Perkiomen Valley, Boyertown to meet for PAC’s final playoff spot

When the chips were down, Perkiomen Valley’s ice hockey team came up with its biggest performance of the season.

The Vikings were in the unenviable position of facing St. Joe’s Prep Thursday night with their playoff chances hanging in the balance. A loss would more or less spell the end of their playoff chances. Instead, the Vikings rode the hot hand of goaltender Oliver Duffey to a 5-0 shutout victory over one of the Pioneer Conference’s hottest teams.

Offensively, Mike Waters led the way for Perk Valley, opening the scoring just 23 seconds into the contest and adding another marker in the late second period. PV’s leading scorer, Hunter Ringwood, assisted on the final three tallies of the evening.

The victory sets up Friday night’s showdown between the Vikings and Boyertown, with the fourth and final playoff spot in the PAC still very much up for grabs. OJR/Phoenixville, St. Joe’s Prep and Spring-Ford are jockeying for position in the top three spots.

The top four teams (No. 1 vs. No. 4; No. 2 vs. No. 3) will battle at Oaks Center Ice on Monday, February 26 at 7:15 and 9 p.m., respectively. The winners will face off in the PAC championship game, scheduled for Ice Line in West Chester at 8:15 p.m. on Thursday, March 1.

Bids to the Flyers Cup, the year-end tournament to determine Eastern Pennsylvania’s scholastic ice hockey champions, will be determined on Sunday, February 25—so the outcome of the PAC playoffs will have no bearing.

Hill To Playoffs

The Hill School has had a stranglehold on the top seed in the Mid-Atlantic Prep League playoffs for some time, but this week the Blues will finally realize the fruits of their labors as they host their semifinal game at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday at Eccleston Hall.

As of press time, the Blues’ opponent was still to be determined between either Wyoming Seminary or Portledge School. In any event, a victory Wednesday would send Hill into the MAPL title game one week later—also at Eccleston Hall—against the winner of Princeton Day School and La Salle College Prep.

Last week, the Blues dropped their Senior Night contest against Shady Side Academy, 2-0, despite 29 saves from senior goalie Dalton Jerzak.

This Week’s Schedule

Wednesday >> Wyoming Seminary/Portledge School at Hill, 4:30 p.m. (MAPL Semifinal)

Friday >> Boyertown at Perkiomen Valley, 7:15 p.m. (Oaks Center Ice); Great Valley at St. Joe’s Prep, 8:45 p.m. (Haverford Skatium); Penncrest at Owen J. Roberts, 9:00 p.m. (Oaks Center Ice).