Parkway South clinches Suburban Conference with win over Seckman

After every Patriots win, the Wham! song “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go” can be heard blaring in their locker room.

“We play it after every win and it gets the boys going,” Foshee said. “We’ve been playing it since my freshman year and it’s a fun song to play for sure.”

The 1980’s pop hit has been playing a lot this season.

Parkway South needed just one win in their final three games of the season to wrap up the Mid-States Club Hockey Association Suburban Conference for the Patriots. That stretch started against second place Seckman at the Queeny ice rink on Monday night.

After a slow start, Parkway South cruised to a 6-2 win.

“I’m just so proud of how the boys played tonight,” Parkway South assist coach Patrick Gifford said. “They moved the puck really well, got some tic-tac-toe goals and that’s’ really fun hockey to watch.”

Caleb Limpert and Foshee each had a goal and two assists, Stephen Craig and Jackson Pilas each had a goal and an assist, and Alexander Kasten and Owen Copp also scored for Parkway South (14-3-2). Luke Schmidt, Sam Taylor and Jamison Gifford each had a pair of assists in a well-rounded offensive attack.

Tyler Phillips made 10 saves for the Patriots, who improved to 11-1-1 in their last 13 games.

Mark Koerber and Nicholas Summers scored for Seckman (11-5-5). Tyler Montgomery made 31 saves.

“We talked about it in locker room how important it was to stay out of the box, they’re a good power play team, and how important it was to cover guys in front of the net,” Seckman coach Zak Tobey said. “That’s exactly how they beat us. We were in the box and we didn’t pick up guys in front of the net. You’re not going to win a lot of games if that’s the way you play.”

Parkway South is off to its best start since start since the 2004-2005 season, when it finished with a 21-5-3 record.

“It means everything,” Foshee said of the conference title. “I’ve never done anything like that in my high school career. My proud of the guys.”

Koerber’s power play goal less than two minutes into the game gave Seckman an early lead.

Craig evened the game for Parkway South midway through the first period with a quick backhander from the slot.

Kasten gave the Patriots a 2-1 lead two minutes later, ripping a slap shot from the right point seconds after a Parkway South power play had expired.

Foshee added to the Parkway South lead with a power play goal 53 seconds into the second period with a tip of a Jamison Gifford shot.

“Once we got up 2-1 we knew we could run away with it,” Foshee said.

Parkway South took firm control of the game with two goals in a 28-second span in the second.

Copp got it going at the 6 minute, 6 second mark and Limpert followed quickly to make it 5-1 Patriots.

“The momentum shift was the first goal,” Limpert said. “That got the guys rolling and working as a team.”

Summers scored late in the middle frame for Seckman.

Pilas capped the scoring in the third period.

Seckman entered the game on the bubble to make the Challenge Cup. The loss may send the Jaguars to the Wickenheiser Cup.

“Wherever were at we’re going to be ready,” Tobey said. “We’re going to get some practice and fix whatever was broken tonight.”

Parkway South seems destined for the Challenge Cup, though Patrick Gifford isn’t taking anything for granted until the playoff pairings are announced on Sunday.

“We’ve been preparing for the playoffs since August,” Patrick Gifford said. “We’re going to hit to ground running when we get there. Regardless of who we face, were going to play Parkway South hockey.”