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Pennsylvania Hockey Scholastic Showcase Director’s Cup report
This tournament is based on USA Hockey’s Wall of Champions in that all of the high schools participating have won a state championship. The teams Landon faced all met that standard with the PA AAA State championship in 2017 being the Bears’ first opponent. Both Peters Township and North Allegheny are currently ranked as #1 in one of the Commonwealth polls.
The posts from Harmarville were transmitted via smart phone with a tiny keyboard. They were also written in between contests. Consequently, they were a little less verbose than usual (a good thing), but provided fewer plaudits other than the players who were involved in the scoring.
FIRST PRELIMINARY
SECOND ROUND
THIRD PRELIMINARY
SEMIFINAL
CHAMPIONSHIP
The below pictures were found on a website associated with the tournament. The images did not capture all 18 of the skaters who played for the Bears. The three frames below capture some of the better action shots.
. Coach Erickson has already shared his thoughts about his players@LandonVHockey
#2 Chase Blazer—the opposition played an up-tempo breakout style, thus making the D’man role critical, this senior Assistant Captain was steady throughout, making sure that his goalies saw few odd man breaks. Chase is an exceptional rushing blue-liner and several of his puck-carrying ventures led to good O opportunities.
#3 Jake Cohen—charged with the same responsibilities and blessed with speed plus stick-handling skills, this sophomore was judicious (it’s a matter of genes?) in balancing these roles.
#4 Jordan Dinesman – this junior forward seemed to have a duplicate on the ice; for where ever the action moved, he was in the mix- forechecking, lifting sticks, making smart passes and attacking. There had to have been two of them. His line broke a 0-0 tie.
#5 Will Lawrence—part of the EXPRESS line, this 2021 forward added speed to an already swift group. His knowledge of the game was comparable to a member of the Bears playing at higher levels. His eight points led the team. His energy and contributions caused an observer to ask his parents what Will had for breakfast.
#6 Oscar Smink—another player beyond his years in comprehension of the game and exuding energy. His play was consistently good at both end of the rinks. He and several of the new players were the reason why other teams were exhausted by the last period. Oscar made his opponents work hard by his constant skating—harassing them in their O zone and making them chase him in his O zone.
#7 JH Lages—Jack-Henry is an intelligent D’man using excellent speed, devious stickwork and superb body play to frustrate his opponents. As Coach Erickson mentioned in his tweet, JH hip checked an opponent with the force of a player taking 5 strides before hitting. A strong slap shot and seeing-eye passes make him a threat from the point.
#8 Ryan Giles—Watching Ryan play hockey and lacrosse, one is impressed with his extraordinary hands. Given his high rate of speed, his ability to capture and control the puck is even harder to comprehend. Opposing goalies, seeing him leave the other end of the rink, must ready their ability to kick the nets off its moorings; for they realize that #8 is bringing the puck to his crease (the reference is more sincere than it would appear; you’d have to be there to grasp the full implication). He had 3 goals and 5 assists for the tournament.
#9 Joey Graham—sick as a dog on the drive to Pittsburgh, he was still able to put up 2 goals and 6 assists. The power forward of the Express Line has scoring centerman skills. The communication and anticipation, which exists with Ryan and now includes Will, are transcendental. Unfortunately, he inherited his father’s mental genes and was accepted by the Commonwealth Community College of Cambridge to play lacrosse.
#13 Jake Davidson—the team Captain leads by example—smart, skilled, up tempo, aggressive in all of his responsibilities. It is hard enough to master the talents to play one sport at a high level, but Jake was a key contributor to the Bear football team as well as earning an offer to pitch for the Kenyon College Lords. Balancing all of the demands of these sports is extraordinary. His abilities are recognized by his teammates, the opponents, the referees (with whom he had more than a casual relationship given his role of talking to them about their calls) and the tournament director.
#14 Tommy Kenary—a returning stalwart plays the power forward, too, again with skill and smarts. His physicality punishes the opponent in their O zone and his ability to control the slot is a threat to the proximate netminder. The team missed him in the later rounds because of an illness. Oh by the way, Tommy is being recruited to play college football and if the coaches allow him, he’s likely to be a star on the rugby pitch.
#16 Kyle Radimer—was missed because he was sick
#17 Jackson Need—three days of hockey poses an opportunity for a new player; with all that time, the coach needs to use all of the assets and the boy needs to show his stuff. Jackson is a defenseman by training and is being asked to play as a forward. That’s a challenge in and of itself plus he’s moving up a level. He registered lots of minutes and the time included key moments. With his linemates Jordon and Jordon (Dinesman and Rose), they were on the ice with a 0-0 tie AND SCORED THE GWG. Where was Jackson when his line scored, in front of the Medina goalie, blocking his vison while his back was being rudely checked by a Green Defender. The coach has a lot of confidence in the 3 J’s.
#19 Nick Khramtsov—is a player whose name does not show up in the Goal column in the scoresheet, but his contributions are essential to earn the W. He has tremendous speed and a huge heart. If there is a chance to save an icing call, he will fly down the rink to allow the Bears to get the puck in their O zone. If there is a sudden two-on-one rush by the opponents, #19 will arrive to even things out. It is not unusual to see a player motivated by getting Gs and As; Nick strives to make his team better by his play. No honors required.
#22 Kareem Al-Azem—the term “rookie” or “freshman” mistake is synonymous in sports jargon with mistake-prone.; kids are expected to do dumb things because of inexperience or excessive enthusiasm. That ain’t Kareem; yes, he is a 9th grader, but he is calm and incredibly aware of the situation. Add that he has a body size and speed that can correct for errors, he plays like a seasoned veteran. Fans find him fun to watch; opponents are weary of the Big D.
#23 Ethan Weinstein—the larger twin uses his size to good advantage and understands his role as a defender. He had a good time at the Alpha Ice Complex. Whilst his brother was in the nets, the D cranked up a big slap shot for a goal and then after the opponent pulled its goalie, Ethan scored from 100’ for an insurance tally. Lots of time on the blue line made the lives of goalies earlier.
#24 Will Jarrett—Badger is his name and unending energy is his game. Doesn’t matter- the puck is possessed by the other team’s star and has great support; 3 to 1 odds doesn’t deter Will. “There’s no way that you can get through the Maginot line set up by the other team” is not within his decision tree on whether to attack. What’s even more remarkable is Will’s strength on his skates—he can deliver a blow to the other guy and keep his feet and can be hit by a brut, absorb it and somehow keep flying down the ice. The only thing bigger than his smile is his heart.
#25 Jordan Rose—a sizeable sophomore can play. Tough at the face off and comfortable in the battleground in front of the crease, Jordan rises to the occasion. The GWG in the semifinals was the work of Jordan redirecting a shot from the point past the goalie.
#30 Ty Morton—the senior netminder with the quick glove recorded 64 saves and earned a 94.11 save percentage. His reflexes increase his effectiveness on close-in shots. His positioning is very sound. When he is not in the crease, he takes notes to share with his buddy Max.
#35 Max Weinstein—has been a strong goalie for the Bears since his freshman year. At the Director’s Cup, saved 27 shots in two games, won both and blanked the opponent in the semifinal. Uses his body well to cover the 3,456 square inches of the goalposts by crossbar. Coach Erikson is blessed to have two skilled protectors of the nets.
Hockey has a long season and the bonds between the players are essential for the communications and trust so necessary for this quirky game. The Landon tradition of taking this excursion to a holiday tournament has contributed to the Bears’ hockey success for the past decade or so. It’s not just the players who benefit from this time together; the games provide a live test for the coaches to see their charges.
It is also an occasion for the parents to add to their relationships.
All of these benefited by the Captains’ Moms (Davidson, Jarrett and Blaser) who plan this trip—rooms, meals, meetings and diversions. Claudia Callaway set a new standard for this trip and may qualify for the Logistician of the Year Award.
Go Bears!!!
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