The night before Thanksgiving is a highlight of the high-school hockey season. The schedule features a number of traditional rivalries. Here’s a look at the schedule.
SHSHL
Central Bucks South vs. North Penn 5:00 at Hatfield
Souderton vs. Pennridge 7:00 at Hatfield
Council Rock North vs. Council Rock South 7:00 at RIG
Neshaminy vs. Pennsbury 7:20 at Grundy
Upper Moreland vs. William Tennent/HH 8:45 at RIG
C.B. East vs. C.B. West 9:00 at Hatfield
APAC
Father Judge vs. Holy Ghost Prep (non-league) 8:10 at FSZ
La Salle vs. Malvern Prep 8:30 at Ice Line
ICSHL
Downingtown West vs. Downingtown East 5:10 at Ice Line
Marple Newtown vs Garnet Valley 5:30 at Ice Works
Archbishop Carroll/PJP vs. Great Valley/P-vIlle 6:00 at PNY
Unionville vs. WC Henderson 6:10 at Ice Line
WC Rustin vs WC East 6:50 at Ice Line
Haverford vs. Springfield Delco 7:00 at Skatium
Oxford vs. Sun Valley/Chichester 7:00 at IceWorks
Spring Ford vs. Perk Valley 7:00 at Center Ice
Kingsway Girls vs WC Rustin Girls 7:45 at PNY
Conestoga vs. Radnor 7:50 at Ice Line
D-town Wet Girls vs. Avon Grove Girls 8:30 at Ice Line
HATFIELD TOWNSHIP—For two periods, La Salle and Wyoming Seminary battled each other on even terms. The result was a 1-1 standoff.
In the third frame, Knights broke through, scoring four goals to record a 5-1 win Friday evening at Hatfield Ice.
Alexis Billequey scored two goals and assisted on another as the Knights improved to 4-1 on the season.
The Explorers dropped to 0-2 but Coach Wally Muehlbronner saw his team take some big strides.
“For us, the game was a big step forward,” he said. “Our approach, the way the guys played, we played hard for three periods.”
The Explorers actually took the early lead when Chase Hannon bested Wyoming Seminary goaltender Caleb Chabot with 7:45 left in the opening period.
The second period was almost two thirds gone before BIllequey responded for the Knights and when the teams left the ice at period’s end it was anyone’s game for the taking.
Starting the third period on fresh ice, the Knights stepped up. Mathis Pellerin beat LaSalle netminder Jake Rossi just 1:24 into the period. Colin Donovan made it a 3-1 game at the 4::05 mark and Billequey scored his second goal just 42 seconds later.
Anthony Petrick completed the scoring with 3:04 left in the game.
Rossi, a sophomore, gave a solid effort in the Explorer net.
“He’s only a sophomore but he’s a competitor,” Muehlbronner said. “He’s a good goalie, I was happy with the way he played today.”
Despite the loss, Muehlbronner sees things heading in the right direction.
“We did a couple things that, if we look back at it, and correct them, it could have been a 1-1 game to the end,” he said. “We hurt ourselves a little it in the third.”
Second-period goal: Alexis Billequey (WS) from Oliver van der Groen and Jason Shapiro, 10:18
Third-period goals: Mathis Pellerin (WS) from Yoan Gagnon and Billequey, 1:24; Colin Donovan (WS) unassisted, 4:05; Billequey (WS) from Daniel Svozil, 4:47; Anthony Petrick (WS) from Gagnon, 12:56
BRISTOL—A hockey fan couldn’t have wished for more. Tristan Winata’s goal 60 seconds into three-on-three overtime gave St. Joseph’s Prep a dramatic 3-2 win over Holy Ghost Prep Wednesday afternoon in an Atlantic Prep Athletic Conference game at Grundy Arena.
Winata’s game-winner, his second goal of the afternoon, came when he collected a feed from goaltender Rocco Bruno and put a backhander past Firebird netminder Colin Mudrick just moments after the Firebirds had a chance of their own.
The result squared the Hawks’ record at 1-1 in the APAC and 4-1 overall and came five days after a loss to Malvern Prep in their conference opener.
“It’s amazing to be part of that experience,” Bruno said. “The game was real tight, real close, the adrenaline was pumping, and it’s a great overall feeling to come out with a win.”
Bruno had as much to do with his team’s success as anyone in the building. The Firebirds (1-1 overall and in the the APAC) outshot the Hawks 46-25; Bruno finished his day’s work with 44 saves. He spoke to the importance of staying focused.
“Not letting yourself being distracted,” he said. “I’ve got to make sure I’m paying attention to my D-men and talking to them. I have to keep control of a lot of things at once, but I can’t get distracted by anybody other than who’s on the ice.”
St. Joseph’s Prep assistant coach Van Stefanou said Bruno’s play gave his teammates an energy boost but stressed the senior netminder had plenty of help.
“I think it gives our team a lot of momentum going forward,” he said. “Rocco played out of his mind, but our whole defensive corps, and even the forwards coming back and helping defensively out really turned it around especially from the last game. Our focus this game was to protect the house and our guys did just that.”
The Hawks took a 1-0 lead when Shane O’Neill scored from the high slot just inside the Holy Ghost Prep blue line 11:32 into the first period. Winata made it a 2-0 game during a power play at the 12:12 mark of the second frame.
But the Firebirds didn’t buckle. Kieran Mulholland and Brady Baehser scored goals five minutes apart and with 10:48 left in regulation it was a 2-2 game.
And as time marched on the level of play at both ends of the ice picked up, something even Gump Whiteside, the losing coach, could appreciate.
“That’s a great game,” he said. “Win, lose, or tie, two good teams playing.”
Whiteside was pleased with the way his troops recovered from the two-goal deficit.”
“I really liked the way our guts responded in the third period,” he said. “We did everything we wanted to do. I told the guys after the game, when you get to overtime, anything can happen. We had that opportunity early and it didn’t go our way.”
St. Joseph’s Prep 1 1 0 0 1—3
Holy Ghost Prep 0 0 2 0—2
Frost-period goal: Shane O’Neill (SJP) from Jeffrey Hammond and Tristan Winata, 11:32
Second-period goal: Winata (SJP) from Jake Schulz and Patrick Sweeney, 12:12 (pp)
For more information about St. Joseph’s Prep CLICK HERE
For more information about Holy Ghost Prep CLICK HERE
Elsewhere: Hun School 4 Father Judge 0—Four different players scored goals as the Raiders won their season opener from the host Crusaders on Wednesday. Ryan Levesque, Justin Laplante, Charles-Etienne Jette, and Ethan Estulin were the goal scorers.
Stephen Chen (21 saves) and Julian Arsenault (10) combined on the shutout.
Hun School 1 2 1—4
Father Judge 0 0 0—0
First-period goal: Ryan Levesque from Tyler James, Mark Gall, 16:38
Second-period goals: Justin Laplante, 9:33 (SH)
Third-period goal: Elian Estulin from Laplante, Marino
HAVERFORD TOWNSHIP—Caidan Canale scored two goals and assisted on another as Malvern Prep opened defense of its Atlantic Prep Athletic Conference title with a 4-1 win over St. Joseph’s Prep Friday night at the Skatium. Brayden Baum and Jeremy Jacobs also scored for the Friars (3-0 overall). Four of the game’s give goals came in the first period. Ben Kerson have the Hawks (3-1, 0-1 in the APAC) a 1-0 lead 5:02 into the first period but Jeremy Jacobs, Brayden Baum, and Canale scored goals in a span of 9:38 to give the Friars (3-0 overall) a 3-1 lead after the opening period.
Canale added his second goal of the night with 10:15 left in the game.
Brandon Novabilski got the win in goal, making 31 saves.
Malvern Prep 3 0 1—4
St. Joseph’s Prep 1 0 0—1
First-period goals: Ben Kerson (SJP) from Jeffrey Hammond, 5:02; Jeremy Jacobs (MP) from Caidan Canale, 7:04 (pp); Brayden Baum (MP) from Jacobs and Steven Gestie, 8:01; Canale from Gabe Bedwell, 16:42
Third-period goals: Canale from Jacobs, 6:45
Shots: Malvern Prep 39, St. Joseph’s Prep 32 Saves: Brandon Novabiliski (MP) 31, Rocco Bruno (SJP) 35
For more information at about Malvern Prep CLICK HERE
For more information about St. Joseph’s Prep CLICK HERE
Expectations are running high at Malvern Prep. That’s generally been the case of late. The Friars are two-time defending Class AAA Flyers Cup champions and claimed the APAC title last season after sharing it with La Salle in 2021, and going on to win the state championship that year.
The Friars won their first two starts heading into Friday’s Atlantic Prep Athletic Conference opener against St. Joseph’s Prep
But Jimmy Jacobs knows past performance is no assurance of future success.
“I think our mindset is to look at one or the other and give it our best,” he said. “We’ve really just got to take this season one game at a time.
“It’s a long season and we just focus on one game at a time. I think that’s where we can really be successful as a group and a team.”
A senior forward, and a second-team All-APAC choice last season, Jacobs understands the importance of senior leadership.
“I think last year and the year before, we had two really strong senior groups and leaders overall,” he said. “If we want to do anything similar to that this year, we need some people to step up and become leaders and take a big role.
“I think of a senior as someone others rely on. “(Your teammates) know that you’ve been through it, with it being your fourth year. I think being a senior, you have a big impact on the team, because you’re a leader and all the underclassmen look up to you.”
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Malvern Prep’s Jimmy Jacobs (Photo furnished by Jimmy Jacobs)
Jacobs stresses the responsibility veterans have to help the underclassmen feel comfortable and part of the group.
“To me it doesn’t matter what grade you’re in,” he said. “If you’re on a team, we’re a family. So, no one is treated differently if you’re a freshman or if you’re a senior. I think in order to be successful, everyone has to get along and treat each other as they would treat any other teammate.”
Jacobs believes that good team chemistry must be developed and nurtured by the players themselves.
“There’s only so much a coach can do,” he said. “At the end of the day, we’re the ones playing for each other, we’re the ones in the locker room we’re the ones that have to get along. The coaches can only do so much.”
Jeremy Jacobs scored two goals and Caiden Canale and Gavin Wilson also scored as defending Class AAA Flyers Cup and APAC champion Malvern Prep opened its season Monday with a 4-1 win over Calvert Hall at Ice Line.
The Friars took control of the game in the first period when Wilson, Jacobs, and Canale scored in a span of 7:44. Brandon Novabilski got the win in goal, making 36 saves.
“Over the last two years we graduated a lot of seniors and needed some young guys to step up,” said Malvern Prep coach Bill Keenan. “I was pleased with our energy and tempo we set from the beginning. Our goalie came out strong and played a great game.”
WEST GOSHEN TOWNSHIP— It was game that turned into a shootout in very short order. In the end, Malvern Prep ran out of ammunition and fell to Peters Township 5-4 in the Class AAA Pennsylvania state championship game Saturday night at Ice Line.
Five different players scored goals for the Indians (18-5-1) who claimed their third Class AAA Pennsylvania Cup and sixth overall. They previously won Class AAA state titles in 2014 and ’17 and Class AA State titles in 2002, ’04, and ’05.
The goals came fast and furious Saturday night; six of them in the first period alone on a night when neither goaltender was particularly sharp.
Malvern Prep (16-4) scored first. Haydon Campbell beat Indian netminder Nolan Hilbert just 1:35 into the first frame.
Kolby Ringwald tied the game for Peters Township on a shot that sailed high and wide of the Malvern Prep net and caromed off the end boards and back in front of the goal. Ringwald tucked the puck behind Anthony Perti at the 6:11 mark.
Quinn Dougherty put the Friars back in front just 13 seconds later but Camden Martin retied the game for the Indians at 7:56. Caleb Kovac put Peters Township for the first time at the 12:21 mark before Jimmy Jacobs retied the game at 14:15, on a shot that Hilbert couldn’t handle, to being down the curtain on a first period that featured some unexpected twists and turns.
“Each team capitalized on the other’s mistakes,” said Malvern Prep coach Bill Keenan. “Overall, I thought our boys came out and played the game. They worked hard. Unfortunately, some of the bounces didn’t go our way, but that’s the game of hockey.”
It was more of the same in the second stanza. Jimmy Jacobs gave Malvern Prep the lead just 34 seconds into the period, but back-to-back penalties to Jack Sharer and Steve Getsie left the Friars two men short for 1:47 and the Indians took advantage. Austin Malley tied the game for the Indians with 5:50 left in the session. The penalty boxes were empty when William Tomko out in a rebound of Malley’s original shot with 3:11 left in the period.
That turned out to be the last goal of the game. The Friars picked up the pace in the third period but couldn’t net the equalizer.
“We tried to push the puck up the ice,” Keenan said. “Peters Township did a good job of keeping everything in front of them, put the puck deep, and just made us go the length of the ice.”
Malvern Prep was attempting to become the first Class AAA team to successful defend a state title since La Salle in 2009.
Peters Township 3 2 0—5
Malvern Prep 3 1 0—4
First-period goals: Hayden Campbell (MP) unassisted, 1:35; Kolby Ringwald (PT) from Colin Kimberling, 6:21; Quinn Dougherty (MP) from Jeremy Jacobs, 6:34; Camden Martin (PT) from Caleb Kovac and Kimberling, 7:56; Kovac (PR) from Martin and Kimberling, 12:21; Jimmy Jacobs (MP) from Caiden Canale, 14:15
Second-period goals: Jimmy Jacobs (MP) from Dougherty, :26; Austin Malley (PT) from Martin and William Tomko, 11:10 (pp); Tomko (PT) from Malley, 13:49
Defending champion Malvern Prep and St. Joseph’s Prep are set to square off Monday night in the Class AAA Flyers Cup final. Game time is 6:30 at Ice Line. The Friars are attempting to become the first Class AAA team to successfully defend the Flyers Cup title since La Salle in 2014. Here’s how the two teams match up.
St. Joseph’s Prep
Coach: David Giacomin
Record: 10-8-1
This tournament: Defeated Cardinal O’Hara 6-1 in the first round. Defeated La Salle 2-0 in the semifinals.
Key players:Jeffrey Hammond, 3 goals and 5 assists for 8 points in APAC play; 3 goals and 1 assist in the Flyers Cup tournament.
Joey Samango, 8 goals and 2 assists for 10 points in APAC competition; 2 assists in the Flyers Cup.
Dante Passio, 1 goal and 7 assists in the APAC.
Rocco Bruno. Has made 46 saves in 2 Flyers Cup starts
Flyers Cup history: Won Flyers Cup and state titles in 2018
Malvern Prep
Coach: Bill Keenan
Record: 15-3, Founders Cup champion
This tournament: defeated Holy Ghost Prep 6-2 in the semifinals
Key players: Matt Harris, 13 goals and 9 assists for 22 points during the APAC season. Scored four goals and added an assist in the Flyers Cup semifinals.
Jim Jacobs, 8 goals and 9 assists for 17 points during the APAC season.
Jeremy Jacobs, 7 goals, 7 assists for 14 points during the APAC season.
Anthony Perti, Made 35 saves in the semifinals
Flyers Cup history: Won 9 Flyers Cup titles in 1987, ’90, ’97, 2001-05, and 2021. Won state titles in 1990, 2004, and 2021.
Notes: The Hawks and the Friars met twice during the APAC season. Malvern Prep won the first meeting 6-5 on December 10. St. Joseph’s Prep won the rematch 4-2 on January 27. That was Malvern Prep’s only APAC loss.
The winner of this game advances to the Class AAA state championship game on Saturday, March 26 at 5 p.m. at Ice Line.
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Jeff Mauro has written a book on the history of the Pennsylvania state high school hockey championship. To find out more and order a copyCLICK HERE
Steve Getsie was drawn to Malvern Prep because of his passion for hockey and lacrosse. By all accounts, it’s been a good fit. The junior defenseman will be in the lineup Wednesday night when the Friars face off against Holy Ghost Prep in the Class AAA Flyers Cup semifinals at Ice Line (6:45 start).
Malvern Prep is the defending Flyers Cup and state champion and recently claimed the APAC title.
Getsie is in his third varsity season, a stay-at-home defenseman who does the little things well and processes a strong work ethic. Not that he didn’t have some adjustments to make at first. Like most newcomers to high school hockey, he had to become comfortable playing with and against players who were bigger, stronger, and older.
“I’m a January ‘05 birthday,” he said, “so I was usually older than most of the kids I played with. My eighth- grade year I was playing with ‘06s, so I was so I was a lot bigger than most of the guys I was playing against, so when I came into high school it was definitely a change to be playing on varsity against seniors that were a lot bigger and stronger than me.”
Getsie prides himself on being a physical player, but he had to tone down that side of his game when he first came to Malvern Prep because of the physical maturity of his teammates and opponents.
”Just because being a younger guy out there was a little bit different,” he said.
But the foundation of Getsie’s game remained unchanged.
“I definitely just played my game of hockey,” he said. “I didn’t come in and try to do something else. I feel like I’ve always been more of a defensive defenseman than an offensive defenseman. Coming to Malvern, I was definitely able to harp on those strengths.
“I would be a physical player, I would block a bunch of shots and a lot of the older guys, when I was a freshman and sophomore, they really respected me for putting my body on the line for the team. So, that was able to help me fit in on the team and that’s kind of my place still, being a defensive defenseman that puts his body on the line and plays for the team.”
The Friars have set a standard of excellence for two seasons now. Many of their players play together at the club level. Getsie says that familiarity breeds success.
“We’ve been together for the last three years, pretty much,” he said. “The star players that are the juniors and senior Jimmy (Jacobs) Pierre (Larocque), (Matt) Harris and Quinn Dougherty, they’ve all been playing on the same team since our freshman and sophomore years, so this has all been over the last three years.
“Just being able to play with each other on Malvern as well as most of those guys playing in the same organization or on the same team elsewhere. I think that has allowed everyone to develop good chemistry the last three years. And then it has helped Malvern develop into the kind of team we are.”
Steve Getsie
Getsie notes that the culture at Malvern Prep encourages unselfishness, and that mindset carries over onto the ice.
“I think it’s kind of the history of Malvern hockey,” he said, “whether we were a top team or not. The seniors, and the older guys before those guys, kind of set (the standard) to always be a leader for the team and not a self-centered guy.
“As well as at Malvern, we kind of have that theme of brotherhood and I’ve definitely seen that come out on the team as well the school in total just going through Covid. Everyone has come together and we’re all like a family so, I feel like in the environment we have on our team, nobody plays for themselves and they all want what’s best for the team.”
The Friars are focused on successfully defending the Class AAA Flyers Cup, something that hasn’t happened since 2014.
“The mindset is ‘Take advantage of what we have,’” Getsie said. “We have another really good team this year and all of us would love to win it again. We’ve been practicing and we’re making sure we’re staying primed, staying in the atmosphere and mindset of hockey. We’re going to hit the ice on Wednesday and play like we left off last game.”
Liam Mooney and Michael Ahearn each scored two goals as St, Joseph’s Prep downed Cardinal O’Hara 6-1 Thursday night in a Class AAA Flyers Cup first-round game at the PNY rink.
The third-seeded Hawks will face second-seeded La Salle in a semifinal game ay 6:00 next Wednesday at Hatfield Ice.
Mooney and Luca Palachick scored goals 2 minutes, 3 seconds apart to give the Hawks a 2-0 lead with 7:02 left in the opening period. Hammond added a goal 3:37 into the second session. Luke Melito’s power-play goal got the sixth-seeded Lions on the board at the 9:16 mark but Mooney (on a power play) and Ahearn scored for the Hawks before the period ended.
Ahearn added his second goal 4:04 into the third period.
Rocco Bruno and Ajay White split the game in goal for the Hawks.
Cardinal O’Hara 0 1 0—1
St. Joseph’s Prep 2 3 1—6
First-period goals: Liam Mooney (SJP) from Jeffrey Hammond, 7:55; Luca Palachick (SJP) from Cathal Dowd and Michael Ahearn, 9:58
Second-period goals: Hammond (SJP) from Joey Samango and Christian Short, 3:37; Luke Melito (COH) from Nate Fox, 9:16 (pp); Mooney (SJP) from Short, 10:32 (pp) Ahearn (SJP) from Palachick and Short, 15:59
Third-period goal: Ahearn (SJP) from Dowd and Palachick, 12:56
Shots: Cardinal O’Hara 10, St. Joseph’s Prep 46 Saves: Christian Green (COH) 39, Rocco Bruno (SJP) 3 and Ajay White (SJP) 6
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