Flyers Cup Schedule

A total of 41 teams in four divisions will skate in the 45^th annual Flyers Cup tournament.

Eight teams will comprise the Class AAA bracket, 16 more will compete in Class AA, 12 in Class A and five in the Girls Division.

The Delaware/South Jersey bracket has been eliminated this season.

First-round games are scheduled for Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, March 4 – 6; the tournament is expected to conclude March 19 or 20.

Nine SHSHL teams made the tournament field as did four APAC teams.

Here is an overview of the tournament schedule

All sites and times beyond the first round are tentative and subject to change.

Class AAA Quarterfinals

Monday, March 1. La Salle vs. 8. Perkiomen Valley 8:30/Hatfield Ice

Tuesday, March 5 4. Holy Ghost Prep vs. 5. Father Judge 8:30/Grundy

Monday, March 4 2. Malvern Prep vs. 7. Devon Prep 6:15/Ice Line

Monday, Match 4 3. St. Joseph’s Prep vs. 6. Salesianum 7:00 Skatium

Semifinals March 18 (tentative)

Finals March 19 or 20

Class AA First Round

Tuesday, March 5

1.Pennridge vs. 16. Bensalem 8:30/Hatfield

8. Central Bucks East vs. 9. Downingtown East 6:00/ Hatfield

4. Downingtown West vs. 13. Souderton 6:15/Ice Line

5. Haverford High vs. 12. North Penn 7:00/Skatium

2. Council Rock South vs. 15. Spring Ford 6:00/Grundy

7. Lower Merion vs. 10 Cherokee 9:00/Skatium

3. Boyertown vs. 14. Pennsbury 8:30/Ice Line

6. Central Bucks South vs. 11 Avon Grove 6:30 at Hatfield

Thursday, March 7

Quarterfinals

Pennridge/Bensalem vs. C.B. East/Downingtown East

Downingtown West/Souderton vs. Haverford/North Penn

C.R. South/Spring Ford vs. Lower Merion/Cherokee

Boyertown/Pennsbury vs. C.B. South/Avon Grove

Semifinals

TBD The week of 3-11

Finals

March 19, 20, or 21 Site TBD

Class A First Round

Monday, March 4

8. Plymouth Whitemarsh vs. 9. Unionville 6:00/Hatfield

5. Lower Dauphin vs. 12. Radnor 7:45 Ice Line

7. Palmyra vs. 10. Penncrest 8:30 Ice Line

6. Springfield-Delco vs. 11 West Chester Henderson 9:00/Skatium

Quarterfinals

Thursday, March 7

PW/Unionville vs. 1. West Chester East TBD/Ice Line

Lower Dauphin/Radnor vs. 4. Marple Newtown TBD

Palmyra/Penncrest vs. 2. Garnet Valley TBD

Springfield/WC Henderson vs. 3 Hershey TBD

Semifinals TBD

Finals March 19 or 20 Site TBD

Girls

Wednesday, March 6

Quarterfinal

4. Conestoga vs. 5. Lower Merion 7:45/PNY

Semifinals

Wednesday Match 13 tentative

Avon Grove vs. Conestoga/Lower Merion 6:45/PNY
Downingtown West vs. 3. West Chester Henderson 5:00/PNY

Monday March 18 tentative

Championship 6:00/PNY

The Flyers Cup selection show aited air on the Flyers Cup YouTube Channel

it can be accessed HERE.

Updated Playoff Schedule 2-22-24

Thursday, February 22

SHSHL National Division Quarterfinal

4. Central Bucks East vs. 5. North Penn

7:10 at Hatfield Ice

Wednesday, February 28

APAC Championship Game

St. Joseph’s Prep at La Salle

4:00 Hatfield Ice

SHSHL American Division Final

Plymouth Whitemarsh vs. Bensalem

6:50 at Hatfield Ice

SHSHL National Division Semifinal

C.B. South vs. Council Rock South

7:20 at Grundy Arena

SHSHL National Division Semifinal

C.B. East or North Penn vs. Pennridge

8:45 at Hatfield Ice

Thursday, February 29

SHSHL National Division Final

Site, Time TBD

St. Joseph’s Prep 3 Malvern Prep 2

All season long, St. Joseph’s Prep has counted on young players to step up in big situations. One of them did Wednesday night when it mattered most.

Sophomore Michael Castelli’s goal with 6:53 remaining in regulation was decisive as the Hawks bested Malvern Prep 3-2 in an Atlantic Prep Athletic Conference semifinal at the University of Pennsylvania’s Class of 1923 Arena. The third-seeded Hawks (15-5) will face top-seeded La Salle next Wednesday at Hatfield Ice (time TBD) for the Founders Cup. It will mark the school’s first appearance in the final in the six-year history of the APAC.

Castelli, a first-year varsity player, described the winning goal.

“My teammate [Ben Kersun] shot from the point,” he said. “I drove the net hard, got the rebound, and buried it.”

Castelli’s effort on the game winner is what the Hawks have come to expect from the underclassmen on the roster.

Senior captain John Lynch noted their impact in the semifinal.

“It was huge,” he said. “They show that they deserve ice time out there. Because they’re working just as hard as [the upperclassmen] do. And we try to push them as hard as we can. “They’re really earning their ice. They’re not given the ice. They’re earning it every time and they’re getting better every game.”

Castelli says the support of the upperclassmen has sped his development as a player.

“They’v been great,” he said. They’re just very supportive. Never negative,”

The second-seeded Friars (9-8) took the ice missing several key performers due to injury, including their captain, Jeremy Jacobs.

But they took the early lead when Jonathan Holt found the back of the net just 1:53 into the opening period. Tristan Winata tied the game for the Hawks 10:07 into the second frame but Caiden Canale put Malvern Prep back in front with 3:52 left in the period.

Lynch tied the game for St. Joseph’s Prep with a power-play goal 4:34 into the final period as momentum gradually shifted in the Hawks’ direction.

“I thought we had a good period-and-a-half of hockey,” said Malvern Prep coach Bill Keenan. “[St. Joseph’s Prep] came out in the second half of that game and played well.

“Our third period cost us. We had two penalties off the get go playing shorthanded. That cost us.”

Ice chips: Both teams will be part of the field for the Class AAA Flyers Cup beginning the week of March 4. The Hawks and the Friars split two regular-season meetings.

St. Joseph’s Prep 0 1 2—3

Malvern Prep 1 1 0—2

First-period goal: Jonathan Holt (MP) from Brady Doyle and Caiden Canale, 1:53

Second-period goals: Tristan Winata (SJP) from Calum Hartnell, 10:07; Canale (MP) from Teague Murray and Aidan Kelly, 13:08

Third-period goals: John Lynch (SJP) from Cole Garson and Hartnell; Michael Castelli (SJP) from Ben Kersun, 10:07

Shots: St. Joseph’s Prep 24, Malvern Prep 15; Saves: Jacob Aranda (SJP) 13, Matt Crawford (MP) 21

La Salle 3 Holy Ghost Prep 1

In the end, there was little to choose between the two sides. A single surge separated them and that was enough.

Ben Falicki and Charlie Kennedy scored a pair of second-period goals 23 seconds apart and La Salle went on to a 3-1 win over Holy Ghost Prep Wednesday evening in an Atlantic Prep Athletic Conference semifinal at the University of Pennsylvania’s Class of 1923 Arena.

The top-seeded Explorers (19-3) will host St. Joseph’s Prep in the conference championship game for the Founders Cup next Wednesday. The fourth-seeded Firebirds (11-13) will join them in the Class AAA Flyers Cup tournament the week of March 4.

The two goals which gave the Explorers the upper hand came after over 31 minutes of scoreless hockeyThe first two periods were defined by their physicality. There was one penalty called inn the first period and six more in the second but referees Eric Michaels and Laura White allowed a good amount of physical play to go uninterrupted and neither team backed away from banging bodies.

“I definitely think our team came out hard,” said La Salle goaltender Jake Rossi. “It’s just a different animal in the playoffs. Everyone in our league is going to be tough.”

Ben Falicki ended the scoreless draw when beat Holy Ghost netminder Jack Unger on a shot from the left point with 2:48 left in the middle period. Charlie Kennedy made it a 2-0 game when he scored from the right circle just 23 seconds later.

Kennedy said he was confident goals would eventually come despite the absence of goals over the first half of the game,

“Definitely,” he said. “We were getting tons of opportunities and were coming up short. We got [two] quick ones and that gave us a lot of confidence, moving the puck and stuff.”

The Firebirds may have been staggering at that point but they remained unbowed. Jake McCaw finished a rush by beating La Salle goaltender Jake Rossi with 35 seconds left in the period to make it a one-goal game with one period to go.

The only goal of the third period came off the stick of La Salle’s Dean Carvalho with 10 seconds remaining.

Holy Ghost Prep coach John Ritchie talked of what might have been.

“I haven’t quite figured out why some of those pucks didn’t go in for us,” he said. “Six on five [on power plays] we get two or three really good chances.and they just take wired bounces.

“But I’m super proud of my group.”

Holy Ghost Prep 0 1 0—1

La Salle 0 2 1—3

Second-period goals: Ben Falicki (L) from Grant LaGreca and Will Gregorio, 14:49; Charlie Kennedy (L) from Ryan Wiley and Patrick Brace, 15:12; Jake McCaw (HGP) from Michael Holt, 16:25

Third-period goal: Dean Carvalho (L) from Blake Baudelaire, 16:50

Shots: Holy Ghost Prep 27, La Salle 30; Saves: Jack Unger (HGP) 27, Jake Rossi (L) 26

Holy Ghost Prep 5 Hun School 2

Holy Ghost Prep started fast on Tuesday and kept on going. A pair of first-period goals gave the Firebirds a 2-0 lead and propelled them to a 5-2 win over Hun School in the APAC play in game at Grundy Arena.

Fourth-seeded Holy Ghost Prep (11-12) earned a date with top seed and defending champion La Salle Wednesday at 4:00 at the Class of 1923 Arena at the University of Pennsylvania. Fifth-seeded Hun School closed its season at 4-11.

Having twice defeated the Raiders during the regular season, the hosts took the ice on Tuesday looking to set a tone. Pat Slook’s goal 3:12 into the opening period did just that. Jack Gavaghan made it a 2-0 on a shot from the right point with 2:34 left in the period.

“We knew that if we just jumped on them, it we got one early, we could keep rolling through them,” Slook said. “The plan was to get pucks deep and go at them, work in the corners and just grind out. Getting that first goal was a big one early.”

Nathan Romer and Caine Bickel added power-play goals for the Firebirds in the second frame, just over five minutes apart.

Special teams were impactful for much of a game that featured 12 minor penalties, six to each side.

A.J. Prete made it a 5-0 game 2:20 into the third period and the Firebirds seemed to have things well in hand.

At that point the Raiders, who had just 14 skaters dressed, seemed to be running low on energy. Following Prete’s goal, P.J. Angotti replaced Julien Arseneault in the Hun School net

But the visitors never stopped working and their effort paid off when Charles-Etienne Jette got the puck past Firebird netminder Jack Unger 5:35 into the final session. Joachim Neverdahl added a shorthanded goal just shy of four minutes later.

Hun School coach Eric Szeker celebrated his young team’s work ethic.

“My guys gave it everything they had,” he said. “Fatigue, whatever it might be, they made no excuses.

“We came out in the third when everything was against us and we still put a great effort out. That tells you about the [team] more than the score will.”

Holy Ghost Prep coach John Ritchie notes there is still work left to do as his team evolves.

“We gave up a couple breakaways late in the second period,” he said. “A young team starts to cheat a little bit when they have some success offensively and I thought we did that. It ended up hurting us.”

With the ‘second season’ now underway, Slook is encouraged by the progress he and his teammates have made over the course of the campaign.

“We grew as a team,” he said. “I think we hit a few speed bumps along the way but I think we just stayed together as a team and worked through it, and I think we’re in pretty good shape for the playoffs.”

Ice chips: Nine Hun School players concluded their high-school careers this season … The Holy Ghost Prep-La Salle game will be the first game of an APAC semifinal doubleheader matching Malvern Prep and St. Joseph’s Prep. is scheduled for a 6:15 start.

The results of the playoffs will not impact Flyers Cup tournament seedings.

Hun School 0 0 2—2

HGP 2 2 1—5

First-period goals: Patrick Slook (HGP) from Jake McCaw, 3:12; Jack Gavaghan (HGP) from Andrew Morgan and A.J. Prete, 14:26

Second-period goals: Nathan Romer (HGP) from Caine Bickel, 2:30 (pp); Bickel (HGP) from Colin Bara, 7:41 (pp);

Third-period goals; Prete (HGP) from Joseph Kaufmann, 2:20; Charles-Etienne Jette from Andrew Darst, 5:35; Joachim Neverdahl (HS) from Justin Laplante and P.J. Angotti, 9:25 (sh);

Shots: Hun School 21 Holy Ghost Prep 39; Saves: Julien Arseneault (HS) and P.J. Angotti (HS) 34, Jack Unger (HGP) 19

For more about Holy Ghost Prep CLICK HERE

For more about The Hun School CLICK HERE

Playoff Ponderings—APAC

Tuesday, February 20

APAC Play In

#5 Hun School at #4 Holy Ghost Prep

4:00 Grundy Arena

Hun School (4-10, 1-7 APAC)

A young Raider squad battled inexperience and injuries for much of the season. Justin Laplante scored four goals and added three assist in conference play. Julian Arsenault (.920 save percentage) and P.J. Angotti are both solid in goal.

Holy Ghost Prep (10-12, 3-5 APAC)

A young team matured as the season progressed.

Anthony Valeriote leads the team in scoring with four goals and 10 assists for 14 points in all competitions. Matt Cholaj has scored three goals and added 10 assists for 13 points.Jake McCaw finished regular season with nine goals and added four assists for 13 points; 3-3-6 in APAC play. Jack Unger is the probable starter in goal (.958 save percentage, 0.84 GAA in conference play; .893/2.36 in all competitions).

Wednesday, February 21

#1 La Salle vs Hun School/Holy Ghost Prep

4:00 at Class of 1923 Rink

La Salle (18-3, 8-0 APAC)

The defending conference, Flyers Cup, and state champion Explorers are seeking their fourth outright APAC title in the conference’s six-year history (they’ve also shared another). Dean Carvalho led the APAC in scoring with six goals and six assists for 12 points. He tallied 15 goals and 21 assists for 36 points in all competitions. Patrick Brace has collected eight goals and 11 assists for 19 point in all competitions; 4-3-7 in the APAC. Goaltender Jake Rossi has a season-long save percentage of .936 and a GAA of 1.63; .954/1.13 in conference play.

#3 St. Joseph’s Prep vs #2 Malvern Prep

6:15 at Class of 1923 Rink

St. Joseph’s Prep (14-5, 4-4 APAC)

A corps of young players combined with veteran leadership to record some impressive results for the Hawks this season. Brayden Collins led the team in scoring with eight goals and 13 assists for 21 points; 3-3-6 in conference play. John Lynch scored four goals and added 11 assists overall. Jake Schultz was the Hawks’ top scoring in APAC competition with four goals and three assists for seven points; 7-5-12 overall. Jacob Aranda started every conference game in goal and finished league play with an .894 saver percentage and a 3.09 GAA; .893/2.85 overall.

Malvern Prep (9-7, 4-4 APAC)

The Friars had their ups and down early on, but rebounded to win six of their last nine games. Jeremy Jacobs led the team in scoring with 17 goals and 15 assists for 32 points; 5-6-11 in conference play. Caiden Canale deposited six goals and added seven assists for 13 points in all competitions; 1-4-5 in the APAC. Brady Doyle added five goals and seven assists overall; 1-4-5 in conference play. Goaltender Matt Crawford turned in a .935 save percentage in APAC play with a 2.27 GAA; .911-2.62 in all competitions.

APAC Update for 2-16-24

Final Regular Season Standings

W L OTW OTL Pts GF GA

La Salle (18-3) 8 0 0 0 24 36 9

Malvern Prep (9-7) 4 4 2 2 12 18 20

St. Joseph’s Prep (14-5) 4 4 1 0 11 28 25

Holy Ghost Prep (10-12) 3 5 0 1 9 13 20

Hun School (4-10) 1 7 0 1 3 16 37

Playoff Schedule

Tuesday 2-20

4:00 (5) Hun School vs. (4) Holy Ghost Prep at Grundy Arena

Wednesday, February 21

4:00 Hun School or Holy Ghost Prep vs. (1). La Salle

6:15 (3) Malvern Prep vs. (2) St. Joseph’s Prep

Both game at Class of 1923 Rink

Wednesday, February 28

Tentative date for Founders Cup final to be hosted by highest seeded finalist

Scoring (Conference Games) GP G A Pts. PPG

Dan Carvalho (L) 8 6 6 12 1.50

Jeremy Jacobs (MP) 8 5 6 11 1.38

Patrick Brace (L) 8 4 3 7 0.88

William Carpenter (L) 8 1 6 7 0.88

Justin Laplante (HS) 8 4 3 7 0.88

Jake Schultz (SJP) 7 4 3 7 0.88

Ryan Levesque (HS) 6 1 4 5 0.83

Jake McCaw (HGP) 8 3 3 6 0.75

Brayden Collins (SJP) 8 3 3 6 0.75

Julian Tarsi (L) 8 3 3 6 0.75

Declan Kelly (L) 8 1 5 6 0.75

Will Gregorio (L) 8 1 5 6 0.75

Tristan Winata (SJP) 8 6 0 6 0.75

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

Jack Unger (HGP) 4 72 3 .958

Jake Rossi (L) 7 197 9 .954

Matt Crawford (MP) 7 293 19 .935

Julian Arseneault (HS) 4 200 16 .920

Jaccob Aranda (SJP) 8 235 25 .894

Goals Against (Conference Games)

Jack Unger (HGP) 0.84

Jake Rossi (L) 1.13

Matt Crawford (MP) 2.27

Jacob Aranda (SJP) 3.09

Julian Arsenault (HS) 3.10

(Goaltemders must have played 153 minutes in conference games)

La Salle 5 St. Joseph’s Prep 3

La Salle overcame a 3-0 second-period deficit to stun St. Joseph’s Prep 5-3 Wednesday evening in an APAC game at the Class of 1923. The Explorers scored five goals in the third period to conclude conference play with a perfect 8-0 record (18-3 overall).

Dean Carvalho scored two goals for La Salle and assisted on another. Alex Fusaro, Alistair St. Hilaire, and Patrick Brace also scored goals.

Tristan Winada gave the Hawks (14-5, 4-4) a 1-0 lead with 18 seconds left in the first period. Brayden Collins and Calum Hartnell added goals in the second period.

La Salle 0 0 5—5

St. Joseph’s Prep 1 2 0—3

First period goals: Tristan Winada (SJP) from Brayden Collins, 16:42

Second-period goals: Collins (SJP) from John Lynch and Cole Garson, 8:44; Calum Hartnell (SJP) from Caden Kelly, 16:48

Third-period goals: Dean Carvalho (L) from Alex Fusaro and Ben Faliclki, 5:55; Fusaro (L) from Thomas Ducet and Liam Donahue, 12:34; Alistair St. Hilaire (L) from Carvalho and Julian Trasi, 14:23; Carvalho (L) from Will Carpenter, 15:49; Patrick Brace (L) unassisted, 16:59 (en)

Shots: Saves:

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