HATFIELD TWP. — It did not take long for Shane Dachowski to know it was going to be Pennridge ice hockey team’s night.
“After the first shift, actually, we got on ‘em,” the Rams junior forward said. “Just getting it deep and stuff, we had so much space. We knew right there and then, we had this.”
Three minutes and four seconds into Wednesday’s Flyers Cup AA semifinal against Downingtown West, Andrew Savona broke through for the Rams and from there the goals kept coming for the No. 1 seed in the opening period.
Dachowski struck for the next two before tallies from Josh Kelly then Nolan Shaw pushed the lead to five. Dachowski made it a hat trick in the final minute, and sent the Rams into the second period with a 6-0 advantage over the No. 4 Whippets.
“I just think that we jumped on ‘em so quick, they were on their heels and just opened everything up for us,” Pennridge coach Jeff Montagna said.
Dachowski added a fourth goal as both he and Kevin Pico finished with five points and the Rams cruised to their third consecutive Flyers Cup final with a 10-1 victory at Hatfield Ice.
“I’ve said this over and over for three years that with this group that every single big game – even the ones we’ve lost – these guys show up, every game,” Montagna said. “It’s just been this way for three years and to do what they did tonight, to get us back to another Flyers Cup final for a third year in a row, it’s so hard to win, it’s so hard to win in this tournament and they were just from the opening drop of the puck they were incredible tonight. Everybody.”
Pico posted four assists before scoring the night’s final goal in the third. Shaw had two goals, Tyler Manto contributed a goal and two assists while Colin Dachowski dished out of a pair of assists as the Rams advance to face No. 2 Council Rock South – a 3-1 winner over No. 3 Boyertown – 8:45 p.m. Wednesday at Hatfield Ice.
“Just felt like we were all faster than them, especially on the rush,” Shane Dachowski said. “I feel like we were all feeling it in the moment especially.”
It will be the fourth meeting this season between the Rams and Golden Hawks, Pennridge taking the first 7-3 on Dec. 12 but CR South has won the last two, besting the Rams 8-7 in overtime Feb. 7 then 7-2 in the SHSHL National Division final Feb. 29.
“It’s kind of a rivalry at this point,” Manto said. “We’re always playing each other. It’ll be a fun game. As a senior, I’d love to win it but we’ll see.”
Pennridge and CR South also faced off in the 2022 Flyers Cup AA championship, the Rams winning 5-1 then going on to claim the state title over Thomas Jefferson in double overtime. Last season, Pennridge lost to Pennsbury 5-3 in the Flyers Cup final.
“From day one this year, this was the only way it could’ve ended,” Montagna said. “And I wanted South to win tonight not because I think we’re better than them or anything. I wanted this to be a Suburban League final and I want it to be us two because we’re the two best teams and that’s what you want to see.”
Downingtown West made 6-1 at 14:19 in the second period on Joseph Butter’s power-play goal assisted by Stephen Plzak. The Whippets pushed to cut the deficit further but could not get another past Rams goalkeeper Jacob Winton, who stopped 30 of West’s 31 shots.
“They came hard there and you’re staring at the clock in the second period, it took forever,” Montagna said. “But it’s 6-1 and it’s 12 minutes left in the period and when Jay had to make three or four (saves), it’s 6-2 there, it gets interesting, it does.”
Shane Dachowski, however, put the Rams back up six as he collected his fourth goal on a power play at 10:05. Shaw picked up his second goal by scoring in front to make it 8-1 at 5:50 left in the second period.
The Rams tacked on two more goals in the fourth – Manto striking at 12:45 while a puck Pico played from behind the net found its way in at 10:57.
In the first period, after Savona gave the Rams a 1-0 lead at 14:56, Shane Dachowski doubled the advantage on a 5-on-3 power play, circling around from the corner to rip in a shot from the right side at 13:05.
“It’s always great to start off with the lead, kind of get their hopes down,” Manto said. “And we kind of just rode the momentum through the game.”
Pennridge extended its lead to 4-0 with back-to-back shorthanded goals in a span of 48 seconds
“Every time we’re shorthanded we’re told to just go,” Shane Dachowski said. “We’re really good at that.
The first came at 7:40 as Pico reached a puck in the left corner, cut towards the net then found Shane Dachowski for his second goal.
“I didn’t have any single-effort goals, it was all cause of my teammates,” Shane Dachowski said. “The puck was just there every time.”
Shane Dachowski provided the assist on the next tally, sliding a pass over to Kelly, who sent his shot in at 6:52.
Just 1:37 later, Shaw put Pennridge up 5-0 scoring on a wraparound. Shane Dachowski made it a six-goal lead when he netted her third of the period with 51.8 seconds.
