With Postseason Looming, Linganore Seeks Even More

Lancers Are Picking Up Momentum Late in the Regular Season Under First-Year Coach Cox

After reaching the Maryland Scholastic Hockey League championship game in 2007 and the semifinals last season, Linganore (8-3-1) is preparing for another deep playoff run.

Friday's 5-3 win over Middletown was the Lancers' third win in four games. Their season finale is Feb. 6 against Tuscarora.

"We're very capable [of going far] this year," Linganore junior Ethan Klauka said. "Last year we had the talent, and the year before that we definitely did. Now we have a new coach and our team is much more disciplined this year. I think we have a great shot at going to the state championship. Winning is a different question."

Under first-year coach Earl Cox, Klauka has a team-leading 23 points (17 goals, six assists), including hat tricks in three games. Most recently, he scored three times in a 5-1 win over rival Urbana on Jan. 16.

Klauka is also the Lancers' team leader in penalty minutes (52), but when asked if that means he's the team's top scoring threat and main enforcer, he said only the former applies.

"When stuff repeatedly doesn't go right, it gets to me," he explained, "but for the most part I try stay out of the [penalty] box."

Bullish on Sorkin

When Bullis Coach Bobby Poulin fills out nomination forms for post-season awards, it's clear which member of the 10th-ranked Bulldogs will top his list.

"Nick Sorkin is the best player in the [Mid-Atlantic Prep Hockey] League, bottom line," Poulin said. "He dominated DeMatha. I know they were missing some guys, but still."

Sorkin had three goals and an assist on Jan. 14 in Bullis's 5-2 win over the Stags, who were playing without a few players because of travel team requirements.

Sorkin, a senior, will spend next season on the New Hampshire Junior Monarchs before playing Division I hockey. He already has a scholarship offer from Maine for 2010.

Even though a player of Sorkin's talent could easily choose to bypass high school hockey and focus solely on playing junior hockey for Team Maryland, he said he never considered leaving the Bulldogs.

"It definitely makes it a little harder [playing for both teams] because you have to go from practice to practice," he said, "but it's worth it because it's fun to play for your high school and having all your friends come and watch." . . .

When Stone Bridge and Woodbridge play tomorrow night in a rematch of last season's Northern Virginia Scholastic Hockey League championship game, both teams will be missing key players.

Top-ranked Stone Bridge, which won last year's title, 7-4, will be without captain Andrew Ansell. He has been called up from the Junior Caps to the Junior Nats, who have a game on Saturday. Players on the Junior Nats are not allowed to play for their high school team the day before a game.

Woodbridge must play without Seve Cordova and Dylan Talbot, the team's second- and third-leading scorers, respectively. According to the league Web site, both players drew game misconduct penalties in the first period of a 4-1 win over Osbourn Park on Jan. 16. Those penalties carry an automatic suspension for the following game.