Flyers Cup Class AAA/AA Finals Preview

Wednesday, March 20

Class AAA Final

La Salle vs. 2. Malvern Prep

6:00 at Hatfield Ice

La Salle (22-3)—The defending champion Explorers are trying for their 13^th Flyers Cup title, an achievement that would expand on their all-time record of 12 , the most of any school in any classification.

Head coach Wally Muehlbronner has been on the winning side in a final on 10 occasions.

This year’s team bested Perkiomen Valley 5-1 and Holy Ghost Prep 5-2 to reach the finals.

Seven different players have scored goals in the two Flyers Cup games. Grant Lagreca has two goals and two assists. Dean Carvalho has scored three goals while James Carpenter has provided two goal and an assist.

Malvern Prep (11-8)

The Friars have claimed 10 Flyers Cup titles, second only to La Salle on the all-time list. Victories over Devon Prep 8-0 and St. Joseph’s Prep 3-1 put them in the finals.
Ten different Malvern Prep players have scored goals in the tournament. Jeremy Jacobs leads the way with a goal and three assists. Aidan Kelly has added a goal and two assists.

This marks the third meeting of the season between the two teams. La Salle won the two regular-season meetings.

11-22 La Salle 4 Malvern Prep 1

1-17 La Salle 3 Malvern Prep 0

Class AA Final

Pennridge vs. 2 Council Rock South

8:45 at Hatfield Ice

Pennridge 21-2-2

The top-seeded Rams claimed the Class AA Flyers Cup and state titles in 2022 and reached the Cup finals last season.

This year’s team reached the finals with wins over Bensalem 10-2, Downingtown East 5-1 and Downingtown West 10-1

The Rams feature one of the most explosive lines that has ever skated for any area high-school team. Shane Dachowski has six goals and five assists for 11 points in three Cup games. Kevin Pico has five goals and five assists for 10 points, while Andrew Savona has provided four goals and four assists for eight points.

Council Rock South 24-1

The second-seeded Golden Hawks are seeking their fourth Flyers Cup. The previous three came in 2009, ’11, and ’12.

This year’s squad reached the finals with wins over Spring-Ford 12-0, Cherokee 7-1, and Boyertown 3-1. Kevin Koles is the team’s top tournament scorer with three goal and nine assists for 12 points. Blaise Pepe has accumulated three goal and five assists for eight points, while Jake Weiner has provided five goals and two assists for seven points.

This marks the fourth time the Ram and Golden Hawks have faced one another this season.

12-13 Pennridge 7 Council Rock South 3

2-7 Council Rock South 8 Pennridge 7

2-29 Council Rock South 7 Pennridge 2*

*For the SHSHL National Division championship

Downingtown West 6 Avon Grove 4

Ava Thomas scored four goals and assisted on another as Downingtown West downed Avon Grove 6-4 Monday night in the 15^th edition of the girls’ Flyers Cup championship game at PNY Arena.

The second-seeded Whippets become the first girls’ team since 2019 to successfully defend a Flyers Cup title when Unionville won the last of five straight.

It’s the second Cup title for the Whippets, who also claimed it in 2021.

Thomas, a junior, and a member of the U.S. Women’s U18 National Team, was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player for the third time in her career. She also led the tournament in scoring with six goals and four assists in two games.

Thomas and Maddison Vitali scored goals to give the Whippets a 2-0 lead at the 7:21 mark of the first period.

Lilly Schindler and Skylar Greene answered for top-seeded Avon Grove before the period ended.

Thomas gave her team the lead for good 3:49 into the second period and then added a shorthanded effort at 11:25 before Choloe Bogusch made it a 5-2 game with 2:23 left in the period.

Emmy Sullivan drew the Red Devils closer 2:31 into the the third period. Avon Grove had a chance to make it a one-goal game with 8:13 left but the apparent goal was disallowed due to a penalty.

Thomas scored her fourth goal of the game with 3:48 remaining before Avon Grove’s Kiera Post completed the scoring with 2:11 left in the game.

Downingtown West 2 3 1—6

Avon Grove 2 0 2—4

First-period goals: Ava Thomas (DW) from Riley Sagers, 4:14; Maddison Vitali (DW) from Thomas and Grace Goodman, 7:21; Lily Schindler (AG) unassisted, 8:13; Skylar Greene (AG) from Maggie Sullivan and Emmy Sullivan, 9:38

Second-period goals: Thomas (DW) from Vitali, 3:49; Thomas (DW), 11:25 (sh); Choloe Bogusch (DW) unassisted, 13:37

Third-period goals: Emmy Sullivan (AG) unassisted, 2:31; Thomas (DW) from Sagirls 12:16; Kiera Post (AG) from Molly Tursi 13:49

Shots: Downingtown West 30, Avon Grove 28; Saves: Violet Clarke (DW) 24, Ella Hydutsky (AG) 24.

This story will be updated

Flyers Cup Class A Final Tuesday 3-19

Hershey vs. Unionville, 7:45 at Ice Line

Hershey (19-4)—The third-seeded Trojans earned a first-round bye before scoring wins over Springfield-Delco and Garnet Valley to reach the finals. Senior Ryan Dhawan has a goal and three assists for four points in the two games. Sophomore Blake Umberger and senior Kyle Kloss have each collected two goals and an assist for three points.

The Trojans are trying to become the first team from the Central Pennsylvania Interscholastic Hockey League to win a Flyers Cup title.

Unionville (10-11)—The ninth-seeded Longhorns Longhorns recorded wins over Plymouth Whitemarsh, three-time defending champion West Chester East, and Marple Newtown to reach the finals. Junior Cole Blackurn has scored five goals and added four assists for nine points in three Flyers Cup games. Senior Anthony Kulp has added seven assists in the tournament plus a goal of his own for eight points.

Unionville won the Class A Flyers Cup title in 1995.

Flyers Cup Girls Finals

Monday, 3-18

Avon Grove vs. Downingtown West 7:00 at PNY Arena

Avon Grove (19-1)—The Lady Red Devils are seeking their first Flyers Cup title. Skylar Campanile leads the team in scoring with 34 goals and 29 assists for 63 points. Skylar Green has collected 17 goals and 29 assists. for 46 points.

The Red Devils shut out Conestoga 10-0 in the semifinals. Lilly Schindler scored three goals and added four assists. Campanile scored two goals and added four assists.

Downingtown West (5-11)—The Whippets are trying to become the first girls’ team since 2019 to successfully defend a Flyers Cup championship. They also won the title in 2021. Ava Thomas has played in just nine high-school games this season while representing the U.S. as a member of the U-18 national team but has amassed 23 goals and eight assists for 31 points. She’s a two-time Flyers Cup MVP.

The Whippets bested West Chester Henderson 6-5 in the semifinals. Thomas scored two goal and added three assists. Kyla Mellinger provided four assists.

This marks the 15th time the Flyers Cup tournament has crowned a girls’ champion. The girls’ tournament was first contested in 2009. The tournament was not completed in 2020 because of the pandemic.

Unionville has won the most titles with nine.

C.R. South 3 Boyertown 1

One of the unique elements of the Flyers Cup tournament is the finality of it. All season long there is another game or another round of playoffs to nurse the pain of defeat.

The stakes are starkly different come March. Win or go home. And on Thursday night, Boyertown and Council Rock South made it clear they didn’t want to go home.

It was the Golden Hawks who prevailed, 3-1 in a Class AA Flyers Cup semifinal at Hatfield Ice. Second-seeded South (24-1) will face top-seeded Pennridge next Wednesday at 8:45 at this same venue in what is expected to be a scintillating final.

Third-seeded Boyertown closes the season at 20-3.

Thursday’s game wasn’t bad as an appetizer.

The Hawks had the better of the play offensively but encountered a hot goaltender in Tyler Griffith who recorded 41 saves, few of which were of the routine variety.

“That’s kid’s probably the best goaltender we’ve seen all year,” said South coach Joe Houk. “We got [44] shots today, they were quality shots. He was phenomenal.

“And people warned me about him ‘If he’s hot, he’s going to steal a game from you.’ But, we persevered, we dug deep, and we survived to play next week.”

Largely due to Griffin’s efforts (16 saves) the first period was scoreless, and it was the Bears who grabbed the evening’s first lead when Noah Cutillo beat Trevor Rakszawski 1:19 in to the second frame. Jake Weiner answered for South at the 6:31 mark.

The score remained deadlock to period’s end. By that point, the Hawks had a 32-13 shot advantage.

As the teams took the ice for the third period following an ice cut, the enormity of the moment hung in the air.

“Their goaltender had a solid game,” said South’s Evan Mostoller. “I’ll give him that. But we just had to find that back of the net.”

Mostoller did just that from outer edge of the right circle 4:31 into the final period.

“It’s may last year here and I kind of want to make a run to states and everything,” he said. I’ve been in the Flyers Cup three times now …. This the year I think we’re going to make it.

As the clock counted down the Bears found themselves stymied by not only Rakszawski but the defense in front of him; Boyertown managed but our shots in the third period.
South’s final goal, which came with 38 seconds remaining, was credited to Gavin Nisenzon when he was pulled down from behind in the Boyertown defensive while skating toward an empty net; the referee on the play awarded goal.

Boyertown 0 1 0—1

C.R. South 0 1 2—3

Second-period goals: Noah Cutillo (B) from Luke Hennessy, 1:44; Jake Weiner (CRS) from Nikita Volobuiev, 6:31

Third-period goals: Evan Mostoller (CRS) from

Peter Pereborow and Blaise Pepe, 4:31; Gaven Nisenzon (CRS) unassisted, 16:22

Shots: Boyertown 20, Council Rock South 44; Saves: Tyler Griffith (B) 41, Trevor Rakszawski, 19

La Salle 5 Holy Ghost Prep 2

It wasn’t a stylish effort. But La Salle got the job done, nonetheless.

Five different players scored goals as the Explorers recorded a 5-2 decision over Holy Ghost Prep Thursday night in a Class AAA Flyers Cup semifinal at Hatfield Ice.

Top-seeded La Salle (22-3) will attempt to successfully defend its title next Wednesday when it faces second-seeded Malvern Prep at this same venue (6:00 start).

Fourth-seeded Holy Ghost Prep closed its season at 12-14.

It was not a smooth trip for the Explorers, who spent a good amount of time killing penalties, they were whistled for 10.

Ryan Wiley put La Salle in front with a goal at the 12:18 mark of the opening period. He spoke to the importance of avoiding penalties.

“We’ve got to keep our minds mentally and stay out of the box,” he said. “We’ve got to stay away from the stupid stuff and just work our tails off to get to this point.”

James Carpenter extended La Salle’s lead with a shorthanded goal 1:36 into the second frame. A.J. Prete answered for the Firebirds three minutes after that, but Patrick Brace and Will Gregorio scored goals before the period ended to seemingly put the Explorer in command.

Holy Ghost Prep coach John Ritchie blamed himself for his team’s sluggish start.

“Ultimately it falls on me,” he said. “I’m the head coach and I felt they were not prepared and the other team was. That’s on my shoulders.

At this point in the season, we’ve played then four times (La Salle has won all four meetings). I know what I’ve got in that locker room and we know what they’ve got in their locker room.

“It’s on me. I’m the one that’s got to stand up and shoulder the blame.

With seven minutes left in regulation, the Firebirds made their last stand when Caine Bickel tucked a shot inside the right post behind La Salle netminder Jake Rossi.

Holy Ghost Prep had one more opportunity with two-and-a-half minutes left and its own net empty when Jake McCaw caught iron with shot from the left wing.

Carpenter added an empty-netter for the Explorers with 55 seconds left.

“We did a lot of little things right,” said La Salle coach Wally Muehlbronner, “We did a great job killing a lot of penalties.”

Muehlbronner praised the work his team did while shorthanded.

“Our penalty kills have been strong,” he said. “We did a good job with that. And I think we did a good job getting back to our game plan when we weren’t in the box. Keeping it simple, and we had some good opportunities that we scored on.

Holy Ghost Prep 0 1 1—2

La Salle 1 3 1—5

First-period goal: Ryan Wiley (L) unassisted, 12:18

Second-period goals: James Carpenter (L) from Grant LaGreca, 1:36 (sh); A.J. Prete (HGP) from Art Myers and Caine Bickel, 4:39; Patrick Brace (L) from Thomas Doucet and Cameron Ross, 8:54; Will Gregorio (L) unassisted, 14:08

Third-period goals: Bickel (HGP) from Anthony Valeriote, 9:56; Carpenter (L) unassisted, 15:05

Shots: Holy Ghost Prep 19, La Salle 37; Saves: Jack Unger (HGP) 32, Jake Rossi (L) 17

Flyers Cup Schedule Thursday 3-14

Thursday, March 14

Class AAA Semifinals

La Salle 5 Holy Ghost Prep 2

Malvern Prep 3 St. Joseph’s Prep 1—Teague Murray and James Young scored first-period goals and the second-seeded Friars went on to beat the third-seeded Hawks Thursday night in a Class AAA Flyers Cup semifinal at Ice Line.

Henry Tesoriero also scored for Malvern Prep (11-8) which will meet La Salle in the final.

Tristan Winata scored for St. Joseph’ Prep (16-7)

St. Joseph’s Prep 0 0 1—1

Malvern Prep 2 0 1—3

First-period goals: Teague Murray (MP) from Jeremy Jacobs and Jonathan Holt, 12:11 (pp); James Young (MP) from Logan Love, 13:47

Third-period goals: Henry Tesoriero (MP) unassisted, 15:25 (en); Tristan Winata (SJP) unassisted. 16:09

Shots: St. Joseph’s Prep 36, Malvern Prep 35; Saves: Jacob Aranda (SJP) 32; Matt Crawford (MP) 35

Class AA Semifinals

Penneidge 10, Downingtown West 1—

The top-seeded Rams scored six goals in the first period and rolled to the win over the fourth-seeded Whippets in a Class AA semifinal Thursday night at Hatfield Ice.

Shane Dachowswki scored four goals for Pennridge (21-2-2) and added an assist. Nolan Shaw provided two goals. Kevin Pico, Josh Kelly, Tyler Manto, and Andrew Savona all scored goals.

Joseph Butter scored for Downingtown West (18-5)

Downingtown West 0 1 0

Pennridge 6 2 2

Council Rock South 3 Boyertown 1

Championship games will be played Tuesday, and Wednesday, March 19, and 20.

Flyers Cup Girls Semifinals

Downingtown West 6 West Chester Henderson 5

Ava Thomas scored two goals and four other players added one goal each as the defending-champion Whippets bested the Warriors Wednesday night at PNY Arena.

Sarah Goodman, Lila Zelesnick, Chloe Bogusch, and Brianna Hinkle all scored for Downingtown West.

Charlotte Perrin, Paige Meutterties, Eva Doyle, Vanenessa Gill, and Megan Wackerman all scored for the Warriors.

Hendersron 1 2 2—5

Downingtown West 3 2 1—6

Avon Grove 10 Conestoga 0

Lily Schindler scored three goals and added four assists for the top-seeded Red Devils Wednesday night at PNY Arena. Skyler Campanile added two goals and four assists.

Maggie Sullivan, Ellie Crawford, Brianna Register, Emmy Sullivan, and Skylar Greene all scored single goals.

Ella Hyduysky earned the shutout on goal.

The game was called with 5:29 remaiing on the third period.

Conestoga 0 0 0—0

Avon Grove 5 2 3—10

The championship game is set for Monday night at PNY Arena with a 6:00 start.

Flyers Cup Update 3-8-24

41 teams began play in the Flyers Cup tournament four days ago. 33 have been eliminated. Here’s what’s ahead.

Tuesday, March 12

Class AA Semifinals

Marple Newtown vs. Unionville 6:15 at Ice Line

Garnet Valley vs. Hershey 8:30 at Ice Line

Wednesday, March 13

Girls Semifinals

Avon Grove vs. Conestoga 6:45 at PNY

Downingtown West vs. West Chester Henderson 5:00 atPNY

Thursday, March 14

Class AAA Semifinals

Holy Ghost Prep vs. La Salle 6:00 at Hatfield Gray

St. Joseph’s Prep vs. Malvern Prep 7:45 Ice Line 1

Class AA Semifinals

Downingtown West vs. Pennridge 8:45 at Hatfield Gray

Boyertown vs. Council Rock Smith 8:30 at Hatfield Blue

Championship games will be played Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, March 18, 19, and 20.

Upcoming Flyers Cup Schedule

Flyers Cup Schedule for Thursday, March 7

Class AA Quarterfinals

Pennridge 5 Downingtown East 2—Five different players scored goals Thursday night as the top-seeded Rams advanced to the semifinals at Hatfield Ice.

Shane Dachowki. Colin Dachowski, Kevin Pico, Trey Mikulich, and Andrew Savona all scored goals.

Parker Nassour and Brody Matthews scored for the ninth-seeded Cougars.

Downingtown East 1 0 1—2

Pennridge 1 2 2—5

Downingtown West 8 Haverford 2

Council Rock South 7 Cherokee 1—Jake Weiner scored three goals and Phil Pepe added two as the second-seeded Golden Hawks advanced to the Class AA semifinals with a 7-1 won over the 10^th-seeed Chiefs Thursday night at Hatfield Ice.

Illia Muhkin and Kevin Koles also scored for South, which built a 5-1 lead after two periods.

Luke Resto scored Cherokees’s only goal, which came in the first period.

Trevor Rakszawski got the win in goal, making 19 saves.

The game was terminated with 7:03 remaining in the third period after the two teams were accessed a total of 118 minutes in penalties, 98 of them to the Chiefs.

Cherokee 1 0 0—1

C.R. South 3 2 2—7

Boyertown 4, Central Bucks South 1—Joey Slobodrian’s goal in the third period was all the sixth-seeded Titans could manage Thursday night against the third-seeded Bears at Ice Line.

Tyan McGuffin scored twice for Boyertown.

Class A Quarterfinals

Unionville 4 West Chester East 3 OT

Marple Newtown 9 Lower Dauphin 4

Garnet Valley 7 Penncrest 6 OT

Hershey 5, Springfield 0

Flyers Cup Schedule for Thursday, March 14

Class AAA Semifinals

Holy Ghost Prep vs. La Salle TBD Hatfield Ice

St. Joseph’s Prep vs. Malvern Prep TBD Ice Line

Class AA Semifinals

Sites, times dependent on results of quarterfinal games

Wednesday, March 6

Girls Play In

Conestoga 2 Lower Merion 1 OT