2019 Flyers Cup Schedule

Here is the complete Flyers Cup 2019 game schedule

Game times and sites are subject to change

Class AAA

Quarterfinals

# 1 1 LaSalle has a bye

Wednesday, March 6

#2 4 Holy Ghost Prep vs. 5 Father Judge 8:40 at Grundy

#3 3 Cardinal O’Hara vs 6 St. Joseph’s Prep 6:15 at Skatium

Thursday, March 7

#4 2 Malvern Prep vs 7 Roman Catholic 8:00 at Ice Line

Semifinals

Thursday, March 14

LaSalle vs Winner of Game 2 7:00 at Hatfield

Winners of Games 3 and 4 6:30 at Ice Line

Championship Game

Sunday, March 17 7:00 at Wells Fargo Center. 7:00

Class AA

First Round: All Games Wednesday, March 6

# 1 1 Downingtown East vs Council Rock South 5:30 at Ice Line

# 2 8 Neshaminy vs. 9 Parkland 7:00 at Grundy

# 3 4 Pennridge vs. 13 Garnet Valley 8:40 at Hatfied

# 4 5 North Penn vs. 12 Pennsbury 7:00 at Hatfield

# 5 3 Conestoga vs. 14 Perkiomen Valley 8:50 at Ice Line

#6 6 Haverford vs. Central Bucks East 8:00 at Skatium

# 7 7 Boyertown vs. 10 Central Bucks West 7:10 at Ice Line

# 8 2 Central Bucks South vs. 15 Downingtown West 7:15 at Rev. Ice Gardens

Quarterfinals: All Games March 11

Winners of Games 1 and 2 6:15 at Ice Line

Winners of Games 3 and 4 7:00 at Hatfield

Winners of Games 5 and 6 8:00 at Ice Line

Winners of Games 7 and 8 7:15 at Rev. Ice Gardens

Semifinals

Thursday, March 14

Upper Bracket 6:15 at Ice Line

Wednesday, March 13

Lower Bracket 7:00 at Hatfield

Championship Game

Sunday, March 17 at Wells Fargo Center 4:30 P.M.

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Class A

First Round

# 1 1 Bayard Rustin vs. 16 Sun Valley 3-5 at Ice Line, 6:30

#2 8 Lower Merion vs. 9 O.J. Roberts 3-4 at Skatium, 8:00

#3 4 West Chester East vs. 13 Wissahckon 3-4 at Ice Line, 5:30

#4 5 Palmyra vs. 12 Springfield Delco 3-5 at Ice Line, 8:15

#5 3 WC Henderson vs 14 Kennett 3-4 at Ice Line, 7:10

#6 6 Hershey vs. 11 Plymouth Whitemarsh 3-4 at Ice Line, 8:50

#7 7 Lower Moreland vs 10 Unionville 3-4 7:45 at Rev. Ice Gardens

#8 2 Strath Haven vs. Hatboro-Horsham 3-5 at Aston, 7:30

Quarterfinals: All Games March 7

Winners of Games 1 and 2 5:30 at Ice Line

Winners of Games 3 and 4 6:45 at Ice Line

Winners of Games 5 and 6 7:10 at Ice Line

Winners of Games 7 and 8 7:30 at Aston

Semifinals

Tuesday, March 12

Upper Bracket 7:00 at Ice Line

Wednesday, March 13

Lower Bracket 6:30 at Ice Line

Championship Game

Sunday, March 17 at Wells Fargo Center 2:00

Girls

Semifinals

1 Unionville has a bye

2 West Chester East vs West Chester Rustin 8:45 at Ice Line

Championship Game

Sunday, March 17 at Wells Fargo Center 9:45 A.M.

Unionville vs. Semifinal winner

Flyers Cup Seedings 2019

A total of 42 high school hockey teams have been selected and seeded for the 40th annual Flyers Cup tournament.

Sixteen teams each will comprise the boys’ Class A and Class AA brackets while seven more will compete in Class AAA and three others will meet in a girls’ competition.

First-round games will be played March 4-6 and the tournament will continue from there before the champions are crowned at the Wells Fargo Center on Sunday, March 17

Two-time defending Flyers Cup and state champion Downingtown East has drawn the top seed in Class 2A. Central Bucks South, which lost to the Cougars in overtime in last year’s championship game, is seeded second, followed by Conestoga, Pennridge, and North Penn.

Haverford is seeded sixth, followed by Boyertown, Neshaminy, Parkland, and Central Bucks West. Central Bucks East is seeded 11th, followed by Pennsbury, Garnet Valley, Perkiomen Valley, Downingtown West, and Council Rock South.

The field includes eight teams from the Suburban High School Hockey League, seven from the Intercounty Scholastic Hockey League and one from the Lehigh Valley Scholastic Hockey League.

Five-time defending Flyers Cup and State Class A champion Bayard Rustin is once again the top seed in its bracket, followed by Strath Haven, West Chester Henderson, West Chester East, Palmyra, Hershey, Lower Moreland, and Lower Merion.

Owen J. Roberts is seeded ninth, followed by Unionville, Plymouth Whitemarsh, Springfield-Delco, Wissahickon, Kennett, Hatboro-Horsham, and Sun Valley.

LaSalle, which captured the Atlantic Prep Athletic Conference regular-season title, is the top seed in Class AAA. The Explorers will be trying to win the Flyers Cup for the 11th time and will be the only boys’ team in any division with an opening-round bye.

Malvern Prep is seeded second followed by Cardinal O’Hara, Holy Ghost Prep, Father Judge, St. Joseph’s Prep, and Roman Catholic.

Unionville will have the bye in the girls’ bracket. West Chester East and West Chester Rustin will meet on March 13 for a place in the championship game.

SHSHL Sets Playoff Dates

The Suburban High School Hockey League has announced its 2019 playoff schedule.

Eight Class AA varsity teams, four Class A varsity teams, and four junior varsity teams will begin postseason play on Monday, February 25. All three tournaments will be conducted on a single-elimination basis.

SHSHL Varsity Playoff Schedule

Monday, February 25

Class AA Quarterfinals

7:00 at Hatfield Ice

8:40 at Hatfield Ice

7:00 at Revolution Ice Gardens

8:40 at Revolution Ice Gardens

Wednesday, February 27

7:10 Class AA semifinal at Hatfield Ice

8:50 Class A semifinal at Hatfield Ice

7:00 Class AA semifinal at Revolution Ice Gardens

8:40 Class A semifinal at Revolution Ice Gardens

Thursday, February 28

7:10 Class AA Final at Hatfield Ice

8:50 Class A Final at Hatfield Ice

Junior Varsity Class AAA Playoffs

Wednesday, February 27

7:20 Semifinal at Grundy Arena

9:00 Semifinal at Grundy Arena

Thursday, February 28

8:45 Championship game at Grundy Arena

Teams will be assigned to specific ice slots following the conclusion of the regular season/once playoff pistons are finalized. Dates and sites are subject to change due to weather and similar circumstances.

SHSHL playoff results will not impact seeding for the Flyers Cup tournament. Those seedings and pairings will be announced on Sunday, February 24.

Flyers Cup Finals Set For Wells Fargo Center

Sunday, March 17 will not only be the day to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day but also a day to celebrate interscholastic hockey.

Five Flyers Cup championship games will be played on that date at the Wells Fargo Center.

The finals will determine champions in the New Jersey/Delaware and Girls Divisions, as well as Eastern Pennsylvania boys’ champions in Class A, Class AA, and Class AAA. Game times have not been announced.

The Flyers Cup has been an annual tradition since it was first contested 1980.

Turning Back the Clock

The Philadelphia Flyers were not the city’s first National Hockey League team. Read on for a glimpse at how professional hockey has evolved in Philadelphia. The city’s professional franchises, notably the Flyers, made it possible for high-school hockey to thrive and flourish.

1927-28—The Philadelphia Arrow become Philadelphia’s first professional hockey team. The team played in the Canadian American Hockey League, a highly-regarded minor circuit. [i]

1930-31—The Philadelphia Quakers become Philadelphia’s first National Hockey League franchise. The team was transplanted from Pittsburgh where it was known as the Pirates. It lasted just one season in Philadelphia, finishing with a record of 4-36-4, the fewest wins in a season by any NHL team in history.

One reason the franchise didn’t survive was that the minor-league Arrows were outdrawing them. [ii]

1935-36—The Philadelphia Arrows become the Philadelphia Ramblers. The following year, 1936-37, the CAHL played an interlocking schedule with the International Hockey League.

In 1938-39 the two leagues merged into the International American Hockey League. In 1940 the league was re-christened the American Hockey League.

The Ramblers finished first in their league three times, in 1936, ’37, and ’39. They were a New York Rangers affiliate and several former Ramblers played key roles on the Ranger team that won the Stanley Cup in 1940.

The Ramblers however folded in 1941.[iii]

1941-42—The Philadelphia Rockets replaced the Ramblers in the AHL and folded after one season.

1942-43—The Philadelphia Falcons join the Eastern Hockey League. The franchise lasted four seasons, finishing second in the regular season in its final season, 1945-46

1946-47—The Philadelphia Rockets return to the AHL. The team lasted three seasons and never made the playoffs.

1955-56—The Philadelphia Ramblers return to the EHL and remain for nine seasons. Like all the Philadelphia franchises before them, the Ramblers played their games at Philadelphia Arena at 46^th and Market Streets.

1964-65—The Ramblers move across the Delaware River to Cherry Hill, N.J. and become the Jersey Devils. The team reached the EHL finals in 1966-67. The Devils and the EHL folded at the conclusion of the 1972-73 season.

1965—The National Hockey League announces it will double in size, from six teams to 12. The league had operated with six teams since 1942 but was dealing with the fact that it would be impossible to get a network TV contract in the U.S. without expanding,

February 9, 1966—Philadelphia is awarded an expansion franchise to begin play in 1967-68. Philadelphia was one of 10 cities under consideration for the six new franchises. The franchise was awarded on the condition that a new arena be built for the team, what became the Spectrum.

The other five went to Pittsburgh, Minnesota, St. Louis, Los Angeles, and the San Francisco Bay area.

October 11, 1967—The Flyers play their first game and lose 5-1 to the California Seals in Oakland.

October 19, 1967—The Flyers play their first regular-season game in the Spectrum, defeating the Pittsburgh Penguins 1-0.

1969—The Intercounty Scholastic Hockey League is founded with six teams: St. Joseph’s Prep, Haverford High, Conestoga, Cardinal O’Hara. Marple Newtown, and Swarthmore.

1972-73—The World Hockey Association launches as a competitor to the NHL. One of its 12 teams is the Philadelphia Blazers, which played its games at the Civic Center. The Blazers, which featured Former Flyer (at the time) Bernie Parent in goal, lasted one season in Philadelphia before moving to Vancouver and later Calgary. The franchise folded at the close of the 1976-77 season.

1973-74—The Suburban High School Hockey League is formed. Information on the structure of the league that season that year is still being complied but the latest information available indicates it consisted of eight teams: Abington, North Penn, Plymouth Whitemarsh, Hatboro-Horsham, Willow Grove, Philmont, Northeast, and Lower Moreland.

The Flyers win their first Stanley Cup, defeating the Boston Bruins in six games in the finals. Rick MacLeish scored the only goal in the final game on May 19, 1974 at the Spectrum, tipping in a shot from Andre “Moose” Dupont.

1974-75—The Flyers win their second consecutive Stanley Cup, defeating the Buffalo Sabres in six games.

The Philadelphia Firebirds begin play in the North American Hockey League, which forms from the remnants of the EHL. The team plays its games at the Philadelphia Civic center. The team won the NAHL championship in 1976.

The EHL folded in 1976 and the Firebirds moved to the American Hockey League. In 1979 the team moved to Syracuse where it played for one season.

[iv]

1980—The Philadelphia Flyers sponsor the first Flyers Cup tournament. It featured four teams. All games were played at the University of Pennsylvania’s Class of 1923 Rink.

Archbishop Carroll defeated Archbishop Ryan in one semifinal game while Malvern Prep defeated Germantown Academy in the other.

Carroll defeated Malvern Prep two games to one in the best-of-three finals.

Scores

Game 1 – Malvern 6, Carroll 5

Game 2 – Carroll 7, Malvern 3

Game 3 – Carroll 6, Malvern 2

MVP: Scott Chamness, Carroll (four hat tricks in four games)

This year will mark the 40th Flyers Cup tournament.

1996—The Philadelphia Phantoms, a Flyers affiliate, begin play in the American Hockey league. The team played most of its home games at the Spectrum. The Phantoms won two Calder Cup titles (in 1998 and 2005) before leaving Philadelphia following the 2008-09 season. Today the team is known as the Lehigh Valley Phantoms and plays its games in Allentown.

November 2, 2018—The Atlantic Prep Athletic Conference begins its inaugural season

[i] The Broad Street Bullies; the Incredible Story of the Philadelphia Flyers

[ii] Ibid The Broad Street Bullies

[iii] Wikipedia.org

[iv] Wkipedia.org

Two Ex-Ridley Hockey Players Convicted for Roles in 2017 Flyers Cup Brawl

Two former Ridley High School hockey players were convicted Friday in a Montgomery County courtroom of charges stemming from an on-ice brawl during a Flyers Cup quarterfinal game against Central Bucks West in March of 2017

19-year old Brock Anderson of Morton and 20-year old Jake Tyler Cross of Secane were convicted of simple assault and conspiracy to commit simple assault, both misdemeanors.

Both were sentenced to one year probation and 100 hours of community service. A third defendant, 19-year old Ryan Anthony Gricco of Swarthmore, also a former Ridley hockey player, was acquitted of a conspiracy charge. The jury deadlocked on an assault charge against Gricco, he could be retried.

The incident occurred with 7:12 left in the third period of a Class 2A Flyers Cup quarterfinal on March 9, 2017 at Hatfield Ice. Central Bucks West was leading 7-1 at the time; the game was terminated at that point. Several Central Bucks West players were injured in the incident

Atlantic Prep Athletic Conference Previews

The Atlantic Prep Athletic Conference is set to kick off it’s inaugural season this week.

Here is a look at all four teams.

St. Joseph’s Prep

Head coach: David Giacomin (sixth season)

Last year: 26-4-1; Flyers Cup and Pennsylvania state Class 3A champions

Key players: Sr. Troy Stefano (GK); Sr. Dan McGill (GK); Sr. Nick Ciampitti (D); Sr. Nick Corrado (D); Jr. Mike Urbani (D); Sr. Evan Cassidy (F); Sr. Owen Kelly (F); Sr. Austin Amato (F)

Outlook: The Hawks lost their top two lines from last year to graduation so some retooling will likely be necessary. But this should still be a formidable group.

“We hope to be a speed driven team that will play hard in all three zones,” Giacomin says. “It probably will take time to see who we truly will be. Depth will play a big role this year.”

Holy Ghost Prep

Coach: Gump Whiteside (10^th season)

Last year: 19-6

Key players: Jr. Sean Joyce (GK); Sr. Tom McNulty (D); Sr. Andrew Serafin (D); Sr. Alex D’Angelo (F); So. E.J. Pohl (F); So. Evan Murdick (F)

Outlook: The Firebirds feature a blend of senior leadership and young talent after reaching the Flyers Cup finals a year ago. Joyce, a first-year starter in goal, will be a key to this team’s success.

LaSalle

Coach: Wally Muehlbronner (21^st season)

Last year: 14-10

Key players: Jr. Aidan McCabe (GK); Sr. Zach Baker (D)

Outlook: The Explorers will likely field the most experienced team in the league; 15 players return from what was a young team a year ago. Muehlbronner likes the balance in his lineup. Goaltender McCabe will be a lynchpin.

Malvern Prep

Coach: Dave Dorman (fifth season)

Last year: 13-7-1

Key players: Sr. Dan Dougherty (GK); So. Chris Blango (D); So. Jack Constabile (D); Sr. Charlie Andress (F); Sr. Nick Martino (F); So. Kenny Connors (F); Sr. Kyle Washkalavitch (F); So. Ryan Sambuco (F)

Outlook: A young Friars squad reached the Flyers Cup semifinals a year ago; nine freshmen saw varsity time last year; a number of those returnees are expected to fill key roles this season. Dougherty offers a veteran presence in goal.

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New PA Prep Hockey League Forming

Some of the most prominent scholastic ice hockey programs in the Philadelphia area are aligning to form a new conference.

Holy Ghost Prep, LaSalle, St. Joseph’s Prep, and Malvern Prep will compete against one another this coming season.

The four schools are in different leagues in other sports. Holy Ghost Prep belongs to the Bicentennial Athletic League, St. Joseph’s Prep and LaSalle to the Philadelphia Catholic League, and Malvern Prep to the InterAc League.

The four schools will play each other three times each over the course of the season. A source told Hockey Happenings that plans call for each team to play six of its nine conference games in the afternoon, the other three at night. The regular season will be followed by a pair of one-game semifinals and a one-game final.

The idea behind the new league was to form a conference composed entirely of schools where ice hockey is considered a full-fledged varsity sport. Veteran Holy Ghost Prep coach Gump Whiteside notes that all four member schools fit hockey into their athletic and academic structures.

“I think that stems from the leadership at these schools,” he said.
All four schools involved in the alliance have longstanding hockey traditions. LaSalle has won 10 Flyers Cup titles, nine in Class 3A and one in Class 2A. Malvern Prep has won seven Cups, all in Class 3A. Holy Ghost Prep has won three Class 3A Flyers Cup titles to go with one in Class 2A while St. Joseph’s Prep claimed its first Flyers Cup title when it won the Class 3A title this past March.

The four schools will remain part of the Flyers Cup structure where will compete in Class 3A but will not be aligned with the Suburban High School Hockey League or the Intercounty Scholastic Hockey League. for scheduling purposes

Jim Britt, who has had a long association with amateur hockey, will serve as commissioner of what is expected to be known as the Atlantic Prep Athletic Conference.

St. Joseph’s Prep Wins Class 3A Flyers Cup

St. Joseph’s Prep defeated Holy Ghost Prep 4-2 Tuesday night in the Class 3A Flyers Cup final at Grundy Arena.

Our account of the game can be found HERE via the Bucks County Courier Times web site.

The Penguins Cup tournament crowned two champions Tuesday night

Class 2A Armstrong 5, Quaker Valley 0

Class 3A Seneca Valley 4, Peters Township 2

The state championship games are set for Saturday at Ice Line

11:00 Class A Rustin vs Bishop McCourt

1:30 Class2A Downingtown East vs. Armstrong

4:00 Class 3A St. Joseph’s Prep vs. Seneca Valley

Downingtown East Wins Flyers Cup

Downingtown East defeated Central Bucks South 4-3 in overtime Thursday night to win the Class 2A Flyers Cup at Hatfield Ice.

Luca Pisai scored the winning goal with 2:10 left in the first sudden-death overtime period.

This account of the game was published in the Intelligencer on Friday, March 16 and the newspaper holds the copyright.

Downingtown East 4, Central Bucks South 3

By Rick Woelfel

HATFIELD— The performance was held on a stage that measured precisely 200 feet long and 85 feet wide. And on that grand stage, Luca Pisani was the brightest star of all. Pisani’s goal, 7 minutes and 50 seconds into overtime, gave Downingtown East a 4-3 win over Central Bucks South Thursday night at Hatfield Ice in a Flyers Cup Class 2A final that was the ultimate advertisement for interscholastic hockey.

The second-seeded and defending championship Cougars, who claimed their four Cup since 2010, went on the power play when the Titans’ Nick Morelli drew a holding penalty at the 7:09 mark when he took down a Cougar on the right wing at the blue line in front of the Titans’ bench and directly in front of one of the referees.

The winning goal came on a slapshot from the left point.

It was Pasani’s second goal of the game; he was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player.

South coach Sean McGinty directed a stream of verbiage at the officiating crew following the goal and afterwards his emotions were still running on high. “In my opinion… you can’t make that call,” he said. “It’s overtime. It’s the Flyers Cup.”

The Titans took a 1-0 lead at the 5:37 mark of the first period when Joe DeLaurentis parked himself on the goal line to the left of the Cougar net and found Reis Braccio in front, Braccio found the back of the net with a forehander. That was the only goal of a fast-paced opening session.

Downingtown East drew even on a second-period power-play chance. The Titans’ Dominic Patrone was sent to the box for high sticking at the 11:59 mark and it took the Cougars just 28 seconds to score. Pisani launched rocket from the center of the ice just inside the blue line and found his target inches off the ice just inside the right post.

Braccio put the top-seeded Titans (30-4) ahead with 1:08 left in the period on a goal that produced traffic in front of the Cougar net. Goaltender Matt Shandler was knocked to the ice in the midst of he scramble. He regained his feet but Bracio scored in the midst of the scrum. The Cougars argued for goaltender interference but the goal was allowed to stand.

DeLaurentis and the Cougars’ Jack Barton traded goals two minutes, 15 seconds apart in the third period before Patrick Bobko tied the game for Downingtown East on a slapshot from the point with 5:03 left in regulation.

It was a game that saw the two teams push each other to a level that only truly outstanding teams can aspire to. Even in the midst of his disappointment, South captain Matt Stoll sensed that.

“It’s awesome,” he said, “playing at such a fast pace. Knowing that for some players, this is the highest level we’ll ever play at. “It’s awesome. It’s truly an honor to make it this far.”

Notes: South was trying for its third Flyers Cup title in five years. Downingtown East will play in the state championship game on March 24. The Cougars, who held a 35-21 edge in shots, are the first Class 2A team to defend the Flyers Cup title since Council Rock South six years ago.

Downingtown East 0 1 2 1—4

C.B. South 1 1 1 0—3

First-period goal: Reis Braccio (CBS) from Joe DeLaurentis, 5:37.

Second-period goals; Luca Pisani (DE) from Mark Stankiewicz and Eric Stankiewicz,, 12:27 (pp); Braccio (CBS) from Dominic Patrone, 15:52.

Third-period goal: DeLaurentis (CBS) unassisted, 3:30; Jack Barton (DE) from Justin Cohn, 5:45 (pp); Patrick Bobko (DE) unassisted, 11:57.

Overtime goal: Pisani (DE) from MIke Bolger, 7:50 (pp).

Shots: Downingtown East 35, C.B. South 21; Saves: Matt Shandler (DE) 18; Tim White (CBS) 31.

Records: Downingtown East (19-5); Central Bucks South (30-4)

A look back at Thursday’s Flyers Cup 2A final

Downingtown East’s Luca Pisani, who scored two goals, including the game winner, is #6.

His teammate Mike Bolger is # 98. Joe DeLaurentis of Central Bucks South is #66.

Photo by Dara Nappen King

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