Rocco Bruno’s Time at St. Joseph’s Prep Has Seen Him Evolve On and Off the Ice

It could be argued that a hockey goaltender occupies the most demanding position in any team sport More so than a quarterback in football, or a baseball pitcher, a goaltender puts his team his shoulders every time out.

Rocco Bruno has embraced that challenge. The St. Joseph’s Prep senior and Springfield Township, Delaware County resident has achieved success on the ice and in the classroom.

Bruno prides himself on his ability to maintain his concentration in the heat of battle. He considers that attribute that one of his strengths.

“It’s definitely (about) staying focused,” he said. “Not letting anything distract you. I’ve got to make sure I’m paying attention to my D-men and I’m talking to them.

I have to keep control of a lot of things at once, but I can’t get distracted by anybody other than who’s on the ice.”

Bruno has enhanced his ability to concentrate in the classroom as well, although admittedly that ability didn’t come easily. He learned about St. Joseph’s Prep though his coach, David Giacomin.

“I did a couple of open houses and I fell in love with the school,” Bruno recalls.

Adapting to academic rigors of St. Josephs Prep proved challenging at first.

“I definitely had to learn it the hard way,” Bruno said. “Freshman year was a struggle for me, just because I really didn’t know how to manage my time the correct way, but as the year went on, I started to figure stuff out. I took a lot of bad grades on tests but I definitely got in shape the last three years.”

Over time, Bruno learned that meeting his academic responsibilities while also playing high-school and club hockey demanded that he reorder his priorities.

Rocco Bruno (photo by. R. Woelfel)

“(Make) sacrifices honestly,” said. “A lot of late nights studying, a lot of early getting to school and finishing up things that I didn’t get done the night before. At school, in my free periods, getting work done, trying to stay ahead of the game so I don’t fall behind and just time management. Managing my time was the biggest part in making sure everything was done.”

Bruno has enjoyed his time at St. Joseph’s Prep and bonding with his teammates and classmates.
“I’ve met a lot of great people there,” he said. “It’s something you have to be a part of to understand, honestly.”

Bruno sees the college application process as a reward for all the hours he’s spent pursuing better grades.

“The most satisfying thing has been just getting into the colleges,” he said. “It’s really weird right now for me because I’m going through the who college application process. Getting into colleges, and then acknowledging my hard word that I put into high school. It’s really, really refreshing.”

To learn more about St. Joseph’s Prep CLICK HERE

Malvern Prep 6 St. Joseph’s Prep 1

WEST GOSHEN TOWNSHIP— Malvern Prep put on a hockey clinic Monday night. The Friars came out storming right from the opening faceoff and rolled to a 6-1 win over St. Joseph’s Prep in the Class AAA Flyers Cup final at Ice Line.

With the win, the Friars (16-3) became the first team to successfully defend the Class AAA Flyers Cup since 2014. It’s the 10^th Cup title in school history.

“I think our mentality is just ‘We want it back,’” said senior Matt Harris. “That’s been the message all year. We knew that we had a mark on our back, but we knew, coming out here, we had to give our all and that for the seniors, it could be our last game out here.”

Harris shouldered his share of the load and then some. He scored three goals and assisted on another Monday night and finished as the tournament’s leading scorer with seven goals and two assists in two games while being named the winner of the Bobby Clarke Award as the tournament’s most valuable player.

Pierre Larocque, Jimmy Jacobs, and Jonathan Holt also scored goals for the Friars. Jacobs and Quinn Dougherty each contributed a pair of assists.

“We have the mentality on our team that anybody can step up and fill a role,” said Malvern Prep coach Bill Keenan. “I have guys that play club and I’ve got guys that don’t play club.

“For me, it’s just looking for the right fits in our lineup every day. When the guys come to practice, they compete, they work hard, and they fill in the roles. It’s a ‘Next guy up’ mentality in this locker room and I think that’s what keeps the guys going.”

It didn’t take the top-seeded Friars long to gain a firm hold on the proceedings. Jeremy Jacobs found Larocque in front of the Hawks’ net and Larocque put the puck behind Rocco Bruno just 1:39 into the opening period.

Harris made it a 2-0 game at the 13:08 mark with a shot from the deep right wing off a deflection. He scored his second goal of the night 3:25 into the middle period when he put in a rebound of Jacobs’ shot from the low slot.

Holt found the back of the net at the 4:56 mark, leaving the third-seeded Hawks (10-9-1) down 4-0, prompting their coach, David Giacomin, to use his timeout.

“Unfortunately we gave up that one early,” he said. “The momentum we had coming out of the locker room I thought would have been high. But any time that happens and you’ve got a bunch of young kids, their heads drop a little bit and it took a little while for us to get our legs moving.”

The Friars celebrate with their fellow students following their win over St. Joseph’s Prep Monday night.

St. Joseph’s Prep got a goal from Nick Storti 1:49 into the final frame but Jacobs and Harris scored two minutes apart late in the period to clinch the Cup and send the Hawks into the state championship game against Penguins Cup champion Peters Township Saturday at Ice Line (5:00 start).

No Class AAA team has successfully defended the state title since 2009.

Notes—The All-Tournament team selected by the Flyers Cup Committee, included Harris, Jacobs, and Jeffrey Hammond from St. Joseph’s Prep at forward, Larocque and Storti on defense, and Malvern Prep’s Anthony Perti in goal.

St. Joseph’s Prep 0 0 1—1

Malvern Prep 2 2 2—6

First-period goals: Pierre Larocque (MP) from Jeremy Jacobs, 1:39; Matt Harris (MP) from Caiden Canale and Jimmy Jacobs, 13:08

Second-period goals: Harris (MP) from Jimmy Jacobs and Steven Getsie, 3:25; Jonathan Holt (MP) from Gavin Wilson and Aidan Kelly, 4:56

Third-period goals: Nick Stori (SJP) from Christian Short, 1:49; Jimmy Jacobs (MP) from Harris and Dougherty, 13:14 (pp); Harris (MP) from Dougherty, 15:12 (sh)

Shots: St. Joseph’s Prep 31, Malvern Prep 35; Saves: Rocco Bruno (SJP) 29, Anthony Perti (MP) 30

If you need service on your vehicle we suggest Keeble’s Service in Warminster. They’re located at 580 Park Avenue in Warminster, just up the road from the Warminster Train Station. They provide honest, reliable service at a reasonable price. They’re open 5 days a week starting at 7:30 a.m.

Give Bill a call at 215-675-0121

St. Joseph’s Prep 2 La Salle 0

HATFIELD TOWNSHIP— The evening’s festivities didn’t feature an abundance of artistry. The matchup between St. Joseph’s Prep and La Salle was a gritty, grind-it-out hockey game between two foes intimately familiar with each other.

It was Hawks who emerged from the scrum victorious by a count of 2-0 in a Class AAA semifinal Wednesday night at Hatfield Ice.

Jeffrey Hammond scored both goals to propel the third-seed Hawks (10-8-1) into next week’s final against top-seeded Malvern Prep. The junior spoke to the level of familiarity between the Hawks and the Explorers, who are traditional rivals in every sport.

“All the videos of our games are on You Tube,” he said. “All the players and coaches watched a lot of our games, over and over again and we picked out what we needed to do to come out with a win today.”

Hammond said all the preparation paid off. “We definitely came prepared,” he said. “We knew it was going to be a tough game. Everyone expected it. Everyone played like they had to to get the job done.”

Hammond gave the Hawks a 1-0 lead 4:27 into the first period when he scored off a scramble in front of the La Salle net, beating Explorer netminder Will Braun. The early goal set the tone.

Jeffrey Hammond scores the game’s first goal.

“We knew going into it that they’ve got the speed,” said St. Joseph’s Prep coach David Giacomin said of the Explorers. “They are strong, they like to bang the body.

“I told them as long as we keep them on the outside, don’t give up the little gritty goals, take away the behind the net, we would have a chance.

“We were lucky enough to get two good goals early, and they had to play catchup, which is hard to do.”

Hammond scored a statement goal for the Hawks 8:31 into the second session. With his teammate Nick Storti serving a two-minute sentence for a slashing infraction, Hammond found space on right wing and beat Braun with a wrister.

That was it as far as scoring was concerned, although the game’s emotional temperature remained at a fever pitch.

Jeffrey Hammond scores his second goal of the game.

But try as they might the second-seeded Explorers (8-9-1) couldn’t find a way to sustain momentum in their offensive zone or solve Hawks’ goaltender Rocco Bruno who finished with 26 saves.

“We just couldn’t seem to get any bounces or any momentum going,” said La Salle coach Wally Muehlbronner. “I think the shorthanded goal we gave up really hurt us.

“I think St. Joseph’s Prep played a great game. They were opportunistic. They played a really good game.”

Emotions boiled over in the late going. With 1:38 left in the third period La Salle’s Chase Hannon was called for elbowing before being accessed three additional penalties, resulting in his banishment.

A series of penalties with 36 seconds left resulted in the teams finishing the game with three skaters each on the ice although La Salle had already pulled Braun to add an extra skater.

St. Joseph’s 1 1 0—2

La Salle 0 0 0—0

First-period goals: Jeffrey Hammond (SJP) fro Joey Samango and Christian Short, 4:27

Second-period goals: Hammond (SJP) unassisted, 8:31 (sh)

Shots: St. Joseph’s Prep 20, La Salle 26; Saves Rocco Bruno (SJP) 26, Will Braun (L) 18

Video provided by Erin Schneider

La Salle 3 St. Joseph’s Prep 1

HATFIELD— The supporting cast stepped into feature roles for La Salle on Wednesday afternoon. With several players sidelined because of suspensions and injury, the Explorers had to juggle the lineup. The revisions proved fruitful. La Salle scored three times in the third period to post a 3-1 win over St. Joseph’s Prep at Hatfield Ice.

The Explorers concluded the regular season at 7-7-1 and the APAC campaign in second place at 4-3-0-1. The Hawks will head to the post season at 8-7-1 and 3-3-0-2 in the APAC; they’re slotted third in the conference at present.

La Salle senior Gavin O’Connell said it was a game when some of LaSalle’s less-heralded performers needed to step up and they did. “Especially since we were missing some of our key players,” he said. “We needed the guys that don’t get as many minutes to step up and everyone was chipping in. Everyone was getting minutes they don’t usually get.”

The only goal of the first two periods was the ultimate bad goal. The Hawks’ Tristan Winata moved through center ice, moved to his left and sent a puck in the direction of the La Salle net from the left face-off circle’ it ended up in the back of the net, behind Explorer netminder Aries Carangi.

The Hawks had the better of the opening period, outshooting their foes 15-6. Momentum started shifting La Salle’s way in second period but the Hawks still led 1-0 as the teams headed to their dressing rooms at period’s end.

“I thought we played really well in the second,” said La Salle coach Wally Muehlbronner. “We just couldn’t score any goals. But we had good opportunities, we were playing the way we’ve been playing of late down low, working hard and creating some opportunities.”

Keenan Schneider broke the La Salle scoring drought 70 seconds into the third period off a Hawk turnover. Jackson Lindmar poked in a loose puck at 8:41 to put La Salle in front for good. Patrick Brace finished the scoring at 12:19.

St. Joseph’s Prep coach David Giacomin felt the Explorers had more energy in the third period. “Whether our kids did not have their legs, or whether they didn’t feel the need to compete, obviously, La Salle wanted it more,” he said. “Those kids really busted their butts, they played great.”

O’Connell says the Explorers have been getting contributions from a variety of sources in recent weeks. “I think we’ve seen guys who we haven’t seen much of before,” he said. “Maybe they’ve been playing a lot more and we’ve been seeing what they can truly do. “So we’ve definitely had more depth than we thought and we can do a lot more things.”

Tristan Winata scores the game’s first goal

St. Joseph’s Prep 1 0 0—1

La Salle 0 0 3—3

First-period goal: Tristan Winata (SJP) unassisted, 7:16

Third-period goals: Keenan Schneider (L) from Evan Golato, 1:10; Jackson Lindmar (L) from Gavin O’Connell, 8:41; Patrick Brace (L) from Schneider, 12:19

Shots: St. Joseph’s Prep 29, La Salle 37; Saves: Rocco Bruno (SJP) 34, Aries Carangi (L) 28

Video provided by Erin Schneider

St. Joseph’s Prep 3 Hun School 1

HAVERFORD TOWNSHIP—With just eight days remaining in the APAC regular season, teams are striving to climb over each other and gain a foothold that strengthens their position not only in the conference standings but also in the minds of the members of the committee that will seed the Class AAA portion of the upcoming Flyers Cup tournament.

St. Joseph’s Prep took a step up on Friday night, climbing over The Hun School 3-1 on Senior Night at the Skatium.

Cathal Dowd, Liam Mooney, and Joey Samango all scored goals for the Hawks (7-6 overall) who moved into second place in the APAC standings with a 3-2-0-2 conference mark, one point ahead of La Salle. The Hawks and Explorers will meet on Wednesday to conclude their respective league schedules.

Hun School (7-7 overall) stands at 2-3-1-0 in the conference with games remaining against Malvern Prep on Wednesday and Holy Ghost Prep next Friday.

The first meeting between the two teams (a 1-0 Hun School win) was decided on the last shot of a shootout and Friday’s game was closely contested as well, despite the Hawks’ margin of victory.

“They played hard,” Mooney said of the Raiders. “They’re hard to play against. They had a couple good lines; they were a couple guys short (due to suspensions) but I thought we played them pretty tough, played them pretty well.”

Hun School Coach Ian McNally noted that Friday’s game featured a rematch between the goaltenders who hooked up in the teams’ first meeting; the Hawks Ajay White and the Raiders Stephen Chen. He was impressed with White’s winning performance.

“We scored one (regulation) goal; in two games against this kid. He was in our kitchen.”

Mooney noted Friday’s game had a different flow than the first meeting and the Hawks generated more opportunities.

“(Chen) played really good last time,” he said. “Today, we just got more shots on him. That was the key to winning today.”

Cathal Dowd gave St. Joseph’s Prep a 1-0 lead 10:34 into the first period when he scored off a turnover just to the right of Chen in front of the Raider’s net. The fast-paced first sessions saw the teams generate 30 shots between them.

Play slowed a bit in the second frame and it was still a 1-0 game early in the third period before Mooney’s goal extended his team’s lead.

Elian Estulin cut that lead in half when he scored off a Hawk turnover but Nick Storti cemented the victory for the hosts when he scored a power-play goal with 1:52 remaining in regulation.

”In our league, every team battles to the end,” said Hawk coach David Giacomin. “It was basically a one-goal game up until the power play.”

In two meetings against each other, Chen and White combined to stop 131 of 135 shots in regulation and overtime. Chen made 66 saves and White 65

Hun School 0 0 1—1

St. Joseph’s Prep 1 0 2—3

First-period goal: Cathal Dowd (HGO) from Dante Passio, 10:34

Third-period goals: Liam Mooney (SJP) from Charles Maratea, 3:52; Elian Estulin (HS) from Seth Kaplan, 7:54; Nick Storti (SJP) from Jeffrey Hammond, 15:08 (pp)

Shots: Hun School 34, St. Joseph’s Prep 35; Saves; Stephen Chen (HS) 32, Ajay White (SJP) 32

For more about St. Joseph’s Prep CLICK HERE

Foe more about The Hun School CLICK HERE

La Salle 2 St. Joseph’s Prep 1

HAVERFORD TOWNSHIP—Despite the winter chill outside, the air inside the Skatium was crackling with intensity Friday. That’s a common occurrence when La Salle and St. Joseph’s Prep square off, whatever the sport.

Keenan Schneider’s power-play goal 6:12 into the first period proved decisive as the Explorers prevailed 2-1 in an Atlantic Prep Athletic Conference matchup.

The win lifted La Salle to 5-4 overall and 2-2 in APAC play. The Hawks fell to 4-5-1 and 1-2-0-2.

La Salle, which has won four of its last five games, jumped in front when the Hawks coughed up the puck in front of and just to the left of their own net. Patrick Brace was one hand to coral the puck and put it behind Hawk netminder Rocco Bruno just 93 seconds after the opening faceoff.

Schneider’s goal came off a faceoff in the circle to Bruno’s right.

Keenan Schneider scores the game-winning goal

St. Joseph’s Prep countered when Nick Storti beat La Salle goaltender Aries Carangi from the left side of the slot 6:12 into the second session.

That was the last goal of the night but both teams maintained a high level of intensity and physicality the rest of the way. Through the first two-and-a-half periods the referees called 11 minor penalties, six against the Explorers, five against the Hawks, but passed on incidents that might have been whistled down on another occasion.

Emotions boiled over with 1:28 remaining in the third period and La Salle trying to protect its one-goal lead.

Eight players, four from each team, were accessed a total of 72 penalty minutes. Two La Salle players Carangi and forward Tim Whittock, were given game misconducts for receiving four penalties during the game and will serve one-game suspensions as a result.

Muehlbronner also faces a suspension; his team was accessed 16 penalties.

When all the penalties were sorted out, St. Joseph’s Prep had a power play. Coach David Giacomin pulled Bruno at that point, giving his team a six-skaters-to-four advantage for the duration of the game but the Hawks couldn’t score.

Will Braun took over for Carangi in the La Salle goal. His only warmup came while the officials were sorting out the penalties but he made two saves over the final 88 seconds of playing time.

“I was happy that we hung on,” Muehlbronner said. “We had a lot to overcome in the third period.”

Muehlbronner made his thoughts clear regarding the late-game incident. “In my eyes, that’s very preventable, what took place,” he said. “It’s not what I expect.

“I don’t think the lack of discipline came on our part. It was a disgrace, what happened at the end. I expect my guys to play hard, play the game the right way. “Thankfully we did that in the first period and that’s what got us through.”

Giacomin noted the teams took turns dictating the flow of the game.

“It was up and down,” he said. “They had a really good first period, I think we played really good in the third period, and that made for an interesting third period, at least the first part of it.”

Giacomin indicated the rivalry between the two schools contributed to the altercation.

“You don’t like to see it,” he said, “but you understand why it happens You’ve just got to hopefully teach the kids from this point on that that’s not the way we play, period. Both teams.”

La Salle 2 0 0—2

St. Joseph’s Prep 0 1 0—1

First-period goals: Patrick Brace (L) unassisted, 1:33; Keenan Schneider (L) from Charlie Kennedy, 6:12 (pp)

Second-period goals: Nick Storti (SJP) from Joey Samango and Dante Passio, :49

Shots: La Salle 38, St. Joseph’s Prep 34; Saves: Aries Carangi (L) 31 and Will Braun (L) 2, Rocco Bruno (SJP) 36

For more information about La Salle College High School CLICK HERE

For information about St. Joseph’s Prep CLICK HERE

O’Neill Reflects on His Time at St. Joseph’s Prep

Shane O’Neill

The past year-and-a-half has been a time of growth for Shane O’ Neill, in the classroom and on the ice.

O’Neill is a sophomore at St. Joseph’s Prep and in the midst of his first season with the varsity as an old school, stay-at-home defenseman.

“I’m a pretty big guy (6-0, 175),” he said, “so, I try to do my role to the best of my ability which is kind of locking it down in the defensive zone and making sure no one pushes the goalie. What I’ve found helps most is always playing a physical game, always keeping your head up.”
O’Neill also plays club hockey at the U16 AA level but he has adapted his game to fit the tempo of high-school hockey and the Atlantic Prep Athletic Conference. He’s comfortable in his role as his team’s sixth defenseman.

“I love it,” he said. “I feel like I’ve learned so much from my teammates just in the past year and watching those guys; all of them are incredible players. I really learn a lot from them and not only does it help the guys around them get better, it helps me get better just watching them and competing against them, and seeing what they do.”

O Neill’s coach, David Giacomin, appreciates his approach to the game.

“Shane is a hard-working defenseman,” Giacomin said. “He takes direction well and wants to get better. He is our sixth defenseman but continues to work and get better. We reward his efforts by putting him on the penalty kill and power play from time to time.”

Giacomin notes that O’Neill came to the Hawks without expectations or a sense of entitlement.

“Regularly, young players have struggled with playing time on the varsity because they are used to being top in their club teams,” he said. “It takes a bit to understand. Shane has never been that way. As a sophomore, he has come in with a mindset to fit in and get better every day. I think our team has made him better for his club team. He is a great young man to have on our team and makes us better.”

As much as O’Neill had to modify his game on the ice, his most significant adjustments came elsewhere. He was familiar with the history and traditions of St. Joseph’s Prep; his uncles and grandparents had gone to school there as well as some older friends. But there was the inevitable adjustment to a vigorous academic workload.

“It was pretty difficult,” O’Neill said, “going from a workload of back in Catholic school or middle school of probably 20 minutes a night to having sometimes multiple hours a night, upwards of three hours. It was a lot of work; it took some adjustments to get used to it. Now that I’m used to it I feel like I have an edge. I know how to get things done efficiently and well.”

Like many of his peers, O’Neill had to develop time-management skills.

“It was a big challenge at first,” he said, “especially putting down the cell phone and getting homework done. I was playing for two clubs, practicing just about every night of the week and having multiple games on the weekend. It can get pretty difficult but once I got used to it was manageable.”

O’Neill appreciates the support of the St. Joseph’s Prep faculty.

“They’re always willing to meet before school or after school to talk to you and help you out,” he said. “They always are engaging and they do a really good job getting the information into your head.”

O’Neill is most proud of how he has grown as a student and as an athlete over the last year.

“When first came to the Prep I saw some of those guys play and my draw dropped,” he said. “Some of these guys were ridiculously fast and I thought, looking at these guys play that I could never get to the level that they are.

“But, now, in playing with them and seeing what they do and learning from them, having them support you and teach you, it really helped my game out. I’m not quite at the level that they’re at, in terms of skill, but it’s fun to compete with them, it’s a lot of challenge.

“I feel the same way academically; there’s tons of really smart guys at the Prep and they’re all really nice and supportive and they’ll always help you out. And it’s really paid off, putting in the effort and watching myself improve.”

For more about St. Joseph’s Prep CLICK HERE

Holy Ghost Prep-St. Joseph’s Prep Matchup a Nod to Hockey History

Friday’s Atlantic Prep Athletic Conference matchup between Holy Ghost Prep and St. Joseph’s Prep at the Skatium will have considerable significance. It will be the first APAC conference game to be played at the celebrated venue.

When the puck is dropped shortly after 7 p.m., the lengthy history of the rink and the brief but impressive record of the APAC will be officially linked.

Located on Darby Road in Haverford Township, and built at a cost of $1.5 million, the Skatium opened its doors on September 20, 1974. The timing could not have been better. The Flyers had won their first Stanley Cup just four months and a day earlier and enthusiasm for hockey in the Philadelphia area was at an all-time high.

The name of the venue was determined via a contest that was open to all residents of Haverford Township. Twelve-year old Michael Steinberg submitted the winning entry. At first, use of the township-owned facility was restricted to Haverford Township residents, but that stipulation was eventually dropped and the rink soon became arguably an epicenter for the growth of amateur hockey in the Philadelphia area in general and Delaware County in particular. And while newer, larger facilities have been built in the years since, none have replicated the Skatium’s intimacy.

Today it is the home rink for a half dozen Inter County League teams, as well as teams from the Independence League, the St. Joseph’s University club team, and the Haverford Hawks youth program.

Holy Ghost Prep coach Gump Whiteside has made numerous trips to the Skatium as a player and coach. He enjoys the venue’s atmosphere.

“I remember when it was first opened up and going there for youth games as a player and then later as a coach,” he said. “It was always clean. I liked the stands on that one side. The benches were really tight but then they did some renovations and made the benches a lot bigger and nicer, but it was a really good atmosphere to play in.”

Whiteside recalls the atmosphere in the building as being difficult for visiting teams to deal with. “It was a tough barn to play in,” he said. It’s a great atmosphere. I can remember coaching both (Germantown Academy) and Holy Ghost and having some tough games against O’Hara over the years. It’s been a great atmosphere.”

David Giacomin is in his eighth season as the head coach at St. Joseph’s Prep. When he started his career with the Hawks the team played its home games at the Skatium before moving to the University of Pennsylvania’s Class of 1923 rink. The Hawks returned to the Skatium this season.

Giacomin was asked what makes the building unique. “I think it’s the atmosphere,” he said. “In a typical year where you can have fans.

“it is an old barn. The student body and everything is all on one side. It’s built up over the glasses. You feel like everybody’s right on top of you. The ceiling has got a decent height to it but it feels like everything is on top of you. So, it’s very quaint.”

Giacomin considers the Skatium an ideal setting for high-school hockey. “It’s just a very exciting place to play,” he said. “It’s usually loud and raucous and when two teams meet, they bring their fans there. It’s just a super, great place.

“There’s the visual, the lighting in there, the ice surface is awesome. Teams seem to enjoy playing at that place, but what makes it special is the 800 to a thousand people that can be in there. It’s kind of suited for a high school hockey game.’’

In 2014, Giacomin’s first year at St. Joseph’s Prep, the Hawks were the top seed in the Class AAA Flyers Cup and faced La Salle in the one-game final at the Skatium a game eventually won by the Explorers 5-4 in overtime

Giacomin recalls that building was packed.

“It was one of those games where we didn’t know going into it how many people would show up,” he said. “Delaware County’s got a lot of hockey folks, and it wasn’t just people from St. Joe’s or La Salle there, it was people who liked hockey who wanted to come over and watch a good game.

“It was just so many people, five deep behind the benches and people wrapped three, four deep around the glasses, in that area and then on the way to the locker room it was almost 11 deep. Both teams took time to get the locker room in between periods.

“It was just a great atmosphere to be a part of and probably something that those kids will never forget.”

Giacomin is enthusiastic about the Hawks returning to the Skatium this season and bringing the APAC along with them.

“Don’t get me wrong, plying at Penn is a great experience, as well,” he said. “That’s another one of those old buildings. But if you brought in 800 people you wouldn’t know 800 people were there. With the Skatium, and all the people who love high school hockey around the area, if you brought in 800 people, you’re going to know they’re all there because it’s going to be loud. It’s just a great place to play we’re looking forward to it.

“Hopefully, we can continue that for years to come because I think presenting the APAC in that area, geographically would enhance our league.”

Hawks Take to the Road

The St. Joseph’s Prep hockey team will be spending much of the remainder of their holiday break on the ice. The Hawks will be in Washington, D.C. this weekend to compete in the 21^st annual National Capital Hockey Tournament, popularly known as the Purple Puck Tournament.

The Hawks will compete in the Prep Division of the event, which features an outstanding collection of high school and prep school teams, many from the Baltimore-Washington area and the East Coast but from elsewhere as well.

The Hawks will open play on Saturday with a 12:30 game against the Hun School from Princeton, New Jersey before seeing action twice on Sunday against Archbishop Spalding from Suburban Baltimore (9 a.m.) and St. John’s from Washington, D.C. (2:15). The tournament semifinals and finals are scheduled for Monday.

The Hawks have been competing in the Purple Puck event for roughly a decade now. The tournament is hosted by Gonzaga Prep and the two schools have a close relationship.

St. Joseph’s Prep coach David Giacomin says the weekend-long trip allows his players to spend time together off the ice and to get to know one another as people as well as hockey players.

“We try to do something in D.C. every year that is historical,” he said. “And then after that, this year I think we’re going to go to one of those escape rooms, try to have some fun with them and everything. We go out and do team dinners and lunches.
So, it’s all about the kids being together full time for three days.

Giacomin and his coaching staff see to it that the veterans on the roster mix with the underclassmen. “It really helps the younger kids get to know the older guys a lot better,” he said.

“When we do our rooming assignments, we mix up the kids so it’s not just staying with your friends; we keep everybody separated so by the end of the year, I do believe it really helps us quite a bit. Because the kids feel more and more comfortable with their teammates. They feel like they can at least speak out, especially the younger kids.”

Senior forward Austin Amato is one of the Hawks’ assistant captains. He says the experience of the trip and playing in the Purple Puck event helps build team unity.

“It gets everyone closer,” he said, “gets everyone to play with each other more which builds the team chemistry up.”

Amato stresses the importance of the veterans interacting with their younger teammates. “You’ve got to include them in everything, on and off the ice,” he said. You’ve got to ask them to eat, talk to them, make sure they feel welcome.”

Giacomin believes those sorts of interactions offer long-term rewards.

“I think it’s really important,” he said, “because the leadership group we have, they’re class individuals. They love to engage everybody. The incoming freshmen the first few weeks it’s always a thing with them, do I stand up and say something or do I sit down and be quiet?’ With these guys here, they make sure that everybody is included.

“There is no senior group sitting together in the locker room. There is no sophomore group. Everybody is intermixed and they’re all sitting there talking and everything. So everybody has a right to speak up. Everybody has their own opinion and it’s because of those kids, that they make everybody feel included. I hope going forward those kids are going to step up into a bigger role as we move down the stretch run.”

By Rick Woelfel

The Grundy Skate Shop is a full-service hockey pro shop inside the Grundy Arena, offering a great selection of equipment, brands and various services. We do a range of repairs as well as offer custom hockey jerseys. Owner Bill Keyser, has over 25 years experience in the industry and specializes in skate sharpening, including profiling. Please visit our Facebook page or stop in and check us out!

If you or a family member, or friend are looking for a dentist, we’re proud to recommend All Smiles Family Dentistry. They’re located at 1620 South Broad Street in Lansdale.Dr. Caroline Hsu, Dr. Azure Pelberg and their staff provide high-quality dental care in a caring, nurturing environment. They’ve been taking care of my teeth for 25 years and I would recommend them to anyone. Going to the dentist can be an unsettling experience but everyone at All Smiles Family Dentistry will work to put you at ease.

Call for an appointment at 215-616-0609 or e-mail them at allsmilesfamilydentistry@verizon.net. You can also find them on line at www.allsmileslansdale.com.

We’d love to have you promote your product or service on this site. Contact us here for rates and other information including how we can provide coverage of your hockey-related event or produce content designed specifically for you.

Do you need content for your own blog or web site? We can help, whether that content relates to hockey, some other sport, or some other topic. Contact us here

St. Joseph’s Prep 5, Cardinal O’Hara 1

HAVERFORD TOWNSHIP— St. Joseph’s Prep hasn’t spent a lot of time on the ice of late because of exams and the approach of the Christmas holidays. But the Hawks put together a solid effort Monday night in a 5-1 win over Cardinal O’Hara at the Skatium.

Austin Amato scored three goals for the Hawks who closed the pre-Christmas portion of their schedule with a 5-5 record.

“I really liked how we skated today,” said St. Joseph’s Prep coach David Giacomin. “Our three lines skated hard and that’s all I can ever ask for. The other day (in a 2-1 overtime loss to Holy Ghost Prep last Friday) we didn’t skate as hard as I would have liked to have seen then but today they dug deep and played really well.”

The Hawks dominated the opening period. They opened the scoring 6:08 into the first period when Ryan Newby launched a shot from the left point.Lion goaltender Troy Percival made the save but Joseph Samango poked in the rebound.

O’Hara (7-4) got the equalizer when Shane Truax beat Andrew Custer at the 9:18 mark. It was the Lions’ first and only shot of the period.

The Hawks regained the lead at 7:52 of the second frame when Amato finished an odd-man rush with help from Andrew Centrella and Ben Briskin and extended it when Amato stole the puck at the Hawk blue line and went remaining 130 feet by himself. Amato completed his hat trick with 4:43 left in the game. Jeffrey Hammon finished the scoring with 39 seconds remaining.

Amato, who is a senior and one of the Hawks’ assistant captains, noted that a young team is beginning to mature. “In the beginning it was rough,” he said, “getting chemistry with the young guys. But everyone’s getting better. Everyone knows each other and we’re friends now so the chemistry is building.”

The evening was about more than hockey. It was also an evening to call attention to the fight against breast cancer. Various fundraisers were held to raise funds for the Kevin Cain Memorial Foundation, which supports cancer patients and their families and several breast cancer patients were recognized including Rachel Craig, whose brother Jimmy Craig is one of the St. Joseph’s Prep captains, and Eileen Vice, the principal at Cardinal O’Hara.

Amato appreciated being part of the event.”It’s awesome he said, “representing my teammates, my teammates families. I know it’s important to guys like Jimmy. It’s bigger than us.”

Ice Chips—The Hawks defeated the Lions in last year’s Class AAA Flyers Cup quarterfinals. They’ll travel to Washington, D.C. this weekend for the Purple Puck tournament.

St. Joseph’s Prep 1 2 2—5
Cardinal O’Hara 1 0 0—1

First-period goal: Joseph Samango (SJP) from Ryan Newby, 6:08; ShaneTruax from Greg Diamond, 9:18.
Second-period goals: Austin Amato (SJP) from Centrella, and Ben Briskin, 7:52; Amato (SJP) unassisted, 13:19 (sh).
Third-period goal: Amato (SJP) from Andrew Centrella and Briskin, 11:17; Jeffrey Hammond (SJP) from Centrella, 15:21.
Shots: St. Joseph’s Prep 26, Cardinal O’Hara 18; Saves: Andrew Custer (HGP) 17, Troy Percival (COH) 21.