Category: Flyers Cup

Malvern Prep 2 Holy Ghost Prep 1

BRISTOL—Malvern Prep and Holy Ghost Prep took their first steps into the sometimes-perilous waters of the Atlantic Prep Athletic Conference Thursday afternoon. It was the Friars who found smooth sailing.

Brayden Baum and Aidan Kelly scored second-period goals to give their side a 2-1 win over the Firebirds at Grundy Arena. It was the Friars’ third win in four starts.

“We’ve got a lot of good kids on our team,” Kelly said. “Everyone’s really motivated after the year we had last year (10-8 and a loss in the opening round of the Founders Cup playoffs). The coaches are doing a great of getting us motivated.”

Kelly noted that he and his teammates, including the newcomers on hand, are adjusting to their roles in this year’s lineup.

“I think everyone is really excited with their new roles,” the senior said. “It comes with a little bit of nerves, a little bit of pressure, just playing for such a great team in such a great league.

“But I think the older guys, the more experienced guys, are doing a great of helping everyone fit their role and get used to playing at this level.”

Malvern Prep enjoyed a 14-5 shots advantage in the opening period but couldn’t solve Firebird netminder Jack Botthof and the first frame was scoreless.

Baum got the Friars on the scoreboard 12:17 into the middle period and Kelly made it a 2-0 game at 13:58.

Malvern Prep coach Bill Keenan was pleased with the way his players moved the puck.

“The puck was moving at both ends,” he said. “Not a lot of sustained pressure but we settled down into our game. “We were able to be a little more poised with the puck and get pucks deep and sustain that pressure. I’m pretty happy with the result.”

Two goals down and perhaps a bit back on their heels, the Firebirds (0-2, 0-1 in the APAC) came out swarming at the start of the third period.

It took A.J. Prete just 19 seconds to score and make it a one-goal game. But Matt Crawford in the Malvern Prep net was perfect the rest of the way; the junior stopped 15 of the 16 shots he saw in the final period.

“Matt is pretty much anchor here for us,” Keenan said. “He played that well against Council Rock South (a game the Friars lost in overtime) and he [played] that way here today too. I think overall, he’s got a good future here, especially within the APAC. He did well today.”

For a young Holy Ghost Prep team, Wednesday’s game was another step in the building process.

“Better than Game One,” Firebird coach John Richie said of his team’s effort. “Not good enough though. “That second period, we kind of took a step backwards, then that third period was much stronger.

“But we’re a team that can’t have a lapse in judgment for 10 minutes of the second period.”

Malvern Prep 0 2 0—2

Holy Ghost Prep 0 0 1—1

Second-period goals: Brayden Baum (MP) from Gabriel Bedwell and Paxton Hoishik, 12:17; Aidan Kelly (MP) from Caiden Canale and Matt Crawford, 13:58

Third-period goal: A.J. Prete (HGP) from Mike Holt, :19

Shots: Malvern Prep 27, Holy Ghost Prep 29; Saves: Matt Crawford (MP) 28, Jack Botthof (HGP) 25

CLICK HERE to learn more about Malvern Prep

CLICK HERE to learn more about Holy Ghost Prep

La Salle 3 St. Joseph’s Prep 1

HATFIELD TOWNSHIP—A bolt of lightning was followed by rolling thunder. La Salle scored two goals 69 second apart early in the third period and went on to a 3-1 win over St. Joseph’s Prep at Hatfield Ice Wednesday afternoon to officially kick off the Atlantic Prep Athletic Conference’s sixth hockey season.

Will Gregorio scored what proved to be the winning goal 1:24 into the third frame. Dean Carvalho added an insurance goal at the 2:33 mark as the Explorers (4-0 overall), the defending Founders Cup, Class AAA Flyers Cup and state champions, won their ninth straight game dating back to the close of the 2023 regular season.

Carvalho noted it was not a perfect performance.

“I didn’t think we played as a well as we could have,” he said. “There’s room for improvement, and every week we’re working to improve every game.”

The Hawks (1-1 overall) took the first lead of the afternoon, thanks to Bobby McGinn’s goal with 1:07 left  in a first period in which La Salle dominated, but was unable to solve St. Joseph’s Prep netminder Jacob Aranda. The junior finished the period with 13 saves and the game with 32.

“He played great,” said St. Joseph’s Perp coach David Giacomin. “He made some quality saves, he’s always in position.

“I’d like to see the tape on a couple of goals, he might have given them a little too much, but he kept us in there the first period.”

Alastair St. Hiaire tied the game for the Explorers 7:11 into the second period and the two teams battled on even terms for the balance of the session.

Gregorio’s game winner came during a four-on-four situation with La Salle’s Patrick Brace and the Hawks’ Brayden Collins both in the box. Carvalho’s goal came after Brace’s penalty time had expired but with two seconds still remaining on Collins’ infraction.

“I thought we came out and played well out of the gate,” said La Salle coach Wally Muehlbronner. “Then I think we kind of got away from our game. And I think St. Joe’s did a really good job. Their goaltender made a lot of really good saves early on and they had some really good opportunities early on.

“I feel it was a pretty even game throughout.”

Even though it came out on the short end of the score,Giacomin was pleased with the effort of his young team; the 20 players who dressed for the Hawks included three freshmen and six sophomores.

“Obviously there are some things we messed up and I’d like to have back,” he said, “but we’re a very young team. I think what they learned today is, of they play the game the right way they can compete with pretty much anybody but with youngness comes taking your lumps here and there ands we made a couple mistakes.”

Ice chips: La Salle’s last loss came to Wyoming Seminary in its regular-season finale last season. The Explorers won five postseason games a year ago.

St. Joseph’s Prep 1 0 0—1

La Salle 0 1 2—3

First-period goal: Bobby McGinn (SJP) from Ben Kursun, 15:53

Second-period goal: Alastair St. Hilaire (L) from James Carpenter and Dean Carvalho, 7:11

Third-period goals: Will Gregorio (L) from Declan Kelly, 1:24; Dean Carvalho (L) from Gregorio, 2:33 (pp);

Shots: St. Joseph’s Prep 32, La Salle 35; Saves: Jacob Aranda (SJP) 32, Jacob Rossi (L) 31

Council Rock South 3 Malvern Prep 2 (OT)

Blaise Pepe’s goal with 1:27 left in overtime gave Council Rock South a 3-2 non-league win over host Malvern Prep Monday night at Ice Line.

Illia Mukhin and Chase Trovsky also scored for the Golden Hawks who have started the season with three consecutive wins, two of them over APAC opponents.

Tovsky’s shorthanded goal with 4:26 left in the second period tied the game after Brady Doyle scored a pair of goals two minutes apart to give the Friars (2-1) a 2-1 lead.

Trevor Rakszawski got the win in goal; he was credited with 54 saves. Matt Crawford was credited with 40 at the other end of the ice.

Council Rock South 1 1 0 1—3

Malvern Prep 0 2 0 0—2

First-period goal: Illia Mukhin (CRS) from Kevin Koles and Jake Weiner, 13:48 

Second-period goals: Brady Doyle (MP) from Caiden Canale, 10:11; Brady Doyle (MP) from Jeremy Jacobs and Adan Kelly, 12:11 (pp); Chase Trovsky (CRS) unassisted, 12:34 (sh)

Overtime goal: Blaise Pepe (CRS) unassisted, 3:33

Shots: Council Rock South 56, Malvern Prep 43; Saves: Trevor Rakszawski (CRS) 54, Matt Crawford (MP) 40

Holt Embracing His Role at Holy Ghost Prep

As high-school senior, Mike Holt is experiencing some changes in his life, in the classroom and on the ice. Next spring, he will graduate from Holy Ghost Prep.

Even before he enrolled there, the Huntingdon Valley resident sensed he and the school would be a good fit.

“Going in (as an eighth grader) for your shadow day, you see the type of brotherhood and the type of community we have here” he said. “Whether it’s just talking with your friends at the lunch table, or getting together and maybe studying for a test, it’s the sense of brotherhood and community that you get at a smaller school like Ghost. I think that’s one of the biggest aspects for me being able to have close connections with my teachers and my friends in such a nice space.”

The curriculum at Holy Ghost Prep is set up to allow students to make an assortment of independent decisions. Invariably, as Holt points out, this leads to learning from a wrong decision, particularly in the area of time management.

“Definitely learning some things the hard way for sure,” he said, “but I think it’s a great opportunity for young men like us, trying to mold our minds and making those decisions on whether you want to go play basketball with your friends or if you need to get some work done.

“But, I think a big part of that maturity factor goes into our free time and how we access it, and I think a lot of people in our school do a great job at that.”

Holt speaks of the life lessons he’s absorbed during his years at Holy Ghost Prep, including the willingness to ask for help when he’s floundering.

“I think one of the biggest core values they try to teach us at Ghost is obviously being gentlemen and to be a man,” he said, “but with that comes the ability having the ability, to recognize when you need some help and recognize when you need to collaborate with someone and you need to talk to that teacher and you need to go for that extra [help]. 

“I think a lot of men today really think they can do it all themselves and I think Ghost is a great space where you can really kind of collaborate and work on what you need to work on without having to do it all by yourself so I think it’s definitely a great space where you can rely on each other in that sense.”

As a captain this season, Holt embraces the responsibility of showing the way for his teammates.

“I feel like [leadership ability] came pretty easy to me early on,” he said, “but obviously, there are things you always need to work on. I always had to work on being a better leader myself but I feel early on, freshman year, sophomore year, junior year, I was always feeling that need to help the guys out. If they needed something to get done, I’d help them out with it.

“I feel like the top leadership role is a new thing for me, but I also feel like I can rely on my teammates and I feel like I’ve grown in a space where I can really express that leadership and be the reliable kind of personality that the guys need and that I need from the guys.
“It’s not just all about me and the two other assistants, it’s about the team.”

Mike Holt

The Firebirds are putting a young team on the ice this season. Holt is counting on contributions from all hands.

“I feel athletically, obviously, we’re going to need guys to step up and play a role,” he said, “not just as good players but obviously as leaders. I think our captains are definitely capable of doing it this year and I think we’ve got a really strong corps of leaders that are able and willing to lead this team and I think that’s my mindset going into it.”

The competition in the Atlantic Prep Athletic Conference promises to be as rugged as ever. Holt says the team that develops cohesiveness will have the best chance of success.

“We have end players playing in the APAC,” he said. “Everybody knows that it is a very [ competitive] conference but I think it’s [about] the team that really molds together as a family and is willing to fight got each other. The guy to your left is the guy you want to be worrying about and it just goes up and down the line throughout the whole team. 

“You’ve got to be able to really rely on each other and I think a big aspect of what teams are going to be successful with is working together and just being one team. A family.”

Council Rock South 7 Holy Ghost Prep 4

WARWICK—Council Rock South came into the hockey season with great expectations.  To date, those expectations have been met.
The Golden Hawks scored three times in the first 10 minutes of the opening period and went on to a 7-4 non-league win over Holy Ghost Prep Monday night at Revolution Ice Gardens. It was the Hawks’ second win of the new season.

Illia Mukhin led the way for South by delivering a hat trick. Nikita Volobuiev added two goals of his own. Kevin Koles provided three assists.

It was a performance that put future opponents on notice.

“I think we’re playing great,” Koles said. “I think we’re moving the puck well. We’re communicating and doing all the right things, and playing good as a team.”

Volobuiev got things started for the Hawks 4:30 into the first period. Jake Weiner made it 2-0 just 16 seconds later.

A.J. Prete cut the lead in half when he scored for the Firebirds (0-1) at the 9:45 mark, but Mukhin found the back of the net at 13:36 to give South a 3-1 lead after one period.

The fast start sent a powerful message.

“Obviously scoring the first goal is very crucial in the game,” Koles said. “It gets our momentum going.”

Volobuiev and Holy Ghost Prep’s Brian Kinniry traded goals in the second period before Mukhin scored twice in a span of three-and-a-half minutes to give his team a 6-3 lead 6:23 into the third.
The Hawks stayed in control the rest of the way, although they spent more time in the penalty box than assistant coach Colin Murphy would have preferred. The two teams were whistled for 19 infractions, nine of them to the Hawks.

“We need to stick to our game,” Murphy said. “We kind of fell into [taking bad penalties]. We’ve got to regroup and kind of figure out that we need to play more as a team.”

Murphy noted the importance of doing the little things right.

“Mainly going back to the fundamentals,” he said, “and just kind of like we instill in these kids every year, that penalties kill us.”

Kinniry finished with two goals for the Firebirds, who were playing their first game with John Richie behind the bench.

“Especially at forward, we have a lot of young guys that need to figure out what their roles are,” he said, “and where they fit in this team. Obviously, we’re still adjusting lines but Council Rock South is going to be one of the best teams in the state at any level this year.

“It was a good test for us, I thought we got a little better as the game went on but obviously we’ve got a lot to learn between now and the end of the season.”

Richie noted that a number of his players are assuming new roles this season.

“For the most part, all these guys play on solid club teams,” he said, “so I don’t think game speed is an issue. But, for some of the younger guys, adjusting to the strength and some of the bigger guys will take a little bit of time, but I think overall I’m trying to figure out what the roles will be; who’s going to be a goal scorer, who’s going to be a grinder, who’s going to bring physicality, those types of things.”

Holy Ghost Prep 1 1 2—4

Council Rock South 3 1 3—7

First-period goals: Nikita Volobuiev (CRS) from Jordan Sarne, 4:30; Jake Weiner (CRS) from Jackson Mosley, 4:46; A.J.Prete (HGP) from Brendan Schultz, 9:45; Illia Mukhin (CRS) from Kevin Koles, 13:36 (pp)

Second-period goals: Volobuiev (CRS) unassisted, 2:51 (sh); Brian Kinniry (HGP) from Prete and Matthew Cholaj, :04

Third-period goals: Mikhin (CRS) from Volobuiev, 2:56; Mikhin (CRS) from Koles and Weiner, 6:23 (pp); Kinniry (HGP) from Nathan Romer, 10:39 (pp); Chas Tovsky (CRS) from Koles, 13:03 (sh); Anthony Valeriote, 15:52

Shots: Holy Ghost Prep 30, Council Rock South 30

Flyers Cup Candidates Named

A total of 59 teams are included on the eligibility list for the 45thannual Flyers Cup tournament, which will once again serve as the conclusion to scholastic hockey season.

The size and composition of the fields for each of the five divisions will be determined by the Flyers Cup Committee, whose members will evaluate teams over the course of the season.

Class A (17)

Council Rock North

Garnet Valley

Hershey

Lower Dauphin

Marple Newtown

Palmyra

Penncrest

Plymouth Whitemarsh

Radnor

Springfield-Delco

Springfield-Montco

Strath Haven

Unionville

West Chester East

West Chester Henderson

West Chester Rustin

Wissahickon

Class AA (19)

Abington

Avon Grove

Bensalem

Boyertown

Central Bucks East

Central Bucks South

Central Bucks West

Conestoga

Council Rock South

Cumberland Valley

Downingtown East

Downingtown West

Haverford

Lower Merion

North Penn

Pennridge

Pennsbury

Souderton

Spring Ford

Class AAA (9)

Archbishop Carroll/John Paul II

Devon Prep

Father Judge

Holy Ghost Prep

La Salle

Malvern Prep

Owen J. Roberts

Perkiomen Valley

St. Joseph’s Prep

Delaware/South Jersey (5)

Cherokee

Eastern

Kingsway

Moorsetown

Salesianum

Girls (9)

Avon Grove

Conestoga

Downingtown West

Kingsway

Pennridge

Radnor

Unionville

West Chester East

West Chester Henderson

Philadelphia Blind Hockey Event Brings Awareness to Vision Issues

Some high-school hockey players got a new view of their sport and some life lessons along with it Thursday night. Players from nine area high-school teams participated in the inaugural Philadelphia Blind Hockey 3 on 3 Blind Awareness Tournament at Hatfield Ice.

Proceeds from the evening benefitted the Philadelphia Blind Hockey organization.

Each team participated in two 24-minute cross-ice scrimmages while wearing googles designed to simulate various forms of vision loss (goaltenders were blindfolded).

For Central Bucks South senior captain D.J. Lindenmuth, it was a unique experience.

“It was something I’ve never experienced,” he said. “I was playing basically blinded at some points with barriers in my vision, but it was a great time. Everyone had some fun.”

Lindenmuth tried on an assortment of versions of the goggles. One pair simulated cataracts. Another gave the players a sense of the effects of diabetes on eyesight.

Lindenmuth noted how skating with reduced vision impacted his perception of the ice.

“If definitely changed the game for sure,” he said. “You’ve got to use your ears a lot more to make sure you know where you are on the ice. It’s more or less listening, and knowing where your teammates are knowing where you need to go, where the net’s at.”

Pennridge senior Kevin Pico said he and his teammates tried on an assortment of goggles to get an overview of different types of vision loss. On the ice their sense of hearing helped them adapt to their new surroundings.

“You’ve be quiet and listen to [the puck] so you can hear the jingles of the [ball bearings] inside of it,” Pico said.

Central Bucks South coach Shaun McGinty stressed the importance of his team being part of the event.

“[Flyers Cup Committee President] Eric Tye invited us to do this and I didn’t even ask my board’s permission,” he said. “I just said ‘We’re in.’

“It wasn’t a thought process for me. It was ‘We’re in, whatever I can do.’ Part of community service is understanding what you have, and giving up your time.”

Pennridge coach Jeff Montagna took note of the atmosphere at Hatfield Ice, both inside and outside the Blue Rink.

“This is incredible,” he said. “We’re really proud to be a part of this.  I know the players are. They can’t believe the event they put together out here. It’s really, really, cool to watch.”

Montagna had no shortage of athletes who wanted to take part in Wednesday night’s event before he selected 10.

“They all volunteered for this,” he said. We had more guys that wanted to do this than we had room. I think that’s what I’m most proud of. 

“They’ve loved working with these kids [at Philadelphia Blind Hockey clinics], they’ve loved working with this program. It’s gotten bigger and bigger for our players and we hope be a part of it moving forward.”

Pico says being part of Thursday night’s event gave him a new appreciation for what visually impaired people dal with on a day-to-day basis.

“You’ve got to give them respect,” he said. “[Playing hockey while visually impaired] It looks a lot easier than it is and once you actually try, you realize how hard it is.”

Lindenmuth says that participating in the tournament is part of the Titans’ commitment to giving back.

“I think that it shows that our club does things for the community,” he said. “They want everyone to notice [Philadelphia] Blind Hockey. And just raise awareness and have a good time.

“Hockey is one big family. Everyone looks out for each other.”

McGinty was asked what life lessons he would like his players to take away from Thursday night’s experience.”

“To not take things for granted,” he said. “To understand that you’re given a gift and you’re an able-bodied person. There’s kids out here trying to do what you do and they should be excited to come to the rink and they should never think to themselves ‘I don’t want to go to practice tonight or ‘What time is practice over?’ The moment they’re thinking that, they’re taking it for granted.

“I tell my boys all the time, your four years of high school go by so fast but to come out here tonight put it in the perspective of something that could be taken away from you or something your born with a vision or some other disability.”

• In addition to Central Bucks South and Pennridge, the teams that participated in the event included Haverford, Springfield Delco, Malvern Prep, Holy Ghost Prep, Father Judge, North Penn, and Penncrest.

Find out more about Philadelphia Blind Hockey

Blind Hockey Event to Kick Off Scholastic Season

The Philadelphia Blind Hockey 3 on 3 Blind Awareness Tournament will serve as the unofficial curtain raiser for the scholastic hockey season. It will also exemplify the power of the game of hockey to give back to the communities it touches.

Nine high-school teams will converge at Hatfield Ice on Thursday night. North Penn will be one of them.

Kevin Vaitis, the Knights’ head coach, notes the positive impact hockey has on the community at large.

“We are always looking for ways that we as an organization can give back to the community,” he said. “We do volunteer work, organize a toy drive for those in our community, and help run learn-to -play programs for future ice hockey players at North Penn. 

“When we were asked to participate in this event, this was a no-brainer. To give the players an opportunity to see what kind of impact they can make when we all come together for a common cause is truly an unforgettable moment that these kids will remember for a long time. We thank (Flyers Cup President Eric Tye) and the members of Blind Hockey Awareness for including us and we look forward to a great evening and raising a lot of money for a wonderful cause.”

Holy Ghost Prep will also field a team in the tournament. Senior forward Mike Holt, the Firebirds’ captain feels it’s important that he be in the lineup.

“As a captain, I feel like there was definitely a need to step up and let our guys know what we’re all about at Ghost,” he said. “Although a big part of what we do is trying to win and things like that, another big part of it is giving back to the community and I feel like I needed to set that example for my teammates.

“I feel like it’s going to be a great opportunity not just to show my teammates but to show everybody in the awareness that needs to be set for blind hockey.”

Holt, as well as the other players who will skate in the tournament, had a chance to try on the reduced-vision goggles the players will wear on the ice.

“It was definitely a unique experience,” Holt said, “but I think one of the things we took away from it was really realizing what these guys and girls playing blind hockey, or with any kind of disability, go through, not just in hockey but in everyday life, every single day.

“I think it’s important that we raise awareness and we kind of feel what they have to go through. I think it’s really important that we were able to get that experience and so having had that experience we are definitely pumped up to raise awareness and to participate.”

North Penn captain Joey Silvotti, a senior forward, has also tried on the goggles.

“It was challenging,” he said. “When I put the goggles on, I started to think how hard it must be for these players who go through this every day. It made me look forward to being able to participate in the fundraiser event. Myself along with my team and the other teams that night, we want to do everything we can to make it a great night for all those players that are a part of the Blind Hockey Awareness program.”

Besides North Penn and Holy Ghost Prep, the tournament will also include Pennridge, Central Bucks South, Haverford, Malvern Prep, Springfield-Delco, Father Judge, and Penncrest.

Player introductions begin at 6:00 and the first games will kick off at 6:25.

Schedule Set for Philadelphia Blind Hockey Benefit

  The schedule has been announced for the Philadelphia Blind Hockey 3 on 3 Blind Awareness tournament. The event is set for Thursday, October 26 at Hatfield Ice beginning at 6 p.m. with pre-tournament introductions. Nine high-school teams will play in the tournament, which will feature three-on-three cross-ice games (three skaters and a goaltender). 

The players will be wearing goggles to simulate visual impairment; goaltenders will be blindfolded.

Proceeds from the event will benefit Philadelphia Blind Hockey, which is staging the tournament in conjunction with the Flyers Cup Committee.

The nine schools will be divided into three pools of three teams each. The schedule is as follows:

6:25 Holy Ghost Prep vs. Central Bucks South

         Pennridge vs. Father Judge

         Malvern Prep at North Penn

6:55  Haverford vs. Holy Ghost Prep

          Father Judge vs. Penncrest

          Springfield (Delco) vs. Malvern Prep

7:25    Central Bucks South vs. Haverford

            Penncrest vs. Pennridge

            North Penn vs. Springfield-Delco

For more information about the tournament, go to the Flyers Cup You Tube Channel