Author: Rick Woelfel

Rick has worked in print and broadcast journalism for more than 35 years. He's covered golf in one medium or another for more than 30. He is the co-author of the book So You Want to Play Golf with PGA professional Kim Verrecchio and the host of the Women's Golf Report podcast. Most recently, Rick served as an associate editor for The Mulligan Magazine. He also served as an associate editor for Philadelphia Golf Magazine and New Jersey State Golf from 2004-07. Rick covered his first LPGA Tour event in 1986 and continues to cover women's golf for various media outlets. High on his bucket list is having the opportunity to one day play in an LPGA Tour pro am. Rick is also a longtime correspondent for two suburban Philadelphia daily newspapers, the Intelligencer and the Bucks County Courier Times in Doylestown, PA. Over the course of his career he has coverzed a wide variety of sporting events. He is also a veteran play by play and public address announcer, and handles the PA mic for the nationally ranked Delaware Valley University football program. Rick is also a longtime contributor to Referee, a magazine devoted to sports officiating. He called his first baseball game at age 13 and continues to umpire softball and baseball today.

North Penn 3 C.B. East 1

The Suburban High School Hockey League’s 53rd season got off to a sizzling start Wednesday night. Reigning Class AA Flyers Cup and state champion North Penn picked up where it left off last March and celebrated the club’s 50th anniversary with a 3-1 win over Central Bucks East at Hatfield Ice’s Blue Rink which was filled with friends, supporters, and former Knights.

The final score was not indicative of the flow of the game. All the scoring came in the first period. Luke Haftel, Derek Laguna and Nolan Shingle found the back of the net for the Knights while Ethan Cenci scored for the Patriots, who were outshot 58-10.

Cameron Young, East’s sophomore goaltender, made a strong case for being the best players on the ice; he finished with 55 saves.

“Fifty-nine shots and three goals,” said North Penn coach Kevin Vaitis. He really kept them in it.

“A two-goal lead is the worst lead in hockey. One goal either way can really turn the game.”

Young was at his best in the opening frame when he stopped 21 of 24 shots.

“I know this is going in the loss column,” said East coach Jeff Mitchell, “but for as young a team as we have I was very impressed with my boys tonight  and most importantly, my goaltender.

“How can we give up {58} shots and there are only three goals up on that board? We’ve been very rich in high-end goaltenders in my tenure here. That was a performance that almost tops them all.”

Haftel’s opening goal came 5:16 into the game off a setup from Landon Hofstetter. Cenci answered for East at the 9:37 mark.

Laguna’s game winner came off a scramble in front with 2:17 left in the period. Shingle extended his team’s lead off a shorthanded breakaway that started via a deep carom off the wall on the Patriots’ offensive right wing.

For the Knights it was seemingly business as usual off of last year’s laurels. But Vaitis noted it was just a first step.

“We had a great season last year obviously,” he said. “But right now we’re 1-0 and it’s a long way to March.  We’ve got to take it one game at a time and get better each week.”

• Prior to the game there was a ceremony commemorating North Penn’s 50th anniversary as a club. Plaques were presented to longtime board Dan Vaitis (Kevin’s father) who is currently the club president and longtime assistant coach Frank Stumpo who also serves as the club’s treasurer.

Kevin Vaitis was glad to see the turnout of former Knights.

“There’s a lot of people that have been involved over the years,” he said. “Just to see some of the alumni here tonight coming out to cheer the guys on, it really goes a long way.”

C.B. East 1 0 0—1

North Penn 3 0 0—3

First-period goals: Luke Haftel (NP) from Landon Hofstetter, 5:16; Ethan Cenci (CBE) from Evan Asimakopoulos and Colen Kleindienst, 9:37; Derek Lugara (NP) from Sam Norton, 14:43; Nolan Shingle (NP) from Chase Boyle and Chase Kelly Del Ricci, 16:38 (sh)

Shots: C.B. East 10, North Penn 58; Saves: Cameron Young (CBE) 55, Aidan Quigley (NP) 9

LUMA Offers Holistic Coaching (Advertorial Content)

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North Penn Celebrates Silver Anniversay

The 1974-75 season was a great time to be a hockey fan. The Philadelphia Flyers were the defending Stanley Cup champions and would go on to win a second consecutive Cup that season.

Their success triggered the growth of the game in the Philadelphia area, including at the high-school level.

That same season the North Penn Knights took the ice for the first time, finishing with a 9-9-1 record against Intercounty League opposition.

Wednesday night, the Knights, who are the defending Class AA and Flyers Cup state champions, will commemorate that occasion when the open their 2025-26 season against Central Bucks East. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:20 at Hatfield Ice as the Suburban High School Hockey League begins its 53rd season; North Penn made its debut in the SHSHL in 1975-76.

The Knights have won three SHSHL titles in 2002, ’09 and ’14

Students, alumni, and friends are encouraged to be on hand. North Penn coach Kevin Vaitis is looking forward to be a new season.

“We’re looking forward to another great season,” he said, “having graduated only three (3) seniors from last year’s squad, we expect good things to happen again this year, and our team is excited to raise to the challenge.”

Ice chips—Five games are listed on the SHSHL’s Opening Night schedule

7:20 North Penn vs. C.B. East       Hatfield Blue

8:30 Wissahickon vs. Abington    Hatfield Gray

9:00 Springfield vs, PW       Hatfield Blue

7:20 Pennsbury vs C.B. South       Grundy

9:00 Council Rock South vs. C.B. West Grundy

Malvern Prep 3 St. John’s College 3

The Friars rallied from a 2-0 first-period deficit to finish with a 3-3 tie Monday in Rockville, Maryland. Malvern Prep’s Cole Wray tied the game with 3:37 left in the third period. Logan Love scored the other two Friar goals, one in each of the first two periods.

No overtime was played because of ice-slot restrictions.

Malvern Prep 1 1 1—3

Sr. John’s College 2 0 1—3

APAC Previews 2025-26

The Atlantic Prep Athletic Conference is in the midst of beginning its eighth season.

Here’s a look at how the teams are shaping up.

Holy Ghost Prep

Head coach: John Ritchie (third season)

Last year: 21-5-1, 6-2 in APAC; APAC and Class AAA Flyers Cup Champion

Key players: Sr. Jack Botthof (G); Jr. Matt Salita (G); Sr. Brandon Watkins (D); Jr. Nate Romer (D); Jr. Brady Flynn (D); Sr. Anthony Valeriote (F); Sr. Lucas Gonzalez (F); Sr. Chris Marshall (F); Sr. Jack Gavaghan (F); Sr. Patryk Oszer (F); Jr. Chase Logue (F)

Outlook: Coming off a Flyers Cup title, the Firebirds are looking for more of the same this season. While 10 members of last year’s team are lost to graduation, a solid nucleus remains to face a demanding schedule. Botthoff and Salita form the APAC’s most experienced goaltending tandem.

“We play a very difficult non-league schedule this year,” Ritchie said, “that should help shape our roster for the end of the season. We graduated a core group from the Flyers Cup team, but believe with returners and program depth we should be in the mix again.”

Hun School

Head coach: Eric Szeker (third season)

Last year: 5-17-2, 0-8 in APAC)

Key players: Sr. Andrew Darst (D); So. Devin Espana (D); ); Sr. Luca Jean (F), Jr. Justin Bibeau (F); Sr. Nate Trawinski (F); Sr. Jacob Kelly-Lepage (F); Sr. Anders Van Raalte (F); So. Conor Mulligan (F),

Outlook: The Raiders endured a difficult season in 2025 due in part to youth and injuries but nine seniors will provide significant experience, depth, and off-ice leadership. Szeker is looking for balanced scoring, but is counting on Jean and Mulligan to set the pace.

La Salle

Head coach: Wally Muehlbronner (28th season)

Last year: 17-8, 6-2 in APAC

Key players: Sr. Matt Kohlhepp (G); Jr. Patrick Murphy (G); Jr. Antony Foster (G); Sr. Tristan Mitchell (D); Jr. Matthew Jones(D); Jr. Danny Burke (D); Sr. Luke Baumann (F); So. Liam Greenwalt (F); So. Darrian Brown (F)

Outlook:  The Explorers are starting fresh this season with one of their least-experienced teams of recent years, and the returnees will be assuming new roles. But if the past is any indication, they’ll mature with the passage of time and be playing their best hockey late in the season.

Malvern Prep

Head coach: Bill Keenan (seventh season)

Last year: 5-10-1, 3-5 in APAC

Key players: Sr. Ryan Caterino (G); Sr. Cole Scarbinsky (D); Sr. Logan Love (D); Sr. Reece Hanna (D); So. Finn McCullough (D); Sr. Andrew Starck (F); Sr. Henry Tesoriero (F); Sr. Pax Hoishik (F); Jr. House Young (F); So. Jake Weingartner (F); So. Luke Johnson (F); Fr. Ryan Jacobs (F)

Outlook: After having trouble scoring goals last season, the Friars are optimistic about the season ahead.

“We’re excited to compete with a strong core of returning players,” Keenan said, “complemented by key new additions on both the offensive and defensive sides of the puck. The team brings a balanced mix of experience, energy, and depth that we believe will position us well throughout the year.”

St. Joseph’s Prep

Head coach: Charlie Van Kula (first season)

Last year: 10-10, 5-3 in APAC

Key players: Jr. Declan Geary (G); Sr. Ben Kersun (D); Sr. Adam Charrafi (D); Jr. Cole Gargon (F); Jr. Frankie Ely (F)

Outlook: Van Kula takes over behind the Hawks’ bench for David Giacomin. He’ll put a veteran team on the ice one that includes in Ely and Gargon, two of the APAC’s top returning scorers.

Wyoming Seminary 5 Malvern Prep 4 OT

Pax Hoishik  Jake Weingartner each scored twice as the Friars opened their season with an overtime loss at Wyoming Seminary on Wednesday.

Malvern Prep found itself down 3-0 in the game’s first eight minutes before rallying to force overtime.

“Our team showed resilience,” said Friars’ head coach Bill Keenan. “We have a handful of new players who played well in their first game with Malvern. ”

 

Wyoming Seminary 3 La Salle 1

HATFIELD—The theme for La Salle’s season opener against Wyoming Seminary Wednesday afternoon might have been ‘Starting Over Again.’ Which is what the Explorers were doing to a large extent.

Just five of the 21 players Wally Muehlbronner had in uniform were part of the Explorers’ Flyers Cup roster last season. Ten of the 21 were underclassmen who, in a number of cases were getting their first taste of varsity hockey.

The end was result was a 3-1 loss to a Blue Knight squad that had already won its first four starts, albeit against Class AA and AAA Midget competition.

Muehlbronner found out a lot about his team in the course of the afternoon.

“We learned a lot,” he said. “For a lot of the younger guys, it was a big eye opener for them and that’s exactly why we wanted to play them.”

The Blue Knights took just 37 seconds to jump in front. Dilan Lucas, a native of Chateauguay, Quebec, put the puck behind Matt Kohlhepp to give his team the lead. Louis-David Jolin made it a 2-0 game with 40 seconds remaining in the opening frame but the Explorers hung in with their bigger, older, and more worldly foes from that point forward (the Blue Knights had players from eight different nations in their lineup)

Kohlhepp, Patrick Murphy, and Anthony Foster each took a turn in the Explorer net.
Deep in the third period the Explorers were able to solve Wyoming Seminary goaltender Tristan Boyer. Quin Leonards, playing in his first varsity game, scored off a setup from Andrew Frantz with 5:33 left in regulation to make it a one-goal affair.

It took Hendrik McNulty’s empty netter with 1:02 left to settle the issue.

“I think we definitely had a good amount of jitters for the first five minutes of that game,” Muehlbronner said, “but we settled in an we got better as the game went along.

“I think if we had been able to get a little more pressure on them, we could have created some more opportunities.”

The afternoon exemplified the advantages of starting the season against a quality opponent.

“They’re a good team,” Muehlbronner said, “We learned a lot from the game so we got exactly what we wanted.”

Wyoming Seminary 2 0 1—3

La Salle 0 0 1—1

First-period goals: Dilan Lucas (WS) from Hendrik McNulty, :37; Louis-David Jolin (WS) from Ondrej Vina, 16:20

Third-period goals: Quin Leonards (L) from Andrew Frantz, 11:27 pp; McNulty (WS) unassisted, 15:58 en;

Shots: Wyoming Seminary 34, La Salle 15 Saves: Tristan Boyer (WS) 15, Matt Kohlhepp (L) 8, Patrick Murphy (L) 14, Anthony Foster (L) 9

Hockey Happenings is looking for writers to be part of our coverage of Philadelphia area high-school hockey this season. I am particularly in need of writers to cover games in Delaware and Chester Counties.

Candidates should have some sort of writing background, be knowledgeable about ice hockey and have availability on weeknights.

For more information, contact us through this web site or at rwoelfel2013@gmail.com. Please include: High School Hockey in the subject line.

Flyers Cup Chair Eric Tye Tees it Up in Adaptive Golf Event

 Anyone who has spent time around Eric Tye is aware of his passion for hockey. But Tye, who oversees the Flyers Cup scholastic hockey tournament each March, is also passionate about his golf.

And the Golf Association of Philadelphia’s Adaptive Championship has enhanced his passion.

Tye was part of the field of 60 golfers competed in the two-day 36-hole test at Indian Valley Country Club in Telford last Monday and Tuesday. It’s the second year in succession that GAP has hosted an adaptive championship for golfers with physical or mental disabilities.

Tye, who was born without a lower right arm, has played in the event twice.  He finished back in the pack, in part due to a balky putter but his enthusiasm for golf and for the Adaptive Championship was undiminished.

“I guess it’s just the compete level,” he said. “Anything you ever want to do, you just want to compete.

“This is hard. I didn’t put very well. I had two bad holes {during the final round} and three or four {during the opening round}. It deflates your ego a little bit.”

Despite his handicap, Tye considers himself fortunate.

“I’m just missing my arm from my elbow down. But you look around here. I got it easy man. I got it so easy compared to some of these people.”

Tye says the fact that he was born with his disability has made it easier for to deal with compared to someone who may have lost a limb due to an injury.

“I think it makes it easier for me because I’ve never known anything but to do it the way I do it,” he said. “I had no choice. “Some of these guys may have lived 15 or 20 years and then lost their arm so they’ve had to learn how to do everything all over again, so there’s a big difference there.”

The atmosphere at the event is characterized by mutual respect and support along with good fellowship

“We have fun,” Tye said. “We definitely have fun. Playing practice rounds at these things, you meet everyone and everyone’s just hanging out, it’s a good time.”

The GAP event is one of a number of adaptive golf events held around the country each year. Tye says he’d like to start playing in them more frequently.

 “It’s just awesome,” he said. “We do these events and we see each other at these events. It puts life in a whole new perspective.

“Now that I know these guys, I’m going to start going to start going around and playing in different ones when I can. It’s hard, because a lot of them now they are in November, December, January, and February.”

Blindness Awareness Showcase a Learning Event for Participants

For the participants in last Friday’s Blindness Awareness Showcase, the event was both a hockey experience and a life lesson.

Some 50 high-school hockey players from 10 different schools were on hand for the event, which was a fundraiser for Philadelphia Blind Hockey. For the first time, the players were divided into two teams and played a 51-minute game (with running-clock periods) on the full 200 x 85 ice surface on the Gray Rink at Hatfield Ice. The players wore goggles to simulate various vison disorders while the goaltenders wore blindfolds.

The caliber of play was impressive; even with restricted vision the players were able to display their hockey skills and athleticism. North Penn coach Kevin Vaitis said utilizing the full ice surface instead of playing crosspiece as had been the case the past two years elevated the players’ comfort level, but with a caveat.

“I think playing on the full ice, the kids were going out there and kind of got to experience what other players kind have to experience playing the game that they love.” Vaitis said. “Anybody can play the game of hockey. We all love to play, so it’s great to see those kids give back.”

Vaitis said the showcase exemplified the giving nature of the area hockey community.

“It’s a tight group,” he said, “and I think you see that when it comes to helping out with blind hockey, or a player in our area maybe suffers from cancer or something like that. Everybody kind of rallies around that individual; it’s great to see.”

Kelsey McGuire is the founder executive director pf Philadelphia Blind Hockey. The program launched in 2022 with coaches and high-school players assisting youngsters determined to play hockey despite theor vision issues. There were five participants that first year; this year the number has grown to 17.

McGuire is pleased with the Philadelphia Blind Hockey’s sustained growth.

“It’s pretty exciting that our numbers are growing,” she said. “and we just continue to grow and bring awareness to our program.”

McGuire says the high-school players who are involved with Philadelphia Blind Hockey in whatever fashion gain a unique perspective on the program.

“I think it’s a great way for them to understand where our community is when they give back,” she said, “and when they come to our practices, so they can actually see what it’s like for our players and how they do. It’s pretty cool and pretty rewarding for them to understand the challenges and the difficulties that our players live with every day.”