Baldwin hockey relying on experienced defense
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Thursday, November 16, 2017 | 11:00 PM
With the graduation of its top three scorers from last year, Baldwin's hockey team knew it would take a while for the offense to get going this fall.
Paul Knerr (29 goals, 41 points), Lucas Kirk (13, 25) and Dominic Carlino (5, 24) departed after last season and took with them more than half (47) of the team's goals (84).
This year, Baldwin's 3-3 record has it two games out of first place in its division despite ranking 11th out of 14 teams in offense with 15 goals scored. Ross Zofcin (two goals, six points) and Dan Figura (five assists) rank atop the team's scoring leaders. They were in the top five in team scoring a year ago, too.
Keith Reed, Andrew Golvash, Zack Pender, Cam Greenaway, Justin Pollard, Jason Kavulic, Luke Mackowiak and Vinnie Episcopo join Zofcin at forward.
“We're definitely depending on a new group of players to step up. We've had that so far. We just need to work on being more consistent,” Baldwin coach Justin Glock said. “We've had some games where we've played outstanding and others where we did not play very well.”
While the offense gets sorted out, the defense sets the tone for the Highlanders. They rank near the top of PIHL Class 2A with 19 goals against. Seniors Nick Antonio, Easton Tamburri and Figura bolster the blue line.
“We depend a lot on our defense, especially those three seniors. This is at least their third year on varsity,” Glock said. “We expect a lot out of the entire defense. We've kept the opposition scoring down when they've all been there.”
Nathan Breisinger is on defense, and Nathan Hobson and Paul Zmuda have shifted back and forth between forward and defense.
“Because of our experience back on defense, I think our strength is our defensive game. We need to work on scoring more goals,” Glock said. “We're trying to develop some of the young forwards to score more. We're getting there.”
Senior Dylan Desimone and junior Cole Shannon share goaltending duties like they did last season. “I told them at the beginning of the year that it's a healthy competition between them. It keeps them competitive, and we'll just see who will perform best when we play,” Glock said. “Ultimately, we trust both goalies. They're playing equally right now, and we'll see what happens when it comes to playoffs. I have some tough decisions to make.”
The Highlanders hope to reach the postseason after moving up to Class 2A. Last season, they finished first in the Class A West division with 26 points. However, Montour posted a 3-2 upset win over the team in the first round of the Penguins Cup playoffs.
They've enjoyed their experience in the higher classification so far. “I feel like there is a lot more of a level playing field. In terms of matchups, you're going to be in for a tough game every night,” Glock said. “If you're not focused and not on your game, you could lose a few in a row and it could cost you a playoff spot. “
Joe Sager is a freelance writer.
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