The #11-ranked Council Rock South Golden Hawks traveled to face #6-ranked Spring-Ford Rams in a second-round playoff matchup against the PAC Champion Rams.

Spring-Ford opened the scoring before CR South senior and All-SOL First Team SSDM Pat Malone showcased his offensive ability by finding the back of the net to tie the game at 1-1. The first quarter featured a back-and-forth battle, as senior All-SOL First Team standout Conor McCaffery scored to even the game at 2-2. Spring-Ford answered late in the quarter to take a 3-2 lead into the second.

The second quarter was played at a furious pace, with eight total goals scored. Malone added two more goals, including an impressive 50-yard shot to break Spring-Ford’s 10-man ride. McCaffery ripped home a shot from the wing for his second goal of the night. Despite the offensive surge, the Rams built an 8-5 halftime advantage. Jake Baniewicz was dominant at the faceoff X, winning 7 of 10 draws in the first half.

The third quarter proved difficult for the Golden Hawks as Spring-Ford scored five unanswered goals to extend its lead. CR South responded with a strong rally to begin the fourth quarter, scoring four straight goals. Junior Hayden Cattie and Brendan Rooney started the run before seniors Tristan O’Neill and Cole Telegadis added goals of their own. Telegadis converted an extra-man opportunity off a feed from McCaffery to cut the deficit to 13-9 with eight minutes remaining. South’s pressure forced Spring-Ford to call a timeout, and with three minutes left, the Rams were assessed their second cross-check penalty of the quarter. However, the Golden Hawks’ EMO unit was unable to capitalize.

The game featured relentless pressure from both teams all over the field. Junior Brody Walker, a First Team All-SOL selection, turned in a tremendous performance with eight ground balls and one caused turnover. Junior defenseman Gavin Lacey contributed six ground balls and one caused turnover, while freshman defenseman Jason van Sant added three ground balls.

CR South scored more goals against Spring-Ford than any other in-state opponent this season. The Golden Hawks graduate a large senior class that includes Brian Cowden, Conor McCaffery, Pat Malone, Jake Baniewicz, Tristan O’Neill, Cole Telegadis, Tavi Slutsky, Jake Maetzig, Ben McNulty, and Trey Prozzillo. Council Rock South Golden Hawks finished the 2026 season with a 13-6 record.

Council Rock South Scoring Leaders:

Pat Malone: 3 goals, 1 assist, 4 ground balls
Conor McCaffery: 2 goals, 1 assist
Hayden Cattie: 1 goal
Tristan O’Neill: 1 goal, 2 ground balls
Cole Telegadis: 1 goal, 2 ground balls
Brendan Rooney: 1 goal
Gavin Lacey: 1 assist
Brian Cowden: 1 assist, 1 ground ball