As Burrell hockey prepares for a Division 2 semifinal matchup against Morgantown, W.Va., one just has to look back five months ago for proof the Buccaneers can topple the top-seeded Mohigans.
In an offensive exposition, Burrell (13-4-0-4) was able to outlast Morgantown (16-3-1-1), 4-3, in overtime. But Bucs coach Drew Burkett knows all too well that the October version of Morgantown is not the same as the March one.
“One thing I’ve learned,” he said, “(Morgantown is) never the same team in playoffs that we see in the regular season.
“So I think there’s some confidence that comes with beating them in the regular season, but you can never rely on it. Like every team is going to come differently in playoffs.”
Last year, after beating Morgantown in the second game of the season, the Bucs were defeated 5-1 in the Division 2 finals. This time, though, Burrell enters the semifinals with more experience and as the best defensive team in Division 2.
“If you look at the past two years, the goal differential is relatively the same, but it’s been flipped (this year),” Burkett said. “Now it’s we don’t score a ton of goals, but we also give up, I think, the least amount of goals in the league.”
In the PIHL, Burrell’s 38 allowed goals actually rank fifth, but that number leads Division 2. Morgantown, meanwhile, leads Division 2 in goals scored (123) and ranks fourth overall. That strength versus strength matchup is something that gives Burkett confidence his team can compete with the Mohigans.
Another boost in confidence comes from Burrell’s depth, which showed up in its 2-0 quarterfinal win against No. 4 Connellsville on March 5.
“I mean, if you look at any other team that’s in the playoffs right now, I mean, they all have four lines, but they cut it down to two in playoffs,” he said.
“I think I picked a good enough team that I didn’t have to do that on Thursday. Like we just rolled all our lines and had (Connellsville) dead tired by the end of it.”
Though it was PIHL All-Star Jared Wall and senior Ryan Burkett who scored the deciding goals in the quarterfinals, two underclassmen defensive players’ performances stood out to Coach Burkett.
“(We) have one set of D pairs with Asher Ross and Cooper Suman who have been like lock down for the past five-ish games,” Drew Burkett said. “They’ve picked (playoff intensity) up well. (We) paired them up together, and they’ve just been doing well since then.”
On Thursday, Burrell will try to advance to its third consecutive Division 2 championship. Standing in its way, though, is a familiar opponent in Morgantown, which handed the Buccaneers a gut-wrenching loss just a year ago in the championship game.
This time around, it’s a round earlier, but the stakes are nearly as high.