Category: Hockey History

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 (10th 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 (21st 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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Counting Down to the Debut of the Atlantic Prep Athletic Conference

A new era is dawning in Philadelphia-area scholastic hockey as the Atlantic Prep Athletic Conference prepares to open its 20-18-19 season.

The new league features four schools, St. Joseph’s Prep, Holy Ghost Prep, LaSalle, and Malvern Prep, all with rich hockey traditions. Collectively, they have won 23 Flyers Cups, 21 of them in Class 3A, including the last eight, 11 of the last 12, and 16 of the last 18.

The caliber of hockey in the new league promises to be superb.  David Giacomin, the head coach at St. Joseph’s Prep, the defending Flyers Cup champion, says the four schools were looking to go against good competition on a regular basis.

“I think the big thing for all four of the schools was, we wanted to play in league where it was very competitive for everybody,” he said. “We wanted to compete against a stronger schedule. We’ll play each other three times apiece plus the (non-league game), we formed an agreement with the schools in South Jersey to play them so we’re playing the same type of teams to make this a very even playing field, but it’s giving the best competition that we could possibly find in the area on a consistent basis.”

The foundation the APAC runs much deeper however. Hockey at each of the member schools is a full-fledged varsity sport and the administrations at all four institutions are committed to fitting their respective hockey programs into their school’s educational philosophy.

“it’s run through the school,’ Giacomin said. “Everything goes through them, we have the full support of the Prep community and the full backing of the entire school. So, it’s super important. It doesn’t really mean that much for hockey itself, but it means more for the kids, to be able to turn around and say ‘I play for my school’ and it is a sponsored school sport where you’re getting the full backing of your community. That means the most to them.”

The majority of the league schedule will be played in the afternoon, which Giacomin believes will stimulate student attendance at the games.

“Looking at the way we’re doing it now, if we’re able to bring kids right from the school, immediately after school and starting the game at four o’ clock, that frees them up to do all their studies in the evening,” he said. “So, we’re hoping this format is going to work to our advantage and to be able to bring a lot of the student body in.”
Holy Ghost Prep and LaSalle will play the first APAC league game in history, Friday, November 2 at 7:30 at Grundy Arena.

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AHA Showcase Concludes Friday

The fifth annual AHA Hockey Showcase concludes Friday evening at Revolution Ice Gardens.

Here is the game schedule.

 

5:45pm – Souderton vs AB Wood.  for seventh and eighth place

7:25pm – Central Bucks East vs North Penn for third and fourth place

7:35pm – Father Judge vs Central Buck South – Championship Game

9:10pm – Hatboro Horsham vs William Tennent for fifth and sixth place

Suburban High School Hockey League Counting Down to Opening Night

Besides being a night for trick or treaters, Halloween Night will also serve as Opening Night for the 2018-19 Suburban High School Hockey League season. A total of 17 teams will skate under the SHSHL banner in this, the league’s 45th season, 12 in Class 2A and five more in Class A.

The 12 Class 2A teams will, as usual, be divided into two groups of six. The Continental Division will include Flyers Cup finalist Central Bucks South along with Central Bucks East, Central Bucks West, North Penn, Souderton, and Pennridge.

The National Division will feature Council Rock South, Neshaminy, Pennsbury, William Tennent, Truman, and Abington.

The Class AA league schedule will feature 11 league games with each team playing the others once. Teams may play each other a second time to fill out a 16-game schedule; in that instance the second meeting is the one that will count in the league standings.

The Class A American Division will feature five teams; Wissahickon, Lower Moreland, Hatboro-Horsham, Upper Dublin, and Plymouth Whitemarsh. The five teams will play each other three times each for a total of 12 league games plus four additional non-league games.

Several teams will be absent from the league schedule this year. Upper Moreland and Archbishop Wood, both of which skated in Class A last year, have combined to form a single team that will not be part of the SHSHL structure this season.

Council Rock North has added players from New Hope-Solebury this year; both schools had numbers issues a season ago. This year’s combined team will skate independently.

The SHSHL umbrella will not include a Class AAA division this season. Holy Ghost Prep and LaSalle have joined St. Joseph’s Prep and Malvern Prep to form the Atlantic Prep Athletic Conference.

 

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