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(Leagues Map)ICSHL Central Division
Conestoga-Penncrest Have Another
Shot to Pick a Winner This Week
By Brian Martin
January 20, 2010
Pitting two of the Central Division's perennial powers against each other, the game at the IceLine in West Chester last Monday (Jan 11) was the first of a home-and-home pair this month, with a rematch already looming this week.
Both teams have won the Flyers Cup under their current head coaches. Both feature a high-scoring first line. With the season heating up, the visiting Penncrest Lions were 5 points behind the Conestoga Pioneers in the standings.
The Pioneers struck early. Spencer Evans scored on a pass from Terrence Hyatt. Penncrest tied it up late in the period on a powerplay goal as Austin Muetterties scored his first of the season off a Keith Sheilds pass.
Goalies Tyler Mazda (Conestoga) and P.J. Menta (Penncrest) had similar periods, each giving up one goal and making 9 saves. The second period was much like the first as each goalie made 7 saves. But Penncrest took the lead when Evan DelCasale scored a power-play goal after the third of Conestoga's six penalties (Penncrest: 2).
The Pioneers came out determined in the third and pushed hard until Griffin Lee tied the game at 9:39. Penncrest promptly regained the lead, however, when Erich Schwabe scored on a pass from Keith Shields, giving Shields his second assist of the game.
The stubborn Mazda kept Conestoga in the game, making 11 saves in the period. With five minutes to play, the Pioneers' star player Alex Smith finally broke through. The Central Division's leading scorer netted his 15th goal of the season to tie the game, with an assist from Evans.
Neither team managed to score after that, however, and the game ended with each adding only a point in the standings.
Let's Do It Again!
Conestoga has not played since, but Penncrest picked up two more points and a confidence-building 10-0 blowout on a visit to hapless Lower Merion. (The last-place Bulldogs have lost all 10 of their division games for a cumulative score of 71-3.)
The hungry Lions host the Pioneers for the rematch at the IceWorks this Friday (Jan 22). Both have games in hand as they attempt to overtake second-place Ridley (14 pts) although undefeated Springfield (20 pts) may be out of reach.
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