DLN HOCKEY NOTEBOOK: Downingtown West has high hopes; East/Shanahan’s Florence has senior night to remember
With Flyers Cup Selection Sunday less than two weeks away, Downingtown West (7-2-1-0) still sits atop the Boys AA division, according to the final peek at the rankings before the official selections come on March 28.
If the Whippets can stay in that spot, it will be the first time Downingtown West has ever claimed the top seed in the Flyers Cup.
Ryan Smith has been coaching the Whippets for nine years now. He watched the program grow from a small team of players without a JV team to a real tournament competitor.
“It feels good,” Smith said. “But when you get to this point of the season, everything’s a playoff game. It’s been a few years since we won the Ches-Mont championship, and that’s the goal, then we’ll focus on the Flyers Cup.”.
The Ches-Mont playoffs will be played over the course of three days: March 29-31. The Flyers Cup gets underway not long after that.
Senior forward Zakari Spero is the Whippets’ leader on the ice, and on most stat sheets, with seven goals and 13 assists in 11 games played this season. But Smith attributes his team’s success so far to consistent play on both ends of the ice.
“Zak has been producing on the scoreboard for four years now,” Smith said. “He’s a senior, we knew it was going to be him who was going to lead the squad, but I think the one who really stands out to me, is our goaltender Aidan McHutchison.”
In his senior campaign, McHutchison’s save percentage came in at a staggering .931. He has allowed just 27 goals on 394 shots on goal.
“He’s exceeded my expectations, he’s been lights out for us, really,” Smith said. “He holds us in every game and gives us a chance to win every night, and that’s really what you ask for in a goaltender.”
A standout offensive effort doesn’t go far without the work of those protecting the man in the net. For the Whippets, it’s a line of four juniors and a freshman working on the defensive end.
“We’ve been lucky enough to have defensemen that have been with us for a few years now,” Smith said. “They do such a good job back there. It’s really a team effort.”
There are still a few weeks to go before the Flyers Cup brackets are finalized, but the Whippets know what they have to do to secure the top seed.
“It’s going to come down to a one game thing,” said Smith. “We have Spring-Ford as our last game of the season. As long as we beat them, we’ll hold on to that spot. Every game matters, and you have to win every game you have an opportunity to play, so that’s where that’s where our focus is.”
Spring-Ford (5-1-0-1) is part of the Pioneer conference, where they sit at first with only two losses. The Whippets will take on the Rams in their final regular season game on Monday at Ice Line.
“They’ve got a lot of good players on our team,” Smith said. “But their goaltender is exceptional.”
Smith knows well what the Whippets will be up against when they face the Rams. He coached Spring-Ford netminder Tyler Temoyan in travel hockey several years ago. The senior Tyler Temoyan has a save percentage of .935 this season.
“He’s a phenomenal goaltender, and an even better kid, but he’s gonna be the test,” Smith said. “We’re probably going to have to put 40-plus shots on him to win the game, and we have to come out on fire. If we don’t do that, we’re not going to win the game.”
As for the Ches-Mont tournament, the Whippets have another challenge ahead. They’ve already secured the No. 2 seed and a first round bye, but there’s tough competition all around the conference.
“As for West Chester East, they have a team over there that is very competitive, very talented, and very skilled,” Smith said. “We’ve obviously got our sights on that game, and we hope to get to see them again.”
Although Rustin sits in a distant fifth place in the Ches-Mont National standings, Smith named the Golden Knights — a perennial powerhouse stumbling through a bit of a rebuilding year — when asked for a potential playoff dark horse.
“They’re definitely having a little bit of a downslide, but it’s not for lack of talent,” Smith said. “With their history of winning, they could surprise some people.”.
Senior Night To Remember
High school senior athletes waded into the unknown, hoping the pandemic wouldn’t take away their opportunity to hit the ice for their final season.
For Chara Florence, the only senior on the Downingtown East/Bishop Shanahan girls team, there was no better way to celebrate the end of her high school hockey career than a 4-3 overtime win against a competitive conference foe on senior night.
Underdog Downingtown East/Shanahan (4-6-0-0) took down previously undefeated Boyertown/OJR (8-0-0-1) in an overtime effort last Friday. In an earlier meeting between the two teams, East/Shanahan struggled mightily in an 8-3 loss.
Florence started playing her freshman year, with no prior experience. On Friday, she was celebrated by teammates, coaches, fans, and her family, but the result made the night that much more memorable.
“I started playing hockey my freshman year, but I didn’t know how to play and I didn’t know how to skate,” Florence said. “But it has had such a positive impact on my life.”
The team’s four goals were netted by East/Shanahan’s usual top scorers Amanda Wallace and Maggie Jacoby.
Their efforts were supported by a strong performance from sophomore goalie Olivia Ceglia in net. She stopped 38 of Boyertown-OJR’s 41 shots, boosting her save percentage to an impressive .820.
“It was a really intense game,” Florence said. They were undefeated and they had previously beaten us pretty bad. We didn’t have high expectations, it was a game we needed to win to make it into the playoffs.”.
Wallace built the momentum, scoring two goals, and Jacoby sealed the deal with the tying goal and overtime game-winner, boosting their season totals to 11 and 8 goals, respectively.
“Once we got into overtime, my teammate got a goal and our team just exploded,” Florence said. “It was a great feeling.”
Although she stepped onto the ice with little skill and no experience, attributes her success to support from her teammates.
“I love the team camaraderie and having those girls pushing me to get better,” she said. “I started as the worst on the team because I didn’t know anything, but having that group of girls together for four years together has been great.”.
Four years after starting something completely new — a challenge for anyone, but especially a teenager — Florence has some words of advice to offer to anyone considering a new sport.
“Just jump right in,” Florence said. “No one is going to turn away someone who is excited and wants to play. Showing up with a good attitude and putting in the work will do wonders for you.”
East/Shanahan will finish off its regular season with a game against Bux-Mont (3-5-1-0) on March 26 at Ice Line.
Union League Good Citizens
DTE/Shanahan has plenty to celebrate this week. Forward Dana Watson was recognized as a Union League Good Citizenship Day award winner. She is joined by several other local honorees, including Downingtown West’s Sabin Barbacci, Rustin’s Tommy Gathercole, and Conestoga’s Linc Zdancewicz.
“Hockey is obviously important, but just making sure that you’re a good human being is what’s most important,” said West coach Ryan Smith. “And Sabin definitely exemplifies that. He’s a good kid with a good head on his shoulders.”
Current Flyers Cup Top Seeds
Boys Class A
- West Chester East
- Strath Haven
- West Chester Henderson
- Wissahickon
- Springfield-Delco
Boys Class AA
- Downingtown West
- Pennsbury
- Haverford High
- Spring-Ford
- Council Rock South
Boys Class AAA
- Malvern Prep
- Holy Ghost Prep
- La Salle
- St. Joseph’s Prep
- Roman Catholic
Girls
- Downingtown West
- Bux-Mont
- West Chester Henderson
- Avon Grove
- West Chester Rustin
