Moran’s comeback spirit powering Haverford

HAVERFORD >> Shane Moran appears almost casual on the ice. The tongues of his skates hang out over his socks and shin pads. His breezers are on the baggier side. He coasts in an upright position, observing play from a distance. But when he gets the puck, he takes off like a bullet.
“He’s got such an explosive step,” says his Haverford High coach John Povey. “It looks like he’s standing still. It looks like he’s gliding, but he’s going full speed. He’s so good with his shoulders, he shifts his shoulders well. He’s got good hands. But his speed is where it’s at.”
Moran’s long, powerful stride makes him a formidable skater, the most apparent of his bountiful talents. The Fords’ junior winger leads the team in points (61) and is second in goals (24) as of this writing. Haverford, 10-6-1 overall, is on the brink of clinching the Central League North Division at 9-4. Moran has been the team’s best player, its most productive player and one of the fastest forwards in the county.
“If you have speed, it’s tough to stop,” Povey adds. “When he’s coming up the neutral zone with no pressure, it’s hard on the (defense) for sure.”
And to think for much of last season he couldn’t skate at all.
Moran thought it was a bruise. He had suffered knee injuries before, some that sent him to the hospital. Each time doctors assured him there was nothing serious. This hit didn’t appear any different.
It came in a preseason game against Cardinal O’Hara. Moran was fighting for the puck along the boards when a Lions player checked him somewhat unexpectedly. Moran fell to the ice. He got up, limped several feet, then collapsed again.
He left the game, went home and slept.
“I thought it was just another (bruise),” Moran recalls. “I thought it would get better. It hurt just as bad in the morning.”
This time, doctors had a different diagnosis. He had fractured his distal femur just above the knee.
“I can’t even really put it into words. It just killed all that I’ve come from,” Moran says of his emotions at the time of the injury. “I had to overcome a lot last season.”
The prognosis potentially left the Fords, a Central favorite, without one of their top producers for three to six months.
“It was one of those situations where we almost said as a staff here, we’re going to look at, he’s probably done for the year,” remembers Povey. “If we can get him back it’s great. It’s a huge bonus. But it didn’t look good.”
Moran immediately hit the comeback trail. He was in a cast for six weeks. Once he was free of the plaster, he started a grueling physical therapy regimen. One-legged hops left him near exhaustion. But Moran had the support of his doctors, his coaches and his family. His older brother Joe, an All-Delco center in 2015, offered a shoulder to lean on.
“It was kind of funny. He was always asking me when I could get back, when I would be back,” says Shane. “I didn’t really have the answers. He was really supportive and helped me through it.”
By Christmas, Moran was skating again.
“There was a good talk that he was close (to returning),” Povey says. “My whole thing was that’s great. Obviously that’s awesome news, but let’s make sure he’s 100 percent ready. We’ve got plenty of time here.”
Moran eventually made his season debut against Ridley, some two-and-a-half months after breaking his leg. The Raiders provided him with a baptism by fire, a 3-1 defeat.
“It was a tough game to come back for. I definitely wasn’t 100 percent, but I got better as the season went on,” Moran said. “And I was glad that I had a couple games before the playoffs.”
He closed the campaign with 16 points in eight games, registering at least one assist in each. Then in the Central League playoffs, Moran was simply heroic.
In the semifinals, he scored the game-winning goal as Haverford beat Garnet Valley 3-2 in a double-overtime classic.
The next night, after a short sleep, Moran and the Fords were back it. Ridley tied the championship at two in the second period. That scoreline held late into the third. Again, it looked like overtime beckoned. Again, Moran provided the difference.
Joe made a rush through the neutral zone and around the net. He then dished a pass to the slot where Shane was waiting. His goal with 2:18 on the clock gave Haverford the Central League title.
“It was kind of a shock. I didn’t really expect to play the rest of the season,” Shane said. “I was grateful I was even playing. To get those goals was just crazy.”
“Shane is a special player and a special athlete,” Povey said. “It didn’t surprise me at all what he was able to do down the stretch.”
Moran carried the momentum from that special postseason into 2015-16. After a slow start, he has the Fords playing their best hockey of the year. He’s also become a 200-foot player, as skilled defensively as he is in the offensive zone.
“When your top offensive player is blocking shots, and back-checking, and doing a good job, it just becomes contagious,” Povey said. “Guys on the bench are saying look at Shane. If he’s going to play that way in the defensive zone, I better do that too.”
At the same time, Moran has made his linemates better. Frankie McVeigh leads Haverford with 29 goals, while Mitchell Estes has chipped in 37 points.
Regardless of how far they and the Fords go, Moran is appreciative of all the setbacks he’s overcome. What started out as a threat to his career has instead become a source of motivation.
“I felt like I’ve learned what kind of person I am. I’m kind of happy that I was able…,” Moran says searching for the right words. “It’s kind of a crazy story. It’s unbelievable that we won (the Central League) from what I came from. It’s definitely a positive thing for this year.”