The last time Pennridge and Thomas Jefferson played in the Pennsylvania State High School Hockey Class AA Championship, it went to double overtime to determine the winner.
Two years later, the rematch on Saturday afternoon ended with the Rams celebrating another state title, with less drama but the same result.
During a five-minute power play in the third period, James Rush scored to break a 4-4 tie, then scored again at 12:51. This helped the Rams secure a 7-5 victory over the Jaguars at Skatium in Haverford Township.
Shane Dachowski scored two goals, Kevin Pico got a goal and three assists, and goaltender Jacob Winton made 43 saves out of 48 shots for Pennridge. They defeated Thomas Jefferson in the 2022 state final, with a score of 4-3 after Pico made the winning goal in the second overtime session.
This year’s final was settled in regulation, but it was a back-and-forth game. Thomas Jefferson took a 2-0 lead in the first period before the Rams responded with three straight goals to go up 3-2, with Pico scoring at 12:28 in the second period.
The Jaguars, however, scored the next two goals to go back up 4-3 on Nathan Weiss’ goal with a Scott Allan assist at 9:34.
At 8:26, a spearing penalty by Thomas Jefferson – that also resulted in a game misconduct – gave Pennridge five minutes with the man advantage. Twelve seconds later, the Rams tied the game, with Andrew Savona scoring off a Colin Dachowski assist.
Still on the power play, Savona found Rush for a goal at 5:28 to give Pennridge a 5-4 lead. Rush scored again in the third, putting a shot in at 12:51 with an assist from Josh Kelly.
Thomas Jefferson narrowed the margin when Liam Mahoney scored at 10:24. Dachowski responded with his second goal of the game at 8:04, with an assist from Pico, putting Pennridge back up 7-5.
Allan and Weiss both had a goal and an assist, while Andrew Oliver got two assists for Thomas Jefferson, which aimed to win its first state title since 2000. Goalie Ronald Porupsky made 26 saves out of 33 shots.
Last Wednesday at Hatfield ice, Pennridge secured a spot in Saturday’s state championship game with a 7-3 win over Council Rock South in the Flyers Cup final. Winton made a total of 49 saves out of 52 shots, and Shane Dachowski scored a hat trick as the Rams avenged a 7-2 loss to the Golden Hawks in the SHSHL National Division final.
This is the third consecutive season that Pennridge has made it to the Flyers Cup AA final, defeating CR South 5-1 in 2022, while last year they lost to Pennsbury 5-3.
Thomas Jefferson, which won the Penguins Cup with an 8-4 victory over Penn-Trafford, scored first in Saturday’s state final when Jacob Stock scored at 16:33 in the first period. Allan made it 2-0 with a power-play goal at 10:57.
At the end of the first period, Colin Dachowski scored at 6:01, leaving the Rams down 2-1 with Pennridge scoring the first two goals of the second period to take the lead. Shane Dachowski scored on the power play at 15:15, while Pico’s goal at 12:28 put the Rams up 3-2.
Thomas Jefferson replied by scoring the next two goals – Lucas Blose evening the score at 3-3 at 11:21 and Nathan Weiss putting the Jaguars ahead again at 9:34.
However, Pennridge took the lead for good with its second three-goal run. Savona and Rush scored during the five-minute power play to give Rams a 5-4 lead at the end of the second period. Rush then scored the game-winner with his goal at 12:51 in the third period, bringing the score to 6-4.
