their six goals in big divisional win over Pennsbury

By: CR South News
STAFF WRITER

BRISTOL, PA - After a relatively easy win Wednesday night against Central Bucks West, the Council Rock Golden Hawks were right back at it tonight against their rival the Pennsbury Falcons, and as expected the game was a hard fought, back and forth battle that saw each team control the game for stretches and stand still at times.

The game started with each team feeling each other out, lots of rushes but not many scoring chances to speak of. After the adrenaline had worn off a bit, Council Rock seemed to lose their intensity and Pennsbury was able to take advantage of the lackadaisical play from the Golden Hawks. Brenden Macainish took a great pass from Justin Marlin and darted past the Hawks defense for a breakaway. He shot low glove side and the puck bounced off of the pad of goalkeeper Carson Lopez and into the net for the game's first goal. Souths intensity picked up a bit after that, but Pennsbury was able to match it, as the most notable hitting of the game (which didn’t contain much hitting) occurred in the next few minutes. On his next shift, Macainish would blow by South defender Ilya Kudzinau and go in on Lopez again all alone. He picked the same spot to shoot, and this time beat Lopez cleanly putting his team up two goals and putting the Hawks behind the eight ball early. Both teams made some bad turnovers in that first period, but it was the Hawks players bad decisions with the puck that were allowing the Falcons to control play.

A clear line of fire for Council Rock South offense.

After the first period, his team down 2 to 0 and lacking the fire needed to overcome that deficit, Council Rock head coach Joe Houk not-so-politely let his team know that they needed to step it up in the second period, and step it up they did. Pennsbury started the period on the power play, but despite some good scoring chances, couldn’t beat Lopez and convert. Possibly energized by the coach or the penalty kill, the Golden Hawks would turn the tide on the Falcons and start to get chances of their own. Kevin Koles rushed up the ice and split defenders to get a shot on net with players draped on his back. After a short scramble in front of Pennsbury netminder Aaron McDaniel, Koles found a Blaize Pepe rebound and flipped it past a sprawled McDaniel for Council Rocks first goal of the game. On his next shift it was Pepe who would rush the puck and break through the Falcons defense, taking the puck behind the goal line and threading a pass to Koles who snapped it home and the duo had tied the game at two. Council Rock would quickly go on the power play, but it was the Falcons who would get the better of the chances, Macainish again breaking in alone on Lopez. He tried the same shot for the third time, but Lopez saw it coming and made the save. As the power play was about to end, a shot from Illia Mukhin was blocked in front but a fortunate bounce went right to Pepe at the far post. He chipped it over McDaniel and South amazingly had the lead, but they weren’t done. A Jake Maurer point shot was saved by McDaniel but went right to JV call-up Jagger Smith, who was parked in almost the same spot as Pepe was on the previous chance. Smith threw a backhander high and over McDaniel for his first varsity goal, and South went from a two goal deficit to a two goal lead in one period.

The third period saw Council Rock with the better offensive chances early, but Pennsbury, always a team that likes to spring forwards with a stretch pass, would continue to get breakaways. By Lopez’s count, he would face a total of seven in the game, five by Macainish alone. Fortunately for the Golden Hawks, Lopez would be equal and shut down the opportunities with save after save. Macainish would complete the hat trick in fine fashion though, faking a shot that froze South defenseman Peter Pereborow, and walking by him for a shot. Lopez stopped it with his left pad, but the rebound came right back to Macainish who put his team back in the game with his third goal. One would think this would’ve given Pennsbury some life, some momentum, but they seemed to slow down instead, and allowed Council Rock to take advantage and control play which kept the Falcons from getting any quality chances. With a face off in the left face off circle of the Pennsbury zone, Gavin Nisenzon would attempt to shoot the puck right off of the draw, towards the net. He was able to get the shot directed that way, but it was going wide, until it hit a Falcons defenseman and caromed past a stunned McDaniel to restore Souths two goal lead. You could feel the collective sigh from the Falcons, and see that the life had been sucked out of them after that. Another Macainish breakaway that Lopez again stopped, was really the only quality chance they would get for the rest of the game. Kevin Koles would complete his hat trick for the Hawks with an empty netter, finalizing the score at 6 to 3.

South goalie, Carson Lopez digs in against Andrew Falkenstein

A gutsy comeback against a quality Pennsbury club was good medicine for the Golden Hawks. Down two goals and playing poorly, the young and shorthanded Hawks could’ve easily folded the tent and said we’ll get them next time. Great play from Lopez and team leaders Koles and Pepe showed the younger players that no lead is insurmountable, even against the best teams in the SHSHL. The fact that South was missing top scorers Jake Weiner, Jeremy Rayher and Chase Tovsky, as well as shutdown defenseman Evan Mostoller, made this win even more impressive. Things won’t get any easier for the Golden Hawks as they face league leaders Central Bucks South and Pennridge in their next two contests and oppose only one team with a losing record in their last five games. Wins like tonight will go a long way to build the confidence needed for that home stretch of games.



3 Stars of the Game

• 1- Carson Lopez - Looked like Pennsbury had his number early, but he was lights out the rest of the way with several big stops, especially when the game was tight, and one goal could have made a big difference
• 2- Brendan McCainsh - He was the Falcons offense, not only scoring the three goals, but he had the bulk of Pennsbury’s quality chances
• 3- Blaize Pepe - He led the charge, along with Kevin Koles, and brought his team back from the dead. His goal and two assists in the second period were pivotal in the Hawks comeback

GAME RECAP

1ST PERIOD
9:25 PENNSBURY #11 Brendan Macainsh (even strength) (#66 Justin Marlin)
12:15 PENNSBURY #11 Brendan Macainsh (even strength) (#88 Andrew Falkenstein, #12 Chris Sarver)
2ND PERIOD
4:58 CR SOUTH #8 Kevin Koles (even strength) (#76 Blaize Pepe)
8:35 CR SOUTH #8 Kevin Koles (even strength) (#76 Blaize Pepe)
15:26 CR SOUTH #76 Blaize Pepe (power play) (#12 Illia Mukhin)
16:42 CR SOUTH #5 Jagger Smith (even strength) (#3 Jake Maurer, #53 Jordan Sarne)
3RD PERIOD
6:52 PENNSBURY #11 Brendan Macainsh (even strength) (#88 Andrew Falkenstein)
13:19 CR SOUTH #17 Gavin Nisenzon (even strength)
15:15 CR SOUTH #8 Kevin Koles (even strength) (empty net) (#76 Blaize Pepe)