E-town Ice Hockey Preview

In the coming week or so, I'll be posting previews of all the EAHS varsity winter sports programs. And we begin today with the E-town ice hockey team, which has already begun play. The Bears are off to a great 3-0 start, scoring at least 7 goals in all three of their games so far. They are scheduled to play again tonight. Here you go:

Head Coach: Steve Lokey, third year.

2007-2008 record: 17-3-1. Beat Garden Spot 6-2 in division championship. Beat the Crusaders 5-0 in the first round of the CPIHL playoffs. Lost to Annville-Cleona 2-1 in the CPIHL quarterfinals.

Current Record: The Bears are currently 3-0 and tied for first place in the Tier 2 – Lancaster/Lebanon/Berks division of the CPIHL with Cocalico.

Key Returners: Brian Milici, senior co-captain, forward (5 goals, 5 assists this season); Josh Carter, senior co-captain, forward (6 G, 3 A); Steven Dombrosky, sophomore, defense (2 G, 4 A); Michael Van Horn, junior, defense (3 G, 2 A); Harry Rhodes, senior, goalie (2-0, 2.50 GAA); Thomas Dombrosky, senior, forward (1 G, 1 A); Devin Shay (1 G, 1 A); Derrick Anderson, junior, forward (1 G 4 A); Brandon Lancaster, junior, forward (3 G); Lindsey Shuler, junior, forward (4 A).
E-town returns 12 players and eight seniors from last year’s 17-win squad. The Bears are led by Milici, an all-star last year and the team’s second leading scorer, and Carter, who is the team’s co-captain along with Milici. The Bears have plenty of talented, spearheaded by these two.

E-town has a ton of talented offensive players, and that has been evident so far as the Bears have scored 23 goals in their first three games.

Adding to the offensive firepower will be Shuler, Thomas Dombrosky, Shay, Lancaster and Anderson, all of whom are experienced players capable of making big plays on the ice.

On defense, the Bears are led by Van Horn and Steven Dombrosky, both of whom can also be playmakers on offense. Behind them is Rhodes who is in his third year of varsity and gives the Bears an experienced net-minder.

Experience is definitely on the Bears’ side with this group.

“With eight seniors on the team, there is a wealth of experience and an abundance of talented players,” said head coach Steve Lokey. “Providing leadership and focusing on team play will be very important in our success this year.”

Key Newcomers: Justin Hoover, senior, forward; C.C. Davis, freshman, forward; Brent Boyer, sophomore, goalie (1-0, 1.0 GAA).
With so many experienced players returning, it will be tough for the newcomers to make an immediate impact, but both Hoover and Davis are good hockey players who simply need to adjust to the team’s philosophy.

“The two new forwards will have to work hard to understand the style of play our team likes to use,” Lokey said.

Rhodes won’t be able to play goalie every game, so Boyer will be relied on to play well this season. He has already proven himself as a solid backup to Rhodes as he made 10 saves and allowed only one goal in a 7-1 win over Cedar Crest earlier this season.

“Brent is a capable goalie to give Harry a rest in games,” said Lokey.

Key Losses: Alex Reinhold, senior, defense (injury); A.J. English (graduation); Derek Hallet (graduation); Dillon Filepas (graduation); Hunter Peirce (graduation); Zach Lokey (graduation).
Reinhold is an integral part of the Bears’ defense, but is sidelined right now with injuries. When he returns, though, Steve Lokey said he will be a huge boost to the defense.

The Bears took a pretty big hit with graduation, losing a lot of leadership and talent. English, Hallet, Filepas and Peirce were all playmakers and were major reasons for E-town’s recent success.

But the biggest hit may come from the departure of Zach Lokey. Lokey was the team’s leading scorer for each of the past four seasons and had an amazing year last season, scoring 41 goals and dishing out 31 assists, on his way to being named the CPIHL All-Star MVP. He leaves a void in the offense, but the Bears have plenty of weapons to step up and score in his absence.

Strengths: Experience, scoring, goal tending.
With so many players returning from last year’s section-championship team, there won’t be many situations E-town faces on the ice this season that the bulk of its players hasn’t seen before. And that will make E-town a very dangerous team.

This group has been with Lokey for three years now, and has a firm grasp on his coaching style and the strategies he has implemented. That comfort level will go a long way, especially in close games. If the Bears get down in a game, they won’t panic. Instead, they’ll stick with their gameplan and, with the kind offensive firepower they have, are never out of a game.

Defenses won’t be able to key on just one player to stop, because the Bears have so many capable offensive threats. E-town already has 10 players who have registered at least two points and it has only played three games. Being so versatile will help the Bears skate with just about anyone.

In goal, Rhodes takes over as the main man after splitting time last year with Steven Dombrosky, who is moving out and becoming a defenseman. So far, Rhodes has been as good as expected, but E-town is coming into a tough portion of its schedule and the Bears will need him to be at his best.

“He will be put to the test in our upcoming games,” said Lokey.

Weakness: Defense.
With the injury to Reinhold, the Bears are down to only three true defenseman, which means forwards are still adjusting to helping out on defense. Against good offensive teams, this could hurt the Bears, but Lokey is happy with how they have looked so far.

“So far they have done and excellent job,” he said. “But they will need to make improvements as the season progresses.”

The defensemen that the Bears have healthy right now are very good, and as they season chugs along and the forwards adjust and the Bears get Reinhold back, the defense will become even better. Which isn’t good news for the Bears’ opponents.

Outlook: The Bears have been very successful in the CPIHL in recent years and will be looking to build off the momentum of last year’s division championship and trip to the quarterfinals.

There aren’t many chinks in the Bears’ armor right now, and they will only get stronger as the season progresses. That doesn’t mean, however, that the Bears don’t have anything to work on. E-town has an abundance of talent, but it must harness it into playing team hockey to be successful.

“We have to focus on playing as a team instead of counting on individual talent to carry us,” Lokey said. “They also have to understand everyone’s responsibility when they are playing and cover up for each other if a mistake occurs.”

That is one thing that experience gets you – the ability to adjust to another team and help out your teammates when someone makes a mistake.

There aren’t as many CPIHL teams this year, meaning the talent isn’t as spread out, which equates to tougher competition night in and night out for the Bears, and Lokey knows it.

“We will have our hands full in almost every game we play. Starting 3-0 was a pleasant surprise,” he said. “Everyone has a good understanding of what we need to improve on as we get into the tough part of our schedule.”

Lokey also stressed the importance of having team chemistry. Sure, the Bears return 12 players, but they also lost some of the key players from last year’s team, meaning they have to adjust to life without them.

But so far, so good for the Bears. They are stocked with talented, smart players who understand what is expected of them. All of the pieces for a run at the Viola Cup are in place, it’s now up to the players to make it happen.

With their experience, they certainly know what it will take to get there.

Bears win division, first playoff game

(Photo provided by Chuck Fox).
It's been quite a week and a half for the Elizabethtown Ice Hockey team.

It began last Wednesday as the Bears took the ice against Garden Spot in the championship game of the Tier II Lancaster-Lebanon-Berks section. E-town found itself in a 2-1 hole going into the third period before Zach Lokey dug them out. Lokey, the team's leading scorer and one of the top scorers in all of the CPIHL scored three times in the the third, and the Bears pulled away for a 6-2 decision. Brian Milici and Dillon Filepas also scored for E-town. Steven Dombrosky made 20 saves and held Garden Spot scoreless in the third as the Bears made their comeback.


On Friday night, E-town began the Tier II CPIHL playoffs. The Bears entered the tournament as the No. 2 seed (West York is No. 1) and dispensed of the Crusaders 5-0 in the first round. Lokey scored twice, and Filepas, Milici and Josh Carter also added goals. E-town's defense was also stout, and Dombrosky was sensational in goal, saving all 23 shots he faced.

The Bears have now advanced to the Tier II quarterfinals, and will play Annville-Cleona tonight at 8:45 p.m. at the Lancaster Ice Rink. E-town is 2-0 against A-C so far this season, beating them 11-1 and 9-2. There is that old saying that it's tough to beat a team three times in one season, but I don't see the Bears having much trouble tonight.

If they win, a matchup with Cedar Cliff could be looming in the semifinals. The Colts, the third seed, plays Kennard-Dale tonight. They won the Mid Penn division with a 15-3 record and beat Kennard-Dale 3-1 earlier in the year. The Colts also handed E-town one of its two losses on the season (a 4-1 win over the Bears back on Jan. 18), so I'm sure the Bears are itching to get a little revenge on them. But they can't look past Annville-Cleona tonight, or they won't get that chance.

Ice Hockey update

* Sorry for the delay on this post, I actually wrote it yesterday, but have been having difficulty getting things to post for some reason.

With all of the wrestling and boys basketball news happening lately, I've neglected the E-town ice hockey team, which is in the midst of a fantastic season.

The Bears have locked up first place for the Tier 2 Lancaster-Lebanon-Berks division of the CPIHL, with a 14-2-1 record with one regular season game remaining. E-town is two games ahead of Garden Spot, who is 12-4-1. The Bears will play Ephrata (2-14-1) tonight at Lancaster Ice Rink, while the Spartans wrap up with Cocalico (2-13-2) tonight at Body Zone.

The CPIHL is doing something a little different this year, so the first and second-place teams in the LLB division will have a one-game division championship game after the season is over. While it's not set in stone just yet, all signs point to the Bears playing Garden Spot in that game. E-town has clinched a spot in the game, and Garden Spot will clinch with a win tonight. But Annville Cleona (11-4-2) could theoretically sneak in ahead of the Spartans if GS loses or ties. But I don't see that happening.

The Bears are in the midst of a five-game winning streak. They beat Garden Spot both times they played them this year, winning 7-1 back on Dec. 14 and 4-3 on Jan. 14. E-town also swept A-C, beating them 11-1 and 9-2. So far this season, E-town has scored 118 goals in just 17 games and has allowed a paltry 49.

E-town has seven player in double digit in points so far this season, led by Zach Lokey's 36 goals and 28 assists. Brian Milici is also having a fantastic season with 22 goals and 26 assists. Here are the rest of E-town's top point-scorers:
Dillon Filepas, 14 G, 12 A
Thomas Dombrosky, 10, 13
Josh Carter 12, 9
Michael VanHorn, 6, 13
Derek hallett 5, 8.

In goal, Steven Dombrosky and Harry Rhodes have split time and both have done well.

Dombrosky is 7-2 with a save percentage of 89 and a goals allowed average of 2.67.

Rhodes is 7-0-1 with a save percentage of 82 and a goals allowed average of 3.13.

It looks like the LLB championship game will be Wednesday night, also at Lancaster Ice Rink. It will, unfortunately, end too late to make next week's print edition of the Chronicle, but I'll cover the game and put it on the blog and on our Web site.

Playoff brackets have not been set yet, but once they are, I'll post them here.

E-town Ice Hockey preview

Head Coach: Steve Lokey, second year.

2006-2007 Record: 16-4-1 overall. Champions, South Division, Lancaster/Lebanon/Berks Tier II. Lost to Muhlenberg, 7-2 in Tier II semifinals.

Key Returners: Zach Lokey, senior, F (11 goals, 10 assists so far this season); Dillon Filepas, senior, F (5 goals, 4 assists); Derek Hallet, senior, F (4 goals, 4 assists); A.J. English, senior, D (2 goals, 1 assist); Hunter Peirce, senior (1 goal, 1 assist); Brian Milici, junior, F, (8 goals, 7 assists); Josh Carter, junior, F, (7 goals, 5 assists); Thomas Dombrosky, junior, F (4 goals, 10 assists); Tyler Miller, junior, F (1 assist); Alex Reinhold, junior, D (1 assist); Devin Shay, junior, F; Harry Rhodes, junior, G (3-0, .87 save percentage, 3.0 goals allowed average); Luke Fox, junior, F; Michael VanHorn, sophomore, D (1 goal, 4 assists).
The Bears return a plethora of talent all over the ice, from the forwards on back to the goalie. As good as this group was last year, winning 16 games and advancing to the Tier II semifinals, it should be even better this season.
Offensively, the Bears will be paced by Lokey, arguably the best player in the CPIHL. After tallying 40 goals and 23 assists a year ago, Lokey already has 11 goals and 10 assists in just four games. Milici and Dombrosky are also in the top 10 in the CPIHL and scoring and help take some of the burden off of Lokey. But the Bears have offensive firepower up and down the roster. Carter, Dombrosky and Miller are all excellent forwards who will see plenty of ice time and will help fuel E-town’s offensive fire.
On defense, English, Reinhold and VanHorn lead a young defense. E-town’s offensive capabilities (they’ve scored at least seven goals in each of their first five games) takes a lot of pressure off of the defense and allows them to make a few mistakes here and there, which is a good thing while the younger defenders learn. Behind the defense is Rhodes, an agile goalie who can move around and stop just about anything coming his way.

Key Newcomers: Lindsey Shuler, sophomore, D; Derrick Anderson, sophomore, D (1 goal, 3 assists); Brandon Lancaster, sophomore, D (2 goals); Steven Dombrosky, freshman, D/G (2-0, .94 save percentage, 1 goal allowed average).
According to Lokey, Anderson and Lancaster are playing defense for the first time this year and are working hard to learn their new position. They’ll get good leadership from English, Reinhold and VanHorn.
Dombrosky is an up-and-coming goalie who has been sensational so far as a freshman. He is 2-0 with a save percentage of 94 and is allowing just one goal per game.

Key Losses: Zach Zellman, Mitch Reinhold, Ryan Dolan.
The Bears will feel the sting of losing these three players (all of which were CPIHL all-stars last year) on the defensive end of the ice.
“They provided a very tough and gritty style of defense and goaltending, (and) that is still missing from this year’s team,” Steve Lokey said.

How they’ve fared so far this season: 5-0.
The Bears are off to an extremely strong start, winning their first five games in dominating fashion. They’ve outscored their opponents by a total score of 46-11. But the Bears will have their work cut out for them in the games ahead, as they will begin matching up with teams from the Mid Penn and York divisions. But they’ve proved so far to be heads and shoulders above the majority of the teams in the Lancaster/Lebanon/Berks Division.

What they do well: Score goals, stop pucks.
There are very few, if any, teams around that can score with the Bears. E-town is averaging more than nine goals per game so far, which is allowing its relatively inexperienced defense to learn on the go and play relaxed. The Bears boast three of the CPIHL’s top 10 scorers including its top scorer (Lokey).
As long as E-town can continue pressure opposing defenses and putting pucks in the net, they are going to be tough to beat.
Rhodes and Dombrosky have been a good 1-2 punch in goal for the Bears so far this year.
“They have done a tremendous job facing several strong scoring chances from our opponents,” Steve Lokey said.
Until the defense gets its feet wet, it’ll be up to these two to thwart opposing scoring chances.

What they need to work on: Defense, team chemistry.
The defense simply doesn’t have much experience. English, Reinhold and VanHorn are the only defenders with any experience and they only have one season each under their belts. Lancaster and Anderson are forwards learning to be defensemen, but Lokey is confident they will be fine.
“They are working very hard to understand how to play defense, especially in their positioning and physical play,” he said.
With so many forwards, it will take time for team chemistry to get where it needs to be for E-town.
“They are coming together with better puck movement, but they need to work on their defensive responsibilities,” said Lokey.

Outlook:
The Bears had a great season last year and return an equally strong, if not better, team this season. Some teams around the CPIHL have had to combine this season, making the competition stiffer.
But E-town is off to a fantastic start and is likely the favorite to repeat as division champs.
The team still hasn’t gotten over its playoff loss last season and is using that as motivation to get every farther this year.
“Losing in the semifinal round last year really leftj a bad taste in the mouth of the returning players,” Lokey said. “They are working hard to get a chance to redeem themselves.”
Watch for E-town to at least repeat last year’s success and be a major contender for the Tier II cup, especially once the defense comes together by mid to late season. As the old saying goes, offense makes highlight reels, defense wins championships.
“We must be more physical and overall play better team defense to get a chance to repeat last year’s team’s success,” said Lokey.