Abington 5 Plymouth Whitemarsh 1

HATFIELD TWNSHIP— With their halo of invincibility having disintegrated, Abington took the ice Thursday night with a renewed sense of purpose.

And it showed. Three goals in four-and-a-half minute span late in the first period left the Galloping Ghosts in command on the way to a 5-1 SHSHL American Division win over Plymouth Whitemarsh at Hatfield Ice Arena.

It was the first start for Abington (9-0-1, 8-0-1 in the division) since it sustained the only blemish on its record, a 2-2 standoff with Quakertown two days before Christmas. Thursday’s result allowed the Galloping Ghosts to leave that game far behind them.

“It was very important to start fast,” said senior forward Jordan Heydt. “This is arguably the most important game of the season. It solidifies us for a really good chance at first place, taking about the playoff bracket for this year (which will include three teams).

“(The regular-season champion) having a first-round-bye is huge.”

Abington has built its record despite the fact that two of its top scorers, Pat Stelacio and Matt Kramer remain sidelined with injuries. That has led some line juggling and other adjustments.

“We really have to have our players step up,” Heydet said. “We have to have our assistant captain, captain, and even the freshmen, they all have to step up.

“They all have to play their roles. They don’t have to do a lot, but they just have to play the system and play like they know how to play.”

Griffin Carpenter gave Abington a 1-0 lead 10:25 into the first period off a feed from Sam Abramson. Heydt made it a 2-0 game at the 11:53 mark, and Sam Paulik gave his team a three-goal advantage when he scored during a power play with 2:01 left in the period.

Playing their third game in three nights, the Colonials (6-4, 5-3 in the division) found themselves trying to dig out of a deep hole.

“We’ve done it before,” said Plymouth Whitemarsh coach Dave Cox. “But tonight, it just wasn’t there. Our third game in three days, I think started to take its toll.”

The Colonials’ Conlan Carpenter beat Abington netminder Sam Nemec on a power-play effort 1:16 into the middle period. But that was all he and his teammates could manage.

Heydt and Abramson added goals for Abington in the third period.

“We came out with energy tonight,” said Abington coach Ken Brzozowski. “We kind of knew it was a big matchup, they’d been winning some games, they’re right behind us in the standings.

“We knew if we could come out of here with a win, it would really put us in a good spot for the rest of the year.”

• Ice Chips— The two teams will play again in a non-league game at the Wells Fargo Center on January 18 to celebrate both teams’ Senior Nights. Face-off time is now set for 7 p.m.; the Senior Night celebration will precede the opening faceoff.

Abington 3 0 2—5

Plymouth Whitemarsh 0 1 0—1

First-period goals: Griffin Carpenter (A) from Sam Abramson, 10:25; Jordan Heydt (A) from Sean Doyle and Seamus Donofry, 11:53; Sam Paulik (A) from Donofry and Devin Bates, 14:59 (pp).

Second-period goal: Conlan Carpenter (PW) from Dylan Novitsky, 1:16 (pp)

Third-period goals: Heydt (A) from Paulik. 4:17; Abramson (A) unassisted, 5:37

Shots: Abington 39, PW 20; Saves: Sam Nemec (A) 19, Chris Maslij (PW) 33

Holy Ghost Prep 6 N. Allegheny 3

Brady Baehser, Kieran Mulholland, and Zach Pers all scored two goals as Holy Ghost Prep defeated North Allegheny 6-3 Thursday night outdoors and under the lights at Schenley Park in Pittsburgh.

Baehser’s second goal of the game with 3:25 left in the second period broke a 3-3 tie, Mulholland made it a 5-3 game with his second goal with 4:25 left in the third period. Pers finished the scoring with an empty net goal in the final seconds.

Pennridge 5 Neshaminy 3

BRISTOL— The atmosphere inside Grundy Arena was crackling with energy Wednesday night. Pennridge and Neshaminy were both looking to make a statement.

The Rams did just that, overcoming a two-goal first-period deficit before dominating the last two periods en route to a 5-3 win.

The result will not factor into the SHSHL National Division standings but will doubtless attract the attention of the Flyers Cup Committee when the next set of rankings is unveiled.

Josh Kelly and Shane Dachowski each scored twice for

Pennridge, the defending Class AA Flyers Cup and state champion. The Rams improved to 6-3 overall.

Kelly said he and his teammates refocused after falling behind early.

“We kind of realized we needed to start going,” the sophomore said. “We needed to put something in the back of the net. We kind of realized who we are. We came out slow and ended the game how we wanted to.”

The ’Skins (6-3) killed off two early penalties before taking a 1-0 lead 6:12 into the opening period. Noah Seewagen scored the power-play goal while the Rams’ Colin Dachowski was serving a tripping minor.

Max Gallagher made it 2-0 with a shorthanded goal at the 11:06 mark off a rush down the right wing that finished with a slapshot along the ice that beat Pennridge goaltender Jacob Gilbert through the five hole.

That goal turned out to be the high point of the evening from Neshaminy’s point of view.

Tyler Manto got the Rams on the scoreboard 1:28 into the second frame on a shot that caromed of the stick of Neshaminy goaltender Cory Hemberger. Kelly the game when he scored on a rebound with 2:41 left in the period to send the teams into the third frame all even.

Shane Dachowski put Pennridge in front for good 2:49 into the final period when he converted a feed from Kevin Pico who set up the goal with a dash down the left wing.

Pico and Neshaminy’s Nolan Geria got some extended time in the penalty box after the two got into a skirmish with 13:48 remaining in regulation. Both drew minor penalties for head contact and automatic 10-minute misconducts but the incident had little bearing on the final result.

Kelly scored his second goal of the night with 9:23 remaining to give Pennridge a two-goal advantage. J.J. Hathaway scored during a Neshaminy power play wirg the Neshaminy net empty with 1:19 remaining but Shane Dachowski’s empty-net goal with 11.4 seconds left settled matters.

Pennridge’s dominance over the final two periods showed up on the scoresheet. After being outshot 12-7 in the first period the Rams outshot the ‘Skins 31-10 over the last two for a final margin of 38-22.

Rams coach Jeff Montagna cited his team’s comeback after a difficult beginning.

“It was a terrible start,” he said. “It was a terrible first period, which has been a strength for us. But, like they’ve done all year, they came back and they played a fabulous two periods.

“But, I told them, we’ve got to figure out these slow starts.”

The ‘Skins spent an inordinate amount of time skating shorthanded; they were whistled for 11 penalties (the Rams were flagged for eight). But Coach Matt DeMatteo was quick to point out his team came up short in other areas.

“Penalties were part of it,” he said, “(but) we had a really good first period, and stuck to the game plan, but we came out in the second period and they brought up the intensity and we did not.

“That was the difference in the game. They came out with urgency, we didn’t match it. they took the momentum of the game over.”

Pennridge 0 2 3—5

Neshaminy 2 0 1—3

First-period goals: Noah Seewagen (N) from Michael Knipple, 6:12 (pp); Max Gallagher (N) unassisted, 11:06 (sh)

Second-period goals: Tyler Manto (P) unassisted, 1:28; Josh Kelly (P) from Colin Dachowski and Nate McKean, 14:19

Third-period goals: Shane Dachowski (P) from Kevin Pico and Andrew Savona, 2:49; Kelly (P) from McKean, 7:37 J.J. Hathaway (N from Gallagher, 15:41 (pp); Pico (P) unassisted, 16:49 (en)

Shots: Pennridge 38, Neshaminy 22; Saves: Jacob Gilbert (P) 20, Cory Hemberger (N) 33

Holy Ghost Prep Heading West on a Trip That is About More Than Hockey

Holy Ghost Prep will travel to Pittsburgh this week on a trip that is one part hockey and one part community service. The Firebirds are scheduled to play Shady Side Academy on Wednesday before facing North Allegheny on Thursday night in an outdoor game.

In addition, the hockey team will partner with the DePaul School for Hearing in Speech in Pittsburgh as part of HGP’s immersion program. This signature initiative is part of HGP’s academic curriculum allowing every student the opportunity to be a part of a multi-day service program in the United States and/or around the world.

The hockey team, including the managers, along with 12 additional Holy Ghost sophomores and juniors, will spend the day Friday with the students from the DePaul School for Hearing and Speech. The DePaul School helps students adapt to the use of cochlear implants and teaches them how to speak and hear using technology.

Senior Brady Baehser is the captain of the Holy Ghost Prep hockey team. He was also part of the squad that made the trip to Pittsburgh last January.

“We bring (their fellow students) along) so that can see what it’s like to mix sports and service together,” he said. “We do a lot of fun things with (the DePaul students). They love to see us.

“We’re going to the Hunt Armory rink with them, which is sponsored by the Penguin Foundation, and a Holy Ghost Prep alum, Jim Britt. We’re incredibly lucky for that.”

Baehser says the immersion program has helped him mature. “It made me realize how grateful me and my teammates are,” he said. “We have it so good. So, it always feels good to get back to reality and realize what other kids (are dealing with) so we can be more grateful and use our power to help other people.”

On the ice, the Firebirds, who are 10-2 overall and 3-0-1 in the Atlantic Prep Athletic Conference, have won their last four games and eight of their last nine. Their only loss in that span was to Glenbrook South (Illinois) in the finals of the National Scholastic Invitational on December 4. Baehser has scored 15 goals and added 13 assists for 28 points this season and leads the Atlantic Prep Athletic Conference in scoring with five goals and five assists in four conference games.

“I really think it starts with senior leadership,” he said. “We haven’t had this many seniors (10) on the team in a while and we all want to win so bad. We stay together as a team; when we’re losing games, we don’t get down on each other. We really compete hard at practice and it really goes to show in the games.”

Holy Ghost Prep 6 St. Albans 3

Brady Baehser and Landon Stout each scored two goals as Holyy Ghost Prep defeated St. Albans 6-1 Monday evening at Ice Line. Kieran Mulholland and A.J. Prete also scored for the Firebirds, who won their fourth straight.

Prete, Baehser, and Stout scored goals in a six-and-a-half minute span in the first period to give their team a 3-1 lead.

Baehser’s second goal of the game, 5:30 into the second period, extended the Firebirds’ lead but St. Albans scored two goal on first a five-on-three and then a five-on-four power play to make it a one-goal game with seven minutes to go before Stout and Mulholalnd scored additional goals for the Firebirds.

Holy Ghost Prep (10-2 overall) will play two games in Pittsburgh later this week, facing Shady Side Academy on Thursday and North Allegheny in an outdoor game on Friday.

Holy Ghost Prep 3 1 2—6

St. Albans 1 0 2—3

SHSHL Update 1-1-23

National Division W L T OTL Pts

Pennsbury (7-2) 3 0 0 0 6

C.R. North (2-6-0-1) 2 2 0 1 5

C.B. South (5-4-0-1) 2 1 0 0 4

C.R. South (6-1) 1 0 0 0 2

C.B. West (3-5) 1 0 0 0 2

Bensalem (2-5) 1 0 0 0 2

Neshaminy (6-2) 1 1 0 0 2

Pennridge (4-2) 1 1 0 0 2

Souderton (3-6-0-1) 1 3 0 0 2

C.B. East (4-4) 0 1 0 0 0

North Penn (3-6) 0 3 0 0 0

American Division W L T OTL Pts

Abington (8-0-1) 7 0 1 0 15

Quakertown (5-3-1) 4 3 1 0 9

Plymouth Whitemarsh (5-3) 4 2 0 0 8

Wissahickon (4-4) 4 3 0 0 8

Springfield (0-7) 0 7 0 0 0

Scoring

National Division G A Pts

Brendan Macainsh (Pb) 15 8 23

Seth Grossman (Soud) 13 10 23

Aydin Thierolf (CBS) 11 10 21

Alex Hood (Ben) 14 3 17

Andrew Savona (Pr) 7 10 17

Blaise Pepe (CRS) 8 7 15

Corey Kosick (CBE) 10 5 15

Jake McCaw (Pb) 5 9 14

Kevin Pico (Pr) 7 6 13

Nick Smith (Soud) 9 4 13

American Division G A Pts

Pat Stelacio (Ab) 14 10 24

Branden McNally (Q) 13 9 22

Matthew Flynn (PW) 12 9 21

Ian Heydt (Ab) 9 12 21

David Branigan (PW) 9 12 21

Matt Kramer (Ab) 12 7 19

Danny Hussa (Wiss) 12 6 18

Will Hussa (Wiss) 13 4 17

Jordan Heydt (Ab) 11 6 17

Seth Abramson (Ab) 8 9 17

For St. Joseph’s Prep A Week to Remember

Looking back on St. Joseph’s Prep’s victory at the 2022 National Capital Hockey Tournament, popularly known as Purple Puck Tournament.

The Hawks tied their opening game before winning their next four to claim the tournament title.

This video, which was produced by Mr. Jost Winata, commemorates that achievement.

Our thanks to Mr. Winata for allowing us to post it here,

Game Scores

St. Joseph’s Prep 4 Gonzaga 4

St. Joseph’s Prep 3 Loyola Academy 2

St. Joseph’s Prep 3 Archbishop Spaulding 0

St. Joseph’s Prep 7 O’Connell 1

St. Joseph’s Prep 6 Archbishop Spaulding 1

St. Joseph’s Prep Wins Purple Puck Title

Jeffrey Hammond erupted for five goals and assisted on another as St. Joseph’s Prep defeated Gonzaga 6-1 Friday afternoon to win the 28th. Purple Puck Tournament in Washington, D.C.

Joey Samango contributed a goal and four assists as the Hawks (11-2-2 overall) won their fourth consecutive tournament game in two days after playing to a 4-4 tie with Gonzaga in their opener on Wednesday.

Hammond scored twice in the first period to give his team a 2-0 lead before T.J. Albero score what would prove to be Gonzaga’s only goal.

The Hawks broke the game open in the second period by scoring four times. Hammond started the barrage by scoring his third and fourth goals, one of them in a shorthanded situation. Samango made it a 5-1 game before Hammond completed the scoring.

Rocco Bruno got the win in goal, making 33 saves.

St. Joseph’s Prep Reaches Purple Puck Finals

Joey Samango scored two goals and added three assists as St. Joseph’s Prep defeated O’ Connell 7-1 Friday morning in the fourth round of the Purple Puck Tournament in Washington, D.C. The win put the Hawks into Friday afternoon’s 3 p.m. final against Archbishop Spaulding.

Tristan Winata added two goals of his own for the Hawks. Jeffrey Hammond, Caden Kelly, and Brayden Collins also scored goals.

Ajay White got the win in goal with 18 saves.

The latest Hockey Happenings podcast is now LIVE.

Eric Tye and I discuss the season’s first set of Flyers Cup rankings

World Junior Tournament Offers Learning Opportunities for High School Players

The ongoing IIHF World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, which features players age 20 and younger, offer an opportunity for hockey fans to watch future NHL player in action.

For high-school players, the tournament offers insights into what it takes to play the game at an elite level.

Neshaminy coach Matt DeMatteo looks at the tournament as a learning experience for his players.

“The kids playing are only a few years removed from where our high school players are at this moment in their lives,” he said. “They are really still maturing and learning and making some of the same mistakes our guys do. It’s good for them to see that in such a high-level tournament.

“This (tournament) is more relatable because of the age of the players and where they are in life. They’re not millionaires (yet) and are working hard to be able to play at the next level. There is still an urgency in their game.”

St. Joseph’s Prep coach David Giacomin encourages his athletes to observe the players competing in the Junior World and incorporate aspects of their games into their own; specifically a strong worth ethic.

“I think when watching elite-caliber players you try to find something in a player you like and try to emulate it into your game,” he said. “Playing at that speed and performing like they do takes a lot of practice and hard work.”

DeMatteo notes the significance of a work ethic and cohesiveness at the pinnacle of junior hockey.

“I loved seeing the Czechs upset Canada (5-2 on December 26),” he said. “Talent alone will not guarantee a win. (Canadian coach) Dylan Guenther’s quote after the game was spot on and something we try to preach to our players; “We’re trying to skill our way through it, we’re trying to toe-drag, beat guys one-on-one. To win, you have to play the right way, play together and play as a team. It starts with the simple side of the game. Winning battles.” To me, that statement sums it all up.”

In addition to being the head coach at Central Bucks West, Dave Baun has been USA Hockey coaching instructor for almost two decades. He’s been following the World Junior tournament and tweeting insights to his own players.

“Probably the most important on-ice point is the need for players to follow their shots to the net and establish net presence,” he said. “This is something that Coach (Rand) Pecknold mentioned in his talk-up but a skill so many of our American players don’t learn in youth hockey. Our players all want to be perimeter players and going to the net is not part of their game habits.”

Another topic Baun addressed was game tempo and, along with it, players’ proficiency at changing lines on the fly.

“Everyone wants to play fast,” he said. “Coach Pecknold encouraged his team to play fast. But, playing fast isn’t just a function of just having fast skaters. It’s a combination of playing well without the puck and making and receiving passes. A bobbled pass that bounces three feet away from a player in the WJC is a turnover, it’s probably two feet in the NHL.

“When I poll our Atlantic District coaches on whether they work on line changes in practice, one or two Tier I coaches out of 80 may raise their hands. The vast majority just aren’t working on line changes here in practices at all. Knowing to dump the puck bench side, have F1 angle while D, then Forwards, change behind is a skill that we all need to work on. Pro teams do this in practice. Effective changes help you gain tempo. When you can only change at the whistle, the refs are setting our Team’s tempo, not us. Teams that can change effectively can play faster. This is true of the USA WJC team, NHL teams, and our SHSHL teams.”