SCH senior Ethan Gyllenhaal (right) tries to maneuver past a pair of Episcopal Academy players. (Photo by Tom Utescher)

by Tom Utescher

After two periods in last Wednesday's game at the Wissahickon Skating club, host Springside Chestnut Hill Academy had a 2-1 edge on one of the top teams in the Independence Ice Hockey League, Episcopal Academy. The visiting Churchmen evened it up in the first minute of the third period, and the deadlock remained unbroken for a 2-2 final.

With that outcome, the SCH Ice Devils saw their record move sideways to 3-3-1. All of their games up to this point have been against fellow members of the Independence League, which includes Episcopal, Germantown Academy, and Haverford School of the Inter-Ac League, along with Academy of the New Church and Pennington School.

Penn Charter does not field an ice hockey team, but PC students have the opportunity to play for the Springside Chestnut Hill team, which currently includes Charter senior Brandon DeYoung and junior Jonathan Brady. The sixth Inter-Ac school, Malvern Prep, plays ice hockey in the Atlantic Prep Athletic Conference.

The Episcopal Churchmen arrived at Wissahickon last week with an overall record of 3-2-1 and a 3-1 mark in the Independence League. They had split with Germantown Academy, while the SCH Ice Devils had lost twice to the Patriots and fell to EA, 3-1, back on January 13. In the Devils' second meeting with GA, Springside Chestnut Hill was led by a goal well into the third period, but two late markers carried the Patriots to a 7-6 victory.

Visiting EA pressured the Devils in the early minutes of Wednesday's game, but SCH senior goalie Liam Peterson fended off the visitors. Episcopal goalie Matt Lucey dropped to the ice to make a save against the Devils in the middle of the period, and when the Churchmen came back up the ice on a rush, they had a shot blocked by SCH junior Ainsley Rexford.

Heading behind the goal in pursuit of the puck is junior Jonathan Brady, one of two Penn Charter students playing for the SCH Ice Devils. (Photo by Tom Utescher)

The Ice Devils got on the scoreboard shortly after that. A pass from Brooks Norpel found fellow sophomore Galen Kilfeather a little above the left face-off circle, and she got the hosts on the board with 6:35 remaining in the first period.

The hosts hampered themselves with overlapping penalties a little later on. They survived the first one, but were still a man down when Episcopal evened up the score at 1-1, with freshman Charlie Kraftson finding the net with 3:30 left in round one.

As the period dwindled away the Ice Devils were able to retake the lead with a power play goal of their own. Here, it was senior Ethan Gyllenhaal converting with 2:06 on the clock off of assists by Norpel and his brother Jake, a senior.

Gyllenhaal is one of several 12th graders on the squad who have their college plans in place; he will play lacrosse at Bucknell University, and Eva Hamel will play ice hockey at William Smith College.

Springside Chestnut Hill maintained its 2-1 lead throughout the second period as Peterson made heroic efforts to keep the goal sealed. The Churchmen had a 21-12 advantage in the shot column after two rounds.

Just 45 seconds into the third frame EA tied the match at 2-2, thanks once more to Kraftson. Off of the initial shot, the puck was deflected and sort of hopped into the cage.

SCH had a player confined to the penalty box while the clock dropped from 11 to nine minutes remaining, but EA was unable to capitalize on the power play. The Churchmen came very close to scoring soon after the Devils were back at full strength, though. Peterson's reflexes were put to the test as he saved one Episcopal shot and then deflected the puck with his right shoulder on a follow-up attempt.

A strong shot by the hosts' Gyllenhaal was stopped by Lucey for Episcopal with about six minutes remaining. Three minutes after that, SCH's Hamel left the ice with an injury. The 2-2 tie held up to the end, after Peterson turned aside a promising shot by Episcopal junior Brad French with about two minutes to go.

Because of rink time restrictions, no overtime period was played.