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Player to Watch
F Raymond Furr, Woodbridge, Sr.
Name a skill required for scoring and Furr has it. He's a fast skater with great agility; he has excellent puck control and quick reflexes; he has an accurate shot and the ability to read goalies; and he has good instincts and works well with his teammates. Put it all together and it's easy to see why Furr led the Northern Virginia Scholastic Hockey League last season with 42 points (25 goals, 17 assists). This season, he's grown two inches to 5 feet 8 and added some weight, meaning he might be able to muscle his way through traffic in front of the net to get even more scoring opportunities.
Story Lines
1. Can South River Repeat?
The Seahawks won their first state title last season with only one senior, so they have a surplus of experience. But they lost their two best players: Andrew Devore graduated after leading the team with 37 points and Adam Mitchell, who had 28 points despite playing in only six regular season games, moved to Texas to play junior hockey in the North American Hockey League. Those two combined for seven of the Seahawks' goals in a 9-8 championship game win over Linganore last season.
2. Out on Their Own
The area's private school teams no longer are under the auspices of the Maryland Scholastic Hockey League. They will play in their own leagues, such as the IAC, WCAC and MIAA. One impact of the decision is that disciplinary issues and accompanying suspensions will be handled by the athletic directors of the schools involved (or the school's conference) rather than the MSHL. The top eight private school teams will qualify for postseason play, and a ranking system voted on by the coaches could be in place as early as next season.
3. Can Stone Bridge Win It All?
In each of the past two seasons, the Bulldogs have gone undefeated in the regular season, only to lose in the NVSHL championship game. Two years ago, Woodbridge beat the Bulldogs in an overtime thriller. Last year, Osbourn Park goalie Dylan Barber made 58 saves in a 3-1 final. With a 2-0 start heading into tonight's game, Stone Bridge has now won 28 consecutive regular season games and appear primed yet again for a run at its first league title since back-to-back championships in 2001-02 and 2002-03.
Around the Area
MARYLAND
Three-time defending private school champion Gonzaga lost big scorers Patrick Cullen and Ryan Holley to graduation, top defenseman Andrew Panzarella to a juniors league and goalie Billy Rivolini to a prep school in New England. Senior forwards Patrick Foster and Andy Morales will lead the offense until Joey Demeria comes back from an Achilles' injury. . . . Whitman is the surprise team so far in the Montgomery Conference with wins over 2007 quarterfinalists Walter Johnson and Churchill. Rainey Brown and Zach Wolfe have five goals each. . . . Glenelg, which should compete with Wilde Lake and River Hill for the Howard Conference, has been led by sophomore Adam Altieri with six goals in three games. . . . All-Met Bailey Fogarty leads Holton-Arms in its quest for a fifth straight MSHL girls' title.
