Coming off of an incredible 2022-23 season capped off with a Bears Cup title, Lower Dauphin have a target on their back as the team to beat in the Central Pennsylvania Interscholastic Hockey League (CPIHL).
So far, they have been tested but aced every exam, including two wins over Central Dauphin, the team that the Falcons beat in the Bears Cup last year.
“Both those games were tough tests for us and I think we performed exceptionally well consistently in our first games against a good team,” expressed junior Matthew Foerster of the team’s 9-6 and 11-7 triumphs.
The latter of the two wins was a thriller with Ethan Coots netting five goals and two assists. In the previous game, Coots buried an additional four. On the season, the junior has scored 20 goals and eight assists, the most goals and points in the entire CPIHL. Senior Brady Coonelly’s 21 points put him just below Coots at second in the league.
This Monday, Nov. 27, was the first road game for LD, where they traveled to Northern Berks for their fifth game of the season. Going up 4-0 to start, things looked great for the Falcons before conceding three straight that made the matchup interesting. Coots scored his fourth of the night to regain a two goal advantage before freshman Colden Lagray put the game on ice with just a few minutes to play. With the 6-3 win, they sit at 5-0 with the best record in their division.
Of the undefeated start, senior Dylan Davidick commented, “[The season is] going pretty well so far. We’re 5-0, getting those wins now when it matters. Being on top of the league is pretty nice.”
The Falcons, with a star-studded lineup that returned much of their strength from last year, have the same ambition to win the Bears Cup and hopefully make a run in the state playoffs as well.
Davidick explained, “[We want to] use this momentum now to win later in the season, make playoffs, and make a run for the Bears Cup again.”
