Category: Hockey News

PA State Championships

Pennsylvania Cup State Championship Games

Saturday, April 24

All Games at UPMC Sports Complex in Cranberry, PA

Class A

West Chester East 6, Indiana 3    Final

The Vikings scored four goals in the third period to claim the state title, the third in school history. The first two were in 2008 and 2013. They finished their season at 17-0.

This game can be streamed here

Class AA

Baldwin 4, Haverford 1 Final

Baldwin previously won a state title in 1988

This game is being streamed HERE

Class AAA

Malvern Prep 4, North Allegheny 2 Final

First-period goals: Nate Spak (NA) 3:17; Quinn Dougherty (M) 7:09 (sh); Jack Constabile (MP) 7:35; Constabile (MP) 9:38;

Second-period goals Jimmy Kirk (MP; Connor Chi (NA) 2:39

This game will be streamed HERE

Flyers Cup Update 4-20-21

Class AA Final

Haverford 4, Downingtown West 1

Jacob Orazi scored twice as third-seeded Haverford bested top-seeded Downingtown West 4-1 Tuesday night in the Class AA Flyers Cup final at Ice Line.

Jagur McClelland and Daniel Quartapella also scored for the Fords, who captured the fifth Cup in school history.

Tyler DeTreux scored for Dowingtown West to give the top-seeded Whippets a 1-0 lead 3:33 into the first period.

McClelland and Orazi scored second-period goals for the Fords. Orazi’s shorthanded effort with 1:12 left in the period proved to be the game winner.

Daniel Quartapella and Orazi scored empty-net goals late in the third period.

Haverford 0 2 2—4

Downingtown West 1 0 0—1

First-period goals: Tyler DeTreux (DW) from Thomas Fetterman and Zakari Spero, 3:33

Second-period goals: Jagur McClelland (H) unassisted, 5:43; Jacob Orazi (H) from Mike Mc Geoch and Aidenn Johnson, 15:48 (sh)

Third-period goals: Daniel Quartapella (H) unassisted, 16:01 (en); Orazi (H) unassisted, 16:44 (en)

Shots Haverford 49, Downingtown West 30;: Saves: Jai Jani (H) 29, Aidan McHutchinson, 49

Flyers Cup Class A Final

West Chester East 3, West Chester Henderson 2

Chase Bencel’s goal with 2:04 left in the second period proved to be the game winner Tuesday night as the top-seeded Vikings bested the Warriors in the Class A Flyers Cup at ice Line. Greg Diamond and Henry Thornton also scored for West Chester East, who captured the third Flyers Cup title in school history. Dylan Trench and Alex Holloway scored for the sixth-seeded Warriors.

West Chester East had a 60-26 shot advantage; Henderson goaltender Dylan Kirk made 57 saves.

WC Henderson 2 0 0—2

WC East 1 2 0—3

First-period goals: Dylan Trench (WCH) from Brian Bowan and Alex Holloway, 5:07; Greg Diamond (WCE) from Chase Becnel and Tristan D’Elia, 11:02 (pp); Holloway (WCH) from Dylan DeAngelo and Chris Laurence, 15:12

Second-period goals: Henry Thornton (WCE) from D’Elia, 6:12; Bencel (WCE) from Diamond, 14:56

Shots: WC Henderson 26, WC East 60; Saves: Dylan Krick (WCH) 57, Jake Godshall (WCE) 24

Flyers Cup Reflections

Thoughts on the Flyers Cup AAA final.

Malvern Prep’s Matt Harris earned the Class AAA Flyers Cup’s Bobby Clarke Award as the tournament’s Most Valuable Player.

Harris, a junior who spends the bulk of his time on right wing, collected three goals and an assist in the first two rounds of the tournament and played a key role in the Friars 4-3 overtime. win over La Salle in Monday night’s final.

Harris noted there was little to choose between the two finalists. “La Salle is definitely a good team,” he said, “They always have been a good team. We knew it was going to be a tough game throughout the whole game.

‘We tried to keep our pressure up. They were doing their best to match with us and we were doing our best to match with them.”

In light of the issues the Friars and the other Flyers Cup qualifiers had to deal with this season, on and off the ice, claiming the title was especially satisfying.

“Super satisfying,” Harris said, moments after the final buzzer Words can’t even describe the way everybody’s feeling right now. Covid was very unfortunate this year but we were lucky that we were able the Flyers Cup games in an and the whole season in. We were just lucky that we didn’t get taken out of the Flyers Cup for Covid-related issues, that we were able to get the job done.”

Malvern Prep celebrates on the ice after winning the Class AAA Flyers Cup Monday night (By Gracie Cleveland)

Malvern Prep coach Bill Keenan Recognized what his team was part of Monday night. “We knew it was going to be a tough game,” he said. “We knew La Salle and what they’re capable of, and props to La Salle, they played a heck of a game. It was back and forth. It was tight, just like as expected.”

The Malvern Prep program was idled by Covid immediately preceding the Flyers Cup. Keenan said the shutdown provided his team with an opportunity to regroup, albeit with a caveat.

“We knew we had a long stretch of games in a short period of time,” he said. “This is what we worked for all season. I’ve coached some of these kids since middle school up through high school and it’s great to see them prevail here and come out on top.”

Kudos to the officiating crew that worked the Class AAA final.  Referees Laura White and Brian McCullough read the temperature of the game perfectly and allowed the players the right amount of leeway. As high as the stakes were, the players respected each other and the game. Doug Hook and Tim Holtz worked the lines.

The All-Tournament team, as selected by the Flyers Cup Committee

All-Tournament Team

F: Jimmy Jacobs – Malvern Prep

F: Michael Casey – La Salle

F: Ryan Sambuco – Malvern Prep

D: Quinn Dougherty – Malvern Prep

D: Andrew Budzynski – La Salle

G: Anthony Perti – Malvern Prep

AAA Leading Scorer: Michael Casey – La Salle 5 goals, 3 assists, 8 points

Malvern Prep 4, La Salle 3 OT

WEST GOSHEN— It was the game that high-school hockey enthusiasts hoped it would be. Jimmy Jacobs scored 1:39 into overtime to give Malvern Prep a 4-3 win over La Salle Monday night in the Class AAA Flyers Cup final in front of an energized audience at Ice Line.

Jeremy Jacobs set up the winning goal when he split two La Salle defenders and got off a quality shot. Explorer netminder Liam Gross made the save but Jimmy Jacobs put the rebound in the back of the net.

The win gave the Friars the 11th Flyers Cup title in school history and their first since 2005. It also qualifies them for the Pennsylvania state championship game on Saturday. The Friars will face North Allegheny at the UPMC Sports Complex in Cranberry, PA, near Pittsburgh (4:30 start).

“I’m at a loss for words right now,” Jimmy Jacobs said. “It’s great that we finally won.”

The two top seeds in the tournament delivered a performance fitting for a championship final. Top-seeded Malvern Prep (14-1) got off to a fast start when Jacobs sailed up the right wing and sent a pass to the middle of the ice for Ryan Sambuco who beat Liam Gross 2:42 into the first period.

Jack Constabile made it a 2-0 game at 6:08 when he collected a turnover at the Malvern blue line and went the length of the ice before scoring on a breakaway.

La Salle (10-5) responded when Jake Hannon scored the evening’s only power-play goal at the 10:05 mark after the Friars were whistled for having too many men on the ice. They tied the game 3:12 into the second frame when David Kimmel scored directly off an offensive left-circle faceoff, surprising Malvern Prep goaltender Anthony Perti in the process.

Jimmy Jacobs put the Friars back in front at the 12:37 mark, but it took Hannon just 10 seconds to respond. That was the last goal until the game winner.

As disappointing as the loss was, La Salle head coach Wally Muehlbronner knew his team had much to be proud of.

“We got ourself in a little bit of a hole at the start,” he said. “We battled back, kind of the way we’ve been playing throughout this year; we grew together as a team.”

Muehlbronner praised both goaltenders, who made 78 saves between them. “Gross made some tremendous saves,” he said. “Perti made some great saves. “It could have wen either way a couple times. Both teams battled hard.”

Sambuco, one of his team’s captains, said winning the Flyers Cup was the climax of a career of effort. “We’ve been through the grind for four years,” he said. “And especially for a few of the guys (whose fathers and uncles played hockey for Malvern Prep). It’s special for us to get that cup finally.”

Ice Chips: The Friars’ Matt Harris was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player … Chris Blango, the Friars’ top defenseman and one of their captains, didn’t dress because of an injury … The game featured just three minor penalties, all against the Friars. The last one was called at the 10:28 mark of the second period …The Friars have won three of four meetings from the Explorers this season They could meet a fifth time if the postponed Atlantic Prep Athletic Conference championship game is rescheduled …La Salle was attempting to become the first team to defend a Flyers Cup AAA title since the Explorers won the last of four in a Row in 2014.

La Salle 1 2 0 0—3
Malvern 2 1 0 1—4
First-period goals: Ryan Sambuco (MP) from Jimmy Jacobs, 2:42; Jack Constabile (MP) from Jimmy Kirk, 6:08; Jake Hannon (L) from Max Maddalo and Andrew Budzynski, 9:47 (pp)
Second-period goals: David Kimmel (L) from Michael Casey, 3:12; Jeremy Jacobs (MP) from Aidan Kelly and Constable, 12:37; Hannon (L) from Maddalo, 12:47
Overtime goal: Jimmy Jacobs (MP) from Jeremy Jacobs and Sambuco, 1:39
Shots; La Salle 41, Malvern Prep 44; Saves: Liam Gross (L) 40, Anthony Perti (MP) 38

Flyers Cup Finals Preview

All Games at Ice Line

Class AAA

Malvern Prep vs. La Salle Monday, 8:15

The top-seeded Friars and second-seeded Explorers are each seeking their 12thFlyers Cup championship.

Malvern Prep (13-1), which won the Atlantic Prep Athletic Conference regular–season title, features the conference’s two top scorers. Matt Harris scored 13 goals and added 12 assists for 25 points during the regular season and has added three goals and an assist in the Flyers Cup tournament. Jack Constabile contributed 15 goals and eight assists during the regular season plus a goal and an assist in Flyers Cup play

Goaltender Anthony Perti has allowed just two goals in two Flyers Cup games after compiling a 1.84 goals against average and a .934 save percentage in the regular season.

The Friars are looking for their first Flyers Cup since 2005.

La Salle (10-4) is the defending Class AAA Flyers Cup and state champion. The Explorers are paced by Michael Casey, who collected 13 goals and six assists during the regular season for 19 points. He’s added five goals and two assists in two Flyers Cup games. David Kimmel scored six regular-season goals and added nine assists plus a goal and an assist in Flyers Cup play.

Liam Gross compiled a 1.90 goals-against average in the regular season plus a .916 save percentage. He’s allowed three goals in the Flyers Cup.

Flyers Cup Committee President Eric Tye is anticipating a closely contested affair “This is the one (the seeding committee) got right,” he said. “The one and two seeds made it to the finals. I don’t know if you can pick a winner.

“I watched (both semifinals). La dale and Holy Ghost was tight until the end and Malvern had to go to the end with St. Joe’s. I imagine this will be a one-goal game, a two-goal game at the most.”

Malvern Prep won two of three regular-season meetings between the two team this season.

The Friars and the Explorers are tentatively scheduled to meet for the APAC championship on a date to be announced following the state championship game.

Class AA

Downingtown West vs. Haverford Tuesday, 8:15

 Top-seeded Whippets (12-3-1) is seeking the first Flyers Cup in the school’s history. The Whippets are paced by Zakari Spero who scored nine goals and added 13 assists during the regular season/league playoffs for 22 points. He’s added three goals and five assists over the course of three Flyers Cup games. Thomas Fetterman scored eight goals and added 10 assists during the regular season and has added four goals and four assists in Flyers Cup play.

Goaltender Aidan McHutchinson compiled a 2.71 goals against average in regular-season play with a save percentage of .925. He’s been even better in the Flyers Cup with a 2.29 GAA.

Downingtown West handed Haverford its only loss this season; the two teams split a pair of regular-season meeting.
The Fords (15-1) come into the final with a 13-game winning streak. They are seeking the fifth Flyers Cup in their history and their first since 2007.

Jagur McClelland leads the team in scoring with 18 regular-season goals for 22 assists for 40 points plus five goals and five assists in three Flyers Cup games. Jacob Orazi pocketed 14 regular-season goals and 20 assists and added five goals and six assists in the Flyers Cup tournament.

Jal Jani has been outstanding in goal. He compiled a 1.36 goals-against average and a .946 save percentage during the regular season. Over the course of three Flyers Cup games, he’s put together a 1.47 GAA.

Tye says both teams will be primed for the title game after being challenged in the semifinals. Downingtown West prevailed over 12th-seeded Avon Grove while Haverford bested number-10 Pennridge.

“They both got tested really hard in the semifinals,” Tye said. “Avon Grove gave Downingtown West everything they could handle and Pennridge gave Haverford everything they could handle.”

Class A

West Chester East vs. West Chester Henderson Tuesday, 6:00

The top-seeded Vikings (16-0) have been dominant all season, defeating all 16 of their opponents and outscoring them 105-16. They’re seeking the third Flyers Cup title in their history, the first since 2013.

Greg Diamond leads the team in scoring, considering all 16 of his team’s games. He scored 18 goals and added 14 assists for 32 points during the regular season and has added six goals and eight assists during the Flyers Cup tournament.

Tristan D’Elia scored 12 regular-season goals and added 22 assists for 34 points during the regular season. In his loan Flyers Cup appearance, he added two goals and an assist.

Goaltender Jake Godshall put together a 1.92 goals-against average during the regular season with a .941 save percentage. He’s been scored against just once in two Flyers Cup starts.

The sixth-seeded Warriors (6-7-2) are paced in scoring by Alex Holloway, who scored seven goals and added four assists during the regular season. He’s added three goals and two assists during the Flyers Cup tournament. Trey Jefferis collected 11 goals during the regular season. He’s added three goals and an assist during the tournament.

Goaltender Dylan Krick put together a 3.22 GAA during the regular season with a .917 save percentage. He’s allowed two goals in two Flyers Cup games.

The Warriors one previous Flyers Cup championship came in 2007

The Vikings won two regular-season meetings between the two teams by a combined 15-1. They are the likely favorites in the final but Tye offers a caveat.

“They’re probably playing against the hottest goalie in the tournament right now,” he said. “That’s got to be a little bit scary. Strath Haven put 65 shots on that kid in the semifinals and he didn’t allow one until (15) seconds left in the game.”

Girls

Downingtown West vs. West Chester Henderson Wednesday, 8:15

Whoever emerges victorious from this matchup will be a first-time Flyers Cup champion.

The top-seeded Whippets (8-6) are paced in scoring by Ava Thomas who collected 19 goals and four assists for 23 points during the regular season. She added three more goals and three additional assists in the Flyers Cup semifinals. Goaltender Molly Rosenzweig compiled a 4.73 GAA in the regular season before allowing three more goals in the Flyers Cup semifinals.

The third-seeded Warriors (12-3) got 18 goals and 11 assists (29 points) from Kayla Czukoski during the regular season. She’s added two Flyers Cup goals.  Cassidy Yaun contributed 20 goals and seven assists during the regular season plus two goals and an assist in Flyers Cup play.

Goaltender Samantha Scebeio carried a 3.34 GA into the postseason. She pitched a two-period shutout in her lone Flyers Cup appearance.

This will be the only Flyers Cup final in which the participants did not meet during the regular season.

La Salle 5 Holy Ghost Prep 3

HATFIELD— A late surge got La Salle over the finish line. The Explorers scored three times in the third period Thursday night to score a 5-3 decision over Holy Ghost Prep in a Class AAA Flyers Cup semifinal at Hatfield Ice. The Explorers (10-4), the second seed in the tournament, will face top-seeded Malvern Prep Monday at Ice Line (8:15 start) in the title game.

Michael Casey scored two goals in the third period, including the game winner, and assisted on the the third. He noted that Thursday’s effort was quite a turnaround from the Explorers’ subpar, albeit winning performance against Father Judge in Tuesday’s quarterfinal.

“We did not play good our first game,” Casey said. “We got the win but it wasn’t good enough. We knew Ghost was going to give us a way harder game.”

The first half of the opening period was a feeling out process, akin to two fighters sizing each other up in the early rounds of a championship bout. Holy Ghost Prep struck first when Brian Butler made a run down left wing to set up Sean Marshall for the game’s first goal at the 10:23 mark. ‘

La Salle got a chance to respond when the Firebirds’ E.J. Pohl was whistled for slashing at 13:35. It took the Explorers just seven seconds to take advantage. Max Maddalo scored the goal with help from Keenan Schneider.

The Explorers took their first lead when Dan Whittock scored with just 53 seconds remaining in the period.

Holy Ghost Prep answered with a power-play goal 6:07 into the second frame, when Anthony Sparo scored from long range. It turned out to be the only goal of the period. After a break for the ice to be resurfaced, the teams returned, one period away from the final, or one period from elimination.

“We basically said it had to be one of our best periods of the season,” Casey said. “We had to go out there and go hard. We had to put more shots in the net; we weren’t generating enough shots,”
Casey scored what proved to be the winning goal 7:09 into the third frame when he rocketed a shot from the slot that beat Firebird netminder Bobby Baehser. He set up David Kimmel for an insurance goal at 9:11.

Holy Ghost Prep (7-7) had a last -ditch opportunity when the Maddalo drew a holding penalty with 4:45 left in regulation but 34 seconds later Whittock and the Firebirds’ Evan Mudrick squared off.

Each received a minor penalty for head contact plus an automatic 10-minute misconduct. After the two players reached the penalty box, Mudrick received a game misconduct as well.

Casey scored into an empty net with 1:20 remaining before Jake Marek scored for Holy Ghost Prep with 41 seconds left.

Firebird coach Gump Whiteside praised his team’s effort. “I thought that was one of the best games of the year for us,” he said. “I really liked our mentality coming into the game. “I’m just so proud of these kids.”

The Firebirds had a 40 shots to La Salle’s 24 but Liam Gross in the Explorer net stopped 37 of them. Ironically, Gross nearly had to leave the game with 7:16 left in the third period because of a problem with one of his skates but La Salle head coach Wally Muehlbronner used his timeout and the situation was resolved.

“It was a great team win,” Muehlbronner said. “Ghost really took it to us for a good portion of that game. We had tremendous goaltending from Gross and a pretty darn good performance out of MIke Casey.”

Notes: Both teams in Monday’s final will be seeking their 12th Flyers Cup title. Monday’s game will not be considered the Atlantic Prep athletic Conference championship game. APAC Commissioner Jim Britt that game, which will also match La Salle and Malvern Prep, will hopefully be scheduled at a later date following the state championship game.

Holy Ghost Prep 1 1 1—3
LaSalle 2 0 3—5
First-period goals: Sean Marshall (HGP) from Brian Butler, 10:28; Max Maddalo L) from Keenan Schneider, 13:42 (pp) Dan Whittock (L) from David Kimmel, 16:07
Second-period goals: Anthony Sparo (HGP) from Landon Stout, 6:07 (pp)
Third-period goal: Michel Casey (L) from Keenan Schneider, 7:09; Jake Kimmel (L) from Casey, 9:11; Casey (L) unassisted, 15:40 (en); Jake Marek (HGP) from Eric Pohl, 16:19
Shots: Holy Ghost Prep 40, La Salle 24; Saves: Bobby Baehser (HGP) 19; Liam Gross (L) 37

Haverford 4, Pennridge 1

WEST GOSHEN— It took Haverford some time to get started Wednesday night. But over the course of 51 minutes the Fords found the right gear and prevailed 4-1 over Pennridge in a Class AA Flyers Cup semifinal at Ice Line.

Third-seeded Haverford (15-1), a winner of its last 13 starts, will face top-seed Downingtown West in Tuesday’s final at Ice Line (6:15 start). The 10th-seeded Rams closed their season at 10-6.

At the evening’s outset, the Rams face the question of how to neutralize Haverford’s speed.
They were successful for most of the first period until Dane Fichette drew the game’s first penalty at the 11:10 mark, giving the Fords the game’s first power play.

It was Pennridge however who got on the scoreboard first when Aidan Boyle blocked a shot from the high slot, which set up Aeryk Lehrhaupt for a shorthanded breakaway. Lehrhaupt deposited the puck behind Haverford goaltender Jai Jani at 13:25.

The Rams maintained their lead past the midway point of the second period but the momentum was starting to shifting the Fords’ way when Quinn Carson tied the game with at the 11:41 mark of the period; his shot from the right wing caromed off Pennridge netminder Ryan Pico and into the net.

Haverford took the lead three-and-a-minutes later when Dan Quartapella tried to score on a wraparound inside the right post. Pico made the save but Alex Gattone poked in the rebound.

Pennridge coach Jeff Montagna saw Gattone’s goal as a turning point. “That second goal took a lot out of us,” he said.

By that point, Pico was keeping Pennridge in the game; after two periods The Rams were being outshot 27-14.

The Fords controlled the third period. Jacob Orazi extended his team’s lead when he scored a shorthanded goal at the 6:44 mark off a turnover in the Pennridge zone. Dan Quartapella completed the scoring for the evening at at 10:14. At evening’s end, the Fords’ shot advantage was 37-18.

Montagna saluted his team’s effort. “They did what I wanted,” he said. “They did it our way. It wasn’t sitting back and it wasn’t just waiting for the inevitable to come, They took it to them to start that game as best they could.”

The person perhaps most impressed by Pennridge’s performance was Haverford coach John Povey. “Pennridge gave us everything that we could handle,” he said. Hats off to their team, hats off to their coaching staff.

“That was one of the tougher games we’ve played all year. Hats off to them, but hats off to our guys, down 1-0. I don’t think we’d trailed in a game since the beginning of February, so it was good for us to find a way to win.”

The Fords made some adjustments to neutralize the Rams’ early surge. “We just started getting pucks behind their (defense),” Povey said. Our forecheck was really good. Halfway through the game, we were able to possess the puck and wear them down a little bit.”

The Rams had a long ride home Wednesday night but Blake Stewart, their captain, was quick to point out that the Rams earned the right to hold their heads high at evening’s end.

“We came into the season with low expectations,” he said. “I can say right now, no one thought we’d be here, especially the only SHSHL team here. And that gave us firepower. We came into the playoffs, we came into the Flyers Cup with nothing to lose. We did nothing but prove people wrong.”

Downingtown West defeated 12th seed Avon Grove 4-3 in the other semifinal.

Pennridge 1 0 0—1
Haverford 0 2 2—4
First-period goals: Aeryk Lehrhaupt (P) from Aidan Boyle, 13:25 (sh)
Second period goals: Quinn Carson (H) from Daniel Quartapella and Nate Rabadam, 11:41; Alex Gattone (H) from Quartapella and Carson, 15:13
Third-period goals: Jacob Orazi (H) from Rabadam and Cally Moran, 6:44 (sh); Quartapella (H) Rabadam, 10:41
Shots: Pennridge 18, Haverford 37; Saves: Ryan Pico (P) 33, Jai Jani (H) 17

La Salle 5, Father Judge 0

HATFIELD—In the end, it could be said La Salle did what was necessary. Michael Casey scored three goals and Chris Wnek added two more as La Salle shut out Father Judge 5-0 Tuesday night in a Class AAA Flyers Cup quarterfinal game at Hatfield Ice. The second-seeded Explorers, who have now won seven straight, will face Holy Ghost Prep in a Thursday semifinal (6:30 at Hatfield Ice).

In theory the Martin could have been much wider. The Explorers (9-4) outshot the seventh-seeded Crusaders (6-6-1) 47-14 over the course of the 48 minutes.

But Father Judge goaltender Colin McKee was the best player in the building by far. He made 40 saves before leaving the game with an injury with 90 seconds remaining in the third period.
La Salle dominated the first period, outshooting the Crusaders 11-4 but came away with just one goal, courtesy of Casey during a power play at the 11:01 mark off a setup from Dan Whitock. The goal came while Father Judge’s Sean Ford was sitting in the penalty box serving an interference minor.

Casey extended the Explorers’ lead 6:44 into the second period during another power play. The goal game just six seconds after the Crusaders’ Shawn Miller was flagged for high sticking.
But that was all the Explorers could do in the first two periods against McKee, who spent most of that time under heavy enemy fire; his team was outshot 34-8 over the first 32 minutes and the Explorers charged the Crusader net with impunity during much of that span.

“Their goalie played tremendous,” said La Salle head coach Wally Muehlbronner.

Both sides spent considerable time in special-teams situations. The game featured 17 minor penalties.

The third period, which included eight penalties, saw La Salle extend its lead. Chris Wnek beat McKee at the 4:30 mark before scoring his second goal of the night during a power play at 11:50.
With three minutes to go, McKee was pulled for an extra attacker and Casey completed his hat trick into an empty net with 2:08 left in regulation.

Muehlbronner left the rink happy to be advancing but otherwise dissatisfied. “How many two-on-ones did we give up by not playing a simple, smart game like we have been?” he said. “It’s a two-goal game going into the third period, Judge had some really good opportunities and their goaltender is playing phenomenal. That’s a tough game.”

Muehlbronner made it clear his players must step up their games if they hope to attain their goal of winning the 12th Flyers Cup in school history. “Hopefully they understand they were probably lucky to win tonight,” he said, “and we’re lucky to be moving on.”

Father Judge 0 0 0—0
La Salle 1 1 3—5
First-period goals: Michael Casey (L) from Dan Whitock and David Kimmel, 11:01 (pp);
Second-period goal: Casey (L) from Andrew Budzynski, 6:44 (pp);
Third-period goals: Chris Wnek(L) unassisted, 4:34; Wnek (L) from Tim Whitock, 11:50 (pp); Casey (L) unassisted, 13:52.
Shots: Saves: Colin McKee (FJ) 40 and David Marcelinho (FJ) 2, Liam Gross (L) 14

Holy Ghost Prep 8, Cardinal O’Hara 1

HATFIELD— Holy Ghost Prep came out flying Tuesday afternoon. The Firebirds scored four goals in the first period and went on to an 8-1 win over Cardinal O’Hara in a Class AAA Flyers Cup quarterfinal at Hatfield Ice.

Eight different players scored goals for the third-seeded Firebirds (6-6), who will move on to Thursday’s semifinals against La Salle or Father Judge.

It was the Firebirds’ first game in 22 days because of Covid issues that forced their withdrawal from the Atlantic Prep Athletic Conference playoffs and they wasted little time getting started. Shaun Moore scored just 68 seconds after the opening faceoff when he beat Ronan Marley with a rebound of Brady Baehser’s original shot. Patrick McAneny made it a 2-0 game at the 3:07 mark.

Angelo Filoramo scored for the sixth-seeded Lions (8-5-1) to get them on the board at 12:16. But Ciara Chambers and Sean Marshall scored goals 2 minutes, 20 second apart and by the time the period ended the Firebirds were enjoying a 4-1 advantage.

Holy Ghost Prep coach Gump Whiteside applauded his team’s fast start. “We kind of told them we had to get started right away,” he said. “We’ve been out of hockey for a couple weeks now, so it was nice to see that. I was really happy with the effort tonight.”

Luke Panepresso extended his team’s lead when he found the back of the net with 4:07 left in the second frame. The final period featured three more Firebird goals, from Evan Mudrick, Brian Butler, and John Connelly.

Senior Cole Stevens, who assisted on Butler’s goal, was excited to be back on the ice with his high-school teammates. “It’s good to get back out there,” he said,. “It’s just a good feeling to start playing again.”

Stevens says the scoring balance the Firebirds displayed on Tuesday will be beneficial going forward. “It’s huge,” he said. “Especially in a tournament like this, when that many people step up and score big goals.”

The final period also featured a plethora of penalties, a total of 11, seven of them to the Lions. After Connelly scored the afternoon’s last goal, with 17 seconds remaining, the officials ordered the game clock run out.

Apart from the win itself, what pleased Whiteside the most was the effort he got from all four lines. “I think we’re at our best when we’re able to roll four lines,” he said, “and it showed today. I really loved the commitment our guys played with today. I know our guys have been playing a lot of club hockey so I give credit to them, they did a great job.”

The Firebirds outshot the Lions 34-21.

Notes: John Connelly, with a goal and an assist, and Michael Connelly (two assists) were the only Firebirds with more than one point.

Cardinal O’ Hara 1 0 0—1
Holy Ghost Prep 4 1 3—8
First-period goals: Shaun Moore (HGP) from Braedon Baeshser, 1:08; Patrick McAneny, HGP from Michael Connelly, and John Connelly, 3:07; Angelo Filoramo (CO) from Nathan Fox, 10:29; Ciara Chambers (HGP) unassisted, 12:16; Sean Marshall (HGP) from John Seravalli and Colin Moore,14:36
Second-period goals: Luke Panepreso (HG) from Connolly, 11:53;
Third-period goal: Evan Mudrick (HGP) from McAneny, 8:28 (pp); Brian Butler (HGP) from Shaun Moore and Cole Stevens, 10:21; John Connelly (HGP) unassisted, 15:43
Shots: Cardinal O’Hara 21, Holy Ghost Prep 34; Saves: Ronan Marley (COH) 26, Bobby Baehser (HG) 20