La Salle built a 4-1 lead and held on for a 4-3 win over Malvern Prep Wednesday night in an APAC game at Ice Line.
Charlie Kennedy scored two goals for the Explorers, who picked up their first win after two season-opening losses. James Carpenter and Declan Kelly also scored for La Salle.
Jack Sharer scored twice for Malvern Prep, which lost for the first time in five starts. Both teams are 1-1 in the APAC.
Kennedy’s opening goal came with 9:01 left in the first period while his teammate Grant LaGreca was serving a roughing minor. The Friars lost the puck at the La Salle blue line and Kennedy took it the distance before beating Malvern Prep netminder Brandon Novabilsky with a backhander.
The goal proved a jump start to the Explorers in the game and perhaps for their season.
“It 100 percent did,” Kennedy said. “Definitely, I would have to say that. It definitely got us going, 100 percent, got us hyped.”
James Carpenter made it a 2-0 game just over two minutes later. Sharer scored for Malvern Prep with 3:24 remaining before Kelly answered for La Salle.
When Kennedy scored his second goal with 7:42 left in the second frame, it gave his team a three-goal advantage.
But the defending APAC and Class AAA Flyers Cup champions didn’t go away and outshot La Salle 15-6 in the third period.
Sharer scored his second goal of the night on a blast from the left point with 8:22 remaining and Caiden Canale followed with 4:12 remaining.
La Salle netminder Aries Carangi had to make some big saves down the stretch but the Explorers hung on.
Malvern Prep coach Bill Keenan “We knew La Salle was coming off a loss against (Holy Ghost Prep),” he said, “And we knew they were going to come out firing. “They outskated us, they outworked us. They were the better team tonight.”
Kennedy said he and his teammate were confident they would get things turned around after starting the season with two losses.
“We’ve had some good practices thanks to (Coach Wally Muehlbronner,” he said. “He definitely worked us hard and got us to do what we needed to do in order for us to get that work ethic that we needed, and it showed up.”
La Salle 3 1 0—4
Malvern Prep 1 0 2—3
First-period goals: Cgarlie Kennedy (L) unassisted, 7:59; (sh); James Carpenter (L) from Tim Whittck, 10:12; Jack Sharer (MP) from Jimmy Jacobs and Matt Barbacane, 13:36; Declan Kelly (L) unassisted, 15:12
Second-period goal: Kennedy (L) from Liam Donahue and Thomas Doucet, 9:18
Third-period goals: Sharer (MP) from Jeremy Jacobs, 8:38; Caiden Canale (MP) from Jacobs, 13:48
Shots: La Salle 30, Malvern Prep 31; Saves, Aries Carangi (L) 28, Brandon Novabilski (MP) 26
More details on this game to follow.
Elsewhere:
Central Bucks East 6, Central Bucks West 2
Pennridge 6, Souderton 5
Bux-Mont Catholic 8, HH/William Tennent 3
Council Rock North vs. Council Rock South
North Penn vs. Central Buck South
Neshaminy vs. Pennsbury
Holy Ghost Prep 8 Father Judge 1
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