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After combining to score 18 goals, both teams remained unbeaten after their respective games, although the two victories were earned in drastically different fashions.
Matt Doyle scored his third goal of the game with 19 seconds remaining to help West York to an 8-7 win over Penn Manor in the opener.
There was no such suspense in the nightcap as Central scored early and often in a 10-1 rout of Elizabethtown.
With head coach Chuck Warner away on vacation, West York improved to 4-0 on the season, but had a fight on its hands.
Every time the Tier 2 leaders opened a two-goal lead, Penn Manor managed to tie the score, including the last time when Penn Manor freshman Austin Dittenhafer notched a power-play marker with 2:50 left that made it 7-all.
West York got a power play of its own late and one second after that penalty expired, Doyle pounced on a rebound and wrapped the puck in.
"I saw the puck squirt free and I knew if I got my stick on it I had a good wrap-around chance to get it in," the senior Doyle said.
The visitors' constant comebacks made for a harrowing night for substitute coach Rob Stitley, who normally works with the West York middle school team.
"It's a different game. It moves a lot faster," he said. "I was looking at the clock when I called time out ... I did tell them I don't want to walk out of here with a tie. I don't want to let Chuck down on his vacation. We want him to come back with a 4-0 record."
Doyle's younger brother, Alex Doyle, added two goals, the second of which made it 5-4 and Klayton Garman's second score of the game, a slap shot with 41 seconds to play in the second period for a 6-4, but Penn Manor erased that margin.
"That is the worst comfort zone you can have with that two-goal lead," Stitley said. "As soon as they get one (goal), they have got the momentum and it rolls."
Speaking of momentum, Central York scored three times in the first eight and a half minutes, four times in the first period, and rolled to the win.
In all, nine players lit the lamp for Central, which bombarded Elizabethtown goalie Joe Dempsey with 41 shots. Yet the coaches and players said it wasn't that well-played a game for the team that also improved to 4-0 on the season.
"We didn't play real well, but got the job done," Central captain Kenny Gross said. "We should be able to step it up for the next game. But if we play like we did tonight against Cumberland Valley, Hershey, Central Dauphin or Mechanicsburg we will have a tough time."
Central was also without its head coach on the bench. Rick Lefever was at the game, but said he was under-the-weather and stayed away from the team.
Assistant coach Shane Stroman said that may have been one of the reasons the team was out of sync.
"We had our moments when we came together, but when we did we just didn't put the puck in the net," Stroman said. "Without Rick on the bench we came in with a different feeling. I don't know if the guys were a little off because of that subtle change, but we need to work on that."
Nathaniel Troupe had a goal and two assists, while Gross, Stehl Taylor, Dylan Zavetsky, Evan Malachosky and Colton Traynham recorded a goal and a helper.
"As the coaches said, it could have been 10-1 after the first period if we were playing our A game," Taylor said. "We can definitely play a lot better than we did. I think it's more just finishing, putting the puck in the net."
Dakota Stabley was the only Central player with more than one goal. The senior scored 1:14 into the second period and ended rout with less than two minutes to play.
snavaroli@ydr.com; 771-2060
