Tag: APAC

Malvern Prep to Host Friar Faceoff

Malvern Prep will be hosting a four-team holiday tournament at Ice Line the weekend after Christmas. The inaugural Friar Faceoff will involve host Calvert Hall from Towson, Md. Devon Prep, and Holy Ghost, which is stepping on place of DeMatha, which was scheduled to participate but had to step away.

The round-robin format will see each team play once on Saturday night. December 27 and twice the following day with the championship game set for Monday afternoon, December 29.

“We’ve been trying to get a tournament off the ground for a couple years now,” said Malvern Prep coach Bill Keenan. “We were able to get four team this year, hopefully we’ll build on to to it, but it’s an opportunity for us to keep the boys on the ice.

“Devon, Holy Ghost, and Calvert Hall are quality schools, so it’s going to be good competition and we’re looking forward to seeing what it’s like.”

Saturday, December 27

Rink 1 – Back-to-Back Games

  • 4:00 PM – 5:45 PM: Malvern Prep vs. Devon Prep
  • 6:00 PM – 7:45 PM: Calvert Hall vs. Holy Ghost Prep

Sunday, December 28

  • 10:00 AM – 11:45 AM (Rink 1): Malvern Prep vs. Holy Ghost Prep
  • 10:15 AM – 12:00 PM (Rink 3): Devon Prep vs. Calvert Hall

Rink 1 – Back-to-Back Games

  • 4:00 PM – 5:45 PM: Malvern Prep vs. Calvert Hall
  • 6:00 PM – 7:45 PM: Devon Prep vs. Holy Ghost Prep

Monday, December 29

Malvern Prep 4 Hun School 3 OT

WEST GOSHEN TOWNSHIP—The drama ended amidst a frenzied atmosphere. House Young’s goal with 1:32 remaining in what turned into five-on-four overtime gave Malvern Prep a 5-4 win over The Hun School Wednesday afternoon at Ice Line.

Young’s shot was a blast from the right point that caught part of the left post on its way to the back of the net, passing Hun School goaltender Chase Kishler en route. Pax Hoishik set up the goal with a cross-ice pass.

“We had a time out {prior to the final sequence} and we talked about it,” Young said. “My friend Pax set me up. We work on it all the time in practice.”

The win lifted the Friars to 4-3-1 overall and 2-2 in the APAC.

Young called the win huge.

“It sends us {into the holiday break} on a good note,” he said. “And that’s what we need to go into the APAC playoffs and the Flyers Cup.”

The final stages of the Atlantic Prep Athletic Conference affair were anything but routine. Hun School (3-3, 1-1 in the APAC) rallied to tie the game at 3-3 with 4:16 left in regulation after Zachary Valle and Youhe Tong scored goals 66 seconds apart.

But the Raiders, who took four penalties in the third period, carried that habit into overtime.

Hun School started the session with a four-skaters-to-three advantage after the Friars’ Logan Love was whistled for his fourth penalty of the game with 15 seconds left in regulation.  But the advantage evaporated when Jacob Kelly-LePage was called for tripping 1:21 into the extra period, and when Andrew Darst was flagged for a trip at the 2:42 mark the Raiders found themselves shorthanded, leaving the door open for Young’s game winner.

“It was good to battle back in the third period,” said Hun School coach Nathaniel Welsh, “They gave up two breakaways; we scored on two breakaways, which is what we had to do. Then we went into overtime up by a guy and didn’t capitalize and went down by two guys.”

Vallee gave the Raiders an early lead 1:03 into the opening period. Jake Weingartner answered for Malvern Prep at 2:57.

Weingartner and Lyndon MacClay scored goals 72 seconds apart to put Malvern Prep up 3-1 with 14:44 left in the middle period. At that point, Welsh used his timeout and Kishler took over in the Raider net, replacing starter Blake Echternacht.  Kishler was impregnable through the balance of regulation and into overtime.

Hun School rallied when Vallee scored his second goal of the afternoon with 5:50 left in regulation. Tong picked off an errant pass in the neutral zone for his game tying goal with 4:44 remaining to set up a finish that will be long remembered.

Weingartner said Hun School’s physical style combined with its speed made it a difficult foe to deal with.

“I think Hun School’s physicality is what made their team good today,” he said. “I think we outplayed them, but I think they were a physical team and think they used that to their advantage today.”

Winning goaltender Ryan Caterino made 28 saves

Hun School 1 0 2 0—3

Malvern Prep 1 2 0 1—4

First-period goals: Zachary Vallee (HS) unassisted, 15:57; Jake Weingartner (MP) from Ryan Jacobs and Pax Hoishik, 2:57

Second-period goals: Weingartner (MP) from Hoishik and Jacobs, 1:04; Lyon MacClay (MP) from Luke Johnson and Andrew Starck, 2:16

Third-period goals: Vallee (HS) from Eli Broomer, 11:10; Yoube Tong (HS) unassited, 12:16

Overtime goal: House Young (MP) from Hoishik, 3:28

Shots: Hun School 31, Malvern Prep 39

A New Chapter is Unfolding at The Hun School

 With the arrival of the Atlantic Prep Athletic Conference season, a new era of Hun School hockey has begun.

Nathaniel Welsh is now the man behind the Raiders’ bench, having taken over for Eric Szeker last week. His team hadn’t played a game since until it defeated St. Joseph’s Prep 2-1 in overtime on Wednesday at the University of Pennsylvania’s historic Class of 1923 Rink.

Welsh, who played midget hockey for former Hun School coach Ian McNally and was later an assistant coach there, says the transition has been a smooth one.

“Eric Szeker was a phenomenal coach,” he said, “and had, very, very close personal ties with a lot of them. He recruited a lot of those player and coached a lot of those players as the JV assistant and the varsity head coach (Szeker was beginning his third season as head coach when he resigned).

“It’s a tough thing to change a coach at any point and it’s a very tough thing to change a coach a week or two into a season but there hasn’t been a missed beat, there hasn’t been a missed practice, there hasn’t been a slowdown. I give all of the athletes credit for continuing to show up and continuing work just as hard for each other, and for the common goal of winning some games.

In terms of Xs and Os, Welsh is making only minor tweaks.

“Eric and I have a very similar philosophy on how the game of hockey is played and on how we approach coaching it,” he said. “We’ll make a minor tweak or two to our forecheck, but as to the philosophy of how we run practice and how we run the team, it’s pretty much the same and that was one of the great things about coaching with him.

“We had the same values and the same core ethos we were trying to impart to the players so that doesn’t change.”

Due to a combination of school policy and NJSIAA regulations, the Raiders take to the ice later than the four other APAC schools. But they are making up for lost time. They’ll be on the ice five days a week between now and the holiday break and will be participating in the 31st Purple Puck Tournament in Springfield, Virginia between Christmas and New Year’s.

“I think the first couple of games is always a tough thing because we’re playing schools that have practiced and played for a month or two ahead of us,” Welsh said, “so I think it’s a disadvantage for the first game or two, having three weeks of practice vs. two months and five games. But, once we get going, it’s an easier thing to do because it’s a routine that all the players get into. We play three times a week, we practice twice a week. We’re on the ice five times a week and it’s easier to keep the momentum once you get going. 

“So we’ve got to find our footing but then I think it’s easier to continue with it in that rapid-shot fashion we do for three months.” 

Keenan’s Impact at Malvern Prep Goes Beyond the Ice

The impact Malvern Prep coach Bill Keenan has on his players goes beyond the rink. The respect the Friars have for their coach was on display last Wednesday night when Malvern Prep staged its fourth annual RTS Awareness Night; the proceeds of the game between the Friars and Holy Ghost Prep were earmarked for research into Rubinstein Taybi Syndrome is a genetic disorder that cause intellectual and developmental disabilities. Connor Keenan, Bill Keenan’s soon-to-be-6-year old son, is afflicted with RTS.

Pax Hoishik, a senior on the Malvern Prep roster, says the occasion means a lot to the players.

“I’ve participated in the event for three years,” he said. “And every single year it gets more close knit with the guys and even closer with Coach Keenan. Having that bond with Coach Keenan and his family as a whole and being able to celebrate the night for him and his kid is pretty unbelievable.”

Hoishik has been a full-time varsity player for three seasons now; he was a swing player as a freshman. He notes the evening is not just another hockey game.

“We’re playing for {Keenan},” Hoishik said. We’re playing for {Connor}. We’re playing for his family and we get to do that as a team. That’s why it’s so special.”

Hoishik and his teammates respect how Keenan is able to balance a full-time job with seeing to his family’s needs while still devoting the necessary time to coaching the Friars.

“It’s extremely impressive to me,” Hoishik said. “Some of the other captains and I were talking about it how incredible it is he is able to make time  for something like that with everything going on in his life. We just thought it’s pretty incredible that he is able to make that time for us.”

Bill and Sarah Keenan have been married for 13 years. Connor is the youngest of their three children.

Sarah Keenan lauds her husband for how he deals with his assortment of responsibilities including periodically traveling to Baltimore to see a specialist who works with RTS patients.

“He is a really strong guy to deal with everything that comes at him and the stuff we have to deal with with Conner,” she said. “I obviously take on a lot while he’s coaching but he’s taking on as much as he possible can whenever he’s home.

“I’m really proud of him.  He has taken everything on his back really well. He deals with all that comes through and doesn’t show it at home. So, whatever the hockey world id he leaves it with the hockey team but also includes us as his family with the whole thing.”

Nathaniel Welsh Takes Over at Hun School

The Hun School has a new head coach. Nathaniel Welsh has been named the Raiders’ interim head coach, replacing Eric Szeker,

Welsh has served as an assistant at The Hun School and also has an extensive history with the Princeton Tigers youth program.

The Raiders have played just one game this season, a 3-1 loss to Devon Prep on November 20. They are scheduled to host The Pingry School on Monday before opening their APAC schedule on Wednesday at St. Joseph’s Prep.

Malvern Prep Hosts Holy Ghost Prep for RTS Awareness Night

What happened Wednesday night at Ice Line was about much more than hockey. For the fourth consecutive year, Malvern Prep hosted RTS Awareness Night. For the second consecutive year, Holy Ghost Prep assumed the role of honored guests, and returned home on the winning side of a 2-0 scoreline.

But the two sides came together on the ice for a higher purpose.

RTS— Rubinstein Taybi Syndrome is a genetic disorder that causes intellectual and developmental disabilities. Among those afflicted with the malady is Connor Keenan, the soon-to-be 6-year old son of Malvern Prep head coach Bill Keenan and his wife Sarah.

Proceeds from Wednesday’s game, which included various fundraisers, will help support families dealing with RTS including the Keenans, who have two other children, an 11-year old son JJ and a 9-year old daughter Olivia.

Sarah Keenan expressed her gratitude to the local hockey community for its support of her family.

“We feel welcomed by the community,” she said. “Knowing we have so many people supporting our family, and people like Connor with disabilities, it just feels really warm and welcoming.”

Sarah Keenan also offered thanks to the schools that have provided the opposition for Malvern Prep; St. Joseph’s Prep for two seasons and Holy Ghost Prep last season and again Wednesday night.

“St. Joe’s was wonderful,” she said. “Holy Ghost Prep has also been very supportive all night. They’re donating baskets, they’re doing team dinners upstairs, they’re really supporting the whole thing.”

Malvern Prep assistant coach Jared Ingersol notes that the evening has deep meaning for the Friar players.

“The kids get amped up for it all year,” he said. “it means a lot to Coach Keenan and we appreciate everything they do, all the fundraising, they help out as well.

“Our parents and alumni get involved, it’s always nice to see everybody participating”

Holy Ghost Prep coach John Ritchie is proud to have the Firebirds involved in RTS Awareness Night.”

“Obviously, this is a cause that’s super close to {Keenan} he said, “and as I told him the last two years, I think it’s an honor for us to be included in this.

“It’s something that we’re proud to be a part of. We’re proud as a community to kind of bind our schools together because at the end of the day, it’s more important than hockey and that’s something for these young athletes to understand and take with them for the rest of their lives.”

The Game: Lucas Gonzalez gave Holy Ghost Prep a 1-0 lead with a shorthanded goal 1:45 into the third period. Anthony Valeriote set up the goal with a feed from the right-wing corner that found Gonzalez in the low slot midway between the circles. Nathan Romer added an empty-net goal with 13.5 seconds remaining.

Matt Salita earned the shutout in goal, stopping 22 shots.

Holy Ghost Prep (5-1 overall) is unbeaten since a season-opening overtime loss to Devon Prep and is 3-0 in the APAC

Ryan Caterino made 30 saves for the Friars who are 2-3-1 overall and 1-2 in the APAC.

Holy Ghost Prep 0 0 2—2

Malvern Prep 0 0 0—0

Third-period goals: Lucas Gonzalez (HGP) from Anthony Valeriote, 1:45, (sh) Nathan Romer (HGP) unassisted, 16:47

Shots: Holy Ghost Prep 32, Malvern Prep 22; Saves: Matt Salita (HGP) 22, Ryan Caterino (MP) 30What happened Wednesday night at Ice Line was about much more than hockey. For the fourth consecutive year, Malvern Prep hosted RTS Awareness Night, For the second consecutive year, Holy Ghost Prep assumed the role of honored guests and returned home on the winning side of a 2-0 scoreline.

But the two sides came together on the ice for a higher purpose.

RTS— Rubinstein Taybi Syndrome is a genetic disorder that cause intellectual and developmental disabilities. Among those afflicted with the malady is Connor Keenan, the soon-to-be 6-year old son of Malvern Prep head coach Bill Keenan and his wife Sarah.

Proceeds from Wednesday’s game, which included various fundraisers, will help support families dealing with RTS including the Keenans, who have two other children, an 11-year old son JJ and a 9-year old daughter Olivia.

Sarah Keenan expressed her gratitude to the local hockey community for its support of her family.

“We feel welcomed by the community,” she said. “Knowing we have so many people supporting our family, and people like Connor with disabilities, it just feels really warm and welcoming.”

Sarah Keenan also offered thanks to the schools that have provided the opposition for Malvern Prep; St. Joseph’s Prep for two seasons and Holy Ghost Prep last season and again Wednesday night.

“St. Joe’s was wonderful,” she said. “Holy Ghost Prep has also been very supportive all night. They’re donating baskets, they’re doing team dinners upstairs, they’re really supporting the whole thing.”

Malvern Prep assistant coach Jared Ingersol notes that the evening has deep meaning for the Friar players.

“The kids get amped up for it all year,” he said. “it means a lot to Coach Keenan and we appreciate everything they do, all the fundraising, they help out as well.

“Our parents and alumni get involved, it’s always nice to see everybody participating.”

Holy Ghost Prep coach John Ritchie is proud to have the Firebirds involved in RTS Awareness Night.”

“Obviously, this is a cause that’s super close to {Keenan} he said, “and as I told him the last two years, I think it’s an honor for us to be included in this.

“It’s something that we’re proud to be a part of. We’re proud as a community to kind of bind our schools together because at the end of the day, it’s more important than hockey and that’s something for these young athletes to understand and take with them for the rest of their lives.”

The Game: Lucas Gonzalez gave Holy Ghost Prep a 1-0 lead with a shorthanded goal 1:45 into the third period. Anthony Valeriote set up the goal with a feed from the right-wing corner that found Gonzalez in the low slot midway between the circles. Nathan Romer added an empty-net goal with 13.5 seconds remaining.

Matt Salita earned the shutout in goal, stopping 22 shots.

Holy Ghost Prep (5-1 overall) is unbeaten since a season-opening overtime loss to Devon Prep and is 3-0 in the APAC

Ryan Caterino made 30 saves for the Friars who are 2-3-1 overall and 1-2 in the APAC.

Holy Ghost Prep 0 0 2—2

Malvern Prep 0 0 0—0

Third-period goals: Lucas Gonzalez (HGP) from Anthony Valeriote, 1:45, (sh) Nathan Romer (HGP) unassisted, 16:47

Shots: Holy Ghost Prep 32, Malvern Prep 22; Saves: Matt Salita (HGP) 22, Ryan Caterino (MP) 30

Love Showing the Way at Malvern Prep

Logan Love’s hockey career at Malvern Prep has evolved one step, and one season at a time. The Friars’ senior captain recalls that journey.

“My freshman year, I was more of a role player a fourth-liner,” he said, “but had to capitalize on my opportunities when I was younger. I did not get much time but I still wanted to make as much impact as I could when I was out there.

“My sophomore year, I got a little more ice time as a defenseman. I was able to make a little more of an impact but I was still more of a role player and then last year, as a junior I was able to have more of a voice in the locker room and try to help lead the team as a more experienced player.  And now, as the captain and a forward, I’ve been able to help lead the team as best as I can and put is in a better spot to win.”

Through five games this season, Love has scored two goals and contributed six assists. He stresses the importance of he and the other veterans in the lineup showing the way for their younger teammates.

“Our team is still pretty young,” he said, “and talented. {But} mostly also very inexperienced too.

“So being able to set a tone in a game, and in the locker room and in practice, is really huge, because they all are looking to the older guys, seeing what they’re going to do, and modeling their games after us a little bit.”

Love was chosen as the Friars’ captain by a vote of his teammates. It’s a responsibility he takes very seriously.

“It’s been really impactful for me to be given an opportunity to lead our team,” he said.

“I’ve always had a voice in the locker room and honestly, I wanted to be a leader here as a senior. I always wanted to be the captain, but now that I am captain I take pride in my role.

“I’m still adjusting and trying to work my way through it. I’ve had to make some hard decisions and choices. I’m still working through it. The best I can for myself and the team is to keep going.”

Love notes the fact he was chosen by his teammates makes the captaincy more meaningful.

“It does really mean a lot,” he said, because I care about my team and I care about this program and just wat to get the best results my last year.”

The Friars have started the season with a 2-2-1 record (1-1 in the APAC) with one of their losses coming in overtime. In four of their five games, they surrendered the first goal.

“We’re learning from every game we play,” Love said. “Honestly, we’ve come out a little flatfooted in most of our games. I think if we get a head start, come out harder, and get up a goal or two that will help us.

“But, we’ve been able to come back. We’ve had {deficits} at the start of games but we’ve been able to come back from adversity.”

APAC Update 11-30-25

Won Lost OTW OTL SHOW SHOL Pts

Holy Ghost Prep (3-1) 2 0 0 0 0 0 6

St. Joseph’s Prep (5-1) 1 0 0 0 0 0 3

Malvern Prep (2-2-1) 1 1 0 0 0 0 3

Hun School (0-1) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

La Salle (1-4) 0 3 0 0 0 0 0

 
 SCORING  (ALL GAMES AVAILABLE)            GP          G      A     PTS     PPG

Lucas Gonalez HGP 4 5 1 6 1.50

Jake Weingartner MP 5 2 5 7 1.40

Cole Gargon SJP 6 3 5 8 1.33

Chris Marshall HGP 4 2 3 5 1.25

Paxton Hoishik MP 5 4 2 6 1.20

Logan Love MP 5 4 2 6 1.20

Chase Logue HGP 4 3 1 4 1.00

Lucas Helms HGP 4 0 4 0 1.00

Goaltending (Min. 102 minutes) MP Shots GA Sv% GAA

Declan Geary SJP 227 135 6 .956 1.35

John Botthof HGP 106 60 3 .950 1.44

Matt Salita HGP 102 36 2 .944 1.00

Ryan Caterino MP 208 138 12 .913 2.94

Anthony Foster La 102 61 6 .902 3.00

Gonzaga 2 St. Joseph’s Prep 1

St. Joseph’s Prep suffered its first loss of the season Friday afternoon, falling 2-1 to Gonzaga in the two teams’ traditional Black Friday matchup at the Class of 1923 Rink.

All the scoring came late in the third period. Spencer Schmid put Gonzaga in front with 3:47 left in regulation. Tim Thomas made it 2-0 when he added an empty-net goal with exactly one minute remaining.

Michael Washlick scored for St. Joseph’s Prep (5-1 overall) with 18 seconds remaining.

Gonzaga 0 0 2—2

St. Joseph’s Prep 0 0 1—1

Third-period goals: Spencer Schmid (G) from Brendan Jacobs, 13:13; Tim Thomas (G) unassisted, 16:00; Michael Washlick (SJP) from James Fratantuono and Bradan Fisher, 16:42

Shots: Gonzaga 31, SP 22