St. Joseph’s Prep 3 La Salle 2

St. Joseph’s Prep used two third-period goals to post a 3-2 win over La Salle Wednesday evening in an APAC game at the University of Pennsylvania’s Class of 1923 Rink.

The win lifted the hosts to 14-5 on the season and 4-3 in conference.

Two of the Hawks’ three goals came while they were shorthanded.

Cole Gargon scored what proved to be the winning goal with 6:16 remaining in the third period. It came in the aftermath of a skirmish that sent five players to the penalty box and left St. Joseph’s Prep shorthanded.

Matthew Jones opened the scoring when he gave the Explorers (5-12, 2-6) a 1-0 lead 8:22 into the second period. Adam Charaffi tied the game for the Hawks with 6:38 remaining in the period while his teammate Michael Castelli was in the box serving a hooking penalty.

James Fratantuono put the Hawks in front for the first time 9:25 into the third period. Gargon extended his team’s lead when he beat La Salle goaltender Dylan Brown 1 minute 19 seconds later.

William Paulka scored for La Salle with 4:19 left in regulation to complete the scoring.

Declan Geary made 23 saves in goal in his winning effort.

“We relied heavily on Declan to make some big saves for us,” said St. Joseph’s Prep coach Charlie Van Kula. “”Hats off to La Salle, who battled hard all game.

“We have not been doing ourselves many favors lately with how we have shown up for games and its apparent. That’s on me. The road only gets harder from here with ther playoffs around the corner.”

St. Joseph’s Prep will conclude its conference schedule next Wednesday at Holy Ghost Prep in a game that was originally scheduled for this past Monday. La Salle, which has two non-conference games remaining on its schedule, will play in the APAC play-in game as either the fourth or fifth seed on a date to be determined.

 La Salle 0 1 1

St. Joseph’s Prep 0 1 2

Second-period goal: Matthew Jones (L) from Roman Tkach and Matthew Martin, 8:22; Adam Charrafi (SJP) from Frank Ely and Jake Ely, 10:22 (sh)

Third-period goals: James Fratantuono (SJP) from Noah Stuhl, 9:25; Cole Gargon (SJP) from Bradan Fisher, 10:44 (sh); William Podulka (L) from Owen Reinhart and Jones, 12:41;

Shots: La Salle 25, St. Joeph’s Prep 37; Saves: Dylan Brown (L) 34, Declan Geary (SJP) 23

Lunsford Maturing at La Salle

Patrick Lunsford is at home at La Salle, in the classroom and on the ice. The junior forward is in the midst of his first season of varsity hockey.

A Blue Bell resident, Lunsford was pointed toward La Salle at a young age.

“A lot of my family went to La Salle,” he said. “It was a very popular school at my grade school (St. Helena), and it was great for me so, that’s what made me go to La Salle.”
Like three of the other four schools in the APAC, La Salle’s student body is all male. Lunsford cites the upside to that environment.

“It really helps us focus,’ he said. “And, there’s the brotherhood. You just become so close with your classmates. It’s a really great opportunity. You just do a lot of things with your classmates; the classes. You make so many friends. It’s a great way to expand your friendships and just meet so many new people.”

Lunsford says he adjusted relatively quickly to La Salle’s academic demands.

“It was very different from grade school,” he said. “But, within the first couple weeks of my freshman year, I did very well. I did a great job adapting to the time management. You’ve just got to tackle your work early and if you get it in early, you’ll excel.

I think the kids at the schools around here, they get it and they understand so, everyone does a great job with schooling.

Like his peers, Lunsford has become adept at managing his time successfully.

“It’s hard,” he said. “But at the same time, La Salle does such a great job of giving you time throughout the day and time after school to get your work done. We don’t have the same classes every day. We have them every other day. So, we have two days to get our homework in, which is very huge with sports, and all the kids have outside activities.

“I think it’s a great opportunity for everyone. Time management, it is a struggle sometimes, but if you can get your work in, you’ll be just fine. That’s worked out great for me.”

Lunsford says the curriculum at La Salle teaches students to make independent decisions.

“My grade school did a really great job of preparing me for things like that in high school,” he said, “and it funneled into La Salle very well for me.”

From a hockey perspective is part of a team that began the season young in terms of age and more importantly varsity experience. They found themselves navigating a steep learning curve early on but recorded their two first two APAC wins of the season heading into Wednesday’s scheduled game at St. Joseph’s Prep.

“{Varsity hockey} is very different from the jayvee level,” Lunsford said. “The first couple games took some really getting used to, but over time I think myself and all my teammates, we’ve done a great job.

“The passing, the hitting, everything. It’s just a different level but I think we’ve done a really great of adapting to that.”

SHSHL Update 1-26-26

National Division              W    L   T  OTW OTL    SOW    SOL    Pts

North Penn (14-1)              11    0   0   –       –          –            –       44

Council Rock South (12-2)   9     2   0    –        –         –           –     36

Central Bucks South (9-4)          8      3    0      –         –          –      32

Pennsbury (9-3-1)                 7     3   1   –    –            –            –     30

Pennridge   (5-5-1)               5     5  –     –      2           –            –     22

Central Bucks East (5-7-1)   5    6   1   1    –            –            –       21`

Souderton (3-9)                     3    7   0   1    1          –           –       12

Neshaminy (2-10)                  2  9   0    1    –           –            –     7

Central Bucks West (0-13)  0   12   0    –     –           –           –       0                                 

American Division          W    L    T    OTW     OTL   SHW   SOL PTS  

Hatboro-Horsham (11-1)  11    1     0     –            –         –          – 44

Plym. Whitemarsh (8-1)  10    1     0     –           –         –          –    40

Wissahickon (3-6)            4   7      0    1          –        –          –          15  

Springfield (3-7)               3    7     0          –      –           –                  12

Abington (0-10)                0    11    0      –       1       –          –          1

Scoring   All League Scheduled Games                        

 National Division                      GP    G     A      Pts

Shane Gleisner   Pb                    13    35   18     53

Jake Weiner CRS                        13     34  17      51

Samuel Norton NP                     14     17  23    40

Chris Silvotti NP                          15     16   16   32

Landon  Bishop Pr                      10     17   12   29

Jordan Sarne   CRS                      12    14   15    29

Shane Hicks Pb                            12     12   17   29

Max Ryon Sou.                            8      16    13    29

James Rush Pr                             12     17    11   28

Nolan Shingle                              14     14    13   27

Ryan Frey     C.B. South             12      9     16   25

Jackson Kelly Soud                      8      11    10   21    

Dominic Gibson                           9     10      10  20

  American Division         GP      G     A    Pts

  Vincent Graziani HH      13      23   23   46

 Daniel Guller       PW        11    12    26  38

 Nate Nemchinov HH      11     19   18   37

 Bill Moffa   HH                13      11   16    27

Luca Staffieri HH            12      13    13   26

Cooper Kanze   PW         8       13     11   24

Mack Risnychok Wiss    11      16     7     23

Grayson Quinn Sp.         11      15     7     22

Blake Ambler PW            9        8      13   21

Reid Rochestie     HH     13       7     14   21

Blake Ambler      PW       8       7      12   19

Aiden North  HH             12      5      12   19

Grayson Quinn Spr.       9       13    3       16

Julia Kaminsky Soud                   6      9      4       13

Jackson Kelly Soud                       5      6      7      13

Nolan Shingle NP                        7       6      7      13

Ryan Burke       Pr                          5      4     7     11

Cameron  Fairweather  Sou.        5      3     8      11   

James Boyle NP                            6       2      9    11

Shawn Mooney  Nesh                  4       3     4      7

Joseph Mangin    HH      3        5      2      7

Cooper Kamze     PW     2         5     1      6

Dominic Gibson CBS                      3       3      3     6  

Goaltenders-Min.200 minutes

National Division         GP     MP  Shots  GA  Save %     GAA

Andrew Norton NP      7       357    134     8    .940         1.14

Cameron Young CBE    6      306     279    24   .914         4.00

Aidan Quigley NP         8       408     179     17  .905         2.13

Brendan Milliken Pb   13     662      395    41   .896        3.16

Trey Prozzillo    CRS     11       560    269    28   .896        2.55

American Division         GP     MP  Shots  GA  Save %     GAA

Max Youder   PW           5        255   148     12  .919        2.40

Dominic Sestito HH        5       236    80       8     .900       1.73

Lucas Bennett    PW        5      254    125     13   .896       2.61

Matthew Evangelist Ab  11    565    482     63   .869      5.69 

Eric Miller HH                   7      357  144       19   .868       2.71

Flyers Cup Rankings 1-26-26

The Flyers Cup Committee has released its second and last set of rankings for the 2025-26 regular season. The rankings are based on on-ice performance and the evaluations of members of the committee.

The field for the 47th Flyers Cup Tournament will be announced on the evening of Sunday, February 22.

Class AAA

  1. Holy Ghost Prep
  2. St. Joseph’s Prep
  3. Malvern Prep
  4. La Salle
  5. Father Judge

Class AA

  1. North Penn
  2. Council Rock South
  3. Boyertown
  4. Conestoga
  5. Owen J. Roberts

Class A

  1. Hershey
  2. Kennett
  3. Pernncrest
  4. Marple Newtown
  5. Hatboro-Horsham

Girls

  1. Avon Grove
  2. Downingtown West
  3. Lower Merion Maroon
  4. Conestoga
  5. West Chester East

Wissahickon 8 Springfield 5

Wissahickon and Springfield have labored in obscurity much of the season, their efforts limited by roster size. Hatboro-Horsham and Plymouth Whitemarsh have dominated the SHSHL’s American Division, leaving the Spartans, the Trojans (and Abington) in their wake.

But on Thursday night, the Trojans and Spartans were able to compete on an equal footing. The result was an 8-5 Wissahickon win at Hatfield Ice that added to the festive mood on the Trojans’ Senior Night and not incidentally tightened their hold on the third and final American Division playoff slot.

The win improved Wissahickon to 4-7 overall and in the division while Springfield fell to 3-8 overall and 3-7 in divisional play.

The result also allowed Wissahickon to avenge a 10-0 loss to the Spartans on November 20; the teams are scheduled to face each other on two additional occasions before the regular season concludes next month.
Joseph Gambino, one of Wissahickon’s captains, spoke of what the victory meant to him and his teammates and the experience they’re having this season

“This group definitely isn’t the most talented,” he said, “but we have the most heart. Last year on Senior Night we couldn’t get it done for them. It was a heartbreaking OT loss that definitely motivated us this year.

“We came prepared, suits and ties and ready to play and we came out and proved it today. I think that was our best game of the year.”

Wardrobes aside, Wissahickon got contributions from multiple sources. Mack Risnychok had a five-point night with four goals and an assist. Gambino added two goals and an assist while Chase McClintic delivered two goals. Logan Dicus, one of five seniors in the Trojan lineup, chipped in with two assists.

“Like any team I guess eight now, we have a short bench,” said Wissahickon coach James Rumsey. “Each one of them did their part. They all did something special to come out and take the win.”

The teams traded goals for most of the first two periods a before McClintic and Risnychok scored goals 82 seconds apart to put Wissahickon up 6-4 with four minutes left in the second period. Gambino’s goal 3:05 into the third frame have his team some additional breathing room.

Grayson Quinn had a hand in every Springfield goal; he scored their first and added four assists after that.

“After the first period it was 2-2 and each team had nine shots,” said Springfield coach Don Quinn. “You can’t get more even than that.

“We traded goals back and forth and then they took advantage of some mistakes and the net thing.” you know, it’s 8-4.”

Quinn notes his team has some critical games coming over the final month of the regular season.

“We know P-W and Hatboro-Horsham kind of have those one and two positions in our league,” he said. “It’s between us, Wissahickon, and Abington to get that final spot.”

 Wissahickon 2 4 2—8

Springfield 2 2 1—5

First-period goals: Mack Risnychok (W) from Logan Honeycutt, 4:41 (pp); Grayson Quinn (S) from Richard Belles, 12:38 Owen Campbell (S) from Grayson Quinn, 14:36; Risnychok (W) from Dryden Jaisle and Logan Dicus, 16:50

Second-period goals: Lincoln Coleman (S) from Quinn, :30; Chase McClintic (W) from Dicus, 5:21; Joseph Gambino (W) from Honeycutt, 7:45; John Barr (S) from Quinn, 9:06; McClintic (W) from Risynchok and Jaisle 11:38 Risnychok (W) unassisted, 13:00

Third-period goals: Gambino (W) from Link Matozzo, 3:05; Gavin McManus (S) from Bennett Warman and Quinn, 5:04;  Risnychok (W) from Gambino, 5:57

Shots: Wissahickon 30, Springfield 29; Saves: Fletcher Lynch (W) 24, Emmett Kline (S) 22

Pennridge 7 C.R. South 5

It was a game that featured a little bit of everything. In the end, it was one of the SHSHL’s biggest upsets of recent years.

Pennridge overcame two-goal deficits on three occasions and used five third-period goals to stun Council Rock South 7-5 Wednesday night at Hatfield Ice. The Rams, who started the season by losing five of their first six games, are 4-2-1 in their last seven starts. Wednesday’s win, which was achieved with just 11 skaters and a goaltender lifted them to 5-7-1 overall (5-7 in SHSHL National).

“They deserved that tonight,” said Pennridge coach Jeff Montagna,” because of how much better they’ve gotten this year.

“To be down 2-0, 4-2, and 5-3 and keep coming back, with a short bench and everything. I’m glad they could finish this one, because they’ve come so close against good teams. They deserve this one. I’m just so happy for them right now.”

There was little indication early on that the Rams would prevail. The Golden Hawks (12-2, 9-2) took a 2-0 first-period lead on goals from Jordan Sane and Allen Pruning. Sarne’s goal, just 52 seconds into the game, came on an assist from Jake Weiner that made Weiner the all-time leading scorer in school history.

Landon Bishop scored for Pennridge 6:40 into the second frame and Hames Rush tied the game seven minutes later.

By that point, tempers were flaring and the officials were busy; Rush’s goal came on a power play.

Sarne scored twice in the final 2:08 to give his team a two-goal advantage heading into the final period.

Bishop made it 4-3 on a partial breakaway 4:03 into the third period, bowling over South goaltender Troy Prozzillo in the process. Sarne made it a 5-3 game 74 seconds later but South would not score again.  Rush scored his second goal of the game exactly two minutes later and Colby Booth tied the game 8:08 left on a play to that featured considerable traffic in the crease. The scuffle that followed saw Weiner banished after receiving his fourth penalty of the game.

Bishop’s game winner came with 3:40 left in regulation. The junior finished with three goals and five points. Ryan Burke scored into an empty net with three seconds remaining.

“It feels amazing,” Bishop said. “Coming out and beating the second-place team in the league, knowing that only North Penn has beaten them? It’s amazing.”

Bishop said the coaching staff’s encouragement fueled his team’s resurgence.

“Our coaches believe in us,” he said. “We don’t quit when the challenge is real. We just keep pushing through. And get the win.”

Weiner called the loss “Just one of those nights.

“It stings,” he said. “But I was glad it happened right now before playoffs come up.

“But it stings. It definitely was a shock. They played harder today. We didn’t play as hard and that’s what it comes down to.”

• The game included 22 minor penalties, 13 against the Hawks, nine against the Rams. Weiner cane into the game with 214 points. He finished the evening with three assists.

C.R. South 2 2 1—5

Pennridge 0 2 5—7

First period goals: Jordan Sarne (CRS) from Jake Weiner, :52; Allen Pronin (CRS) from Xavier Prozorov, 5:35

Second-period goals: Landon Bishop (P) from Kaden Gunning, 6:40; James Rush (P) from Justin Dinsmore and Bishop, 13:46; Sarne (CRS) from Chase Stratton and Wes Mallon, 14:52; Sarne (CRS) frim Aidan Judge and Weiner, 16:46;

Third-period goals: Bishop (P) unassisted, 4:03; Saene (CRS) from Weiner, 5:17; Rush (P) unassisted, 6:52; Colby Booth (P) from Rush and Dinsmore, 8:52; Bishop (P) from Eush and Dinsmore, 13:20; Ryan Burke (P) from Dean Venner, 16:57 (en)

Shots: Council Rock South 41, Pennridge 30; Saves: Troy Prozzillo (CRS) 23, Andrew Slutsky (P) 36

PW 8 Wissahickon 4

Keeping up. That’s what Plymouth Whitemarsh’s season is about right now.

All season long, the Colonials have been locked in a day-to-day, shift-to-shift duel with Hatboro-Horsham for supremacy in the SHSHL American Division. Their matchup against Wissahickon Wednesday night was another puzzle.

The Colonials took care of business with an 8-4 win, their ninth victory in 10 starts, all in divisional play. They are even with Hatboro-Horsham in the loss column; the teams have split two meetings and are scheduled for two more.

Plymouth Whitemarsh took dominated the first period Wednesday night but led just 1-0 when the period concluded. The goal came off the stick of Brandon Wooldridge 4:35 into the period.

The Colonials took control of the game in the second stanza when goals from John Zawisliak, Wooldridge, Jack Condon, and Cooper Kanzee extended their lead to 5-0 before Wissahickon (3-7 overall and in the division) got on the scoreboard thanks to Mack Risnychok with 61 seconds left in the period.

“We really just kept our foot on the gas, Wooldridge said. “I thought we played well the first period, I think we had (16) shots, just couldn’t bury it but then we figured it out and got it past their goalie (Fletcher Lynch). He played really well today.”

The Trojans didn’t go away. Goals from Joseph Gambino and Logan Honeycutt sandwiched around a Plymouth Whitemarsh goal from Connor Barclay, making it a 6-3 game with 8:32 still left in regulation but Chris London and Dan Guller added additional goals to put the game away.

Plymouth Whitemarsh coach Vince Forti is still striving to get a solid effort from his troops for a full 51 minutes.

“I think we’re still trying to figure out putting in three full periods of work,” he said. “We get a lead and we end up taking our foot off the gas. And we’re wanting to not create a bad habit for the future because it’s not going to work in the playoffs.”

Wissahickon assistant coach Jason Jaisle has just 12 skaters on his roster and that was a factor on this occasion.

“It’s difficult when you only have two lines,” he said. “They’re rolling three-and-a-half. I thought we’d be tired. I wanted to call timeout, {His players} told me not to.

“But other than that, I’m proud of the guys. Every single one of them We played the best team in the league with two lines and the shots were just about even.

Jaisle says his short bench mandates he slow the pace of the game.

“I try to tell the goalie to cover everything and slow the game down,” he said. “If you’re caught in the defensive one just ice it. Just basic one-on-one hockey from Squirt level really. Unfortunately, without the third line, we’re tired.

‘We have to take advantage of every power play chance we get. We have to kill the penalties

Plymouth Whitemarsh 1 4 3—8

Wissahickon 0 1 3—4

First-period goal: Brandon Wooldridge (PW) from Luke Wynn and Carson Wooldridge, 4:35

Second-period goals: John Zawisliak (PW) from Cooper Kanzee, 1:33; B. Wooldridge (PW) from Daniel Guller, 6:33 (pp); Jack Condon (PW) from Luke Smith and Connor Barclay, 10:27; Kanzee (PW) from Guller and Wynne, 15:50; Mack Risnychok (W) from Chase McClintic and Dryden Jaisle, 15:59

Third-period goals: Joseph Gambino (W) unassisted, 3:02 (pp); Barclay (PW) from Condon and Smith, 6:42; Logan Honeycutt (W) Link Matozzo and Gambino, 8:28; Chris London (PW) from Kanzee, 11:46; Guller (PW) from Kanzee and Wynne, 14:16 (sh); Risnychok (W) from McClintic, 16:13

Shots: Plymouth Whitemarsh 49 Wissahickon 33

Saves: Lucas Bennett (PW) 29, Fletcher Lynch (W) 41

Knights Embark on Cancer Fight

It was a night when the final score truly didn’t matter. There were four points at stake when North Penn and Souderton squared off on Wednesday night at Hatfield Ice but the focus of the evening was the Knights’ Hockey Fights Cancer effort. The Knights took the ice on Wednesday wearing white sweaters trimmed in purple to commemorate the occasion, which was part of a multipronged effort to promote and raise funds for the fight against cancer.

“We got some contributions from some local businesses, said North Penn coach Kevin Vaitis. We got their logos put on the backs of the jerseys and were able to get these jerseys made

The North Penn junior varsity will play a Hockey Stops Cancer game of its own on Friday against Father Judge (8:50 at Hatfield) and two North Penn middle-school level teams will take the ice on Sunday against separate opponents.

North Penn assistant coach Frank Stumpo spearheaded the effort. Stumpo is also the North Penn Hockey Club treasurer; his son was diagnosed with cancer in 2024

“It’s incredible,” he said. “We talked about doing this for a couple years. My son was diagnosed with cancer a year-and-a-half ago at age 37. He’s come through it and is very healthy and that was kind of the impetus for us.

“So many of our families, not just on the hockey team but in the community have been affected by cancer. It’s a terrible disease.

“This is an opportunity, and the kids got behind it as well, to give back. We’re trying to play hockey and we’re trying to win hockey games. But we’re developing young men an we’re trying to teach them that’s there’s more to life than just what goes on on the ice so it’s a good opportunity and a wonderful learning experience for them as well.”

North Penn head coach Kevin Vaitis saw the event as a teaching moment for his players.

“I think it’s always good to give back,” he said, “and kind of make these kids aware, and the rest of our families aware; everybody’s going to be impacted to some degree by somebody battling cancer or lost somebody to cancer.

“I think if we can do our part to help raise a little bit more awareness, it goes a long way, and hopefully this is something other high-school teams in the area want to participate in as well so we can make it something bigger over the next couple years.”

Hun School 3 La Salle 2 OT

The ending came in the blink of an eye. Devin Espana’s shot off a left circle faceoff exactly halfway through overtime gave The Hun School a come-from-behind 3-2 win over La Salle Wednesday afternoon in an APAC matchup at Hatfield Ice.

The goal came just seven seconds after La Salle’s William Podulka was swept to the penalty box for roughing, giving the Raiders a four-skaters-to-three advantage for the finish.

The Raiders overcame a 2-0 second-period deficit to lift their record to 10-4 overall and 2-1 in the APAC. They’ve won seven of their last eight starts. But it took them the entirety of the first two periods to get their skates under them.

“We’ve got to find a way to decide We’ve want to play from the first drop of the puck,” said Hun School coach Nathaniel Welsh. “But when they decide they want to turn it on, it’s a good hockey team.”

The Explorers (3-11, 0-5) took a 1-0 lead 4:50 into green second frame when Andrew Frantz delivered a power-play goal on a shot from the left point. River Carangi made it 2-0 with 7:04 left in the period on a setup from Nick Mantellino on a play that built up from behind the Hun School net.

At that point, the Explorers seemed to have the upper hand. But the Zachary Vallee scored for the Raiders off a La Salle breakdown with 1.9 seconds left in the period and the complexion of the game changed at that point; following the break for the post-second period ice cut Hun School returned for the third period riding a fresh wave of energy.

“It really feel like can beat anybody,” said veteran defenseman Andrew Darst, “and the key right now is figuring out how to get a good start on the road. Coming off the bus after an hour-long bus ride. Just getting a good start and getting ahead in the beginning.”

In a very real sense, the start of the third frame was a new beginning for the Raiders. Zachary Vallee tied the game with 4:19 left in the regulation to set the stage for the finale.

“Our first two operations weren’t great,” Welsh said. “Getting off the bus ride we weren’t really ready to play, but in the third period, we hit our stride a little bit.”

The Explorers seemingly had the better of things at the start of the extra period but Podulka’s penalty set up the visitors with an offensive zone faceoff and the Raiders took advantage of what La Salle coach Wally Muehlbronner indicated was one in a series of critical errors.

“It’s definitely a disappointing loss,” he said. “We lost that game the way I look at it. All three goals directly resulted from us not doing something or doing something we shouldn’t have done.

“The penalty {that set up the winning goal} was not a smart penalty. And we didn’t pick up on the backcheck on the other two goals.”

Hun School 0 1 1 1—3

La Salle 0 2 0 0—2

Second-period goals: Andrew Frantz (L) from Liam Greenwalt and Nick Mantellino,4:50 (pp); River Carangi (L) from Mantellino, 9:56; Jimmy Dolan (HS) from Devin Espana, 16:59

Third-period goal: Zachary Vallee (HS) from Jacoby Kelly-LePage and Luca Jean, 12;41

Overtime goal: Espana (HS) from Andrew Darst and Vallee, 2:30 (pp)

Shots: Hun School 25, La Salle 28; Saves: Elliot Trottier (HS) 23, Daniel Trainor (L) 22

Hawks Win Purple Puck Title

For the third time in four years, St. Joseph’s Prep has claimed a title at the Purple Puck Tournament.

Jack Ely and Bradan Fisher scored goals three-and-a-half minutes apart as the Hawks edged fellow APAC member The Hun School 3-2 for the Prep Division championship Monday afternoon at the St. James Sports Complex in Springfield, Virginia just outside Washington, D.C.

St. Joseph’s Prep (11-4 overall) overcame a 2-1 deficit to post its sixth consecutive win and avenge a 2-1 loss overtime loss to the Raiders in an APAC game on December 10.

John Wagner opened the scoring for St. Joseph’s Prep just 1:31 into the 25-minute first half. Jacob Kelly-LePage tied the game for the Raiders (8-4) at the 6:06 mark before Luca Jean gave Hun School a 2-1 lead 8:54 into the half.

The Raiders were undermined however by two major penalties late in the first half. Jean received a five-minute penalty for slashing with 3:47 left in the half and Anders Van Raalte was flagged for head butting with 18 seconds left, putting Hun School two men down to start the third period.

The Hawks took advantage. Ely tied the game exactly one minute into the half and Fisher delivered the game winner at the 4:33 mark with Hun School still one man short.

 “We got lucky to survive through first half only one down,” said St. Joseph’s Prep coach Charlie Van Kula. “I think the two games in one day without leaving the rink threw off our routine and rhythm and it showed with how we came out.

“But we showed a lot of grit to reset and play out game in the second half.

“I’m really proud of our guys, both jayvee and varsity, on how they represented our program, on and off the ice.”

Hun School head coach Nathaniel Welsh missed the tournament because of a family obligation so assistant coach Kevin Morello was in charge behind the Raider bench.

“I’d have to say the more disciplined team came out on top,” he said. I’m still proud of our group. We’ll continue to improve and will see them {St. Joseph’s Prep} again in the APAC.”

Ice chips—Fisher finished the tournament with five goals and four assists. Cole Gargon added five goals and three assists. They were the top two scorers in the six-team Prep Division.

St. Joseph’s Prep 1 2—3

The Hun School 2 0—2

First-half goals: John Warner (SJP) from Michael Castelli, 1:31; Jacob Kelly-LePage (HS) from Conor Mulligan and Devin Espana, 5:06; Luca Jean (HS) from Andrew Darst, 8:54

Second-half goals: Jake Ely (HGP) from Cole Gargon and Noah Stuhl, 1:00 (pp); Bradan Fisher (SJP) from Castelli, 4:33 (pp);

Shots: St. Joseph’s Prep 35, Hun School 23; Saves: Declan Geary (SJP) 21, Blake Echternacht (HS) 32