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Ephrata set for title game
- 09 March 2006
The Ephrata Mounts Hockey team wants to take that last step to grab a prize it's had its eye on all season.Ephrata, which is riding a 12-game non-losing streak, wants to stay on a roll. The Mounts will play Kennard-Dale for the Tier II title at 6:45 p.m., at the Hersheypark Arena (directions).
Ephrata, however, will have to win it without goaltender Devon Williams, who was declared academically ineligible for the game. Sam Wiest, a forward, will don the pads in place of Williams.
Ephrata's Wiest isn't totally unfamiliar with goaltending. He was a goaltender for a short period of time several years ago. This time, though, he's stepping up in competition and in game importance.
The Mounts will go into the game trying to do what they did against Cedar Crest, namely, keep the opposition's scoring chances to a minimum. In that game, Cedar Crest managed only 18 shots.
"Our goal is to take a two- or three-goal lead and then play a trap,'' said Ephrata coach Keith Allen. "We have to come out aggressively right away.''
Any mention of Kennard-Dale's team certainly includes the name Beau Roeder. Roeder has 10 goals in just three playoff games. He scored four times in K-D's 10-4 win over Red Land last Friday, propelling the Rams into this Viola Cup game.
With Wiest's inexperience in net, Allen will continue to skate Jeff Bohler on defense instead of at forward.
"Jeff makes things happen and stops things from happening,'' Allen said.
While K-D (12-4, 3-0) overwhelmed Red Land, it needed a goal from Jeff Hartman with 39 seconds left in regulation to beat York Suburban 4-3 in the York Division title game.
Kennard-Dale has reached the Tier II title game in only its second CPIHL season. The Rams were 4-12 last season.
Greg Kemp is the Rams' goalie. He's averaged 34 saves in K-D's three playoff games.
Ephrata (14-1-1, 3-0) is led by juniors Shane Allen and Brandon Pike. Allen scored the game-winning goal in the third period against Cedar Crest last week in the Lancaster/Lebanon/Berks Division title game.
Allen (38 goals, 27 assists, 65 points) and Pike (38, 25, 63) ranked third and fourth, respectively, in scoring in Tier II during the regular season. Allen has three post-season goals and six assists. Pike has four goals and four assists in the playoffs.
"We have some horsepower,'' Keith Allen said.
We here at www.ephratamounts.com are proud sponsors of the Dodgeball for Diabetes tournament.