Malvern Prep 3, Holy Ghost Prep 2 SO

By Rick Woelfel

BRISTOL—For the second time in five days, Malvern Prep and Holy Ghost Prep needed a shootout to determine a winner. For the second time the Friars emerged victorious, and by the same score, 3-2 in an Atlantic Prep Athletic Conference game at Grundy Arena that matched the intensity and competitiveness of its predecessor.

A goal from Pierre Larocque 8:21 into the first period off a feed from Chris Blango and another from Matt Harris at the 13:52 mark off a turnover enabled Malvern Prep (7-0, 2-0-2-0 in the APAC) to take a 2-0 advantage.

The score remained unchanged through the second period but it was not for lack of effort on the Firebirds’ part. They held a 30-18 edge in shots to that point but were unable to solve Anthony Perti in the Friars’ net.

In the third period, Holy Ghost Prep (4-2 overall, 3-0-0-2 in conference) came out storming. Evan Mudrick beat Perti off a feed from Brady Baehser just 23 seconds into the period. The Firebirds successfully killed off a pair of minor penalties before stepping up the pressure down the stretch. Anthony Sparo tied the game with 1:13 left in regulation off a feed from Shaun Moore to force overtime.

Neither team seriously threatened in the extra five-minute session before Blango and Harris found the net in the shootout.

“Overtime is always fun,” Blango said, “but we’ve got to clean up stuff on our end, and especially in the third period in our D-zone. We can’t have days like this, where they score two third-period goals back to back. It’s fun, but we’ve got to take care of our stuff.”

Blango felt he and his teammates became, in his words “Too comfortable,” at some point. “We definitely got sloppy,” he said. “You could probably see it. Our passes weren’t made the same, we were not communicating as much. You’ve got to clean that up, headed into playoffs and the Flyers Cup.”

During the break between the second and third periods, Malvern Prep coach Bill Keenan urged his troops to maintain their focus. “Our message in between periods, the second and third was to tell our guys ‘The next goal’s important,’” he said. “Holy Ghost came out strong and ended up tying it, but it was good to see our guys fight back and get a win in the shootout.”

Holy Ghost Prep coach Gump Whiteside was philosophical about the loss. “It was a great game,” he said. “I don’t like the result, but I liked our response in the third period and we did what we had to do to win the hockey game. it’s tough to lose hockey games like that, but we did what we had to do.”

• The Firebirds outshot the Friars 50-34… Monday’s game was a makeup of a postponement. The Friars will face La Salle on Wednesday to start a stretch that will see them play three conference games in eight days. Holy Ghost Prep will take on St. Joseph’s Prep on Friday to begin a run of four conference games in 11 days.

Malvern Prep 2 0 0 0 (2)—3

Holy Ghost Prep 0 0 2 0 (0)—2

First-period goals: Pierre Larocque (MP from Chris Blango, 8:21; Matt Harris (MP) from Jack Constabile, 13:52

Third-period goals: Evan Mudrick (HGP) from Brady Baehser and Shaun Moore, :23: Anthony Sparo (HGP) from Moore and Mudrick, 14:47.

Shots: Malvern Prep 34, Holy Ghost Prep 50: Saves: Anthony Perti (MP) 48. Bobby Baehser (HGP) 32

For more about Malvern Prep Click Here

For more about Holy Ghost Prep Click Here

The scholastic hockey season will conclude in April with the Flyers Cup tournament. Hockey Happenings is offering you the opportunity to promote your product, service, or event via our web site for the balance of the season.

Contact us at rwoelfel2013@gmail.com

Quakertown 8, Hatboro-Horsham 3

WARWICK TOWNSHIP— A season’s worth of toil, sweat, and hard work paid off for Quakertown Friday night. Eric Orzehoski scored four goals and Austin Stoudt turned in a stellar effort in net as the Panthers bested Hatboro-Horsham 8-3 in a SHSHL American Division encounter at Revolution Ice Gardens.
The win was Quakertown’s first of the season after seven losses one of them in overtime.

“It feels great to get a win, finally,” Orzehoski said. “We’ve been improving throughout the entire year. To finally come out and win a game feels great.”

The Panthers took command from the start. Orzehoski scored a power-play goal just 1:49 into the first period. He added a second goal at 14:10 before Melanie Pezzano gave her side a 3-0 lead with 55 seconds left in the period.

Meantime, Stoudt, with the help of his defense corps, was keeping the Hatters (3-3-1-1) at bay at the other end of the ice.

“We’ve been taking about being better defensively,” said Quakertown coach Keith Krem. I think we were for a lot of the night and when we weren’t, Austin was pretty big in net and helped us out a couple times.”

Hatboro-Horsham coach Gianni Lafratta was impressed with Stoudt’s work.

“Goaltending was huge,” he said. “Give credit to their team and their entire coaching staff but the kid was on fire back there.”

Orzehoski completed his hat trick 5:50 into the second stanza and Jack Diliberto made it a 5-0 game with 21 second left in the period.

The Panthers were up 6-0 when Alex Howieson got the Hatters on the scoreboard 4:37 into the third period. Howieson later scored a second goal, sandwiched around an effort by Dominic Tarsi.

Orzehoski scored his fourth goal of the game in the final period, Diliberto his second, and John Connell added his first to complete the scoring for Quakertown.

Orzehoski had two assists, giving him a six-point night. Anthony Pagliei contributed three assists.

Krem said his team has been taking a back-to-basics approach of late and that mindset factored into Friday’s win. “We’ve had some talks these last few weeks about just simplifying our game,” he said, “and sticking to some good, basic, simple rules for ourselves. We did that, and we got rewarded with it.”

Krem pointed out that Orzehoski provides leadership for his team in addition to his skills. “When he playing well he’s consistent,” he said. “It’s a steadiness that takes over the entire team.”

Ice Chips—The Panthers outshot the Hatters 39-32 … No spectators were permitted at Friday’s game.

Quakertown 3 2 3—8

Hatboro-Horsham 0 0 3—3

First-period goals: Eric Orzehoski (Q) unassisted, 1:49 (pp); Orzehoski (Q) from Anthony Pagliei, 14:10; Melanie Pezzano (Q) from Orzehoski and Pagliei, 15:05.

Second-period goals: Orzehoski (Q) unassisted, 5:50; Jack Diliberto (Q) from Pagliei and Orzehoski, 15:39.

Third-period goals: Diliberto (Q) unassisted, 1:57; Alex Howieson (HH) from Aidan Esack, 4:37; Dominic Tarsi (HH) from Vince Tarsi, 5:41; Orzehoski (Q) unassisted, 9:04; Jack Connell (Q) unassisted, 13:18; Howieson (HH) from Jimmy Cortez and Vince Tarsi, 15:26.

Shots; Quakertown 39, Hatboro-Horsham 32; Saves Austin Stoudt (Q) 29, Mason Rash (HH) 31

The Grundy Skate Shop is a full-service hockey pro shop inside the Grundy Arena, offering a great selection of equipment, brands and various services. We do a full range of repairs as well as offer custom hockey jerseys. Owner Bill Keyser, has over 25 years experience in the industry and specializes in skate sharpening, including profiling. Please visit our Facebook page or stop in and check us out!

Pennsbury 7, Souderton 4

HATFIELD— Much of the evening was filled with drama, but in the end, Pennsbury continued to reign supreme in the Suburban High School Hockey League. The Falcons scored four goals in the third period Thursday night to overcome stubborn Souderton 7-4 in a SHSHL National/Continental clash at Hatfield Ice.

Pennsbury won its sixth straight game and improved its record to a division-best 7-0-0-1 overall and 5-0 in divisional play. But the winless Big Red (0-7 overall, 0-5 in the division) gave their foes all they wanted and more.

Souderton scored the game’s first goal and led four times, including 4-3 after two periods, before running out of gas in the final stanza.

For Pennsbury coach Ryan Daley, Thursday’s result brought recollections of the teams’ first meeting, a 6-5 Pennsbury win on January 20 in a non-league encounter.

“Some teams just have your number,” Daley said, “and they have ours. “I don’t think their record really reflects how good a team they are.

“They’re young, their goalie (Noah Connor) had an outstanding night. They’ve got a bright future.”

For much of the evening, Souderton’s future was the present. The teams traded goals through the first two periods. Seth Grossman found the back of the net twice for the Big Red to give him 12 goals for the season in just five games. Liam O’ Neill and Tim Alexander also contributed Souderton goals, while Andrew Falkenstein, Logan Doyle, and Evan Eisler all scored for Pennsbury.
In the third period the Falcons stepped on the gas. Reece Millman tied the game at the 3:01 mark before Connor Coyne put his team in front for good at 5:50. Jake McCaw extended Pennsbury’s lead at 11:55 before Eric Eisler added an exclamation point with 30 seconds remaining in the game.

The Falcon outshot the Big Red 16-7 in the final period and 30-10 over the last two. Pennsbury finished with a 38-20 edge in shots.

Despite the loss Souderton coach Ryan Uchniat took away an abundance of positives. “That’s a good team there,” he said of the Falcons. “You look at their stats and everything. They’re balanced, they get scoring contributions from a lot of different players.”

The scoresheet confirmed Uchniat’s impressions; Pennsbury’s seven goals were scored by seven different players.

The Big Red went into the game without defensemen Jaden Garick and Ben Fadden and lost another blueliner during the game.

“Pennsbury wore is down,” Uchniat said.

The Falcons meanwhile have much to reflect on after Thursday’s win. “We didn’t get the start we wanted,” Daley said. “We pride ourselves on being a fast team, with a lot of offense, a lot of shots. That first period we had 10 shots and let up the first goal, just the complete opposite of what we were trying to do.”

Pennsbury 1 2 4—7

Souderton 2 2 0—4

First-period goals: Seth Grossman (S) from Rodney Reiff and Tim Alexander, 7:26; Andrew Falkenstein (P) unassisted, 9:41; Liam O’ Neill (S) from Matt Malagna, 12:10.

Second-period goals: Logan Doyle (P) from Justin Marlin, 1:20; Grossman (S) from Jamie Avaria O’ Keefe, 5:05 (sh); Evan Eisler (P) from Eddie Bossler, 6:33; Alexander (S) unassisted, 8:42.

Third-period goals: Reece Millman (P) from Shane Siegmund and Brendan MacAinsh, 3:01; Connor Coyne (P) unassisted, 5:50; Jake McCaw (P) from Reese Picker, second assist unavailable, 11:55; Eric Eisler (P) from Colin Michalak and Bossler, 15:30.

Shots; Pennsbury 38, Souderton 20; Saves: Marek Jorgenson (P) 16, Noah Connor (S) 31

If you or a family member, or friend are looking for a dentist, we’re proud to recommend All Smiles Family Dentistry. They’re located at 1620 South Broad Street in Lansdale.

Dr. Caroline Hsu, Dr. Azure Pelberg and their staff provide high-quality dental care in a caring, nurturing environment. They’ve been taking care of my teeth for 25 years and I would recommend them to anyone. Going to the dentist can be an unsettling experience but everyone at All Smiles Family Dentistry will work to put you at ease.

Call for an appointment at 215-616-0609 or e-mail them at allsmilesfamilydentistry@verizon.net. You can also find them on line at www.allsmileslansdale.com.

Malvern Prep 3, Holy Ghost Prep 2 (shootout)

WEST GOSHEN—In a normal hockey season, the field for the Flyers Cup tournament would be announced about now. Because of the pandemic, the 2021 regular season still has a month to go. But Wednesday night, Holy Ghost Prep and Malvern Prep demonstrated what a Flyers Cup game should look like.

Jack Constabile scored in the bottom of the fourth round of a shootout to give the Friars a 3-2 win over the Firebirds in an Atlantic Prep Athletic Conference game at Ice Line. The win kept Malvern Prep in six starts this season (3-0 in the APAC). It was the first loss for Holy Ghost Prep in four tries (2-1 in conference).

It was the first of three regular-season meeting between the two teams who have emerged as the top contenders for the APAC championship. On Wednesday night, there was little that separated them.

“I thought Holy Ghost played a tremendous game,” said Malvern Prep coach Bill Keenan.”‘I think it’s a testament to our league, and how good the teams are, the strength.”

Malvern Prep’s Jack Constabile (in white) battles with Holy Ghost Prep’s Sean Marshall (photo: Gracie Cleveland)

On a night when the level of play was superb, the brightest star in the heavens was Friar goaltender Anthony Perti. He made 28 saves over the course of 48 minutes of regulation play and five minutes of three-on-three overtime including a half dozen that belong on a highlight reel. The junior sensed the importance of the occasion.

“I kind of knew,” he said. “Big moments, you’ve got to be ready for them if you want to be a big-time player, so I was definitely ready for them. It was a massive game.”

Bobby Baehser in the Firebirds’ net didn’t have to be as spectacular as his counterpart but he was just as efficient; he also finished with 28 saves.

Brady Baehser opened the scoring for Holy Ghost Prep 4:48 into the first period off a turnover deep in the Malvern Prep defensive zone. It took the Friars just 15 seconds to respond; Jeremy Jacobs won a goal-mouth scrum at the 5:03 mark.

The hosts took the lead with 1:05 left in the second stanza when Matt Harris tipped in Steven Getsie’s shot from the left point.

A few minutes prior to that however, Perti made his best save of the game when he denied Anthony Sparo at the end of a two-on-none rush.

The Firebirds stepped up the pressure in the third period, outshooting the Friars 13-5. It was Shaun Moore who scored the tying goal on a backhander from the right side of the net at the 8:11 mark.

Both teams had chances in overtime but only Constabile could find the net in the shootout. It wasn’t for a lack of trying however; the Firebirds found iron three times in four attempts.

“It was a great high-school hockey game,” said Holy Ghost Prep coach Gump Whiteside. “Two good teams. I though their goalie played really well, made some big stops.

“I thought at times we didn’t have good puck luck either, a couple posts here and there. But that’s hockey.”

Ice Chips—The Firebirds and the Friars will face each other Monday afternoon at Grundy Arena and again on March 11, also at Grundy with additional meetings possible in the APAC playoffs and during the Class AAA Flyers Cup tournament … The Friars unveiled a new set of white sweaters Wednesday which featured a logo commemorating the 50^th anniversary of the school’s hockey program. The school fielded its first team in 1970.

Holy Ghost Prep 1 0 1 0 (0)

Malvern Prep 1 1 0 0 (1)

First-period goals: Brady Baehser (HGP) unassisted 4:48; Brady Doyle (MP) from Chrs Blango, 5:03.

Second-period goal: Matt Harris (MP) from Steve Getsie and Ryan Sambuco, 14:55

Third-period goal: Shaun Moore (HGP) from Landon Stoudt and Sean Marshall, 8:11.

Shots: Holy Ghost Prep 30, Malvern Prep 30; Saves: Bobby Baehser 28, Anthony Perti (MP) 28

For more about Holy Ghost Prep Click Here

For more about Malvern Prep Click Here

February 22 a Special Day in U.S. Hockey History

February 22 is one of the most significant dates in U.S. hockey history, indeed, in American history. It was on that date 41 years ago that the United States defeated the Soviet Union 4-3 in a medal-round game at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid.

Contrary to what some may believe, the game did not determine the gold-medal winner, nor was it a semifinal in the traditional sense; the U.S. had to defeat Finland two days later to win gold, which it did 4-2.

But it was the game against the Soviets that remains in the mind’s eye four decades after Lake Placid, and for good reason. At the time of the 1980 Olympics, the Soviet national team was considered the greatest hockey team in the world. While its players were technically amateurs, at least in the eyes of the International Olympic Committee, they played and trained year round. The American team consisted of college players and had an average age of just 22, the youngest team in the 12-team field.

But over the course of the two weeks the Americans, under coach Herb Brooks, went 6-0-1, opening with a tie against Sweden before going on to defeat Czechoslovakia, Norway, Romania, and West Germany over a span of eight days in preliminary play before advancing to the medal round.

I feel a bit sorry for the high-school athletes whose achievements we cover here at Hockey Happenings who have no memories of the Miracle on Ice; the events of that February evening occurred some 23 years before most of the members of the high-school Class of 2021 were born; indeed, before the parents of some of today’s high-school players were born.

But it is an occasion that all young hockey players should learn about and commit to memory; it is part of the historical fabric of the sport in America and, because of the political time, part of our nation’s history as well.
We choose not to relate the details of the U.S.-Soviet matchup here; they can be found on line.

Better yet, if you’re and up and coming hockey player looking to connect with the history of your chosen sport find the game broadcast on YouTube. We can assure you that despite knowing the result, you will be caught up in the emotion of the moment.

Catch our Hockey Happenings podcast at

https://www.buzzsprout.com/213400

Flyers Cup Committee President Eric Tye and I discuss the upcoming tournament.

Flyers Cup Committee Names Eligible Teams

The countdown to the 42^nd annual Flyers Cup tournament has officially begun with the revelation of the teams that are eligible to be selected for the tournament field.

The Flyers Cup Committee revealed a list of 64 tournament-eligible teams on Thursday morning.

The 64 teams represent the InterCounty Scholastic Hockey League, the Suburban High School Hockey League, the Atlantic Prep Athletic Conference, the Lehigh Valley Scholastic Hockey league, and the state of Delaware.

There will be four brackets: Class A for public schools with enrollments of 625 males or fewer (based on PIAA enrollment figures); Class AA for public schools with male enrollments exceeding 625, Class AAA for private schools, and girls.

Tournament play is scheduled to begin on Monday, April 5. The number of teams that will comprise each bracket has yet to be determined by the Flyers Cup Committee.

The Flyers Cup is an invitational tournament and there are no automatic bids.

Last year’s tournament was called off prior to completion because of Covid-19 issues.

The 64 teams eligible for selection to this year’s tournament include:

Class AAA (14 teams)

Archbishop Carroll

Archbishop Ryan

Bishop Shanahan

Bux Mont Catholic

Cardinal O’Hara

Delaware Military Academy-Tatnall

Father Judge

Holy Ghost Prep

La Salle

Malvern Prep

Roman Catholic

Salesianum

St. Mark’s-Tower Hill

St. Joseph’s Prep

Class AA (24 teams)

Abington

Avon Grove

Boyertown

Central Bucks East

Central Bucks South

Central Bucks West

Conestoga

Council Rock South

Downingtown East

Downingtown West

Harry S Truman

Haverford

Neshaminy

North Penn

Owen J. Roberts

Parkland

Pennridge

Pennsbury

Perkiomen Valley

Quakertown

Ridley

Souderton
Spring Ford

William Tennent

Class A (16 teams)

Garnet Valley

Harriton

Hatboro-Horsham

Lower Merion

Marple Newtown

Moreland/New Hope

Penncrest

Plymouth Whitemarsh

Radnor

Springfield Delco

Strath Haven

Sun Valley

West Chester Bayard Rustin

West Chester East

West Chester Henderson

Wissahickon

If you or a family member, or friend are looking for a dentist, we’re proud to recommend All Smiles Family Dentistry. They’re located at 1620 South Broad Street in Lansdale.

Call for an appointment at 215-616-0609 or e-mail them at allsmilesfamilydentistry@verizon.net. You can also find them on line at www.allsmileslansdale.com.

Girls (10 teams)
Avon Grove

Bux Mont

Conestoga

Downingtown West

Lower Merion
Radnor

West Chester Bayard Rustin

West Chester East

West Chester Henderson

Unionville

SHSHL Update for 2-15

SHSHL Standings as of 2-15-21

National/Continental W L T OTL Pts.

Pennsbury (5-0-0-1) 3 0 0 0 6

Neshaminy (4-1) 3 0 0 0 6

Pennridge (5-1) 3 1 0 0 6

Central Bucks South (2-2-1) 2 0 0 0 4

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

North Penn (2-3-1-0) 1 2 0 0 3

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

Central Bucks West (0-5) 0 3 0 0 0

Souderton (0-5) 0 3 0 0 0

American Division W L T OTL Pts.

Abington (5-1) 5 1 0 0 10

Wissahickon (5-1) 5 1 0 0 10

Hatboro-Horsham (3-2-1-1) 2 2 1 1 8

Plymouth-Whitemarsh (4-2-0-1) 3 2 0 1 7

Truman (3-3) 3 3 0 0 0

William Tennent (1-3-1-0) 1 3 1 0 3

Quakertown (0-5-0-1) 0 5 0 1 0

National/Continental Scoring GP G A Pts

Brendan Macainsh (Pb) 6 7 9 16

Adam Bostock (CBE) 5 8 7 15

Thomas Gallagher (Nesh) 4 8 5 13

Robert Seewagen (Nesh) 5 7 4 11

Aeryk Lehrhaupt (Pr) 6 8 2 10

Shane Siegmund (Pb) 6 4 6 10

Blake Stewart (Pr) 6 5 5 10

Sam Cherkassky (CRS) 5 6 3 9

J.J. Hathaway (Nesh) 5 2 7 9

Julian Sarne (CRS) 5 1 7 8

J.J. Hathaway (Nesh) 4 1 7 8

Nolan Geria (Nesh) 5 6 2 8

Goals Against MP GA GAA

Mason Moyer (CBS) 149 5 1.61

Ryan Pico (Pr) 290 13 2.15

Jimmy Sweeney (CRS) 178 68 2.15

Brian Nelson (Nesh) 211 12 2.73

Matt Mangicapre (CBE) 244 18 3.54

Save Percentage MP Shots Saves Save Pct

Mason Moyer (CBS ) 149 83 78 .940

Jimmy Sweeney (CRS) 178 109 101 .926

Eyan Pico (Pr) 290 174 161 .925

Bian Nelson (Nesh) 211 103 91 .883

Marek Jorgenson (Pb) 299 182 158 .868

American Division Scoring GP G A Pts

Bryan Garry (Wss) 6 25 10 35

Nick Hussa (Wiss) 5 8 13 21

Joe Stelacio (Ab) 6 6 10 16

Jeremy McCartney (Tr) 6 6 10 16

Matthew Kramer (Ab) 5 8 5 13

Luke Weikel (PW) 6 6 7 13

Alex Howieson (HH) 7 8 4 12

Aidan Keough (PW) 6 5 7 12

Jason Carrelli (WT 5 6 5 11

Antony Pagliei (Q) 6 7 4 11

Aidan Esack (HH) 7 3 8 11

Seth Lerner (HH) 5 9 2 11

Goals Against MP GA GAA

Michael Bonnani (Wiss) 288 22 3.67

Ben Panella (Ab) 144 9 3.00

Sam Nemec (Ab) 144 13 4.33

Save Percentage MP Shots Saves Save Pct

Ben Panella (Ab) 144 88 79 .898

Sam Nemec (Ab) 144 110 97 .882

Michael Bonnani (Wiss) 288 116 94 .810

Pennsbury 7, C.B. East 6 OT

Bristol—Considering two of the most potent offensive teams in the SHSHL’s National/Continental Division were sharing the ice Thursday night, the goings on were not unexpected. Brendan Macainsh’s goal with 1:13 remaining in overtime gave Pennsbury a 7-6 win over Central Bucks East to conclude an entertaining evening of hockey at Grundy Arena.

Macainsh forced a turnover at the Patriots’ blue line and walked in on Matt Mangiacapre to score the game-winning goal and give his team its fourth consecutive win, the last two of which have come in overtime. The Falcons now stand at 5-1 overall, 3-0 in divisional play.

“At practice on Monday I told them that ‘I think this will probably be our toughest game of the season,’” said Pennsbury coach Ryan Daley. “I think it proved to be our toughest game of the season.”

The biggest difference maker in the game was Pennsbury goaltender Marek Jorgenson who finished with 32 saves.

“Some of his saves were just robberies,” Daley said. “It was the only way you could describe it. He played great, I was really happy with his performance. I wish we could have done a little better job in front of him.”

Jorgenson was especially busy in the first two periods, stopping 22 shots. The first frame saw the two teams combine for seven goals. The Falcons built a 4-1 lead but Adam Schmidt, Chris Mangiacapre, and Tyler Godown scored for the Patriots (2-3, 0-2-0-1 in divisional play) in a span of just over eight minutes to tie the game 5:26 into the second period.

Shane Siegmund and Edward Bossler scored goals to give Pennsbury a two-goal lead with 8:51 left in regulation, but Adam Bostock and Godown responded for the Patriots to force overtime.

The loss was the third straight for the Patriots, who are dealing with the absence of forward Phil McIntyre who is out indefinitely with a concussion.

East coach Jeff Mitchell says his players need to improve their pregame preparation. “I think my boys need to do a better job preparing before games,” he said. “We’ve also had a couple injuries over the past two weeks. It’s a tough course to navigate right now but tonight, against the first-place team in the division right now, is probably a step in the right direction.”

For his part, Daley feels the Falcons have exceeded his expectations as the compressed regular season hits the halfway point.

“We’re in a better spot than I could have imagined,” he said. “I knew we had a good team this year but obviously until you start playing, you don’t know exactly what you have, and they’ve surprised me in the best way.”

• Macainsh had three assists to go with his game-winning goal.

C.B. East 3 1 2 0—6

Pennsbury 4 1 1 1—7

First-period goals: Adam Bostock (CBE) unassisted, 3:42; Reese Picker (P) from Erik Eisler and Brendan Macainsh, 6:05 (pp); Eisler (P) from Shane Siegmund, 10:35; Andrew Falkenstein (P) from Macainsh and Connor Coyle, 11:48; Picker (P) from Macainsh, 12:05; Aiden Schmidt (CBE) from Bogdan Boradenko, 12:17; Kyle Hausner (CBE) from Bostck and Carter Keiser, 13:57.

Second-period goals: Tyler Godown (CBE) from Chris Mangiacapre and Kyle McIntyre, 5:26; Siegmund (PB) from Justin Marlin, 8:21.

Third-period goals: Edward Bossler (Pb) from Marlin, 7:09; Godown (CBE) from Bostick and Mangiacapre, 12:20.

Overtime goal: Macainsh (Pb) unassisted, 3:47.
Shots: C.B. East 38, Pennsbury 33; Saves: Matt Mangiacapre (CBE)26, Marek Jorgenson (Pb) 32

Abington 7, Wissahickon 6

HATFIELD— Joe Stelacio’s goal with 4:25 remaining in the third period capped a remarkable comeback and gave Abington a 7-6 win over Wissahickon Wednesday night in a Suburban High School Hockey League American Division matchup at Hatfield Ice.

The Galloping Ghosts rallied from a 5-0 deficit in the second period and trailed 6-3 going into the final session before scoring four unanswered goals to record their fifth victory in six starts.

The win moved Abington in to first place in the division ahead of the Trojans (4-1) who have a game in hand as the SHSHL regular season nears its halfway mark.

“This is certainly a big win for us,” said Abington coach Ken Brzozowski. “It’s something we’ve been working for a while, to be able to play at this level, play at this caliber. We thought coming into the game we had a chance, we got down, and the team just rebounded.”

The Galloping Ghosts had to climb a very steep hill. With just under five minutes gone in the middle period Wissahickon had a 5-0 lead on the strength of three goals from Nick Hussa and two more from Brian Garry. Abington didn’t get on the board until Matt Kramer found the back of the net with 6:58 remaining in the second session. Jordan Heydt and Ian Heydt added goals 55 seconds apart to make it a 5-3 game with 2:39 left in the period.

Garry completed a hat trick to give his team a three-goal advantage heading into the third period but the Trojans, who were playing their first game in two weeks because of Covid-19 issues and had only nine skaters dressed on Wednesday, did not score again. Griffin Carpenter, Stelacio, and Kramer all scored in a span of 4:49 draw their side even with 5:55 left and set the stage for Stelacio’s game winner.

Colin Bruton, Abington’s captain, said he and his teammates maintained their focus during their third-period comeback. “I just think we needed to stick to our game,” he said. “we knew we could score on them. We had three goals on them at that point. We just wanted to keep playing our game, just try and outwork them, and I think we did a good job of that.”

Wissahickon coach Ken Harrington was missing several regulars including his top defense pair.

“We could have played much better,” he said. “Maybe that’s fatigue too. But we still had the lead.”

Ice chips—the Trojans had a 39-21 advantage in shots. Sam Nemec made 33 saves in the Abington net … The two teams will have a rematch on Match 5 … The Galloping Ghosts captured the first three SHSHL titles in history, from 1974-76 They claimed a fourth championship in 1978 and added two more in 2003 and ’04.

Wissahickon 2 4 0—6

Abington 0 3 4—7

First-period goals: Brian Garry from Nick Hussa, 1:07; Hussa from Garry, 13:00 (sh).

Second-period goals: Hussa from Garry, :07; Garry from Hussa, :53; Hussa from David Glazier, 4:58 (pp); Matthew Kramer (A) from Colin Bruton, 9:08; Jordan Heydt (A) Kramer, 12:26; Ian Heydt (A ) from Kramer, 13:21; Garry unassisted, 15:42.

Third-period goals: Griffin Carpenter (A) unassisted, 5:16; Joe Stelacio (A) from Sam Paulik, 5:33; Kramer (A) from Paulik and Ryan Portner, 10:05; Stelacio (A), 11:35.

Shots: Wissahickon 39, Abington 21; Saves: Michael Bonnani 14, Sam Nemec (A) 33

Holy Ghost Prep-St. Joseph’s Prep Matchup a Nod to Hockey History

Friday’s Atlantic Prep Athletic Conference matchup between Holy Ghost Prep and St. Joseph’s Prep at the Skatium will have considerable significance. It will be the first APAC conference game to be played at the celebrated venue.

When the puck is dropped shortly after 7 p.m., the lengthy history of the rink and the brief but impressive record of the APAC will be officially linked.

Located on Darby Road in Haverford Township, and built at a cost of $1.5 million, the Skatium opened its doors on September 20, 1974. The timing could not have been better. The Flyers had won their first Stanley Cup just four months and a day earlier and enthusiasm for hockey in the Philadelphia area was at an all-time high.

The name of the venue was determined via a contest that was open to all residents of Haverford Township. Twelve-year old Michael Steinberg submitted the winning entry. At first, use of the township-owned facility was restricted to Haverford Township residents, but that stipulation was eventually dropped and the rink soon became arguably an epicenter for the growth of amateur hockey in the Philadelphia area in general and Delaware County in particular. And while newer, larger facilities have been built in the years since, none have replicated the Skatium’s intimacy.

Today it is the home rink for a half dozen Inter County League teams, as well as teams from the Independence League, the St. Joseph’s University club team, and the Haverford Hawks youth program.

Holy Ghost Prep coach Gump Whiteside has made numerous trips to the Skatium as a player and coach. He enjoys the venue’s atmosphere.

“I remember when it was first opened up and going there for youth games as a player and then later as a coach,” he said. “It was always clean. I liked the stands on that one side. The benches were really tight but then they did some renovations and made the benches a lot bigger and nicer, but it was a really good atmosphere to play in.”

Whiteside recalls the atmosphere in the building as being difficult for visiting teams to deal with. “It was a tough barn to play in,” he said. It’s a great atmosphere. I can remember coaching both (Germantown Academy) and Holy Ghost and having some tough games against O’Hara over the years. It’s been a great atmosphere.”

David Giacomin is in his eighth season as the head coach at St. Joseph’s Prep. When he started his career with the Hawks the team played its home games at the Skatium before moving to the University of Pennsylvania’s Class of 1923 rink. The Hawks returned to the Skatium this season.

Giacomin was asked what makes the building unique. “I think it’s the atmosphere,” he said. “In a typical year where you can have fans.

“it is an old barn. The student body and everything is all on one side. It’s built up over the glasses. You feel like everybody’s right on top of you. The ceiling has got a decent height to it but it feels like everything is on top of you. So, it’s very quaint.”

Giacomin considers the Skatium an ideal setting for high-school hockey. “It’s just a very exciting place to play,” he said. “It’s usually loud and raucous and when two teams meet, they bring their fans there. It’s just a super, great place.

“There’s the visual, the lighting in there, the ice surface is awesome. Teams seem to enjoy playing at that place, but what makes it special is the 800 to a thousand people that can be in there. It’s kind of suited for a high school hockey game.’’

In 2014, Giacomin’s first year at St. Joseph’s Prep, the Hawks were the top seed in the Class AAA Flyers Cup and faced La Salle in the one-game final at the Skatium a game eventually won by the Explorers 5-4 in overtime

Giacomin recalls that building was packed.

“It was one of those games where we didn’t know going into it how many people would show up,” he said. “Delaware County’s got a lot of hockey folks, and it wasn’t just people from St. Joe’s or La Salle there, it was people who liked hockey who wanted to come over and watch a good game.

“It was just so many people, five deep behind the benches and people wrapped three, four deep around the glasses, in that area and then on the way to the locker room it was almost 11 deep. Both teams took time to get the locker room in between periods.

“It was just a great atmosphere to be a part of and probably something that those kids will never forget.”

Giacomin is enthusiastic about the Hawks returning to the Skatium this season and bringing the APAC along with them.

“Don’t get me wrong, plying at Penn is a great experience, as well,” he said. “That’s another one of those old buildings. But if you brought in 800 people you wouldn’t know 800 people were there. With the Skatium, and all the people who love high school hockey around the area, if you brought in 800 people, you’re going to know they’re all there because it’s going to be loud. It’s just a great place to play we’re looking forward to it.

“Hopefully, we can continue that for years to come because I think presenting the APAC in that area, geographically would enhance our league.”