Four different players scored goals as St. Joseph’s Prep downed Malvern Prep 4-2 Thursday afternoon in an Atlantic Prep Athletic Conference game at Ice Line.
Christian Short, Jeffrey Hammond, Joey Samango, and Michael Ahearn all scored goals as the Hawks (6-6 overall, 1-2-1-0 in conference) handed the Friars (10-3, 5-1-1-0) their first conference loss.
Ajay White came up big in goal for the Hawks, making 47 saves; his team was outshot 49-25.
Goals from Short and Hammond gave the Hawks a 2-0 lead at the 1:22 mark of the second period. Teague Murray scored for Malvern Prep to cut the margin in half at the 3:50 mark before goals from Samango and Ahearn extended the St. Joseph’s Prep lead. Matt Harris scored for Malvern Prep in the final minute of the second period but the Friars could not come any closer.
St. Joseph’s Prep 1 3 0—4
Malvern Prep 0 2 0—2
First-period goals: Christian Short (SJP) unassisted, 14:28
Second-period goals: Jeffrey Hammond (SJP) from Nick Storti and Dante Passio, 1:22; Teague Murray (MP) from Hayden Campbell and Matt Barbacane, 3:50; Joey Samango (SJP) from Hammond and Passio, 8:22; Michael Ahearn (SJP) from Tristan Winata and Passio, 13:22; Matt Harris (MP) from Jeremy Jacobs and Quinn Dougherty, 16:02 (pp)
Shots: St. Joseph’s Prep 25, Malcom Prep 49; Saves: Ajay White (SJP) 47, Anthony Perti (MP) 21
The Raiders scored two shorthanded goals before the game was two minutes old and went on to the win on Thursday at Iceland.
Seth Kaplan paced the Raiders (6-6) with two goals and four assists. Elian Estulin and Josh Sosner also scored two goals each for Hun School, which registered its first win since December 10 in just its second start since December 15
The Atlantic Prep Athletic Conference has set the dates for the Founders Cup playoffs.
The postseason will begin on Monday, February 14 with the fourth-place regular season finisher hosting the fifth-place team.
The winner will advance to the semifinals, which will be staged as a doubleheader at Ice Line on Wednesday, February 16. The championship game will be played on either Wednesday, February 23 or Thursday, December 24 and will be hosted by the highest seeded finalist.
Because of when they are scheduled, the results of the Founders Cup playoffs will factor into the seedings for the Flyers Cup tournament which will be announced on Sunday, February 27.
The complete Founders Cup playoff schedule is as follows: 1st Round – Feb 14th: 4 x 5 play in, Site TBD (Highest Seed)
Semifinals – Feb 16th @ Iceline: 6:45pm & 8:45pm
Championship: Feb 23rd/24th (TBD), hosted by higher seed
The Founders Cup playoffs will mark the conclusion of the APAC’s fourth season. La Salle claimed the first two league titles in 2019 and ’20. Last year’s playoffs were not concluded because of Covid issues.
HATFIELD—Reece Millman had a big night Wednesday night. The Pennsbury senior scored three goals and assisted on another as the Falcons downed Central Bucks West 10-3 in a SHSHL Class AA game at Hatfield Ice.
The win was another step for the Falcons (6-3-1, 4-2-1 in divisional play) as the seek to keep pace with the SHSHL’s elite and impress the committee that will select and seed the Flyers Cup tournament field.
“We just of kind of kept the momentum we started since coming back from the holiday break,” said Pennsbury coach Ryan Daley. “It was kind of a little bit of a hiccup (Monday night in a loss to Pennridge) but we picked up where we left off. (Pennsbury is 3-1 in January). Millman said the Falcons are jelling at the right time as they focus on what’s ahead.
“The Flyers Cup is the end goal,” he said. “The league is cool and all but it’s just like (club hockey) districts, you want to go to nationals. Just like the Flyers Cup we want to compete to win that. That’s the end goal.”
Millman stressed the importance of the veterans on the Pennsbury roster showing the way for their younger teammates.
“I think it’s very important,” he said. “It’s like a family when you’re playing ice hockey here, or ice hockey at any high school where there’s many different ages. The freshmen and sophomores obviously are going to look up to the juniors and seniors because we’re kind of leading the way and I think it’s good. Because they’re picking up the pace too and kind of follow our footsteps.”
The Bucks (3-8, 0-7) actually took the early lead; Zane Sanders found the back of the net 2:30 into the opening period. But the Falcons scored nine straight goals over two-and-a-half periods, including three from Millman.
Evan Eisler scored two goals for the Falcons and added an assist while five other players scored one goal each.
West coach Dave Baun noted that his team played better than the score indicated; Pennsbury’s shot advantage was just 32-27.
“All in all, I think we played pretty well,” he said, “and my sense of it was that the shots were more indicative of the game than the score.
“The score got away from us during the game. But, I was happy. It’s another game we can build on.”
Pennsbury 3 3 4—10
C.B. West 1 0 2—3
First-period goals: Zane Sanders (CBW) from Grant Funseth, 2:30; Reese Picker (P) from Logan Doyle, 11:25; Brendan Macainsh, 14:19; Reece Millman (P) from Doyle and Conor Kane, 15:51
Second-period goals: Colin Michalek (P) unassisted, 1:58; Marcus Roberts (P) from Frankie Kolanko, 12:49; Millman (P) unassisted, 16:55
Third-period goals: Evan Eisler (P) from Kane, 2:58 (pp); Eisler (P) unassisted, 5:08; Millman (P) from Eisler, 6:59; Billy Loughnane (CBW) from Nick Bruno, 8:19; Andrew Falkenstein (P) from Millman, 9:48; Anthony Dowd (CBW) from Evan Hee and Loughnane, 11:08
Jesse Corser-James scored two goals as the Blues bested the Raiders Wednesday in a Mid Atlantic Hockey League game.
Brandon Marino scored for the Raiders, who were outshot 41-17.
Jack Borek made 37 saves while taking the loss in goal.
Hill School 1 2 1—4
Hun School 0 0 1—1
Lawrenceville 6 La Salle 0
A.J. Maner delivered a hat trick as the Big Red shut out the shorthanded Explorers in a Mid Atlantic Hockey League game Wednesday afternoon at Hatfield Ice.
La Salle was without several veterans due to injury and a class retreat.
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WEST GOSHEN—In its relatively brief lifespan, the Atlantic Prep Athletic Conference has produced an abundance of memorable moments. The conclusion of Monday’s encounter between Malvern Prep and La Salle ranks with any of them.
Matt Harris scored with 1:08 remaining in overtime to give the Friars a 5-4 win over the Explorers at Ice Line.
La Salle forced the overtime by scoring two goals in the final 1:27 off regulation, one of them shorthanded, but in the end Malvern Prep (10-2, 5-0-1-0 in the APAC) emerged triumphant despite being outshot 60-40.
“I think we just got a little lazy in the (defensive zone),” Harris said of his team’s late-game difficulties. “We saw the time on the clock and thought we had the game secured and in the D-zone just got lackadaisical, not making plays.
“They came out after a timeout and put two in and we were just stunned.”
Malvern Prep (in white) and La Salle battle during Wednesday’s game at Ice Line.
A neutral observer might well have concluded that the Friars’ struggles down the stretch were for reasons other than complacency.
Jimmy Jacobs scored two goals in a span of 1:29 to give his team a 4-2 lead with 10:23 left in regulation. He assisted on his team’s other three goals.
“One thing we’re having trouble with right now is closing out games,” he said. “We’ve got to clean that up. A special (salute) to our goalie (Anthony Perti) for keeping us in it because it could have been a lot worse.”
Dean Carvalho scored the only goal of the first period to give La Salle (5-5, 2-2-0-1) a 1-0 lead.
Harris answered for Malvern Prep early in the second frame before the Explorers’ Jackson Lindmar and the Friars’ Quinn Dougherty traded goals to set up the events of the third period and overtime.
Jacobs scored his first goal on a shot from the top of the left circle 5:08 into the final period, then extended his team’s at 6:37 while La Salle’s Keenan Schneider was in the box for slashing.
Schneider atoned for his error by bringing his team to within a goal with 1:27 left in regulation but with 44 seconds left he was flagged for interference and given a 10-minute misconduct to boot.
The Explorers kept battling however and as the clock ticked down inside 20 seconds Chris Wnek, positioned just to the right of the Malvern Prep net, flipped the puck in on goal, allowing Chase Hannon to tip it past Perti and send the game to overtime.
Paul Quinn was in charge of the Explorers on Monday. Wally Muehlbronner was serving a one-game suspension in the wake of the goings on during his team’s 2-1 win over St. Joseph’s Prep last Friday. Muehlbronner was in the building but not permitted behind the bench.
“I thought we had a really good first period,” Quinn said. I thought we got off the gas a little bit after the first.”
Quinn noted how his teams stepped up in the waning moments of regulation.
“They came out and played the way we should,” he said. “They were flying and buzzing. Had we played that way the whole game, I think it would have been a different story.”
Jacobs says Monday’s win is indicative of how the Friars have matured s a team over the course of the season.
“Everyone has found a role now,” he said. “We were shorthanded today, my brother (Jeremy) was missing. People had to step up. They had more shots, but we were able to capitalize. Our goalie played out of his mind.”
La Salle `1 1 2 0—4
Malvern Prep 0 2 2 1—5
First-period goal: Dean Carvalho (L) from Max Monzo and Gavin O’Connell, 9:00
Second-period goals: Matt Harris (MP) from Jimmy Jacobs, 2:10; Jackson Lindmar (L) from Patrick Brace, 5:55; Quinn Dougherty (MP) from Jacobs and Harris, 11:41
Third-period goals: Jacobs (MP) from Harris and Pierre Larocque, 5:08; Jacobs (MP) from Larocque and Dougherty, 6:37 (pp); Keenan Schneider (L) from Chris Wnek and Ryan Desmond, 15:33; Chase Hannon (L) from Wnek and Max Maddalo, 16:44 (sh)
Overtime goal: Harris (MP) from Dougherty and Jacobs, 3:52
Shots: La Salle 60, Malvern Prep 40; Saves: Will Braun (L) 35, Anthony Perti (MP) 56
For more about La Salle College High School CLICK HERE
HAVERFORD TOWNSHIP—Despite the winter chill outside, the air inside the Skatium was crackling with intensity Friday. That’s a common occurrence when La Salle and St. Joseph’s Prep square off, whatever the sport.
Keenan Schneider’s power-play goal 6:12 into the first period proved decisive as the Explorers prevailed 2-1 in an Atlantic Prep Athletic Conference matchup.
The win lifted La Salle to 5-4 overall and 2-2 in APAC play. The Hawks fell to 4-5-1 and 1-2-0-2.
La Salle, which has won four of its last five games, jumped in front when the Hawks coughed up the puck in front of and just to the left of their own net. Patrick Brace was one hand to coral the puck and put it behind Hawk netminder Rocco Bruno just 93 seconds after the opening faceoff.
Schneider’s goal came off a faceoff in the circle to Bruno’s right.
Keenan Schneider scores the game-winning goal
St. Joseph’s Prep countered when Nick Storti beat La Salle goaltender Aries Carangi from the left side of the slot 6:12 into the second session.
That was the last goal of the night but both teams maintained a high level of intensity and physicality the rest of the way. Through the first two-and-a-half periods the referees called 11 minor penalties, six against the Explorers, five against the Hawks, but passed on incidents that might have been whistled down on another occasion.
Emotions boiled over with 1:28 remaining in the third period and La Salle trying to protect its one-goal lead.
Eight players, four from each team, were accessed a total of 72 penalty minutes. Two La Salle players Carangi and forward Tim Whittock, were given game misconducts for receiving four penalties during the game and will serve one-game suspensions as a result.
Muehlbronner also faces a suspension; his team was accessed 16 penalties.
When all the penalties were sorted out, St. Joseph’s Prep had a power play. Coach David Giacomin pulled Bruno at that point, giving his team a six-skaters-to-four advantage for the duration of the game but the Hawks couldn’t score.
Will Braun took over for Carangi in the La Salle goal. His only warmup came while the officials were sorting out the penalties but he made two saves over the final 88 seconds of playing time.
“I was happy that we hung on,” Muehlbronner said. “We had a lot to overcome in the third period.”
Muehlbronner made his thoughts clear regarding the late-game incident. “In my eyes, that’s very preventable, what took place,” he said. “It’s not what I expect.
“I don’t think the lack of discipline came on our part. It was a disgrace, what happened at the end. I expect my guys to play hard, play the game the right way. “Thankfully we did that in the first period and that’s what got us through.”
Giacomin noted the teams took turns dictating the flow of the game.
“It was up and down,” he said. “They had a really good first period, I think we played really good in the third period, and that made for an interesting third period, at least the first part of it.”
Giacomin indicated the rivalry between the two schools contributed to the altercation.
“You don’t like to see it,” he said, “but you understand why it happens You’ve just got to hopefully teach the kids from this point on that that’s not the way we play, period. Both teams.”
La Salle 2 0 0—2
St. Joseph’s Prep 0 1 0—1
First-period goals: Patrick Brace (L) unassisted, 1:33; Keenan Schneider (L) from Charlie Kennedy, 6:12 (pp)
Second-period goals: Nick Storti (SJP) from Joey Samango and Dante Passio, :49
Shots: La Salle 38, St. Joseph’s Prep 34; Saves: Aries Carangi (L) 31 and Will Braun (L) 2, Rocco Bruno (SJP) 36
For more information about La Salle College High School CLICK HERE
For information about St. Joseph’s Prep CLICK HERE
Jeremy Jacobs scored 2:21 into overtime to give Malvern Prep a 4-3 win over Holy Ghost Prep Thursday night in an Atlantic Prep Athletic Conference game at Ice Line as the Friars celebrated Senior Night.
Caiden Canale, Aidan Kelly, and Jimmy Jacobs also scored for Malvern Prep (9-2, 5-0 in the APAC) which tightened its hold on first place in the APAC standings.
Sean Marshall scored for the Firebirds (9-7, 1-4-1-0 in conference) with 1:39 left in regulation to force overtime.
Canale opened the scoring for the Friars 2:34 into the first period before Brian Butler tied the game for Holy Ghost Prep with a power-play goal at the 4:14 mark. Kelly’s goal with 40 seconds left in the opening session gave the hosts a 2-1 lead.
Michael Holt tied the game for Holy Ghost Prep with 4:30 left in the middle period.
Jimmy Jacobs put Malvern Prep in front for the third time with 5:52 remaining in the third period before Marshall’s goal necessitated overtime.
“It was a big night for our team,” said Malvern Prep coach Bill Keenan. “We were playing our second game since December 15 and we knew we had to come ready to play.
“(Holy Ghost Prep) is a good team, they get pucks deep and crash the net and it was good to see them get the win, especially for our seniors.”
Holy Ghost Prep 1 1 1 0—3
Malvern Prep 2 0 1 1—4
First-period goals: Caiden Canale (MP) from Jeremy Jacobs, 2:34; Brian Butler (HGP) unassisted, 4:12 (pp); Aidan Kelly (MP) from Jimmy Jacobs, 16:20
Second-period goal: Michael Holt (HGP) from Colin Moore, 12:30
Third-period goals: Jimmy Jacobs (MP) unassisted, 11:08; Sean Marshall (HGP) from Moore and Ciaran Chambers, 14:21
Overtime goal: Jeremy Jacobs (MP) from Pierre Larocque, 2:21
Shots; Holy Ghost Prep 31, Malvern Prep 34
Saves: Jason Soule (HGP) 30, Anthony Perti (MP) 28
Riley Frost is a long way from home; some 3,000 miles. The Carlsbad, Calif. native arrived at The Hun School two-and-a-half years ago. Now, he’s a senior and the Raiders’ captain. His passion for hockey runs deep.
“Hockey is kind of in my family,” he said. “Both my dad and my grandpa played hockey and my mom plays ringette (a sport for females that is played on ice and in some aspects, resembles ice hockey). So, it was kind of in my blood.”
One might not think of Southern California as a hockey hotbed but the Los Angeles Blades skated in the Western Hockey League immediately prior to the creation of the Los Angeles Kings when the National Hockey League expanded from six to 12 teams in 1967. San Diego’s hockey history dates back to the 1960s and the present-day San Diego Gulls skate in the American Hockey League.
Following his freshman year of high school however, Frost, who is 17, decided to take another step in his hockey career.
“I realized that I kind of wanted to go further with it,” he said, “and decided to come out to the East Coast. Hun was a great fit for me so I decided to come here.”
Frost says his coach, Ian McNally, significantly influenced his decision to enroll at the school.
“Kind of off that first meeting my family and I kind of really trusted him,” he recalls, “and we really fell in love with the school after that.”
As a boarding student, Frost’s days are full.
“Normally I wake up for classes around 8:00 and start the day off,” he said. And then throughout the day I’ll have a few free periods. That’s really when I get a lot of work done and get in as much schoolwork as I can.
“And then after that, hockey (the team practices daily), then usually after hockey come back, have a little down time, and then study hall starts.”
Boarding students at the school have a mandatory two-hour study hall five nights a week, Sunday through Thursday.
“It’s really great,” Frost said, “because you have a set time every night where everyone is doing work. If you have a buddy in a class, you can go work on a project or whatever together.
Sometimes there are teachers out and about. If you have any questions you can go talk to them. it’s been very nice to have that kind of study hall. When those two hours come down, everyone knows it’s time to dial it in, it’s time to work.”
Frost note that work ethic carries over into the ice. The Raiders navigate a demanding schedule against Atlantic Prep Athletic Conference and Mid-Atlantic Hockey League opposition.
“I kind of like our schedule this year,” Frost said. “It’s definitely gotten more competitive over the years.’
The Raiders stand at 5-5 overall and 1-2-1-0 in the APAC through January 19; they haven’t played a game since December 15 because of Covid issues that have impacted several scheduled opponents.
Frost has scored three goals in nine game and added six assists. McNally cites his contributions to the Hun School hockey program over the course of his career.
“Riley has been a great addition to our team and school since his arrival in 10th grade,” McNally said. “He was a natural selection to wear a “C” this year as he is a glue guy all over campus, in the room and on the bus, in the dorms and in the classroom, and of course with his play on the ice. He is getting the opportunity to put up points this year and is deserving of any accolades that come his way.”
Riley Frost
This is Hun School’s first season in the APAC. Frost has been impressed with the competitive balance among the five conference schools.
“Balance is a good word,” he said. We’re obviously all very competitive people and every game we’re going to come out and we’re going to play our hearts out and that’s really going to be what leads us to hopefully our end goal this season.”
Frost notes how much he, his teammates, and the student-athletes throughout the conference respect the game and respect each other on the ice.
“I think we all recognize that we’re all high-level athletes,” he said, “and obviously, we would like to go as far as we can in our careers and so that level of respect that all the teams have for each other is pretty crucial to our league.”
In the wake of the layoff, Frost says he and his teammates are gathering themselves for what in effect will be a sprint to the end of the season
“Definitely,” he said. “Trying to dial in all our systems and truly getting that team chemistry going again is going to be essential for us.”
In addition to playing hockey, Frost also plays lacrosse; he’s an attackman and midfielder. He stresses the importance creating a system to manage his time effectively.
“Once you find something that works for you, it really becomes quite simple,” he said. “You have your practice time, you have a little bit of down time and then it’s your schoolwork, getting everything done, making sure you have a good night’s sleep and you’re ready for the next day. I think once you find what works, that’s really important.”
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