Owen J. Roberts' ice hockey team celebrated its third consecutive ICSHL Pioneer Conference championship following a 5-4 overtime victory over Boyertown on Wednesday.
OAKS >> If Owen J. Roberts' ice hockey team was looking for motivation heading into this week's Pioneer Conference Championship Tournament, it got it Sunday night.
“Sunday night, we had a team gathering for the Flyers Cup selection show,” coach Chuck Gorman explained. “But we missed out on the last position. I think that was the motivation.”
It took a few extra minutes, but that motivation paid off Wednesday night at Oaks Center Ice as Cael Primanti scored his second goal of the game 3:41 into overtime and the Wildcats won 5-4. , won the ICSHL Pioneer Conference for the third consecutive year. hockey championship.
In the process, it ended Boyertown's winning streak at 17. The Bears won two games each against mixed teams from OJR, Perkiomen Valley, Spring-Ford, Great Valley and Phoenixville, then faced Spring-Ford in the semifinals on Monday and OJR on Wednesday.
For a while it looked like the winning streak would continue, but Noah Cutillo brought Boyertown back from a two-point deficit to take a 4-3 lead with 7 minutes, 26 seconds left.
But with the goaltender pulled, OJR's Max Connell scored his second goal of the tournament with 1:04 left, sending the game into overtime, where Primanti scored his second goal. The fourth goal of the night sealed the deal.
Primanti had 15 goals and 15 assists for Owen J. Roberts this season despite appearing in just 12 games. He plays club hockey for the Junior Flyers and has already been drafted by the United States Hockey League's Green Bay franchise. It's safe to say he has a bright present and future in this game.
But minutes after the winning goal, after the individual and team trophies were presented, Kael Primanti sat alone at the blue line, overcome with emotion.
“I lost my cousin in November,” he said, remembering the late Aidan Primanti, who was 20 years old. “He was a big part of my childhood. He loved watching me play hockey.
“And I think everything shocked me. I know he's not here anymore, but I'm going to get him on the ice.”
When the Wildcats met for Sunday's selection show, it was semifinal opponent Perkiomen Valley who earned the final Flyers Cup AAA spot they wanted. OJR tied the game with a 6-5 win over PV in the semifinals on Monday, setting the stage for a showdown with Boyertown.
“I didn’t feel like we had a team until last week against Downingtown East on Senior Night,” Gorman said. “We shut them out 3-0 and we've been motivated ever since.
“This is the best team locker room I've ever been in. They're respectful, they love the game, they love each other.”
One example of that was the season-long goaltending competition between Wednesday night starter Paige Faith and teammate Josh Bernheimer. “As a coach, it's about who's better at the moment,” Gorman explained. “Paige ended up joining us and he turned everything around.”
In Wednesday night's win, Faith repelled 33 of Boyertown's 37 shots.
“I practiced hard, so I got good results,” he said. “That motivates me to keep getting better. I loved my teammates from the beginning, and I still love them!”
OJR's season isn't over yet, but the three-peat was a great opportunity for seniors like Primanti to play. They will represent the Atlantic Region at the USA Hockey High School Nationals, which will be held March 20-24 at the Ice Line in Westchester.
But the story doesn't stop for underclassmen like sophomore goalie Faith and junior Grady Jones, who joined Primanti on Wednesday with four points (goals/three assists).
“Four-on-four? That's definitely possible,” Jones said. “We have a great freshman coming in next year, but the players we have here are the best. Nobody has ever won 3-on-3, so how can that be?”
Boyertown (18-2) erased the disappointment by opening Flyers Cup play in the AA bracket Tuesday night at the Iceline, entering as the No. 3 seed and facing No. 14 Pennsbury. You'll get a chance to. .
Wednesday's loss didn't take away from a great season for the Bears, their last loss coming on Nov. 10 against Father Judge. Leading scorer Bryce Durstein had his usual tally of goals and assists, and goaltender Tyler Griffiths was a standout on a defense that conceded less than two points per game all year.
But Wednesday night belonged to the Wildcats, who delighted a packed crowd with late heroics and took home championship hardware for the third year in a row.
“You can’t write a better script than this,” Primanti said.
“When did he (Primanti) score that goal?'' I'll always remember the sound of that crowd,'' Jones concluded. “The best moment of my life, and not even close.”
