I appreciate the backing that Perkiomen Valley is receiving from hgp fan and hhfan, and we have done nothing outside of the rulebook. We by no means "recruited" these players. Our goalie came down from CT to try out for the Eastern Penn Bucks, and was initially supposed to live with our head coach. After the Bucks folded, My mom invited him to a tryout with my team, and after he made the team, we invited him to live at our house, which is within the PV border.
Our other player in question was all Domish's doing, we had no idea that Logan was even going to our school until his billet family, who has no affiliation with PV (besides living in the district), came to me and asked if I could drive him to practice from school everyday.
This is just how things fell, we did not go out of our way to "recruit" these two guys, it is just the way things happened. Do not take away our team's accomplishments because of two players. We have lost two games (one being in the Christmas Tournament) since November 9th, and while Rob and Logan played key parts in many of those games, they are not the only reason we win. We have a strong core and good leadership, that is why we win.
Posts: 37 | Location: Perk Valley | Registered: 13 September 2006
Getting back to the original post - PV has lost in league to Henderson, Unionville and tied LaSalle II. Still has Rustin and Methacton on the schedule (tough games). I would think Methacton would be up for this game as a revenge game after an earlier season loss. Let's see how they finish with these two games, if they win both, certainly will deserve the top spot.
I've seen Sutherland twice, he gave up a total of 6 goals in those games, but didn't see a lot of high percentage shots due to the play of his defense (not a knock - just an observation). Obviously with some of the low scoring games, his play makes the difference. I've also seen Pieffer (D-West) play twice - thought he was a better goalie (almost identical stats but with a weaker supporting cast).
You guys do have a good team, no questioning that. Just the ethics by which you guys obtained your goalie. Look at what you wrote. Dom had Rob coming to live with him initially. How is that not recruiting? The intent there was that Rob would be playing for PV as well as his intended Jr. team. Bet ya that Dom wouldn't have offered to billet Rob if he had no intention of playing for PV. The other is that you guys were in sorry need for a goalie, and it just so happened to work out that your coach was able to recruit one. PV may be playing within a broad interpretation of eligibility, I'm just saying that your team should be playing against the other open enrollment teams(Malvern, HGP, O'Hara, LaSalle, etc.)at the AAA level. I think that your team would actually be right around second or third in that division. Let me ask you this, where do you think PV would be without Rob? I'd say probably right around Boyertown's or Unionville's record.
I would like to know why both those players left where they were playing for the Junior B team. I don't know where Sutherland came from, but Nicholson came from the Washington Caps? What would be the gain of changing teams in the same hockey conference? I feel bad for the PV players because it does look like they have recruited these 2 players. While technically not cheating, sure looks like it. All of a sudden PV doesn't have a good goalie then like magic one appears. By no means would I say they are open enrollment now though. I mean it's not like this is the first time it's happened and maybe it was just coincidence. Doesn't look like it and I'm sure everyone involved would say it is, but it could be.
As an admitted PV partisan with familiarity with the team, I can tell you why Rob Sutherland left where he was last season. As a high school junior in Connecticut, he won the Connecticut State D-11 Championship, playing for a parochial school. Connecticut does not allow high school players to play Junior hockey, which he and his family decided he was ready to play. Signed with a suburban Phila. Junior team and was delighted to be able to play high school hockey as well in this, his senior year. Billeting was available in Collegeville with a very nice family, who's son plays for PV. End of story. And, no, I'm not his father. Yeah, he's a great goaltender and, yeah, we were delighted to get him...but, as has been pointed out earlier, there is a long history of teams in the League playing at this level with billeted players on the ice. None of this changes the fact that PV has a heck of a hockey team, with a significant number of stand-out players, and should be recognised for the league-leaders that they have been all season. In my humble opinion.
Lemieux66-couldn't agree more... no matter how you slice and dice it this kid did not just fall in PV's lap. It comes down to integrity and ethics....especially when you consider that PV was not shy about their need for a goalie for the 2007-2008 season. PVhockey77....why not reward the goalie that stepped in for your "vacationing" goalie during last years Flyers Cup? All things considered he actually played pretty well and was not the reason you lost your second round game to Hershey. Sorry but PV has come up short the last two years and it appears this year its win despite the cost!
As far as other teams pursuing PV and PV scoring more goals lets take a look.....
PV
13-2-1 GF 82 GA 37
Henderson
12-2-1 GF 81 GA 37
Head to Head (with Sutherland in goal) Henderson 4 PV 2
I have to disagree that billeting has been a time honored tradition in this area. First off, Junior hockey has only really taken off here in the past what 7-8 years (maybe)? Billeted players are being confused & lumped in with foreign exchange students. Two different creatures. I am not disputing PV as a good team or not, just that they really bent the rules good to suit their need. As the player from PV said: Rob originally intended to billet with the varsity head coach. And Rob just so happened to play goal? If Dom was housing a foreign exchange student from Russia, and the kid came over and only played soccer, one of two things would happen: 1. Said kid is on the first plane back to Russia or 2. Dom has a coronary and drops over on the spot. Just because some people believe this to be a regular practice (which I contend is not the case), does not make it any the less shady.
BTW, Carl can you direct me to the meeting minutes during which this discussion took place. I'm just curious as to what was said and decided/voted. Would it be found in the league documents on the web page? Could you send them to me?
BTW, Carl can you direct me to the meeting minutes during which this discussion took place. I'm just curious as to what was said and decided/voted. Would it be found in the league documents on the web page? Could you send them to me?
Meeting minutes tend not record discussion, but formal voting motions, etc. Ours are certainly spare enough and are distributed to Board members and not the general public. I had to wrestle to get the ICSHL bylaws on-line. Nothing was proposed, voted, or recorded on this issue.
Send me an email at my home email (see the league web site), and I can share my thoughts on this. I had hoped the PIAA would tighten up their transfer rules in a way that non-PIAA sports (us) could apply them effectively from the outside, but that looks to have fallen through.
I expect billeting, plus overall enrollment, eligibility, and transfer issues to be debated at length going into next season. Its too late to change horses in mid-stream this year. It can directly impact the competitive status of long-standing PIAA members that are parochial schools (HG Prep, Shanahan), new members (PCL schools), and non-members (InterAcs).
In response to gsquared: When Henderson has 25 points and PV has 27, that looks like Henderson trying to catch up with PV to me. Again, my point is not to denigrate good teams and good players. My point is to bring attention to the very fine season being turned in by the players at PV.
Billeting is something that is allowed in our league, it is only being disputed because you brought it up. Yes, it may be disallowed in the future, but don't knock us now, because it is legal.
quote:
. PVhockey77....why not reward the goalie that stepped in for your "vacationing" goalie during last years Flyers Cup
He did not ever want to play goalie, and why would he? He didn't have his own pads, and has played forward his entire life. If you were his parents, would you invest the $2000 (roughly) for your son to play two years of goalie in high school hockey? He has been rewarded with ample games this year with the varsity team, and everybody respects him for what he did last season.
This message has been edited. Last edited by: pvhockey77,
Posts: 37 | Location: Perk Valley | Registered: 13 September 2006
Anyway, back to the original point...it would seem to me that any discussion of the "best" players in the area would need to include SOME of the guys from PV. And, again, I read on this forum about various players and goaltenders from all sorts of teams in the ICSHL...but never before today about any of the Perk Valley players who have been playing at least as well as many who are continually mentioned. And never a suggestion that PV may be one of the teams still standing at the end this year, while other, less-successful, teams are regularly projected as post-season favorites.
really what does it matter,check the rosters of any and all catholic schools ,kids are from everywhere,so why not allow a kid to move and play wherever he or she wants to. if it means that much to a kid and or a program then good for them
