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.

SHSHL Playoff Schedule Set

With all the playoff qualifiers having been determined, game times and sites have been set for the first phase of the SHSHL Playoffs.

The Class AA (National Division) quarterfinals are set for Wednesday, February 21 at Hatfield Ice with third-seeded Central Bucks South taking on sixth-seeded Souderton (7:20). The same night in the same building, fourth-seeded Central Bucks East will face number-five North Penn (8:30).

Pennridge and Council Rock South, who are assured of the top two seeds (Order of finish TBD) have byes into the semifinals the week of February 28.

The one-game Class A (American Division) semifinal is set for that same night, Wednesday, February 21 with second seed Bensalem hosting number-three Abington at Grundy Arena (7:20).

The winner will face top-seeded Plymouth Whitemarsh the week of February 28.

The results of the playoffs will have no impact on the selections and seedings for the Flyers Cup tournament, which will be announced February 25.

Check out the latest Hockey Happenings podcast 

St. Josephs Prep 6 Hun School 5

When the final buzzer sounded at the Skatium Friday night, a full range of emotions was on display. Satisfaction, albeit mixed with a healthy dose of concern behind one bench, disappointment and frustration at the other.

John Lynch’ goal just before the buzzer gave St. Joseph’s Prep a 6-5 APAC win over The Hun School.

Lynch’s game winner came amidst a flurry in front of the Hun School net. The referee on the goal line signaled a goal a split second before the buzzer sounded although Raider coach Eric Szeker and his players vigorously disagreed with the call.

The winning goal capped a third period that saw the teams combine for five goals, four of them in a span of 5 minutes, 37 seconds that left the teams deadlocked at 5-5 with 10:56 left in regulation.

The win allowed the Hawks (14-4, 4-3 in the APAC) to leapfrog past Holy Ghost Prep into third place in the conference standings. The Hawks will take second place with a win over La Salle in their APAC finale on Wednesday.

The Friars dropped to 4-10 and concluded conference play at 1-7 but Lynch, one of four St. Joseph’s Prep seniors who was recognized on Senior Night, insisted he and his teammates weren’t overlooking their foe.

“We didn’t take them lightly at all,” he said. “We beat them pretty good the first time (7-2) [but] we knew they’re a good team.

“We could have played better today. We weren’t expecting the game to turn out like this. But we did what we could and we didn’t fall back.

“It was a back-and-forth game the whole time and were came out with the victory.”

Neither team ever led by more than a single goal. Offensive opportunities were abundant. Jake Beck delivered a hat trick for the Raiders. Cole Gargon found the back of the net twice for the Hawks.

There were more offensive opportunities than St. Joseph’s Prep coach David Giacomin would have preferred.

“You give up five goals in a hockey game, that’s not going to win anything,” he said. “We were lucky to get a bounce and a couple things went our way and we were able to pull it out. A win is a win, I guess. [But] we’ve got some stuff to clean up.”

The result was a bitter-tasting medicine for Szeker and his players to swallow. A young and injury-riddled Raider squad has played its best hockey of the season this week; it came into Friday’s game off an overtime win over Malvern Prep on Wednesday, Hun School’s first APAC win of the season.

But Szeker is pleased with how his troops have continued to battle despite the loss of several veterans, including captain Ryan Levesque,

“When you’re missing four or five guys that play a lot of hockey, it’s tough,” he said. “But, our guys have stepped up, everyone’s giving us everything, and it’s showing out there.”

Ice chips: The result means the APAC playoff pairings are finalized. Holy Ghost Prep will finish fourth and host Hun School in a play-in game. The winner will face La Salle in one semifinal game on February 21. St. Joseph’s Prep and Malvern Prep will meet in the other.

Hun School 1 1 3—5

St. Joseph’s Prep 1 2 3—6

First period goals: Michael Castelli (SJP) from Patrick Sweeney and Thomas Ely, 11:54; Jake Beck (HS) from Justin Laplante, 15:05

Second-period goals: Cole Gargon (SJP) from Calum Hartnell, 1:54 (pp); Beck (HS) from Luke Rassier and Charles-Etienne Jett, 5:38 (pp); Beck (HS) from Brendan Marino, 15:18

Third-period goals: Jake Schultz (SJP) from Ben Kersun, :27 (sh); Joachim Neverdahl (HS) from Aidan Shine, 3:26 (pp); Gargon (SJP) from Garett McDonald and John Lynch, 4:49; Caden Kelly (SJP) from Castelli, 5:26; Jack Neckritz (HS) unassisted, 6:04; Lynch (SJP) from Hartnell and Caden Kelly, 0:00 Shots: Hun School 27, St. Joseph’s Prep 25; Saves: P.J. Angotti (HS) 19, Jacob Aranda (SJP) 2

Holy Ghost Prep 6 Haverford School 0

Anthony Prete scored two goals and four other players scored one goal each as the Firebirds bested the Fords to win their Senior Night game at Grundy Arena Friday night.

Colin Bara, Patrick Slook, Brendan Schultz, and Joseph Kaufmann all scored for Holy Ghost Prep (9-12), which broke the game open with three goals in the second period.

Dillon Gallagher earned the shutout in goal.

Haverford School 0 0 0—0

Holy Ghost Prep 1 3 2—6

C.B. South 6 C.B. East 2

Like the pieces of a puzzle fitting together, The SHSHL’s National Division playoff mosaic is taking shape, with a huge assist from Central Bucks South,

Six different players scored goals as the Titans downed Central Bucks East 6-2 Thursday night at Hatfield Ice, a result that solidifies the division’s playoff bracket.

With the win, South (12-4-1 in the division, 12-5-1 overall) is assured of finishing third in the division standings while the Patriots (10-5-2 overall and in the division) will finish fourth. Both will see action in the opening round of the playoffs in two weeks.

On Thursday night, the Titans. heightened their focus, and turned in a workmanlike, no-frills, effort. D.J. Lindenmuth, their captain, scored a goal and assisted on three others.

The senior noted the importance of the veterans on the roster setting the right tone for their teammates.

“The younger guys look up to the veterans,” he said. “Of we’re not leading by example, or going out and stat padding, or going out and playing for ourselves, no one is going to win a game like that because it’s a team sport.

Tyan Frey, with help from Lindenmuth, and Grant Boyne, gave South a 2-0 first-period lead.

Corey Kosick scored for East 4:42 into the second period to make it a one-goal game for a time but Lindenmuth answered with 2:38 left in the period.

Jaden Young’s tally 4:42 into the third frame made things interesting but the Titans left in the Patriots in their wake when Sean Cutter, Jeff Kvectcher, and Joey Slobodrian scored goals in a two-and-a-half minute span.

South coach Shaun McGinty expressed satisfaction with his team’s performance.

“The boys needed that,” he said. “I thought it was three good periods.

“We definitely got to work, getting the puck deep, playing the physicality.”

McGinty stressed the importance if his team playing quality five-on-five hockey.

“I said to [his players] ‘You have an identity, you have to play that way,” he said. “You can’t sway into other teams’ ways and you can’t sway into individual high-powered offense.

“You stay five on five and play our way, pucks deep, playing physical. I thought our defense was much better than it had been the last two games.

“All in all, it was definitely a good team win, something that they needed.”

Lindenmuth says that with the postseason approaching, he and his teammates are focusing on what is to come.

“We’re definitely dialed in,” he said, “focusing on the path ahead, realizing it’s important to win these games, but not just game.

“Every period, every shift, every point, every goal, everything matters.”

Ice chips: The final order of finish in the National Division; Pennridge and Council Rock South are assured of the top two spots, the final order will be determined next week.

The next four spots will belong to Central Bucks South, Central Bucks East, North Penn, and Souderton in that order.

C.B.  South 2 1 3—6

C.B. East 0 11—2

First-period goals: Ryan Frey (CBS) from DJ. Lindenmuth, 5:49; Grant Boyne (CBS) from Peter Herring, 11:34

Second-period goals: Corey Kosick (CBE) from Ethan Cenci and David Brown, 4:42; Lindenmuth (CBS) unassisted, 14:22

Third-period goals: Jaden Young (CBE) from Drew Trask and Gavin Widmer, 4:42; Sean Cutter (CBS) from Lindenmuth, 5:49; Jeff Kvectcher (CBS) from Logan Hood and Keith Waldron, 6:48; Joey Slobodrian (CBS) from Lindenmuth, 8:21

Shots: C.B. South 45, C.B. East 21; Saves: Nate Napolitano (CBS) 19, Cole Breen (CBE) 39

C.R. South 8 Pennridge 7 OT

  

Grundy Arena was a theatre of the unexpected Wednesday night. With first place in the SHSHL’s National Division at stake as well as the top seed in the upcoming playoffs, both Pennridge and Council Rock South came out with guns blazing.

The 15th goal of the evenings settled matters. Nikita Volobuiev scored 26 seconds into overtime to give the Golden Hawks an 8-7 win.

The result leaves the teams deadlocked at the top of the division standings. The Golden Hawks improved to 17-1 overall and 16-1 in the division. The loss was the first this season for the Rams, who now stand at 15-1-1 in the division and 16-1-1 overall.  Because loss was in overtime, Pennridge receives a point in the standings. Both teams have 31 points. If both win their regular-season finales next week, the Rams, who defeated the Hawks 7-3 on December 13, would be granted the top seed for the divisional playoffs.

Volobuiev’s winning goal was his fourth goal of the evening in a game that featured numerous instances where defense seemed to be an afterthought.

The teams combined for seven goals in the first period, five of which were scored before the contest was nine minutes old.

The Golden Gawks led 4-3 after the first frame on the strength of two goals from Volobuiev and goals from Gavin Nisenzon, and Illia Mukhin.

Andrew Savona scored twice for the Rams in the opening session; Shane Dachowski also scored for Pennridge.

It was more of the same in the middle period, which concluded with the teams deadlocked at 6-6. By that point Trey Prozzillo was in the South goal in relief of starter Trevor Rakszawski and Pennridge goaltender Jacob Winton was feeling the effects of the incoming fire.

The Golden Hawks’ Chase Tovsky, who assisted on Nisenzon’s first-period goal noted the first two periods were not conducted in the manner he, his teammates, and, more to the point, South coach Joe Houk, would have preferred.

“I think games like that happen,” he said. “But, it says a lot about the team you have when you’re not playing your best, you’re not getting calls or bounces, and you’re able to keep playing your game and keep putting the puck in the net.”

Volobuiev and Pico traded third-period goals; the game was tied seven with 11:55 remaining.

With just under seven minutes left, South’s penalty killers came up big. With 6:43 left, Volobuiev was called for tripping. Thirty-two seconds later Jake Mauer was whistled for same infraction, giving the Rams a two-man advantage for 88 seconds. Matched against the highest scoring offense in the division apart from its own, South held firm.

“We had to step up for [Houk],” said South’s Kevin Koles, “our team, our goalies. Everybody did their jobs and killed it off and we got back to work.”

Even amidst the plethora of goals, Koles said he and his teammates maintained their focus.

“We knew we had to come out hard,” he said. “we knew what this team was about and we stepped up.”

Volobuiev’s winning goal saw him get past Colin Dachowski with a great individual move in the middle of the ice before beating Winton.

Pennridge coach Jeff Montagna was philosophical about the loss.

“That’s what happens when you have high-end offensive talent playing against each other,” he said. “I thought it would be a little lower scoring. But there were some great offensive players.”

Pennridge 3 3 1 0—7

C.R. South 4 2 1 1—8

First-period goals: Andrew Savona (Pr) from Shane Dachowski and Kevin Pico, 3:23; Gavin Nisenzon (CRS) from Jake Weiner and Chase Tovsky, 4:21 (pp); Shane Dachowski (Pr) from Pico, 5:08 (pp); Nikita Volobuiev (CRS) from Illia Mukhin, 6:34, Mikhin (CRS) from Ilya Kudzinau and Volobuiev, 8:58; Savona (Pr) from James Rush, 14:14; Volobuiev (CRS) from Peter Pereborow and Jordan Sarne, 15:04

Second-period goals: John Mikulich (Pr) from Pico and Savona, :44; Savona (Pr) from Colin Dachowski and Shane Dachowski, 2:01 (pp); Tovsky (CRS) from Blaize Pepe, 5:30; Nisenzon (CRS) from Kevon Koles, 16:41 (pp); Pico (Pr from Shane Dachowski and Savona, 16:50

Third-period goals: Volobuiev  (CRS) unassisted, 2:39; Pico (Pr) from Colin Dachowski, 5:05

Overtime goal: Volobuiev (CRS) unassisted, :26

Shots: Pennridge 39, C.R. South 43; Saves: Jacob Winton (Pr) 35, Trevor Rakszawski 15 and Trey Prozzillo (CRS) 21

Hun School 4 Malvern Prep 3 OT

Andrew Darst scored with 1:35 remaining in overtime to give host Hun School a 4-3 win over Malvern Prep Wednesday afternoon in an APAC game at Ice Land.

The win was the first for the Raiders in seven conference starts and lifted them to 4-9 overall.

Brendan Marino tied the game for Hun School with 3:46 left in regulation; the Raiders scored all three of their regulation goals in the third period. Charles-Etienne Jette and Justin Laplante also scored goals for the hosts. Jette added assists on the game tying and game winning goals.

“It was a full team effort,” said Hun School coach  Eric Szeker. “Every single player who dressed played a role in the victory.

“It was great to see Julien get a win in net as he has been nothing but fantastic for us this season.

“Our seniors led the way, Jette, Marino and Laplante played incredible and it was great seeing Andrew Darst bury the game winner in front of the student section. A well-deserved win for this group, couldn’t be more proud as a coach!

Jonathan Holt scored twice for Malvern Prep, which dropped to 8-7 overall and completed conference play with a 4-4 mark. Teague Murray also scored for the Friars.

Malvern Prep 0 1 2 0—3

Hun School 0 0 3 1—4

Second-period goal: Jonathan Holt (MP) from Henry Tesoriero, 12:36

Third-period goals: Charles-Etienne Jette (HS) from  Brendan Marino and Jake O’ Connell, 5:50; Justin Laplante (HS) unassisted, 10:43; Teague Murry (MP) from Aidan Kelly, 11:00; Holt (MP) from Matt Barbacane, 12:13; Marino (HS) from Joachim Neverdal and Jette, 13:14;

Overtime goal: Andrew Darst (HS) from Jette, 3:25

Shots: Malvern Prep 27, Hun School 41; Saves: Matt Crawford (MP) 37, Julian Arsenault (HS) 24

APAC Update for 2-6-24

                                               W     L    OTW  OTL Pts  GF     GA

La Salle (17-2)                      7     0       0        0    21    31       6 

Malvern Prep (7-6)             3      3      1       1      9     13     15 

Holy Ghost Prep (8-12)       3      4      0       0     9     12    18

St. Joseph’s Prep (12-4)      3      3      1        0     8    19    15

Hun School (3-9)                  0     6      0        1     1      7     28

Scoring (Conference Games)     GP    G     A     Pts. PPG  

Jeremy Jacobs (MP)                      7        5   6    11     1.57

Dan Carvalho (L)                           7         4   5     9     1.29

Jake Schultz (SJP)                        5         3      3      6   1.20

Ryan Levesque (HS)                    5        1       4    5   1.00

Jake McCaw (HGP)                       8         3     3    6    1.00

William Carpenter (L)                  7         1     5    6    0.86

Declan Kelly (L)                            7        1      5     6    0.86

Will Gregorio (L)                           7       1      5     6   0.86

Patrick Brace (L)                           7       3       3    6   0.86 

Tristan Winata (SJP)                   6         5      0     5  0.83

Save Pct (Conference Games)   GP   S      GA  Save Pct.

Jake Rossi (L)                                 7   165    6     .964

Jack Unger (HGP)                         4      72    3     .958

Matt Crawford (MP)                   7       252  15  .940

Julian Arseneault (HS)                4       173  13   .925

Jaccob Aranda (SJP)               6        170    15     .912

Goals Against (Conference Games)

Jack Unger (HGP)   0.84

Jake Rossi (L)          0.86

Matt Crawford (MP) 2.06
Jacob Aranda (SJP)   2.46

Check out the latest Hockey Happenings podcast

Pennsbury, Bensalem Set for Pink Out Game

A full house is expected Friday night at Grundy Arena when Pennsbury and Bensalem meet in the Falcons’ annual Pink Out game.

First played in 2011, the game is a fundraiser for cancer patients; the proceeds support. cancer patients and families of cancer patients to pay for services not covered by insurance perhaps the cost of transportation to a medical appointment for example or having groceries delivered.

The varsity game between Pennsbury and Bensalem is scheduled for a 7:20 start. It will be preceded by a middle school game at 6:00. Between games the Falcons and the Owls will celebrate Senior Night.

There will also be a series of raffles and drawings.

Tickets are five dollars and can be purchased from members of the Pennsbury and Bensalem hockey teams.

Tickets may be available at the door but there is no guarantee they will be available.