Category: Atlantic Prep Athletic Conference

For St. Joseph’s Prep A Week to Remember

Looking back on St. Joseph’s Prep’s victory at the 2022 National Capital Hockey Tournament, popularly known as Purple Puck Tournament.

The Hawks tied their opening game before winning their next four to claim the tournament title.

This video, which was produced by Mr. Jost Winata, commemorates that achievement.

Our thanks to Mr. Winata for allowing us to post it here,

Game Scores

St. Joseph’s Prep 4 Gonzaga 4

St. Joseph’s Prep 3 Loyola Academy 2

St. Joseph’s Prep 3 Archbishop Spaulding 0

St. Joseph’s Prep 7 O’Connell 1

St. Joseph’s Prep 6 Archbishop Spaulding 1

St. Joseph’s Prep Wins Purple Puck Title

Jeffrey Hammond erupted for five goals and assisted on another as St. Joseph’s Prep defeated Gonzaga 6-1 Friday afternoon to win the 28th. Purple Puck Tournament in Washington, D.C.

Joey Samango contributed a goal and four assists as the Hawks (11-2-2 overall) won their fourth consecutive tournament game in two days after playing to a 4-4 tie with Gonzaga in their opener on Wednesday.

Hammond scored twice in the first period to give his team a 2-0 lead before T.J. Albero score what would prove to be Gonzaga’s only goal.

The Hawks broke the game open in the second period by scoring four times. Hammond started the barrage by scoring his third and fourth goals, one of them in a shorthanded situation. Samango made it a 5-1 game before Hammond completed the scoring.

Rocco Bruno got the win in goal, making 33 saves.

St. Joseph’s Prep Reaches Purple Puck Finals

Joey Samango scored two goals and added three assists as St. Joseph’s Prep defeated O’ Connell 7-1 Friday morning in the fourth round of the Purple Puck Tournament in Washington, D.C. The win put the Hawks into Friday afternoon’s 3 p.m. final against Archbishop Spaulding.

Tristan Winata added two goals of his own for the Hawks. Jeffrey Hammond, Caden Kelly, and Brayden Collins also scored goals.

Ajay White got the win in goal with 18 saves.

The latest Hockey Happenings podcast is now LIVE.

Eric Tye and I discuss the season’s first set of Flyers Cup rankings

Flyers Cup Rankings #1

The Flyers Cup Committee has released its firsts et of rankings for the 2022-23 season. The rankings are based on won-loss records, strength of schedule, and observations by members of the committee.

Non-league games scheduled by individual teams are not factored into the rankings, but are included here where applicable.

Records listed below are based on information available through December 29.

AAA

  1. Holy Ghost Prep (APAC) 9-2
  2. La Salle College High School (APAC) 5-6-2
  3. Malvern Prep (APAC) 6-2
  4. St. Joes Prep (APAC) 9-2-2
  5. Father Judge (ICSHL PCL) 6-4

AA

  1. Council Rock South (SHSHL National) 6-1
  2. Avon Grove (ICSHL Ches-Mont) 6-1
  3. Pennsbury (SHSHL National) 7-2
  4. Conestoga (ICSHL Central) 8-1-1
  5. Neshaminy (SHSHL National) 6-2

A

  1. West Chester Rustin (ICSHL Ches-Mont) 5-3
  2. West Chester East (ICSHL Ches-Mont) 5-3
  3. Marple (ICSHL Central) 7-4-0-1
  4. Garnet Valley (ICSHL Central) 5-4
  5. Lower Dauphin (CPIHL) 9-3

NJ/DE

  1. Salesianum (ICSHL PCL) 6-0
  2. Cherokee (SJHSHL) 9-0-1
  3. Washington TWP. (SJHSHL) 4-1-2
  4. Eastern (SJHSHL) 2-3-1
  5. Moorestown (SJHSHL) 1-5

Girls

  1. Downingtown West (ICSHL National) 5-5
  2. Avon Grove (ICSHL National)  6-4
  3. Unionville (ICSHL National) 3-6
  4. West Chester Rustin (ICSHL American) 7-2
  5. Kingsway (ICSHL American) 6-2-1

St. Joseph’s Prep at Purple Puck Tournament

St. Joseph’s Prep recorded two victories Thursday at the Purple Puck Tournament in Washington, D.C.

They opened Thursday morning with a 3-2 win over Loyola Academy from Chicago. Jeffrey Hammond scored two of his team’s goals, Gareth McDonald the other.

Thursday afternoon the Hawks shut out Archbishop Spaulding 3-0. Hammond, Joey Samango, and Dante Passio scored goals Rocco Bruno earned the shutout with 15 saves.

The Hawks will face O’ Connell at 8 a.m. on Friday. if they qualify for the championship game they will take the ice at 3 p.m. Friday.

Tristan Winata scored two goals and Jeffrey Hammond and Shane O’Neil scored one goal each as St. Joseph’s Prep and Gonzaga skated to a 4-4 tie on Wednesday in the opening round of the 28th Purple Puck Tournament in Washington, D.C.

Rocco Bruno made 34 saves in goal.

The Hawks (7-2-2) are scheduled to play twice on Thursday; they’ll face Loyola at 9 a.m. and Archbishop Spaulding at 4 p.m. before the tournament concludes on Friday.

La Salle at Mount St. Charles Tournament

La Salle dropped a 4-2 decision to Austin Prep Friday afternoon in the Mount St. Charles Academy tournament. Grant LeGreca and Matt Giordano scored the Explorer goals.

“We played well,” Said La Salle coach Wally Muehlbronner. “We struggled finishing opportunities.”

La Salle (5-6-2) will return to action January 9 against Portledge.

Evan Golato scored four goals and Dean Carvalho added two as La Salle defeated Mount St. Charles 6-1 Wednesday night in the second round of the Mount St. Charles holiday tournament. The Explorers (5-5-2) will face Austin (Massachusetts) Prep at noon on Thursday.

La Salle dropped its opening game in the Mount St. Charles holiday tournament Tuesday night. The Explorers dropped a 2-1 decision to Fairfield Prep. James Carpenter scored the La Salle goal.

The Explorers (4-5-2) were scheduled to face the host team, Mt. St. Charles Academy, at 4 pm Thursday.

En route to Rhode Island, La Salle fell to Bishop Hendricken on Monday. Michael Zarzycki scored the La Salle goal.

St. Joseph’s Prep Set For Return to Purple Puck Tournament

   A holiday tradition will be renewed this week after a two-year pandemic-induced layoff.

  St. Joseph’s Prep will be one of five private schools competing for the Prep Division title when the 28th annual National Capital Hockey Tournament, popularly known as the Purple Puck Tournament, gets underway Wednesday in Washington, D.C.

The Hawks, who are 7-2-1 on the season, will face Gonzaga in their tournament opener at 1:00 Wednesday afternoon. The five-team field will also include Archbishop Spalding, O’ Connell, and Loyola. The round robin format will see each team play four games over two-and-a-half days before the championship game is played at 3:00 Friday afternoon.

St. Joseph’s Prep has been a regular participant in the tournament in years past. Senior goaltender Rocco Bruno was in uniform in 2019, the last time the tournament was played. He recalls it as a highly competitive event and is expecting more of the same this time around.

“It was really competitive bracket that we were in,” he said of his freshman-year experience. “Most of the games weren’t blowouts. They were one, two-goal games. I don’t know what a lot of those teams are about this year but I’m expecting tough competition.”

Bruno is looking forward to being on the road with his teammates, all but one of whom, other than himself, will be skating in the tournament for the first time.

“It’s just a lot of fun, being on the road with everybody at these tournaments,” he said. “We did one in Florida my freshman year too. It just is a whole bunch of fun.”

The time on the road and between games allows the players to do some strategizing.

“Everybody’s focused on the weekend,” Bruno said, “and we get to spend time together to go over some things, plan out our games together as team. Just have a greater overall awareness for our next opponent.”

The tournament schedule does allow time for players to play tourist however, and enhance the educational value of the trip. Bruno recalls doing some sightseeing on his last trip to the Purple Puck Tournament.

“Me and a couple of my buddies on the team, we went up to Capitol Hill and the White House and saw everything,” he said. It was pretty cool. “You don’t get to do sightseeing a lot when you’re on hockey trips because usually games take up most of your time, but it was definitely cool to see some of the monuments and landmarks.”

St. Joseph’s Prep Schedule

Wednesday, 12-28  Gonzaga 1:00

Thursday, 12-29   Loyola  9:00

                               Spalding 4:00

Friday 12-30     O’Connell  8:00

                         Championship Game 3:00 If Necessary

La Salle Headed North

 The La Salle Explorers are getting a break from school this week, but will be as busy as ever on the ice. The Explorers will make their traditional trip to Woonsocket Rhode Island for the Mount St. Charles Academy Tournament. La Salle will play its first-round game on Tuesday against Fairfield Prep.

The Explorers customarily compete in the tournament on an annual basis, but the event has been cancelled the last two seasons because of the pandemic. Coach Wally Muehlbronner says the tournament provides his players with the opportunity to get closer as a group.

“I think the bonding is going to be the biggest thing,” he said. “The past two years, this event got cancelled so we’re really looking forward to getting back. We’ve only got a couple kids that have ever made the trip so I think it’s going to really help us. Hopefully, we play well.”

A lot of the guys know each other pretty well (but) we have never spent three or four days together and traveled on a bus. You learn a lot about your teammates in that amount of time together.”

Malvern Prep10 Haverford School 0

Malvern Prep scored four times in the first period and went on to a 10-0 shutout of The Haverford School Thursday night in a non-league game at Ice Line. that celebrated Senior Night.

Jeremy Jacobs and Jack Sharer each scored twice for the Friars. Steven Getsie, Aidan Kelly, Gavin Wilson, Emmy Jacobs, Pax Hoishik, and Ryan Clark also scored goals.

Haverford School 0 0 0—0

Malvern Prep 4 2 4—10

Holy Ghost Prep 7, Pennridge 3

Kieran Mulholland and Zach Pers each scored twice as Holy Ghost Prep built a 5-0 lead en route to a 7-3 win over Pennridge Wednesday night in a non-league game at Grundy Arena. Shaun Moore Brady Baehser and John Seravalli also scored for Holy Ghost Prep, which advanced to 9-2 on the season.

Kevin Pico, Andrew Savona, and Shane Dachowski scored for Pennridge (4-3).

Two goals from Pers and goals from Mulholland, Baehser, and Moore put the Firebirds up 5-0 seven minutes into the second period.

Pico and Savona scored for the Rams before the period ended and Dachowski’s goal made it a 5-3 game with 10:51 left in regulation, before Mulholland gave the Firebirds some insurance with 1:42 remaining. Seravalli added an empty-net goal with one minute left in regulation.

Six of the game’s 10 goals came on power plays. The game featured 16 penalties for 72 penalty minutes.

Pennridge 0 2 1—3

Holy Ghost Prep 4 1 2—7