All-Delco Hockey: Ridley’s Giampapa picked up where he left off

The following players from the Central League were named to the All Delco Hockey Teams.

FIRST TEAM

Michael Giampapa, Sr., forward, Ridley >> The 2017 Daily Times Player of the Year followed up his award-winning junior season with an even better campaign in 2017-18. Giampapa added physicality to his repertoire, while continuing to pile up points at a ridiculous rate. He scored a goal in all but one game, totaling 44 in 18 contests. As the Central League’s top scorer and perhaps its most respected player, Giampapa was indispensable to a Green Raiders squad that was rebuilding in more ways than one. Ridley scored 102 goals this season. Giampapa, with his 44 goals and 34 assists, had a hand in 78 of them. He closes his career with 265 points, including regular season and Flyers Cup play.

Mike Irey, Jr., forward, Strath Haven >> The bigger the game, the bigger Irey played. So it’s been for two seasons as the do-everything center has keyed the Panthers’ resurgence. Irey led Strath Haven with 29 goals in 22 games, including two overtime winners. He scored three times in a run to the Flyers Cup A semifinals, where the Panthers fell just short against West Chester East. Irey scored a third-period goal to bring Haven within one and peppered the Vikings’ net-minder until the final whistle of a 5-3 defeat. Physical, fast and packing a heavy wrist shot, Irey was called a “bull,” in a complimentary way, by East head coach Eric Wolf.

Dante Gattone, Sr., defenseman, Haverford >> Gattone’s 19 goals and team-high 45 points give the impression that he was a purely offensive defenseman, but that wasn’t the case. He was often creating odd-man rush opportunities from his own defensive zone, picking off passes and skating down opposing forwards and forcing them into turnovers. Then Gattone would turn on the jets the other way. He was a 200-foot defensemen, who, despite moving freely on the ice, was rarely caught out of position. Gattone was at his best during the Fords’ surprising run to the Central League title game, scoring three goals and two assists in three games as Haverford finished second to Conestoga.

Haverford High captain scored 19 goals and registered a team-high 45 points to lead the Fords to a second-place finish in the Central League. (Digital First Media/Pete Bannan)

SECOND TEAM

Kevin Brown, forward, Springfield
Dan Barrett, forward, Springfield
Ryan Spanier, forward, Strath Haven
Michael Desio, forward, Ridley
Thomas Yocum, defenseman, Springfield
Blayden Reid, defenseman, Strath Haven

HONORABLE MENTION
Garnet Valley: Matthew Wood
Haverford: Tyler Cassidy, Daniel Quartapella
Marple Newtown: Ian Malarick
Penncrest: Matthew Dougherty, Declan Casey
Radnor: Jake Rader, Luc VonCzoernig
Ridley: Brett Dunning, Eric Miller
Springfield: Steven Griffin, Lachlan Plummer
Strath Haven: Lukas Bernaus, Liam Carney