A total of 42 high school hockey teams have been selected and seeded for the 40th annual Flyers Cup tournament.
Sixteen teams each will comprise the boys’ Class A and Class AA brackets while seven more will compete in Class AAA and three others will meet in a girls’ competition.
First-round games will be played March 4-6 and the tournament will continue from there before the champions are crowned at the Wells Fargo Center on Sunday, March 17
Two-time defending Flyers Cup and state champion Downingtown East has drawn the top seed in Class 2A. Central Bucks South, which lost to the Cougars in overtime in last year’s championship game, is seeded second, followed by Conestoga, Pennridge, and North Penn.
Haverford is seeded sixth, followed by Boyertown, Neshaminy, Parkland, and Central Bucks West. Central Bucks East is seeded 11th, followed by Pennsbury, Garnet Valley, Perkiomen Valley, Downingtown West, and Council Rock South.
The field includes eight teams from the Suburban High School Hockey League, seven from the Intercounty Scholastic Hockey League and one from the Lehigh Valley Scholastic Hockey League.
Five-time defending Flyers Cup and State Class A champion Bayard Rustin is once again the top seed in its bracket, followed by Strath Haven, West Chester Henderson, West Chester East, Palmyra, Hershey, Lower Moreland, and Lower Merion.
Owen J. Roberts is seeded ninth, followed by Unionville, Plymouth Whitemarsh, Springfield-Delco, Wissahickon, Kennett, Hatboro-Horsham, and Sun Valley.
LaSalle, which captured the Atlantic Prep Athletic Conference regular-season title, is the top seed in Class AAA. The Explorers will be trying to win the Flyers Cup for the 11th time and will be the only boys’ team in any division with an opening-round bye.
Malvern Prep is seeded second followed by Cardinal O’Hara, Holy Ghost Prep, Father Judge, St. Joseph’s Prep, and Roman Catholic.
Unionville will have the bye in the girls’ bracket. West Chester East and West Chester Rustin will meet on March 13 for a place in the championship game.