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.

APAC to Host Outdoor Classic

The Atlantic Prep Athletic Conference will stage an outdoor doubleheader Wednesday night at the Spring Mountain resort in Schwenksville.

The event will feature two APAC conference games. Holy Ghost and Malvern Prep will open the doubleheader at 5:00; St. Joseph’s Prep and La Salle will follow at 7:15.

Malvern Prep comes into the week 7-2 overall and 1-2 in APAC play. Jeremy Jacobs has collected two goals and five assists for the Friars in three conference games, while his teammate Caiden Caniale has contributed five goals and an assist in APAC play.

Malvern Prep coach Bill Keenan is looking forward to seeing four APAC schools facing off under the lights.

“I think introducing the APAC Outdoor Classic is a way to bring a fun, entertaining atmosphere for all teams,” he said. “For these kids to get an opportunity to play outside is something they have looked forward to since playing hockey.

“This is the first time our program will be playing outdoors. The boys are eager to experience the excitement of this game. This will be a memory for many years to come.”

Holy Ghost Prep starts the week with an 11-3 overall record and in the first place in the APAC with a 3-0-0-1 conference mark; its conference loss was to St Joseph’s Prep in overtime.

Brady Baehser leads the APAC in scoring with five goals and five assists in conference games. Kieran Mulholland (six goals) and Landon Stout (three goals, three assists) are next with six points each).

LaSalle comes into the week with a 5-6-2 overall mark; the Explorers stand 3-1 in the APAC. Dean Carvalho is the Explorers’ top scorer in conference play, with three goals and three assists. James Carpenter has contributed four goals in conference games.

St. Joseph’s Prep comes into the week with an 11-2-2 overall mark after winning the National Capital Tournament over the holidays. The Hawks are 0-2-1-0 in conference play. Tristan Winata (two goals, one assist) and Jeffrey Hammond (one goal, two assists) are the top scorers in APAC play.

David Giacomin has taken his St. Joseph’s Prep team to Spring Mountain in the past. He’s looking to Wednesday’s return trip.

“St Joes’ is looking forward to returning to Spring Mountain for an outdoor game,” he said. “The boys are excited to participate with the other APAC teams and hopefully make this a yearly special event. “

C.B. East 7 C.B. West 1

WARWICK TOWNSHIP—There is a lot of history within the walls of the Bucks County Ice Sports Center. The rink, originally called Face Off Circle, opened its doors in 1975 when the Philadelphia Flyers were the reigning Stanley Cup champions.

It’s the place where Central Bucks East Coach Jeff Mitchell learned to skate. And it’s where Mitchell brought his Patriots Friday night to renew one of the area’s traditional rivalries.

His players met expectations, scoring a 7-1 decision over Central Bucks West, a win that gave the Patriots two vital points in the SHSHL National Division standings. With the playoff field being reduced to six teams this season from the customary eight, the result was especially significant in terms of the standings.

Perhaps more importantly however the win was the Patriots’ second straight following a four-game losing streak, a losing streak that was especially difficult to endure after East (6-4, 2-1 in divisional play) began the season with four straight wins.

The Patriots displayed an abundance of scoring balance. Stephen DiRugeris scored two goals, while Owen Brackbill, Ethan Cenci, Anthony Dowd, Corey Kosick, and Drew Trask provided one goal each.

“The last two games have been a little bit of a sigh of relief,” Mitchell said, “that we’re getting back to the right motions that we’re running through when we’re playing our games.

“Were kind of getting back to our core values. Probably the past four or five games have been very subpar, slow, a lack of effort. It’s almost like we had an easy start to the season.”

With a full lineup in uniform, Mitchell was enthused about the balanced scoring.

“Having everybody back in the lineup really helped,” he said. “We spread the puck around, we were able to get four full lines out there. Rotate four lines throughout the game.

“It definitely helps a lot with getting a little pressure off the top two lines.”

After a scoreless first frame, the Patriots took control with goal from Brackbill, DiRugeris, and Cenci to go up 3-0 with 6:46 left in the middle period. Anthony Dowd scored for West (3-7, 1-2) 43 seconds later but by the midpoint of the third period, the Bucks were running on empty. Kosick, DiRugeris, and Gerken scored goals in a span of 2:20.

“On the spectrum of how we play, I think we played pretty well the first half of the game,” said West coach Dave Baun. “In fact, I don’t think we played that badly the entire game for where we are right now.

“East is a little better and they beat us.”

Mitchell noted the importance of every point in the standings in light of the new playoff format.

“I think every team that makes the playoffs is going to be a top-tier team,” he said. “I think seeds one through six are all going to be challenging. So, we’re going to have to do our best to play the games we have left in the season and kind of get a feel for the competition.”

C.B. West 0 1 0—1

C.B. East 0 4 3—7

Second-period goals: Owen Brackbill (CBE) from Kyle McIntyre, :50; Stephen DiRugeris (CBE) from Corey Kosick, 5:06; Ethan Cenci (CBE) from Gavin Widmer, 10:14; Anthony Dowd (CBW) from Zane Sanders, Ryan Gerken (CBE) unassisted, 15:24

Third-period goals: Kosick (CBE) from Jason Young, 9:10; DiRugeris (CBE) from Cenci, 9:52 Drew Trask (CBE) from Brackbill, 11:30.
Shots: C.B. West 27, C.B. East 38; Saves: Kyle Fasolak (CBW) 31, Matt Magiacapre (CBE) 18 and Cole Breen (CBE) 8

SHSHL Compresses Playoff Field

The Suburban High School Hockey League playoff brackets will be more compact this season.

The fields in both divisions will be reduced; the National Division playoff bracket will contain six teams instead of the eight that has been customary in recent years, while the American Division bracket will feature three teams rather than four.
The SHSHL has not announced playoff dates; the regular season is scheduled to conclude on Thursday, February 16 subject to weather-related postponements and ice availability.

The National Division bracket will see the top two seeds receiving byes into the semifinals while the third seed will face the sixth seed and seeds four and five will square off in the opening round.

In the American Division, the regular-season champion will receive a bye into the championship game while seeds two and three will face off in a semifina

Abington 5 Plymouth Whitemarsh 1

HATFIELD TWNSHIP— With their halo of invincibility having disintegrated, Abington took the ice Thursday night with a renewed sense of purpose.

And it showed. Three goals in four-and-a-half minute span late in the first period left the Galloping Ghosts in command on the way to a 5-1 SHSHL American Division win over Plymouth Whitemarsh at Hatfield Ice Arena.

It was the first start for Abington (9-0-1, 8-0-1 in the division) since it sustained the only blemish on its record, a 2-2 standoff with Quakertown two days before Christmas. Thursday’s result allowed the Galloping Ghosts to leave that game far behind them.

“It was very important to start fast,” said senior forward Jordan Heydt. “This is arguably the most important game of the season. It solidifies us for a really good chance at first place, taking about the playoff bracket for this year (which will include three teams).

“(The regular-season champion) having a first-round-bye is huge.”

Abington has built its record despite the fact that two of its top scorers, Pat Stelacio and Matt Kramer remain sidelined with injuries. That has led some line juggling and other adjustments.

“We really have to have our players step up,” Heydet said. “We have to have our assistant captain, captain, and even the freshmen, they all have to step up.

“They all have to play their roles. They don’t have to do a lot, but they just have to play the system and play like they know how to play.”

Griffin Carpenter gave Abington a 1-0 lead 10:25 into the first period off a feed from Sam Abramson. Heydt made it a 2-0 game at the 11:53 mark, and Sam Paulik gave his team a three-goal advantage when he scored during a power play with 2:01 left in the period.

Playing their third game in three nights, the Colonials (6-4, 5-3 in the division) found themselves trying to dig out of a deep hole.

“We’ve done it before,” said Plymouth Whitemarsh coach Dave Cox. “But tonight, it just wasn’t there. Our third game in three days, I think started to take its toll.”

The Colonials’ Conlan Carpenter beat Abington netminder Sam Nemec on a power-play effort 1:16 into the middle period. But that was all he and his teammates could manage.

Heydt and Abramson added goals for Abington in the third period.

“We came out with energy tonight,” said Abington coach Ken Brzozowski. “We kind of knew it was a big matchup, they’d been winning some games, they’re right behind us in the standings.

“We knew if we could come out of here with a win, it would really put us in a good spot for the rest of the year.”

• Ice Chips— The two teams will play again in a non-league game at the Wells Fargo Center on January 18 to celebrate both teams’ Senior Nights. Face-off time is now set for 7 p.m.; the Senior Night celebration will precede the opening faceoff.

Abington 3 0 2—5

Plymouth Whitemarsh 0 1 0—1

First-period goals: Griffin Carpenter (A) from Sam Abramson, 10:25; Jordan Heydt (A) from Sean Doyle and Seamus Donofry, 11:53; Sam Paulik (A) from Donofry and Devin Bates, 14:59 (pp).

Second-period goal: Conlan Carpenter (PW) from Dylan Novitsky, 1:16 (pp)

Third-period goals: Heydt (A) from Paulik. 4:17; Abramson (A) unassisted, 5:37

Shots: Abington 39, PW 20; Saves: Sam Nemec (A) 19, Chris Maslij (PW) 33

Holy Ghost Prep 6 N. Allegheny 3

Brady Baehser, Kieran Mulholland, and Zach Pers all scored two goals as Holy Ghost Prep defeated North Allegheny 6-3 Thursday night outdoors and under the lights at Schenley Park in Pittsburgh.

Baehser’s second goal of the game with 3:25 left in the second period broke a 3-3 tie, Mulholland made it a 5-3 game with his second goal with 4:25 left in the third period. Pers finished the scoring with an empty net goal in the final seconds.

Pennridge 5 Neshaminy 3

BRISTOL— The atmosphere inside Grundy Arena was crackling with energy Wednesday night. Pennridge and Neshaminy were both looking to make a statement.

The Rams did just that, overcoming a two-goal first-period deficit before dominating the last two periods en route to a 5-3 win.

The result will not factor into the SHSHL National Division standings but will doubtless attract the attention of the Flyers Cup Committee when the next set of rankings is unveiled.

Josh Kelly and Shane Dachowski each scored twice for

Pennridge, the defending Class AA Flyers Cup and state champion. The Rams improved to 6-3 overall.

Kelly said he and his teammates refocused after falling behind early.

“We kind of realized we needed to start going,” the sophomore said. “We needed to put something in the back of the net. We kind of realized who we are. We came out slow and ended the game how we wanted to.”

The ’Skins (6-3) killed off two early penalties before taking a 1-0 lead 6:12 into the opening period. Noah Seewagen scored the power-play goal while the Rams’ Colin Dachowski was serving a tripping minor.

Max Gallagher made it 2-0 with a shorthanded goal at the 11:06 mark off a rush down the right wing that finished with a slapshot along the ice that beat Pennridge goaltender Jacob Gilbert through the five hole.

That goal turned out to be the high point of the evening from Neshaminy’s point of view.

Tyler Manto got the Rams on the scoreboard 1:28 into the second frame on a shot that caromed of the stick of Neshaminy goaltender Cory Hemberger. Kelly the game when he scored on a rebound with 2:41 left in the period to send the teams into the third frame all even.

Shane Dachowski put Pennridge in front for good 2:49 into the final period when he converted a feed from Kevin Pico who set up the goal with a dash down the left wing.

Pico and Neshaminy’s Nolan Geria got some extended time in the penalty box after the two got into a skirmish with 13:48 remaining in regulation. Both drew minor penalties for head contact and automatic 10-minute misconducts but the incident had little bearing on the final result.

Kelly scored his second goal of the night with 9:23 remaining to give Pennridge a two-goal advantage. J.J. Hathaway scored during a Neshaminy power play wirg the Neshaminy net empty with 1:19 remaining but Shane Dachowski’s empty-net goal with 11.4 seconds left settled matters.

Pennridge’s dominance over the final two periods showed up on the scoresheet. After being outshot 12-7 in the first period the Rams outshot the ‘Skins 31-10 over the last two for a final margin of 38-22.

Rams coach Jeff Montagna cited his team’s comeback after a difficult beginning.

“It was a terrible start,” he said. “It was a terrible first period, which has been a strength for us. But, like they’ve done all year, they came back and they played a fabulous two periods.

“But, I told them, we’ve got to figure out these slow starts.”

The ‘Skins spent an inordinate amount of time skating shorthanded; they were whistled for 11 penalties (the Rams were flagged for eight). But Coach Matt DeMatteo was quick to point out his team came up short in other areas.

“Penalties were part of it,” he said, “(but) we had a really good first period, and stuck to the game plan, but we came out in the second period and they brought up the intensity and we did not.

“That was the difference in the game. They came out with urgency, we didn’t match it. they took the momentum of the game over.”

Pennridge 0 2 3—5

Neshaminy 2 0 1—3

First-period goals: Noah Seewagen (N) from Michael Knipple, 6:12 (pp); Max Gallagher (N) unassisted, 11:06 (sh)

Second-period goals: Tyler Manto (P) unassisted, 1:28; Josh Kelly (P) from Colin Dachowski and Nate McKean, 14:19

Third-period goals: Shane Dachowski (P) from Kevin Pico and Andrew Savona, 2:49; Kelly (P) from McKean, 7:37 J.J. Hathaway (N from Gallagher, 15:41 (pp); Pico (P) unassisted, 16:49 (en)

Shots: Pennridge 38, Neshaminy 22; Saves: Jacob Gilbert (P) 20, Cory Hemberger (N) 33

Shady Side Academy 4 Holy Ghost Prep 2

Shady Side Academy scored three power-play goals on the way to a 4-2 win over visiting Holy Ghost Prep on Wednesday. Kieran Mulholland and Shaun Moore scored for the Firebirds, who will face North Allegheny Thursday night in an outdoor game.

Shady Side Academy 1 2 1—4

Holy Ghost Prep 0 1 1—2

Holy Ghost Prep Heading West on a Trip That is About More Than Hockey

Holy Ghost Prep will travel to Pittsburgh this week on a trip that is one part hockey and one part community service. The Firebirds are scheduled to play Shady Side Academy on Wednesday before facing North Allegheny on Thursday night in an outdoor game.

In addition, the hockey team will partner with the DePaul School for Hearing in Speech in Pittsburgh as part of HGP’s immersion program. This signature initiative is part of HGP’s academic curriculum allowing every student the opportunity to be a part of a multi-day service program in the United States and/or around the world.

The hockey team, including the managers, along with 12 additional Holy Ghost sophomores and juniors, will spend the day Friday with the students from the DePaul School for Hearing and Speech. The DePaul School helps students adapt to the use of cochlear implants and teaches them how to speak and hear using technology.

Senior Brady Baehser is the captain of the Holy Ghost Prep hockey team. He was also part of the squad that made the trip to Pittsburgh last January.

“We bring (their fellow students) along) so that can see what it’s like to mix sports and service together,” he said. “We do a lot of fun things with (the DePaul students). They love to see us.

“We’re going to the Hunt Armory rink with them, which is sponsored by the Penguin Foundation, and a Holy Ghost Prep alum, Jim Britt. We’re incredibly lucky for that.”

Baehser says the immersion program has helped him mature. “It made me realize how grateful me and my teammates are,” he said. “We have it so good. So, it always feels good to get back to reality and realize what other kids (are dealing with) so we can be more grateful and use our power to help other people.”

On the ice, the Firebirds, who are 10-2 overall and 3-0-1 in the Atlantic Prep Athletic Conference, have won their last four games and eight of their last nine. Their only loss in that span was to Glenbrook South (Illinois) in the finals of the National Scholastic Invitational on December 4. Baehser has scored 15 goals and added 13 assists for 28 points this season and leads the Atlantic Prep Athletic Conference in scoring with five goals and five assists in four conference games.

“I really think it starts with senior leadership,” he said. “We haven’t had this many seniors (10) on the team in a while and we all want to win so bad. We stay together as a team; when we’re losing games, we don’t get down on each other. We really compete hard at practice and it really goes to show in the games.”

Holy Ghost Prep 6 St. Albans 3

Brady Baehser and Landon Stout each scored two goals as Holyy Ghost Prep defeated St. Albans 6-1 Monday evening at Ice Line. Kieran Mulholland and A.J. Prete also scored for the Firebirds, who won their fourth straight.

Prete, Baehser, and Stout scored goals in a six-and-a-half minute span in the first period to give their team a 3-1 lead.

Baehser’s second goal of the game, 5:30 into the second period, extended the Firebirds’ lead but St. Albans scored two goal on first a five-on-three and then a five-on-four power play to make it a one-goal game with seven minutes to go before Stout and Mulholalnd scored additional goals for the Firebirds.

Holy Ghost Prep (10-2 overall) will play two games in Pittsburgh later this week, facing Shady Side Academy on Thursday and North Allegheny in an outdoor game on Friday.

Holy Ghost Prep 3 1 2—6

St. Albans 1 0 2—3

SHSHL Update 1-1-23

National Division W L T OTL Pts

Pennsbury (7-2) 3 0 0 0 6

C.R. North (2-6-0-1) 2 2 0 1 5

C.B. South (5-4-0-1) 2 1 0 0 4

C.R. South (6-1) 1 0 0 0 2

C.B. West (3-5) 1 0 0 0 2

Bensalem (2-5) 1 0 0 0 2

Neshaminy (6-2) 1 1 0 0 2

Pennridge (4-2) 1 1 0 0 2

Souderton (3-6-0-1) 1 3 0 0 2

C.B. East (4-4) 0 1 0 0 0

North Penn (3-6) 0 3 0 0 0

American Division W L T OTL Pts

Abington (8-0-1) 7 0 1 0 15

Quakertown (5-3-1) 4 3 1 0 9

Plymouth Whitemarsh (5-3) 4 2 0 0 8

Wissahickon (4-4) 4 3 0 0 8

Springfield (0-7) 0 7 0 0 0

Scoring

National Division G A Pts

Brendan Macainsh (Pb) 15 8 23

Seth Grossman (Soud) 13 10 23

Aydin Thierolf (CBS) 11 10 21

Alex Hood (Ben) 14 3 17

Andrew Savona (Pr) 7 10 17

Blaise Pepe (CRS) 8 7 15

Corey Kosick (CBE) 10 5 15

Jake McCaw (Pb) 5 9 14

Kevin Pico (Pr) 7 6 13

Nick Smith (Soud) 9 4 13

American Division G A Pts

Pat Stelacio (Ab) 14 10 24

Branden McNally (Q) 13 9 22

Matthew Flynn (PW) 12 9 21

Ian Heydt (Ab) 9 12 21

David Branigan (PW) 9 12 21

Matt Kramer (Ab) 12 7 19

Danny Hussa (Wiss) 12 6 18

Will Hussa (Wiss) 13 4 17

Jordan Heydt (Ab) 11 6 17

Seth Abramson (Ab) 8 9 17