Konopasek leads Conestoga to Central League title

ASTON >> Frank Konopasek moved to Pennsylvania from the Czech Republic in 2016 for the purpose of playing for the Jr. Flyers. He knew little about high school hockey. But he lived with Conestoga coach Mike Graves’ father and the son coaxed him over to the Pioneers.

“They just asked if I would play for them,” said Konopasek. “And I said yes.”

Conestoga is glad he did. Konopasek scored a hat trick as the Pioneers defeated Haverford, 5-3, to win the Central League Championship at Ice Works. The league title is Conestoga’s first since 2012.

“It’s a great feeling,” Konopasek said. “Last year we were a great team, too, but we didn’t got that far. The team is so good. It’s just unbelievable.”
Konopasek and his young linemates led the way yet again. After scoring all six Pioneer goals in a 6-2 semifinal win over Strath Haven Wednesday, the trio of Konopasek, Michael Cameron and Jayden Sison — two sophomores and a freshman — bagged all five against the Fords.

“They’ve been terrific,” Conestoga senior captain Scott MacMillan said. “Honestly, they’ve probably had 90 percent of our goals.”

The real number is closer to 65 percent. Still, it’s a lot. And the biggest goals came at a time the Pioneers needed them most.

Trailing 3-2 entering the third period, Conestoga took a penalty. The Pioneers, the top-ranked team in the North Division of the Central League, were outshooting No. 2 Haverford, 30-13. They had hit two posts. On the other side, Fords netminder Tyler Cassidy controlled everything that came his way. But Cameron and Konopasek are game-changers, even on the penalty kill.

“We’re going into the third period up 3-2, in a great position,” Haverford coach John Povey said. “It almost looked like at that point, they were getting a little nervous. I knew their pk was good, though. Those two guys just go, man.”

Go they did. Cameron forced a turnover in the Fords defensive zone and threw a puck to the net. Konopasek was there to tap it in.

“It’s just teamwork,” said Konopasek. “The whole team is great supporting us.”

The shorthanded marker tilted the contest in favor of the hosts. With 5:38 left, they found their first lead, Sison from Konopasek on a jam play.
Malcolm Roeder robbed Alex Gattone on Haverford’s best chance with a sliding blocker save to preserve the advantage. Konopasek iced things with an empty-netter, his 40th goal of the campaign.

“It feels so great,” MacMillan said. “Our freshman year, we were probably the worst team in the league. Just to win it my senior year is so good.”

The Fords made it tough on them.

“It’s hard to beat a team twice,” MacMillan said. “And a third time…they put out a great effort.”

They certainly did. Daniel Morris scored on Haverford’s second shot of the game–the first created the chance–to send the visiting section into pandemonium. From there, the Fords answered each punch Conestoga threw. Konopasek equalized for the Pioneers. John Scarduzio flew down the flank to put Haverford back ahead. Michael Cameron responded 36 seconds later. At 2-2 after one, neither team could pull away.

Then Dante Gattone took over. The Fords’ defenseman had the unenviable job of checking Conestoga’s top unit while also being expected to deliver on the offensive end.

“It’s tough,” Gattone said. “They’re tough to score against, let alone defend.”

He did both with aplomb. In the second period, he shook his way through two defenders in the neutral zone before driving the net on his forehand. He roofed a shot over Roeder to make it 3-2.

When Conestoga finally took the lead late, Gattone didn’t leave the ice. He played the last six minutes, the same end-to-end game he’s perfected this season. As the Pioneers fired shots to the empty net, Gattone dove to stop two of them.

“There’s nothing more I can say about Dante,” Povey said. “His game speaks for itself.”

“I didn’t want to hold anything back,” Gattone said. “I just tried to push through it.”

He nearly inspired a shock victory as did Cassidy, who finished with 43 saves. Instead, Haverford (12-7-0-2) will accept second place and look forward to the Flyers Cup.
For Conestoga (18-2), this is a worthy cap to an outstanding run. The Pioneers have lost just once in 2018, a 3-2 decision to Lower Merion back on January 19.

“We kept the energy up,” said MacMillan of battling back all night. “We definitely persevered.”