Hun School 6 Holy Ghost Prep 1

HAMILTON TOWNSHOP—The impact of the eruption was overwhelming. The Hun School scored three goals in a span of 56 seconds in the second period, added another goal just 36 seconds later, and went on to a 6-1 win over Holy Ghost Prep Friday afternoon in an Atlantic Prep Athletic Conference game at Ice Land.

With the score tied 1-1 early in the second period and his team on a power play, Brandon Marino launched a shot from the left wing that hit the back of the Firebirds’ net at the 3:48 mark. He scored a second goal on a similar play just 18 seconds later. Don Carney made at 4-1 game at 4:44 when the Firebirds turned the puck over in front of their own net.

The Raiders’ Josh Sosner drew a cross checking penalty at the 5:05 mark but the barrage continued uninterrupted. Seth Kaplan, who had scored the Raiders’ first goa, added a second at 5:20 off another Holy Ghost Prep turnover, this one at the blue line.

“We were laying the body a lot,” Kaplan said. “I think once we do that, we set the tone and kind of understand what we have to do for the rest of the game.
“And so, we went out there the first two shifts, laid a lot of hits, and I think that set the tone; we started going from there.”

Kaplan noted the melding of the Raiders’ physical style with their offensive output. “The past couple games we had some struggles scoring,” he said. “And I think game we showed ourselves, showed everybody, that we are able to score, and we’re going to keep putting it in on them and we’re not going to stop.

“We’re just going to keep scoring as much as we can. That’s our game.”
Facing a four-goal deficit, the Firebirds called time out and made a goaltender change, replacing Jason Soule with Colin Mudrick. Mark Gall completed the scoring by adding his team’s fifth goal of the period, beating Mudrick at 7:38.

Holy Ghost Prep and Hun School get the afternoon underway.

Holy Ghost Prep coach Gump Whiteside called the Hun School outburst “Five minutes of bad hockey.

“This is not typical of the way we’ve been playing,” he said. “But I really liked the way responded in the third period,” (which was scoreless). They battled and they capitalized on our missed opportunities.”

Just 48 hours after a loss at La Salle, the Raiders (5-3 overall, 1-1-1-0 in the APAC) looked altogether different against the Firebirds (9-2, 1-2-1-0), who saw a six-game winning streak end.

“When we had success the first couple weeks of the season we were confident, physical, and that was a big part of our game,” said Hun School coach Ian McNally. “Then, we played Princeton Day School a couple weeks ago and we got called for so many penalties I think we became a little bit tentative playing that style and kind of reverted away from it.

“Today, the thought was ‘We’ve got to get back to that heavy game we played the first couple weeks.’”

The Raiders had a 29-21 edge in shots. Stephen Chen got the win in goal.

Holy Ghost Prep 1 0 0—1

Hun School 1 5 0—6

First-period goals: Seth Kaplan (HS) from Jake Ovelette, 15:46; Luke Penepresso (HGP) unassisted, 16:43

Second-period goals: Brandon Marino (HS) from Ovelette, 3:48 (pp); Marino (HS) from Elian Estulin, 4:06; Dan Carney (HS) Josh Sosner, 4:44; Kaplan (HS) from Ryan Croddick, 5:20 (sh); Mark Gall (HS) from Estulin and Marino, 7:38

Shots: Holy Ghost Prep 21, Hun School 29

Hun School goaltender Stephen Chen makes a quality save.

Video provided by the Hun School

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St. Augustine Prep 5 Malvern Prep 2

Deaglan Kelly’s hat trick propelled St. Augustine Prep to a 5-2 win over Malvern Prep Wednesday night at Ice Line. Christian Rapattoni and Jackson Vailo also scored for the winners.

Jimmy Jacobs and Matt Harris scored for the Friars.

St. Augustine 2 1 2—5

Malvern Prep 2 0 0—2

La Salle 3 Hun School 1

HATFIELD— Aries Carangi stepped up when his team needed him. The La Salle netminder made 38 saves Wednesday afternoon as the Explorers bested Hun School 3-1 at Hatfield Ice in a APAC/Mid-Atlantic Prep League joust.

Carangi, a junior, did his best work in the third period when he stopped 15 shots to lead his team to its third straight win (3-4 overall, 1-2 APAC, 3-0 MAPL). Five of those saves came during a Hun School (4-3, 0-1-1-0 in the APAC, 0-2 MAPL) power play when the Explorers’ Chase Hannon drew a roughing penalty with 5:01 left in regulation.

“Coming into the third, I got real focused up,” Carangi said. “Just took it one shot at a time and I went on from there.”

Carangi pointed out the Explorers are figuring out how to blend their collective abilities after a slow start to the season.

“I think the guys have just all bought into ‘defense first,’ he said. “Move into the neutral zone, then go to the offensive zone.”

La Salle coach Wally Muehlbronner celebrated the fact his team embraced the ‘back to basics’ mindset.

“We seem to be playing a pretty simple game but we’re playing hard,” he said. “It was a tough game. A tough, physical game.”

Gavin O’ Connell gave La Salle a 1-0 lead when he put in a rebound 9:55 into the first period, beating the Raiders’ Jack Borek. Chris Wnek made it 2-0 just 38 seconds into the second frame. Scott Richmond’s shorthanded goal off a La Salle turnover at the 10:55 mark cut the Explorer lead in half.

The Explorers’ Ryan Desmond scored the only goal of the third period at the 5:37 mark on a one-timer from the left faceoff circle after a dash up the wing.

The Raiders outshot their foes 15-5 in the final period but their coach, Ian McNally was quick to point out many of those shots did not come from prime locations.

“We had (38) shots and pretty limited action from our chances,” he said. We’re trying the same things over and over again, unfortunately.”

McNally says he’s addressing the issue with his players in practice. “How can we cover the zone differently? How can we staring passes together. Hope can we create separation between you and the (defense) so we’re not just walking in and taking a wrist shot. Either (the defense block it or the goalie blocks it.

“There’s no secondary chance. There’s no puck movement that makes everybody move left to right. We keep talking about it and we keep not doing it. So, we deserved to lose 3-1.”

Hun School 0 1 0—1

La Salle 1 1 1—3

First-period goals: Gavin O’ Connell (L) from Chris Wnek and Tim Whitock, 9:55

Second-period goals: Chris Wnek (L) from Jackson Lindmar, :38 Scott Richmond (Hun) from Josh Ovellette, 10:55 (sh)

Third-period goals: Ryan Desmond (L) from Dean Carvalho 5:37

Shots: Hun School 38; La Salle 23 Saves: Jack Borek (M) 20, Aries Carangi (L) 37

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La Salle 3 Portledge School 2

HATFIELD—After a first start, La Salle had to hold on in the stretch. Jack Lindmar’s goal with 9:06 remaining in regulation was the game winner as the Explorers held off Portledge School 3-2 Monday afternoon at Hatfield Ice.

La Salle now stands at 2-4 overall, having won its first two Mid-Atlantic Prep League starts.

Head Coach Wally Muehlbronner is embracing a back-to-basics approach. “That’s what we’re trying to get (the players) to believe in,” he said. “I think we’re starting to do it.”

The Explorers controlled play in the opening period, outshooting the Panthers 9-0 in the early going. Dan Whittock put the hosts in front 6:04 into the period with a goal off an offensive left-wing faceoff. Ryan Desmond made it 2-0 at the 15:48 mark.

Had it not been for the play of Jake Anderson in the Panther net (eight first-period saves), the score might have gotten out of hand.

Instead, the scoreline remained unchanged heading into the third period when Portledge (1-2 overall) came out flying. Eric Kold scored off a La Salle turnover 47 seconds into the final frame to make it a one-goal game and give the Panthers a surge of emotional energy.

For their part, the Explorers focused on sticking to their game plan.

“I knew, obviously, they were going to come out hard,” Whittock said. Everyone knew that. If we stick to our game plan and with each other, we’ll be fine.”

Lindmar’s goal gave the hosts some breathing room, but the Panthers cut the deficit in half with 3:19 remaining.
Portledge got a big opportunity with 1:51 left in regulation when La Salle’s Chris Wnek was sent to the box for cross checking.

With the ensuing faceoff coming inside the La Salle blue line, Anderson was halfway out of his net. When his team won the draw he headed for the bench, giving the Panthers a six-on-four advantage.

But the Explorers held firm. Goaltender Will Braun made some stops; his best came with 25 seconds to go to help preserve the win.

Whittock notes he and his teammates are starting to get a sense of just what kind of team they are. “I think we know obviously, we might not put up five goals (a game),” he said. “If we stay strong in the defensive zone, cover our guys in front of the net, and everything like that, everything else is just going to click. Our chances will come.”

Portledge School 0 0 2—2

La Salle 2 0 1—3

First-period goals: Dan Whittock (L) from Max Maddalo and Gavin O’ Connell, 6:04; Ryan Desmond (L) from Chase Hannon, 15:48

Third-period goals: Eric Kold (P) unassisted, :47; Jack Lindmar (L) from Charlie Kennedy, 7:54; Terranova (P), assists unavailable 13:41

Shots: Portledge School 29, La Salle 36 Saves: Jake Anderson (P) 33, Will Braun (L) 27

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SHSHLUpdate for 12-6-21

Standings

National/Continental-Class AA W L T OTL Pts

Pennridge (5-0) 2 0 0 0 4

Souderton (4-2) 2 1 0 0 4

Pennsbury (3-1-1) 1 0 0 0 2

Council Rock South (3-1-1) 1 0 0 0 2

Neshaminy (4-0-1) 1 0 0 0 2

Central Bucks East (2-3) 1 1 0 0 2

Bensalem (2-2) 0 0 0 0 0

Central Bucks South (0-5-1) 0 1 0 0 0

North Penn (1-4) 0 1 0 0 0

Central Bucks West (2-3) 0 2 0 0 0

Council Rock North (1-3) 0 2 0 0 0

American Division-Class A W L T OTL Pts

Wissahickon (2-2) 2 0 0 0 4

Abington (3-1) 2 0 0 0 2

Upper Dublin (2-3) 1 1 0 0 2

Plymouth Whitemarsh (3-0) 1 0 0 0 0

Hatboro-Horsham (1-3) 0 2 0 0 0

Quakertown (1-4) 1 2 0 0 0

William Tennent (0-5) 0 2 0 0 0

Scoring

Class AA G A Pts

Shane Siegmund (PB) 9 9 18

Karson Grainey (CRN) 10 5 15

Max Gallagher (Nesh) 8 6 14

Nick Hahan (CRN) 5 6 11

Brendan Macainsh (PB) 6 4 10

Seth Grossman (Soud.) 6 4 10

Kevin Pico (Pr) 6 4 10

Class A G A Pts

Matt Kramer (Ab 12 6 18

Will Hussa (Wiss) 9 5 14

Joe Stelacio (Ab) 3 11 14

Matt Cholaj (Ab) 8 6 14

Jack Bocul (UD) 10 4 14

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APAC Standings 12-11-21

APAC Standings As of 9 p.m. on Wednesday 12-15

W L OTW OTL Pts

Malvern Prep (7-2) 4 0 0 0 12

Hun School (5-5) 1 2 1 0 5

Holy Ghost Prep (9-2) 1 2 1 0 5

La Salle (3-4) 1 2 0 0 3

St. Joseph’s Prep (2-4-1) 0 1 0 2 2

This Week

Tuesday: Lawrenceville 5, Hun School 4

Wednesday: Malvern Prep 7, Hun School 2

Holy Ghost Prep Wins National Scholastic Invitational

Holy Ghost Prep is headed home from the National Scholastic Invitational with a championship trophy; the Governor’s Cup

Brady Baehser scored two goals and Luke Panepresso, Colin Moore, and Landon Stout contributed one each as the Firebirds downed Culver (Indiana) Academy 5-1 in the championship game in Jamestown, N.Y.

The win lifted the Firebirds to 9-1 on the season. The loss was the first for Culver Academy (15-1-2).

Baehser was named the championship game’s Most Valuable Player.

Jason Soule made 20 saves on the afternoon. He was in goal for all five games during the weekend.

“I’m super excited to get such a prestigious win during my senior year,” he said. “I have a great team in front of me and that helps provide a ton of confidence no matter who we are playing.”

Holy Ghost Prep coach Gump Whiteside said the tournament was an opportunity for his team to grow and mature on and off the ice.

“I’m very happy for the team,” he said. “This retreat weekend is full of opportunities for the players to grow together and to play some talented teams from different parts of the county. We look forward to jumping back into our APAC conference schedule later this week.”

The Firebirds will face the Hun School in an APAC game Friday afternoon.

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National Scholastic Invitational-Final Round

Semifinals

Holy Ghost Prep 3, North Allegheny 2 OT—Brady Baehser scored in overtime to give the Firebirds the win in Jamestown, N.Y. Luke Panepresso and Landon Stout scored goals in regulation.

Culver Academy 5, Bethel Park 3

Culver Academy from Culver, Indiana, will face Holy Ghost Prep for the tournament title at 1:00

Jeff Mauro has written a book on the history of the Pennsylvania state high school hockey championship. To find out more and/or order a copy CLICK HERE

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Holy Ghost Prep Reaches NSI Semis

Holy Ghost Prep has reached the semifinal round of the National Scholastic Invitational in Jamestown, N.Y. The Firebirds started their Saturday by defeating Medina 5-1 before besting Erie Cathedral Prep 4-0.

Sunday Schedule

8:30 Culver Academy vs. Bethel Park

8:45 Holy Ghost Prep vs. North Allegheny

Finals: 1 PM

Abington 11 Hatboro-Horsham 0

WARWICK TOWNSHIP—Abington took the ice this season with something to prove. A loss in the SHSHL Class A final a year ago (and being left out of the Flyers Cup field) has served as a motivating force and the Galloping Ghosts are off to a 3-1 start (2-0 in divisional play) in the wake of their 11-0 two-period win over Hatboro-Horsham Friday night at Revolution Ice Gardens, a win that set a message to the rest of the SHSHL’s American Division, and anyone else who may be interested.

“We definitely have that loss in the back of our minds, said senior forward Pat Stelacio, “every practice and every game. Just trying to get back to where we were last year and win it all instead of losing in the finals.”

Senior Ben Panella is one of the SHSHL’s most experienced goaltenders. “I think the loss in the finals last year was al kick in the butt,” he said. “This year, we are coming out with something prove. We are hoping that we can take it all this year. We have a deeper lineup and we just want the league to know what we can do.”

Junior Matt Kramer led the scoring barrage for the Galloping Ghosts, scoring five goals and assisting on two others. Three of his goals and both his assists came in the first period as Abington took a 7-0 lead.

“A good start is what we need,” Kramer said.

At that point, Abington coach Ken Brzozowski had his troops ease up against the Hatters (1-3, 0-2) who had just 10 skaters dressed, and focused his attention on finding ice time for some of his second-line athletes. In addition to Kramer, four different players scored goals. Matt Cholaj finished with two while Jordan Heydt, Ton Rourke, and Jonathan Walker added one each.

Brzozowski noted he has a deeper lineup than is typical in the SHSHL’s Class A sector. “We’re lucky that we’ve progressed here over the last couple of years,” he said. ”We’ve got some juniors and seniors on the team. But the biggest thing is, we’ve got a couple new players on our team that really have some skill. Between the first, second, and third lines, we’ve got some players who can put the puck in the net.”

First-year Hatboro-Horsham coach Shane Smith praised his team’s effort despite being shorthanded. “The team came out and fought hard,” he said. “They battled hard. I saw a lot of things from players that they reached down in and pulled out some stuff they didn’t think they had.
“Obviously the score didn’t go the way we wanted it to but I think there were a lot of good thigs out on the ice. I think there was a lot of good, hard, forechecking and we had a few good opportunities that were there.”

Abington 7 4 x—11

Hatboro-Horsham 0 0 x—0

First-period goals: Mathew Cholaj (A) from Matt Kramer, :43; Kramer (A) unassisted, 1:24; Jordan Heydt (A) unassisted, 7:38, Kramer (A) from Sean Doyle, 9:43; Tom Rourke (A) from Seamus Donofry, 11:13; Kramer A) from Joe Stelacio, 13:00 Cholaj (A) from Kramer, 13:42
Second-period goals: Kramer (A) from Stelacio, 2:59; Ryan Portner (A) from Ian Heydt 3:08; Jonathan Walker (A) from Heydt, 10:54; Kramer (A) from Vinny Menniti, 13:36

Shots: Hatboro-Horsham 16, Abington 43; Saves: Mason Rush (HH) 32; Ben Panella (A) 16

Jeff Mauro has written a book on the history of the Pennsylvania state high school hockey championship. To find out more and order a copy CLICK HERE