Baldwin inline hockey team wins back-to-back titles

By: Ray Fisher
Friday, March 29, 2019 | 8:11 PM

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Back-to-back.

It has a nice ring. It’s what the Baldwin inline hockey team rung up in 2018-19.

Baldwin won its second consecutive Pennsylvania Interscholastic Roller Hockey League HS2 title recently, defeating Pine-Richland, 2-1, in a three-game championship series.

The Highlanders won Game 1 6-2, dropped the second game 2-0 and captured the decisive third game 5-3 to finish 21-3 overall.

“I thought the team had a fantastic season,” coach Dan Butler said. “We had a lot of fun during the season, which I think helped us have such a successful season.

“I had great expectations for this team. The very first practice, I told them that they would win the championship.”

Andrew Golvash, a senior alternate captain, provided the spark against the Rams with five goals, including a power-play goal. Golvash led Baldwin in scoring on the season with 24 goals and 23 assists.

Brendan Ferrari, a senior, and senior captain Nate Hobson added a goal and an assist in the championship round, and junior Mike O’Hanlon chipped in with a power-play goal, and junior Vinny Episcopo added two assists.

Hobson scored a team-high 30 goals for Baldwin to with eight assists.

Hobson and Golvash were the only team members to play on both title-winning squads.

The Highlanders outscored the opposition 145-67 this season, as senior goaltender Ryan Butler posted a 20-3 record with a 2.78 goals-against average.

“The team played incredible this year,” Butler said. “From the very beginning, we had high hopes. We knew we had the talent to win the championship. We just needed to play the right way, and we did.”

Butler, who also plays baseball, was one of seven seniors on the team.

“These past years have been amazing playing with these guys,” he said. “I’ve been playing since fourth grade, and I couldn’t have asked for a better team to win a championship with my senior season.”

Other leading scorers ncluded junior Josh Sobieralski (23 goals, six assists), Episcopo (22 goals, seven assists), Ferrari (15 goals, nine assists) and O’Hanlon (11 goals, six assists). Butler also was credited with three assists.

Seniors Andrew Lydon, an alternate captain, Jason Depretis and Johnny Valente rounded out this year’s team.

“Only in the playoffs did I settle in on specific lines,” said coach Butler. “I have 10 incredibly talented hockey players, all not only capable but always willing to play any position I put them at.”

Golvash scored a pair of second-period goals against Pine-Richland in the championship game.

Ferrari and Hobson connected for a goal apiece in the first period, and Lydon capped the scoring with a third-period goal. Episcopo had two assists in the game, and Ferrari had one.

The Highlanders compiled a league-leading 16-2 regular-season record.

“The other thing I stressed at the beginning of the season,” coach Butler said, “was that the only thing they should be thinking about is, ‘How can I help my team win today.’ That, along with their tremendous talents, won us this championship.”

Note: Baldwin inline hockey will have team evaluations at the end of June for players in grades 2-12. For questions or more information, contact Michelle Butler at taylorcourt1027@yahoo.com.

Tags: Baldwin