Van Kula Ready for APAC Debut

Wednesday will mark the start of a new chapter in APAC history Charlie Van Kula will takes his place behind the St. Joseph’s Prep bench as the Hawks open their conference schedule at La Salle (4:00 at Hatfield Ice).

Van Kula took over the Prep this season, replacing David Giacomin who directed the Hawks for 13 seasons. His team comes into its APAC opener off three non-league wins.

“I’ve got big shoes to fill,” Van Kula acknowledged.

Van Kula was a goaltender for the Hawks (Giacomin was his coach his senior season) and lettered four times before having a brief stint as a walk-on at Boston College where he served as a student manager.

For the past three seasons he has coached the Hawks’ JV Gray team. He’s also an on-ice official for USA Hockey.

Van Kula says he had visions of being the Hawks’ head coach one day, Just not right now.

“It’s a real honor, obviously. It’s something I always kind of had  in the back of my mind, the possibility 20 years from now.

I told our alumni and parents it’s not something I take lightly, an and the program and where it’s come from.

“The program has grown from two teams to three and I take a lot of pride in being involved.”

Van Kula stresses the importance of the hockey program at his alma mater be the right fit with the educational and spiritual mission of the school.

“It’s critical,” he said, “as  it is with  all the sports at the Prep. We really emphasize that all of us. We’re not here to just coach our specific sports. Our sports are vehicles to fulfill the mission and the goals  of the school  as a whole.

“So, all of us are making sure our players are living up to that. Making sure that our players are living up to their academic expectations.  Making sure we’re pushing the same goals an values the school is.”

CLICK HERE for more about St. Joseph’s Prep

SHSHL Recap 11-18-25

National Division              W    L   T  OTW OTL    SOW    SOL    Pts

Council Rock South (5-0)  3     0   0    –        –         –           –         12

North Penn (4-0)                3     0   0   –       –          –            –         12

Central Bucks South (3-1)      3      1    0      –         –          –            12           

Central Bucks East (2-1)            2      1   0   –    –            –            8         

Souderton (0-2)                  1      1   0     –    1          –           –           5

Pennridge   (1-1)                1      2   0  –      –           –            –          4

Neshaminy (1-3)                 1     1   0    1    –           –            –         3

Pennsbury (2-2)                 0      2   0   –    –            –            –           0

Central Bucks West (0-4)  0      4   0    –     –           –           –           0                                 

American Division          W    L    T    OTW     OTL   SHW   SOL   PTS

Hatboro-Horsham (4-0) 4    0     0     –            –         –          –         16

Plym. Whitemarsh (3-0)  3    0     0     –           –         –          –         12

Springfield (1-3)              1      3    0     –          –      –           –             4

Wissahickon (1-3)            1   3      0    1          –        –          –            3  

Abington (0-2)                  0    1    0      –         1       –          –             1

Scoring                         

 National Division                      GP    G     A    Pts

Jake Weiner CRS                          5       15      9     24

Jordan Sarne   CRS                       5      6     8       14 

Landon Bishop Pr                         3       9      2    11

Max Ryon Sou.                              3       8      3     11

Julia Kaminsky Sou.                      3       7      2     9

Shane Gleisner   Pb                      4       6      3     9

Jackson Kelly   Sou.                       2      3      6      9

Chris Silvotti NP                            4       5      4      9

Nolan Shingle  NP                         4       5     4      9

Ryan Burke       Pr                          3       1      7     8

Shawn Mooney  Nesh                  4       3     4      7

Cameron  Fairweather  Sou.        3       2      5    7   

American Division         GP      G     A    Pts

Nate Nemchinov HH      4        8      7      15

Vincent Graziani HH      4         6      9      15

Daniel Guller       PW      3        3      10    13

Cooper Kanze   PW        3        6       3       9

Blake Ambler      PW       3       3      6        9

Reid Rochestie   PW       4       2       7        9

SOUDERTON 12 C.B. WEST 0

Ryan Uchniat is having to do some juggling at Souderton this season. Two of the Big Red’s big guns, Drew Savarese and Matt Cross, have been lost for the season with injuries and Uchniat, who is back behind the Souderton bench after taking last season off, is working to fill the resultant holes in his lineup.

“They’re keep parts of our team,” he said. “They have been over the last couple years so it really hurts, not having them, but the team itself is trying to pick up. A lot of it comes down to doing everything by committee.

“We roll three defensemen for the most part. We’ve got so many players shifting in in different areas, and it helps. But, we certainly miss [Savarese and Cross}.”

The pieces of the puzzle all fit together for Souderton Thursday night in the course of a 12-0 win over Central Bucks West at Hatfield Ice, including Alex Archer in goal.

Archer had never played organized hockey at any level before trying out for the Big Red last season. But the junior plays football and lacrosse. Uchniat said his arrival was “A very pleasant surprise.

“I was away from the team, but I heard a lot of good things about him. He picked things up very quickly and he has a very strong will and a strong desire, a strong work ethic.”

Archer transferred his skills from the practice rink to games this season. He became interested in perhaps being a goaltender after watching NHL netminders on TV.

“I just picked it up,” said. “I started playing and I really enjoyed it and stuck with it.”

When Archer first stepped on the ice he was a blank canvas a with no ingrained bad habits, which he says are things a bit less difficult.

“I think so,” he said. “I still have some stuff I don’t really know but I keep practicing and pick things up a little bit.”

Archer’s favorite NHL goaltender to watch is Connor Hellebuyck.

“I think he’s a great role model,” Archer said.

• Souderton took control of Thursday’s game by scoring five times in the game’s first 5:38. Max Ryon was tops on the scoresheet with six goals and three assists. Julia Kaminsky scored five goals a contributed two assists.

The win was the first for the Big Red in three starts.

Isaac Mays stared in goal for the Bucks and made 34 saves before being lifted midway through the second period.

‘Isaac is the backbone of our team,” said West coach Frank Blust. “He was last year and {West} had a tough season as well.

“He’s our backbone and will continue to be,”

C.B. West 0 0—0

Souderton 8 4—12

First-period goals: Julia Kaminski (S) from Jackson Kelly and Max Ryon,:26; Kaminski (S) from Kelly and Evan Siegler, 2:04; Ryon (S) from Kaminski, 2:27; Kaminski (S from Kelly and Caden O’Neill; 330; Ryon (S) from Cameron Fairweather, 5:38 (pp); Kelly (S) from Kaminski and Ryon, 7:55; Ryon (S) unassisted, 8:15; Ryon (S) from Kaminski, 14:24

Second-period goals: Ryon (S) from O’Neill, 12:09; Kaminski (S) from  Kelly and Ryon, 12:19; Ryon (S) from Kelly, 13:00; Kaminski (S) from Kelly, 17:00

Shots: C.B. West 8, Souderton 49: Saves: Isaac Mays (CBW) 34, Joseph Carter (CBW) 3; Alex Archer (S) 8

St. Joseph’s Prep 4 St. John’s College 1

The Hawks improved to 3-0 with the non-league win Wednesday afternoon at the Class of 1923 Rink. Cole Gargon scored twice for the hosts who trailed 1-0 after the first period. Noah Stuhl and Frank Ely added one goal each.

Declan Geary made 31 saves on goal. The Hawks will face La Salle in their APAC opener next Wednesday.

St. John’s College 1 0 0—1

St. Joseph’s Prep 0 2 2—4

Holy Ghost Prep 4 La Salle 1

BRISTOL—There wasn’t a lot of finesse on display at Grundy Arena Wednesday afternoon. Just a lot of blue-collar, grind-it-out hockey.

Holy Ghost Prep thrived in that environment. Lucas Gonzalez delivered two goals and an assist as the Firebirds bested La Salle 4-1 as the Atlantic Prep Athletic Conference launched its eighth season.

For a team whose players are still working to find their roles, it was a step forward.

“There was obviously a big conversation between last week’s game (a season-opening loss to Devon Prep) and tonight,” said Holy Ghost Prep John Ritchie. “Last week, I thought we did a much better job possessing and creating but sometimes we just have to manufacture goals by working hard to get to the net.”

And that formula paid off for Holy Ghost Prep Wednesday afternoon. Gonzalez opened the scoring, beating Anthony Foster in the La Salle net 4:19 into the opening period off a feed from freshman Mason Thomas.  Chase Logue made it a 2-0 game via a Chris Marshall setup into the second frame but the Explorers (1-2 overall) answered with a goal from River Carangi with 51 seconds left in the period when her put the puck past Firebird netminder Matt Salita to make it a 2-1 game.

Following the post-second period ice cut however, it was Thomas the freshman who stepped up. His goal 2:28 into the third frame restored his side’s two-goal advantage.

Gonzalez added his second goal of the game with 4:03 remaining.

Ritchie celebrated Thomas’s effort; he was one of four underclassmen in the Firebirds’ lineup.

“He’s a really smart player away from the puck,” Ritchie said. “He can put the puck in the net. He kind of brings a lot of little intangibles to the game so we have full confidence in him.

“I don’t put a lot of freshmen in our lineup. But he has a good complete game and tonight we were obviously thrilled that he got his first goal.”

Marshall, a senior and the Firebirds’ captain, spoke to the importance of the veterans on the roster making younger teammates feel comfortable.

“It’s everything” he said. “The seniors and the juniors, the upperclassmen, need to be there for the underclassmen. If you have a bad shift or a bad play, shake it off, go get the next one.”

For a young Explorer squad that had just two seniors in the lineup, the APAC opener was trial by fire.

“I think it was definitely an eye-opener for a lot of the guys,” he said. “We had our moments where I thought we were making progress at getting better, but then we made some young mistakes, turning pucks over in our own zone and not having men in our coverages. And that directly led to opportunities and goals for them.”

Muehlbronner said his players got a crash course in what APAC hockey is about.”

“A lot of these guys were playing in their first APAC game,” he said. “We’re going to get better.”

•Muehlbronner is the last remaining head coach remaining from 2018-19, the APAC’s first season.

La Salle 0 1 0—1

Holy Ghost Prep 1 1 2—4

First-period goal: Lucas Gonzalez (HGP) from Mason Thomas, 4:19

Second-period goal: Chase Logue (HGP) from Chris Marshall, 2:21; River Carangi (L) from Darrian Brown and Patrick Lunsford, 16:09

Third-period goals: Thomas (HGP) from Gonzalez, 2:28; Gonzalez (HGP) from Anthony Valeriote and Lucas Helms, 12:57

Shots: La Salle 18, Holy Ghost Prep 24; Saves: Anthony Foster (L) 20, Matt Salita (HGP) 17

The Joys of High-School Hockey

One in an occasional series

One of the unique and endearing qualities of high-school hockey is the opportunity players have to play with the student-athletes they see in school and in class every day to play in front of friends and classmates the stands.

Council Rock South forward Jordan Sarne says those circumstances make for an atmosphere that’s much different from club hockey. Sarne is part of a South team that was won three consecutive SHSHL National Division titles.

“High school hockey is fun,” he said. “It’s a chance to get out there with your boys and have a good time.  I feel like it’s way different than club.

“I love playing with all these boys. They’re close to me. I love it for sure. It’s way better.”

SHSHL Update 11-9-25

National Division              W    L   T  OTW OTL    SOW    SOL    Pts

Central Bucks South (3-1)      3      0    0      –         –          –           6

Council Rock South (3-0)  2     0   0    –        –         –           –         4

North Penn (2-0)                2     0   0   –       –          –            –         4

Neshaminy (2-1)                 1     1   0    –     –           –            –         2

Pennridge   (1-1)                1      1   0  –      –           –            –          2

 Central Bucks East            1      1   0   –    –            –            –          2

Pennsbury (1-2)                 0      2   0   –    –            –            –           0

Souderton (0-2)                  0      2   0     –    –          –           –            0

Central Bucks West (0-3)  0      3   0    –     –           –           –           0                                 

American Division          W    L    T    OTW     OTL   SHW   SOL   PTS

Hatboro-Horsham (3-0) 3    0     0     –            –         –          –         6

Plym. Whitemarsh (2-0  2    0     0     –           –         –          –          4

Wissahickon (1-2)            1   2      0    1          –        –          –            3  

Abington (0-1)                  0    1    0      –         1       –          –             1

Springfield (0-2)              0      2    0     –          –      –           –             0

Scoring                         

 National Division                      GP    G     A    Pts

Jake Weiner CRS                          3       11      6     17

Landon Bishop Pr                         3       10      3    13

Ryan Burke       Pr                          2       1      6     7

Jordan Sarne   CRS                         3        2     5     7 

Cameron  Fairweather  Sou.        2       2      4     6   

Dominic Gibson CBS                      3       3      3     6   

American Division         GP      G     A    Pts

Vincent Graziani HH      3         4      5      9

Daniel Guller       PW      2        1      7      8

Joseph Mangin    HH      3        5      2      7

Nate Nemchinov HH      3        4      3      7

Cooper Kamze     PW     2         5     1      6

Reid Rochestie    PW     3         1      5     6

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LUMA Offers Holistic Coaching (Advertorial Content)

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SHSHL-ICSHL Challenge

 Friday 11-7

Council Rock South 7 Father Judge 6 OT

Jake Weiner’s goal 17 seconds into overtime gave the Golden Hawks the win over the Crusaders Friday night at Flyers Skate Zone Northeast. South overcame deficits of 3-0 and 4-2 to take a 5-4 lead in the third period before Nolan Rauch and Jake Ruppert scored goals 35 seconds apart to put Father Judge in front 5-4 with 4:01 left in regulation.

Aidan Guinter tied the game for South with 38 seconds left in regulation on a feed from Weiner to force overtime.

Thursday, 11-6

Lower Merion 6 Neshaminy 2

Brody Navrodnick score two goals in each of the last two periods as Lower Merion overcame an early 1-0 deficit to beat Neshaminy Thursday night in the opening game of the second annual SHSHL-ICSHL Challenge.

Jacob Topoleski scored both Neshaminy goals.

Pennsbury 2 Perkiomen Valley 0