Franklin Regional hockey hopes loss will serve as wake-up call

By: HSSN Staff
Monday, January 15, 2018 | 11:00 PM

When Franklin Regional headed into the holiday break atop the standings in the Class AA South/East Division, coach Brian Kurtz said his Panthers had been inconsistent.

The Panthers' first two games in 2018 have proven Kurtz's description accurate as Franklin Regional walloped North Hills, 10-0, but then dropped a disappointing 6-4 decision to Penn-Trafford.

On their home ice against North Hills on Jan. 2, nine Panthers scored, including a two-goal performance by forward Oldrich Virag. Franklin Regional dominated from start to finish: It scored three times in the opening period, five times in the second and two in the third.

“I think coming out of the break, it's always a question to how teams are going to respond. I thought our team came out responding really well,” Kurtz said. “Everything just seemed to work that night.”

Six days later, the Panthers returned to Center Ice Arena in Delmont but technically played as the road team against Penn-Trafford. The Panthers scored first and held a 2-1 lead after the first period. The Warriors netted the next five goals, though, notching the upset against their section foe.

Kurtz credited the Warriors for playing disciplined and sticking to their game plan. However, he also expressed disappointment with his team's mindset before the puck dropped.

“Coming out of the break and having the type of victory we had, I think maybe the kids got a little complacent and sort of overlooked them,” he said. “I think maybe there was a little bit of a lack of focus within our group.”

Another notable factor that hindered the Panthers was the absence of Virag, who was out with an illness. Despite playing in only eight games because of the illness and a finger injury, Virag leads the Panthers in goals and is tied for second in points.

“He was definitely missed in the lineup,” Kurtz said.

With Latrobe and Hempfield winning consecutive games, Franklin Regional has fallen to a tie for second in the division. Additionally, Upper St. Clair, Penn-Trafford and Shaler are within striking distance. With only five teams qualifying for the playoffs, one will miss the cut.

While earning a top seed for the postseason is valuable, Kurtz and the Panthers are more concerned with their performance on the ice.

“Our focus right now is to trying to get back to playing the type of game we know we can play,” Kurtz said. “If we're doing that, I think we can be competitive against any team we may face down the stretch.”

Kurtz believes the disappointing setback to Penn-Trafford could prove beneficial in the long run as he called it a wake-up call for the players.

“I think the focus moving forward is going to be there. We talked about it, and moving into the preparations going into the next game, it's a different mindset,” he said. “We're looking for the internal leadership amongst our players, to kind of rally some of the younger guys who don't have the experience down the stretch, to be competitive in the playoffs.”

Virag's expected return will help, but the Panthers will be without defenseman Dylan Lee, who injured his shoulder against Penn-Trafford and is expected to miss a few weeks.

The Panthers were thin at defenseman before the injury, so the top pairing of Ethan Yohe and Thomas Rafferty will become even more critical. Both have reached double-figures in scoring, but Yohe has been particularly impressive on the back end. He leads the team in power-play points and has one of the best slapshots in the league.

Behind them, the Panthers are tied for the fewest goals allowed in the division.

“The leadership they're bringing on the blue line, and the ability to play every other shift, they've been a big key for us,” Kurtz said.

Sean Meyers is a freelance writer.

Tags: Franklin Regional