Severna Park’s Ice Hockey Season Ends With Close Quarterfinals Loss

When Severna Park’s Quentin Angelo scored with 3:11 left in the second period of his team’s Maryland Student Hockey League (MSHL) quarterfinals match against Howard County on February 27, knotting the score at 1-1, the Falcons felt the momentum was shifting their way.

The team immediately pressured the Wolves, with one Falcons shot attempt ricocheting off the opposing goalie’s leg and another attempt floating wide. But Howard County withstood Severna Park’s frenetic push and landed the decisive blow on a Joseph Mosley goal with 2:49 remaining to deal the Falcons a 2-1 loss at The Gardens Ice House in Laurel.

The loss was especially hard to swallow because the first Wolves’ goal was a tap-in aided by an accidental push from Severna Park when a player slid into his goalie during a clearing attempt. Severna Park coach Eric St. Lawrence thought his team played well enough to win, other than that miscue.

“I think we dominated most of the game,” St. Lawrence said. “(Howard County forward) Cameron Westlake got a good bounce. They got that faceoff that bounced past our forwards right out in front of the net … I really thought we were going to win this one. Coming out of the second period and into the third period, the way we started, I really thought we were going to get a couple goals.”

St. Lawrence was proud of his team for staying out of the penalty box, and he complimented goalie Liam Bohlayer for a stellar effort. Bohlayer made several impressive saves. In the third period, he thwarted a point-blank shot by Westlake, and five minutes later, Westlake passed to Ali Ingram on a breakaway and Bohlayer used his right leg to corral the puck.

Those saves were no small feat, as Westlake was named All-MSHL first-team and he was the game’s first goal-scorer.

“He made saves that he shouldn’t have made, one where their top player came down the ice,” St. Lawrence said of Bohlayer’s stop against Westlake. “The other half of our goaltending is Jake Beaver, and he has been playing standing on his head as well. They’re kind of different styles. Liam is a little bigger and takes up more net. I think Jake is maybe more athletic and quicker reacting to the pucks when they’re right around the crease. So they have different games, but you can tell (Bohlayer’s) game worked today.”

Now that Severna Park’s season is done, there is plenty of time to reflect on the positives. The team won their playoff opener, 7-4, over Middletown Valley on February 22. Pierce Brenner scored twice, and his teammates Evan Reaser, Sam Testerman, Maxwell Grotheer, Beckett Dickson and Mitchell Gaudet all scored in the win.

A team captain and senior, Testerman thought his team played “to the best of our abilities” against the Wolves. That will not be his only lasting takeaway from the season.

“I think one of the most defining moments for the team and for me was the South River game where we won in overtime in the regular season,” he said, referring to a 5-4 win on January 22. “I think everybody put everything into that game and that was the best game we played this season, and it was just fun to watch the guys celebrate after that win. Coming into the playoffs and being the only Eastern Conference team to get out into the second round, it’s just fun to watch the energy in the locker room and on the bench.”

This season, Brenner and Testerman (19 points, 13 goals and six assists apiece) led the team offensively. William Petrick added 15 points on five goals and 10 assists, and Gaudet (11 goals, three assists), Reaser (seven goals, six assists) and Dickson (seven goals, five assists) all made valuable contributions.

Testerman will graduate this spring. He was proud to follow former Severna Park team leaders like Jake Ciuba, Johnny Clements and his brothers, Josh, Henry and Dean Testerman. Now it will be someone else’s turn to helm the group.

“I’m excited to see what this team becomes,” Sam Testerman said. “Looking at the guys coming onto this team and looking at the guys already on it, there is a lot of talent.”