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When the season started, Severna Park could have easily guessed the foe that would stand in the way of them winning their first Maryland Student Hockey League (MSHL) Eastern Conference championship since 2022.
The Falcons’ senior class had lost to South River as freshmen. Then came conference championship losses to the Seahawks in 2023 and 2024. And this year, South River tied Severna Park 1-1 on January 9 and won 4-2 on January 30.
It’s not hyperbole to say that Severna Park had a big opportunity in front of them in February, a chance at a redemption story four years in the making.
After opening the playoffs as the No. 4 seed with a 9-3 win over Broadneck and a 6-3 victory over Easton, Severna Park squared off against No. 1 South River at Bowie Ice Arena with the conference title on the line.
“When you play against South River, you’re going to have a lump in your throat,” said Severna Park forward and alternate captain Max Grotheer. “You’re nervous and jittery all day in class, but you have to be confident. When we got into the locker room, everyone was ready to play.”
Facing a team with “a lot of depth” and an excellent goalie, as Grotheer put it, his Falcons delivered with a 3-2 win.
Will Petrick started off the scoring on a power-play goal, assisted by Tommy Osborne, and Griffin Grotheer added a second goal in the first period. Henry Marriner put the bow on a teamwide effort as he buried a rebound late in the second period off a shot from Mason Sipe for the game-winning goal.
“Everyone played the simple game to protect the puck and generate quality scoring chances,” said Dave Petrick, Severna Park ice hockey head coach. “Winning puck battles, crisp passing, getting the puck deep into the South River zone, and creating traffic in front of their net were all aspects that helped win the game.”
Coach Petrick also noted the stellar play of Jake Beaver in net, and he praised his defense.
“Our defense played physical with multiple big hits from junior Luke Lester and senior Declan Laughlin,” Petrick said. “Physical play from Axel Haagenson (junior) and Matty Butcher. Senior Max Grotheer cleared out a net-front rebound late in the second period to save a goal. (We had) blocked shots from Declan Laughlin and Henry Marriner.”
When the third period ended, Severna Park players celebrated their huge win over South River. First-team Eastern Conference senior defenseman and team captain Beckett Dickson received the cup from center ice.
“It felt great,” Dickson said. “My freshman year, we lost to them in the finals. It was personal.”
Beaver capped his playoff run with more than 80 saves. Will Petrick led Severna Park’s scoring with eight goals and four assists.
Their season ended five days later with an overtime loss in the first round of the state playoffs vs. Walter Johnson. Goals by Butcher and Dickson put the Falcons up 2-0. Walter Johnson scored on a penalty shot, then tied it 2-2 and eventually scored on a 3-on-3 overtime goal to end the game.
That ended an up-and-down campaign for the Falcons that saw the players grow both individually and as teammates.
“We found a style and lineups that worked,” coach Petrick said. “Asked the team to play the simple game. Make a simple pass, tape to tape. Dump the puck deep in the defensive zone and chase to gain control. Work hard. Rebound goals. They put it all together for three games in one week for a memorable championship run. It won them the right to have their year forever etched onto that cup.”
Dickson reflected on the team’s early-season tie against Broadneck as a turning point.
“Everyone got mad at that because we did not want to tie or lose,” he said. “After that tie, everything shifted. (Our team) wanted to win.”
That led to building their team chemistry on and off the ice through sharper practices, group dinners and an active group chat.
“Just making sure everyone was included was my thing this year,” Dickson said. “We were not necessarily the most skilled team, but we were the most connected.”
A forward and alternate captain, Osborne had a similar observation.
“After that game, there was a trend toward wanting to be better. The first couple practices were a lot more focused, with guys giving more effort. For me, it started during practice, telling guys to do drills intentionally. We had some great leaders … and they proved you don’t necessarily need a C on your chest.”
Meanwhile, coach Petrick hit the right buttons, instilling his team with confidence from the upperclassmen to the younger players.
“He created a bond instead of (focusing on) the best three guys,” Max Grotheer said. “He can make a low A player look like an AA player. He was really crucial when we needed it in the season.”
The Falcons finished 9-3-4 with Dave Petrick at the helm and a coaching staff that included Eric Haagenson, Adam Brenner and Dave Keefe.
The team will graduate Dickson, Osborne, Laughlin, Marriner, Max Grotheer, Jack Clark, Jacob Masone, Zach Simpkins and Connor Earle. This year’s team also included juniors Matty Butcher, Thomas Lynn, Axel Haagenson, Jake Beaver, Will Petrick, Luke Lester and Griffin Grotheer.
Sophomores Owen Keefe, Alex Lorentzen, Maya Brenner, Mikey Ballagh and freshman Mason Sipe were regular contributors on the varsity team. Fellow sophomores Gino Battitori and Xander Weeks added valuable minutes, as did freshmen Jack Gianvittori, Paige Buhler, Padraig Daugherty, Gabriel Pollock and Camden Major. Norah Cornwall and Jackson DuPee assisted as student team managers and statisticians.
“I’m so proud of this group,” Osborne said. “I wouldn’t want to do it with any other team. It was the bond that we had that helped us win a championship.”
For his teammates, the feeling is mutual.
“My senior class was the one to win it in 2026,” Max Grotheer said. “Looking back in 10 years and coming to the alumni reunion season, that’s what we will talk about.”
Quarterfinals Vs. Broadneck: Facing the two top scorers in the Eastern Conference, Severna Park played tough defense. Jake Beaver had 43 saves to give the team a chance to win. The Falcons broke through with five goals in the third period to win the game 9-3. Will Petrick registered four goals and three assists. Beckett Dickson added two goals and one assist. Declan Laughlin, Tommy Osborne and Griffin Grotheer all added goals. Assists came from Matty Butcher, Tommy Osborne and Griffin Grotheer.
Semifinals Vs. Easton: This matchup featured a first-team All-MSHL goalie. Severna Park beat Easton 7-0 earlier in the season (with a shutout from Jake Beaver and hat trick from Tommy Osborne). In this game, the Falcons led 4-3 going into the third period. Griffin Grotheer piled on with the team’s fifth goal and Matty Butcher added an empty netter to win the game. The game-winning goal came from Thomas Lynn. Jake Beaver totaled 24 saves. Will Petrick scored three goals. Tommy Osborne, Matty Butcher, Thomas Lynn, Mikey Ballagh and Will Petrick had assists.
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