Exeter/Mifflin ice hockey keeps title hopes alive

Lucas Sockel was forced to sit and watch for two long minutes. He didn’t know how things might look when he returned.

Exeter/Mifflin could be on the brink of a winnertake-all final. Or the brink of elimination.

It felt like forever. “It’s always a long two minutes in the penalty box,” Sockel said. “I was trying to get out and help our team win so we could play again.”

When his skates finally hit the ice, the night was still in search of a defining moment. Sockel provided one.

Exeter’s junior delivered the go-ahead goal with 3:05 left and fourth-seeded Exeter/Mifflin defeated No. 2 Muhlenberg/Oley/Brandywine 2-1 in the East Penn Scholastic Hockey League playoffs at Body Zone Thursday.

These teams will meet again Tuesday night to decide the championship.

Sockel returned to the perfect situation. Exeter/

Mifflin was handed a 5-on-3 as soon as their all-league forward left the box.

There was room to maneuver while searching for the winning goal.

“I kind of ripped it on net,” Sockel said. “I had space to walk in and shoot. There wasn’t much else open, so I took the shot.”

Exeter/Mifflin kept its hopes alive for a fourth consecutive EPSHL championship in the double-elimination format. Muhlenberg/ Oley/Brandywine was still undefeated heading into this matchup.

Oley Valley’s Aidan Hussar opened the scoring with some slick skating that helped create a breakaway. The defenseman found the net 2:11 into the second period.

Exeter/Mifflin needed a comeback.

“Adversity comes,” forward Brayden Rompella said. “You’ve just got to push through it and hope it goes in.”

Rompella delivered the equalizer 8:30 later. It was tied 1-1 heading into the final 16 minutes.

Exeter/Mifflin carried play for much of the third period but none of its scoring chances yielded a result. When Sockel was sent to the box, his team was faced with a dangerous short-handed situation.

Two penalties were called on Muhlenberg/Oley/Brandywine in the span of 42 seconds, creating the twoman advantage. Sockel made it count. “It was pretty amazing seeing him snipe that shot post-side,” Rompella said. “To seal the deal a little bit. Put a little hope in us.”

These teams will meet for a third time in this tournament. Muhlenberg/Oley/ Brandywine won in doubleovertime Monday.

Exeter/Mifflin wasn’t ready to relinquish its crown.

“Everybody was celebrating,” Sockel said. “But we’ve still got another game to win. We didn’t win anything, yet.”

Sockel’s teammates know what one more win means.

“Going for four,” Rompella said. “We’ve got to keep it going.”