Category: Atlantic Prep Athletic Conference

Peyton Jones Headed to AHL

Peyton Jones, who started in goal for Penn State and before that Holy Ghost Pep, has agreed to a two-year, one-way contract with the American Hockey League’s Colorado Eagles, beginning with the 2020-21 season. The team announced the signing Monday afternoon.

Colorado was granted membership as an expansion team in the AHL beginning with the 2018-19 season and is the affiliate of the Colorado Avalanche.

“We are extremely happy for Peyton,” mentioned head coach Guy Gadowsky. “Through an incredible level of commitment to improving every day as an athlete and a student, Peyton has done so much for the success of our hockey program and has set standards that we hope are lived up to for many years to come. Congratulations to Peyton, we are excited to see his future successes.”

Jones jumped right into the starting role between the pipes as a freshman becoming the program’s first-ever everyday goalie following four years where goalies saw split time in Hockey Valley. The Langhorne, Pennsylvania native seized the opportunity and never looked back graduating from Penn State with 14 program records.

Jones, Penn State’s all-time wins leader, bookended his time as a Nittany Lion with victories in his first and last games at Pegula Ice Arena. He registered a 76-44-11 career record including a single-season record 23 during his freshman campaign where he was named the Big Ten Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player as the Nittany Lions captured their first-ever tournament title. His 42 career Big Ten victories are also a conference standard.

The senior is the Penn State career leader for games played and games started by a goalie with 133 for his career as well as leading in minutes (7866:20), saves (3,685) and points/assists by a goalie with eight. Along with his single-season program record for wins, Jones also holds single-season standards in games started (36), saves (983), points/assists (4) and shutouts (2).

During his final season in Hockey Valley this past year, Jones registered career-highs with a .919 save percentage, ranking fourth in the Big Ten and 21st nationally, to go along with a 2.60 goals against average while posting a 18-9-3 record and leading the Nittany Lions to their first-ever Big Ten regular-season championship. Jones’ .919 save percentage and 2.60 goals against average are both the second-best single-season marks in program history.

“Penn State has prepared me well for my pro hockey career,” mentioned Jones. “The coaching staff has done a great job with getting me stronger and ready for the next level off the ice while on the ice I was fortunate enough to have some extremely talented teammates who challenged me to be my best every day.”

Gump Whiteside coached Jones at Holy Ghost where Jones had a presence about him even as a freshman and even earlier when Jones was playing at the middle-school level.

Whiteside said Jones’s success could be attributed to his mental discipline and work ethic as well as his physical abilities. “Making it in the AHL, at a high level, is tough for a goaltender. It’s a little easier for forwards and defensemen. That just goes to show you about his work ethic.”

Flyers Cup Tournament Officially Cancelled

The Flyers Cup Committee has issued the following statement:

All,

In accordance with Governor Wolf’s mandate that all Pennsylvania schools will remained closed to in-student learning for the remainder of the academic year, the Flyers Cup Committee has made the unfortunate decision to cancel the remainder of the 2020 Flyers Cup tournament as well as the Pennsylvania State Championships.
This was certainly not an easy decision, but given the current and ongoing status of COVID-19, along with several other factors, we collectively feel that this is the unfortunate necessary option for the safety and well being of our players, coaches, officials, and communities as we follow the direction of many other scholastic, national, and international events.
These are unprecedented times and we share the disappointment of the teams still vying for championships at each given classification .We understand that this is not the end goal that each team set for the 2019-2020 season, but it unfortunately is the necessary ending. As a result of this decision, all remaining teams will have their team names only, engraved on the respective trophy as a group. There unfortunately will also not be any recognition of individual or all-tournament teams.
Stay safe and be well,
The Flyers Cup Committee

APAC Announces All-Conference Team

The Atlantic Prep Athletic Conference is pleased to announce the 2019-2020 All-APAC teams. The honorees were selected by vote of the Head Coaches of the APAC member schools: Holy Ghost Prep, LaSalle College High School, Malvern Prep, and St. Joseph’s Prep; institutions that share similar missions to promote academic and athletic excellence for their student-athletes. 

First Team

Byron Hartley

Holy Ghost Prep (senior)

Position: Forward

Key facts: The APAC’s leading scorer with 26 goals and 22 assists for 48 points and helped the Firebirds reach the Flyers Cup semifinals.

“Byron was our senior captain,” said Holy Ghost Prep coach Gump Whiteside. “He was a true leader who developed tremendously over his four years at Holy Ghost Prep. He was a great teammate who made players better by his work ethic and personality.

 

Ryan Sambuco

Malvern Prep (junior)

Position: Forward

Key facts: Played a key role for the Friars while scoring 10 goals and adding 16 assists for 26 points. “He shows great vision, said Malvern Prep coach Bill Keenan, “and always finds ways to jump start the team.”

 

James Craig

St. Joseph’s Prep (senior)

Position: Forward

Key facts: A tenacious player whose eight goals and 13 assists for 21 points in APAC/Flyers Cup play and helped his team reach the Flyers Cup semifinals.

“He did everything a coach could ask for,” said St. Joseph’s Prep coach David Giacomin. “He was a tremendous competitor.”

 

Andrew Centrella

St. Joseph’s Prep (sophomore)

Position: Defense

Key facts:  Scored four goals and provided 13 assists for 17 points in APAC and Flyers Cup play.

“He was an assistant captain and our hardest worker,” Giacomin said. “He played huge minutes and was always a threat on the ice.”

 

Chris Blango

Malvern Prep (junior)

Position: Defense

Key facts: Was a major force on the blue line for the Friars, scoring three goals and adding eight assists for 11 points. “He was the anchor of Malvern’s defense,” Keenan said, “and is very posed with the puck.”

 

Aidan McCabe

La Salle (senior)

Position: Goaltender

Key facts: A four-year varsity performer, he was the catalyst for an Explorer team that captured its second straight APAC title and reached the Flyers Cup semifinals. “He was the backbone of our team,” said La Salle coach Wally Muehlbronner.

 

Second Team

Nathan Benner

La Salle (senior)

Position: Forward

Key facts: Finished his final high-school season with nine goals and six assists for 15 points. “He was one of our captains,” Muehlbronner said, “and a solid all-around player.”

 

Jeffrey Hammond

St. Josephs Prep (freshman)

Position: Forward

Key facts: Made an impressive debut for the Hawks with nine goals and seven assists for 16 points in APAC/Flyers Cup competition. “He’s a great two-way player,” Giacomin said. “He played in all situations.”

 

David Kimmell

La Salle (junior)

Position: Forward

Key facts: An offensive catalyst  for the Explorers. Led the team in scoring with 13 goals and 12 assists for 25 points. “He was our top scorer,” Muehlbronner said, “and an offensive key.”

 

Michael Urbani

St. Joseph’s Prep (senior)

Position: Defense

Key facts: Served as one of the Hawks’ captains and contributed five goals and 11 assists to his team’s effort. “He was a captain and the leader of our defensive corps,” Giacomin said. “He has a deadly shot and was a key defensively.”

 

Nolan Woudenberg

La Salle (sophomore)

Position: Defense

Key facts: Had a solid season for the Explorers with 10 goals and six assists for 16 points. “He was a strong, all around defenseman,” Muehlbronner said.”

 

Sean Joyce

Holy Ghost Prep (senior)

Position: Goaltender

Key facts: Finished his final season with the Firebirds with a 2.13 GAA and a .914 save percentage.

“Sean was a gamer,” said his coach, Gump Whiteside. One of the best goalies in the history of Holy Ghost Prep hockey. When Sean was in net, you always knew you could win the game.”

 

A reminder the skate shop in Grundy Arena remains open. Here is a link to their Facebook page.https://www.facebook.com/grundyskateshop/

 

 

 

 

 

 

Flyers Cup Class AAA Semifinals on Tap

The Flyers Cup Class AAA semifinals  will go on as scheduled Thursday night at Hatfield Ice. Top-seeded Holy Ghost Prep will face fifth-seeded Father Judge in the 6:30 opener. Second seed and  defending champion La Salle will face St. Joseph’s Prep in the 8:45 nightcap.

The finals will be held Friday at Ice Line with a scheduled 7 p.m. start.

Holy Ghost Prep vs. Father  Judge 6:30

Fifth-seeded Father Judge carries a 12-game winning streak into the semifinals. The Crusaders are 18-5 overall and are the champions of the Intercounty League’s PCL Division. Sean Melso leads the Crusaders in scoring with 14 goals and 29 assists for 43 points. Robert Werner has provided 27 goals and 15 assists for 42 points. The Crusaders have won two Cups,  the Class AA crown in 1993 and the Class AAA title in 2000.

Top-seeded Holy Ghost Prep (14-4-2-1-0)  has won eight of its last nine games. It’s only loss in that span came against La Salle in the Atlantic Prep Athletic Conference championship game. Byron Hartley leads the team in scoring with 23 goals and 15 assists for 38 points. Evan Mudrick has added 12 goals and 10 assists for 22 points. The Firebirds won the Class AA championship in 2003 and Class AAA titles in 2007, ’15, and ’17.

La Salle  vs. St. Joseph’s Prep 8:45

La Salle, the defending champion and second seed,  is seeking to win its 12th Flyers Cup title, an all-time record (11 have come in Class AAA, one in Class AA. The Explorers are 13-11-2-2 heading into the semifinals. They’ve won six straight games and seven of their last nine. Keennan Schneider leads the Explorers in scoring with nine goals and 18 assists for 27 points. David Kimmel has provoded 13 goals and 12 assists for 25 points.

St. Joseph’s Prep (11-9-1-4 in all competitions) captured its first Flyers Cup title two years ago. This year’s team relies on balance. Jimmy Craig is pacing the team in scoring with seven goals and 14 assists for 21 points.

Flyers Cup Update

New Jersey/Delaware

Quarterfinals

Tuesday, March 10 at the Coliseum in Voorhees

Washington Township 7, Eastern 6 OT

Moorestown 3, Cherokee 2 OT

Shawnee 7, Appoquinimink 3

Salesianum 5, Egg Harbor 2

 

 

Class AA

Wednesday, March 11 at  Skatium

Semifinals

6:30 2 Haverford vs 3 Perkiomen Valley

8:45 5 Downingtown West vs 8 Boyertown

Tuesday, March 17 at Ice Line

8:15  Championship Game

 

Class AAA

Thursday. Match 12 at Hatfield Ice

Semifinals

6:30 1 Holy Ghost Prep vs 5 Father Judge

8:45 2 La Salle vs 3 St. Joseph’s Prep

Wednesday, March 18 at Hatfield Ice

7:00 Championship Game

 

Flyers Cup Game Times Updated

The latest information on game sites and times for the 41st Flyers Cup tournament

There will be a girls’ play-in game on Sunday, March 8

Bux-Mont 4 Avon Grove 1

 

 

Class A

Monday, March 9 at Ice Line

Semifinals

1 West Chester East vs 5 Hershey 6:15

2 Palmyra vs 3 West Chester Bayard Rustin 8:15

Tuesday, March 17 at Ice Line

6:15 Championship Game

 

New Jersey/Delaware

Quarterfinals

Tuesday, March 10 at the Coliseum in Voorhees

1 Eastern vs 8 Washington Township  6:00

4 Cherokee vs 5 Washington Township 6:15

3 Appoquinimink vs 6 Shawnee 8:15

2 Salesianum vs 7 Egg Harbor  8:30

 

 

Class AA

Wednesday, March 11 at  Skatium

Semifinals

6:30 2 Haverford vs 3 Perkiomen Valley

8:45 5 Downingtown West vs 8 Boyertown

Tuesday, March 17 at Ice Line

8:15  Championship Game

 

Class AAA

Thursday. Match 12 at Hatfield Ice

Semifinals

6:30 1 Holy Ghost Prep vs 5 Father Judge

8:45 2 La Salle vs 3 St. Joseph’s Prep

Wednesday, March 18 at Hatfield Ice

7:00 Championship Game

The six Pennsylvania boys’ semifinal games will air love via You Tube HERE

La Salle 8, Roman Catholic 1

HATFIELD— Keenan Schneider is playing his first season of varsity hockey for La Salle. But the sophomore is making his presence felt, night in and night out. Schneider scored four goals and added two assists Thursday night as the Explorers rolled over Roman Catholic 8-1 in a Class AAA Flyers Cup quarterfinal game at Hatfield Ice.

Next up is the semifinal round; the Explorers will face third-seeded St. Joseph’s Prep in a game that is tentatively set for next Wednesday or Thursday. The site and time are expected to be finalized sometime Friday.

Schneider, who plays left wing, had plenty of help from his linemates. Center David Kimmel, a junior, scored a goal and assisted on five others, including all four of Schneider’s. Right wing Jake Hannon, also a junior, added a goal and an assist.
The trio joined forces in midseason. Coincidentally, it wasn’t long after that that La Salle’s fortunes took a great leap forward.

“We just have good chemistry together,” Schneider said. “We get along in school, we’re good friends. We just play. Once we get one, we want to get a lot more.”
La Salle coach Wally Muehlbronner credited the line for giving La Salle some early momentum Thursday night. “That line has had really good chemistry,” he said. “We kind of stumbled into that line, by default almost, but they’ve really clicked.”

Second-seeded La Salle 13-11-2-2 overall) skated the scoring at the 5:43 mark of the first period when David Kimmel beat Cahillite goaltender Michael Smith with a forehander from midway between the two circle. The Explorers had much of the better of the play from there and finished the first frame with a 12-3 edge in shots.

La Salle broke the game open in the second period as Schneider completed a natural hat trick in a span of exactly four minutes to make it a 4-0 game with 6:04 left in the period.

The seventh seeded Cahillites (10-10) rallied briefly when Brandon Finnimore scored 23 seconds into the third period but Schneider answered with his fourth goal of the night just 66 seconds later before Hannon, Max Maddallo, and Dan Dolan added additional goals.

Tempers flared with 8:33 left in the game and four players were caught up in the ensuing altercation. Roman’s Brennan Whittaker drew a major penalty for fighting plus an automatic game misconduct. His teammate Andrew Hotolitz was booked for two minutes for head contact plus a 10-minute misconduct. Maddalo along with the Explorers’ Jake Armstrong were also received minor penalties plus misconducts for head contact.

La Salle finished with a 42-15 edge in shots.

In other Class AAA Flyers Cup quarterfinals
#1 Holy Ghost Prep 8 #8 Bishop Shanahan 0
#5 Father Judge 6 #4 Malvern Prep 2
#3 St. Joseph’s Prep 3, #6 Cardinal O’Hara 2

The semifinals will match La Salle against St. Joseph’s Prep and Holy Ghost Prep against Father Judge, Those games are tentatively set for next Wednesday or Thursday.

Roman Catholic 0 0 1—1
La Salle 1 3 4—8
First-period goals: David Kimmel (L) from Keenan Schneider and Andrew Budzynski, 5:43;
Second-period goals: Schneider (L) from Jake Hannon and David Kimmel, 5:56; Schneider from Kimmel, 6:45; Schneider (L) from Jake Hannon and Kimmel, 9:56.
Third-period goals: Brandon Finnimore (RC) unassisted, :23; Schneider (L) from Kimmel, 1:29; Hannon (L) from Kimmel and Schneider, 5:46; Max Maddalo (L) from Jake Armstrong and Collin Keiser, 7:14; Dan Dolan (L) from Francis Ford, 14:56.
Shots: Roman Catholic 15, LaSalle 42; Saves: Michael Smith (RC) 34, Aidan McCabe (L) 14

Thursday Flyers Cup Schedule

The Class AA quarterfinals are scheduled for Thursday

Boyertown 5, Central Bucks South 4 OT

Downingtown West 3, North Penn 2

Perkiomen Valley 4, Council Rock South 3

Haverford 8, Pennridge 1

Winners to semifinals on March 11 or 12

 

The Class AAA quarterfinals are scheduled for Thursday

Holy Ghost Prep 8, Bishop Shanahan 0

Father Judge 6, Malvern Prep 2

 St. Joseph’s Prep 3, Cardinal O’Hara 2

La Salle 8, Roman Catholic 1

Winners to semifinals on March 11 or 12

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Flyers Cup Continues

The 41st Flyers Cup tournament continues Wednesday night with four Class A quarterfinal games. All four games will be played ar Ice Line in West Goshen Township

 West Chester East 5  Lower Dauphin 3

Hershey 4, Strath Haven 0  

 West Chester Bayard Rustin 4 Unionville 1

Palmyra 4 Springfield Delco 1

Semifinals on Monday at Ice Line

1 West Chester East vs 5 Hershey   6:15

2 Pamyra vs 3 Bayard Rustin           8:15

 

The Class AA quarterfinals are scheduled for Thursday

1 Central Bucks South vs 8 Boyertown 6:20 at Hatfield Ice

4 North Penn vs 5 Downingtown West 8:30 at Hatfield Ice

3 Perkionen Valley vs 6 Council Rock South 6:15 at ice Line

10 Pennridge vs 2 Haverford 6:30 at Skatium

Winners to semifinals on March 11 or 12

 

The Class AAA quarterfinals are scheduled for Thursday

1 Holy Ghost Prep vs 8 Bishop Shanahan  6:30 at Grundy Arena

4 Malvern Prep vs 5 Father Judge 8:15 at Ice Line

3 St. Joseph’s Prep vs 6 Cardinal O’Hara 8:45 at Skatium

2 La Salle vs 7 Roman Catholic   7:30 at Hatfield Ice

Winners to semifinals on March 11 or 12