Holy Ghost Prep 3 La Salle 2

The second time was just as sweet. Anthony Valeriote’s goal with 2:50 remaining in regulation gave Holy Ghost Prep a 3-2 win over La Salle Tuesday night at Hatfield Ice and it second straight Class AAA Flyers Cup title

The result sets up a state championship game rematch between the Firebirds (20-4) and defending state champion Seneca Valley, which defeated Peters Township 5-4 Tuesday night in the Penguins Cup Class AAA final.

The title game is set for a 5:00 start Saturday at Ice Line.

Valeriote’s winning goal came on a deflection. Working behind the La Salle net, the senior tried to play the puck in front. His pass was deflected and caromed into the net off the back of Explorer goaltender Anthony Foster.

“I took it literally on the boards behind the net,” Valeriote said. “I was looking for a pass in front and it got redirected and hit him. I was like ‘All right, I’ll take it.’”

Valeriote noted the Firebirds handled the pressure that accompanied being the top-Class AAA team all season long.

“All year we’ve been the guys on top,” he said. “Everyone has been looking up at us and to finish it off and show that we are really the top team, it’s so special.”

The Firebirds were in control of the game early on. Jake Smaron found the back of the La Salle net from close range just 1:18 into the opening period.

Holy Ghost Prep went on to control the flow of the first frame, outshooting the Explorers 12-2. At the other end of the ice, the Firebirds’ defense corps neutralized the Explorers’ offensive chances.

La Salle goaltender Anthony Foster kept his team in the game by making 10 saves in the opening 17 minutes, several them on quality chances.

Foster continued his high-quality work early in the second frame in the second frame by denying Valeriote on a partial breakaway not quite four minutes into the period after Valeriote left the penalty box after serving a holding penalty.

Momentum gradually shifted LaSalle’s way after that and the Explorers (8-14) eventually scored the second period’s only goal. River Carangi beat Firebird netminder Matt Salita with 7:15 left in the period. By period’s end the shot differential was just 17-14 in the Firebirds’ favor, and most of the capacity crowd on hand was expecting a dramatic finale.

They got one. Nate Romer gave the Firebirds the lead with 6:45 left in regulation but Patrick Lunsford tied the game for the second time 58 seconds letter to set up what became a memorable finish.

Holy Ghost Prep coach John Ritchie saluted the effort of both teams.

“It wasn’t as clean as we would have liked it to be,” he said, “but we knew we were going to get a really good opponent a really good game plan.

“After that first period, they brought it to us.”

A La Salle team that dealt with a sizeable helping of adversity over the course of the season left everything it had on the ice.

“I’m very proud of them,” said La Salle coach Wally Muehlbronner. “We worked our tails off this year to get to this point.

“When the APAC semifinals were going on, we were the only team practicing that day. We worked our butts off that day.

“We believed we could get here. We were probably the only ones that believed we could get here an I’m so proud of the effort that they gave. We grew tremendously as a team this year.”

• Chase Louge was named the winner of the Bobby Clarke Award as the tournament’s Most Valuable Player.

He said the Firebirds got contributions from up and down the lineup.

“We have a lot of depth and we got it going today,” he said. We just managed to stay on then, we kept going.”

La Salle 0 1 1—2

Holy Ghost Prep 1 0 2—3

First-period goals: Jake Smaron (HGP) from Chase Logue, 1:18

Second-period goals: River Carangi (L) from Nolan Hirshka, 9:45

Third-period goals: Nate Romer (HGP) from Lucas Gonzalez, 10:15; Patrick Lunsford (L) unassisted, 13:22; Anthony Valeriote, 14:10 unassisted, (pp)

Shots: La Salle 20, Holy Ghost Prep 34 Saves: Anthony Foster (L) 31, Matt Salita (HGP) 18

Holy Ghost Prep 4 St. Joseph’s Prep 1

It took longer to get to the finish line than expected. But the wait was worth it

Holy Ghost Prep overcame an early 1-0 deficit to score a 4-1 over St. Joseph’s Prep Wednesday evening and successfully defend its Atlantic Prep Athletic Conference Founders Cup championship.

The game was delayed 23 minutes early in the third period and the Firebirds leading 2-1 due to a hole in the ice that forced the contest to be moved from the B Rink at Grundy Arena, to the A Rink in the front half of the building.

The top-seeded Firebirds (18-4) adapted quickly to their new surroundings and extended their lead with two additional goals.

“It’s amazing,” said senior forward Anthony Valeriote. “This is what we’ve worked for all year. We went undefeated in the APAC and now that we’ve finally won it, it’s exciting, but it’s like a relief. We know we did it, but the bottom line is we’ve still got a Flyers Cup to win.”

The third-seeded Hawks (16-7) struck first, 5:22 into the opening period. Cole Gargon made a move down the right wing that led to Michael Castelli beating Firebird netminder Matt Salita from close range.

But that was all the Hawks could muster offensively.

“They have a good goalie,” said Prep coach Charlie Van Kula. “It’s a matter of making it hard on him.

“We probably played a solid game. it is hard to win championships, harder to beat teams like Ghost.”

The Firebirds picked up pace later in the opening period. Billy Harmar tied the game when he finished a play that started behind the Prep by converting a setup from Valeriote.

Chase Logue made it a 2-1 game 36 seconds later and it stayed that way into the early moments of the third period until, with 13:23 remaining in the third period, Proceedings came to a halt. One of the linesmen discovered a large hole in the ice along the wall near the blue line directly across the ice from the Firebirds’ bench.

A series of conversations followed that at various points included the coaches, Holy Ghost Prep Assistant Athletic Director Gump Whiteside, and APAC Commissioner Steve Mackell. There were also some unsuccessful efforts to patch the hole. After a 15-minute wait, the decision was made to continue the game in the A Rink.

The hosts responded with goals from Mason Thomas and Chase Logue in a span of 2:25.

Senior defenseman Chris Marshall, the Firebirds’ captain, said he and his teammates stayed focused during the stoppage.

“Our guys stayed locked in,” he said. “We knew we couldn’t get unfocused. We were ready to ho. We came out pumping in the third.”

The Hawks had some quality chances after play was resumed but Salita stood tall in goal; he finished with 24 saves.

“I thought we were really rolling certainly in the first two periods,” Van Kula said. “I thought the first few shifts in the third we kept up the pace and we were just kind of a step slower after that. Both teams had to deal with the delay so I don’t want to blame it on that but it did seem like we were a little more flat footed coming out of that.”

• Both teams will move on to the Class AAA Flyers Cup. Holy Ghost Prep, the top seed in the field of seven and defending champion, has a bye into the semifinals and will face either fourth seed Malvern Prep or fifth seed Devon Prep on Thursday, March 12. The Hawks, the second seed, will take on seventh-seeded Salesianum in a quarterfinal game on Tuesday, March 3.

St. Joseph’s Prep 1 0 0—1

Holy Ghost Prep 2 0 2—4

First-period goals: Michael Castelli (SJP) from Ben Judson ands Cole Garson, 5:22; Billy Harmar (HGP) from Anthony Valeriote and Chris Marshall, 10:38 (pp); Chase Logue (HGP) from Lucas Helms, 11:14;

Third-period goals: Mason Thomas (HGP) from Harmar and John Gavaghan, 10:27; Chase Logue (HGP) from Lucas Gonzalez ands Josh Zdunkiewicz 12:52 (pp)

Shots: St. Joseph’s Prep 25, Holy Ghost Prep 25 Saves: Declan Geary(HGP) 21, Matt Salita (HGP) 24

Holy Ghost Prep 3 La Salle 1

BRISTOL—Holy Ghost Prep made a statement Monday afternoon, one that will reverberate through the area. Anthony Valeriote scored two goals and Jack Botthof was stellar in goal as the Firebirds prevailed over defending Founders Cup and Flyers Cup champion La Salle 3-1 at Grundy Arena.

The win marked a successful start for Holy Ghost Prep (2-0 overall) in APAC play.

It was the first setback for the Explorers in APAC play sincere the 2022-23 season and the reason was Botthof. The Explorers (2-1, 1-1 in conference) fired 37 shots at him, the junior stopped all but one of them. His best work came in the middle period when the Explorers outshot the Firebirds 19-6.

“We left him out to dry in that second,” Valeriote said. “You can’t anything more from him there. He kept us in that game. Without him, it’s a completely different game.”

The Firebirds jumped in front 3:36 into the first period after a pair of penalties gave the hosts a five-on-three power and Valeriote capitalized.

La Salle had the better of the play middle period but Botthof kept the Explorers at bat with one quality save after another.

“When I’m in that state, nothing else matters besides the game at that point,” he said. “

One of Botthof’s best saves came when he denied Grant LaGreca from close range with three-and-a-half minutes left in the period.

“After those big saves, I feel the energy on the bench and in me both rise up,” he said, “so we hopefully get back in the swing of things.”

Anthony Valeriote celebrates after finding the net against La Salle on Monday. He scored two goals in Holy Ghost Prep’s 3-1 win (Robert Barnes photo)

With 2:21 left the second frame La Salle appeared to have tied the game on a rebound off a goal-mouth scrum but the goal was waved off due to a and pass, a decision with which La Salle coach Wally Muehlbronner vociferously disagreed.

The call seemed to take some energy out of the Explorers; Valeriote extended Holy Ghost Prep’s lead by converting a rebound of Brady Logue’s original shot. Logue himself made it a 3-0 game with 9:25 left in regulation after weaving his way through traffic in the offensive zone.

LaGreca ended Botthof’s bid for a shutout with 4:33 remaining in regulation.

“I thought we played a tremendous second period,” Muehlbronner said. We let up the first goal on a five-on-three and got back to work after that. I think we played a really good game after that.

“Our second period was tremendous; we had a lot of great opportunities. We scored a goal, they took it back. I don’t know what the referee saw there, but that’s the way it goes.”

Valeriote saw Wednesday’s result as a springboard for the balance of the APAC season.

“[It was important] to come in here in our home barn and send a message,” he said. “Show the rest of the league who we are and give ourselves an identity.”

La Salle 0 0 1—1

Holy Ghost Prep 1 0 2—3

First-period goal: Anthony Valeriote (HGP) from Chase Logue and Brady Logue, 3:36 (pp)

Third-period goals: Anthony Valeriote (HGP) from Brady Logue and Chase Logue, :22; Brady Logue (HGP) from Valeriote and Jack Gavaghan, 7:35; Grant LaGreca (L) from Declan Kelly, 12:27

Shot: La Salle 37, Holy Ghost Prep 28; Saves: Jake Rossi (L) 25, Jack Botthof 36