Devon Prep 1 Holy Ghost Prep 0 OT

It wasn’t a typical non-league season opener. Devon Prep and Holy Ghost Prep battled hard for nearly 56 minutes Monday afternoon.

Matters weren’t decided until Danny Dowling delivered a goal with 5.6 seconds left in overtime to give the visiting Tide a 1-0 win over the Firebirds at Grundy Arena.

Both teams found out a lot about themselves over the course of the affair. The Tide tested themselves against the reigning Class AAA Flyers Cup champions while the Firebirds got an idea of how the pieces of this year’s puzzle will fit.

The winning goal was set up when Dowling, working down low on the offensive left side collected a feed from teammate Jan Bach and put it behind Firebird goaltender John Botthof.

Devon Prep coach Matt Fabrizio commented on the significance of the win.

“Even being able to skate with Holy Ghost is exciting,” he said. “But that the fact we stuck to it, held them scoreless, and were able to step up in overtime, is a massive achievement for our team.”

“I can’t think of a victory that’s been more significant for us, to beat a team like Holy Ghost, the defending champs.”

The hosts had a 47-31 advantage in shots but Tide goaltender Aidan Wright turned away every challenge.

He had to be particularly sharp in the first frame when he turned aside 17 shots.

Each netminder made a big save in the third period to keep the game scoreless. Bottthof denied Dowling five minutes and change into the period with a quality glove save Wright turned away the Firebirds’ Anthony Valeriote with seven-and-a-half minutes left.

Neither team shied away from physical play and for the most part the officials left the players to their own devices. There were just three minor penalties accessed, all in the third period.

Holy Ghost Prep coach John Ritchie understands the challenges his players will face this season as the reigning Flyers Cup champions.

“You’re going to have a target on your back every game,” he said. “You’re going to get every team’s best game, their full effort, and their goalie was great today.”

Ritchie learned a lot about his team in the course of the afternoon, as newcomers worked to fit in, and some veterans assumed new roles.

“I think there were a lot of positives we can build on from this,” he said. “I’d rather this type of loss happen at the beginning of the season versus going into the playoffs.

“I think we have a good corps,” he said. “I think we have to figure out how to manufacture and score some goals. I think that obviously is what hurt us today. You get a hot goaltender that’s going to keep the other team in the game, and guys get nervous.

“I think as we go along in the season we’ve just got to find who are going to be our go-to guys to finish plays.”

Ice Chips—The Firebirds will open APAC play next Wednesday when they host La Salle…. Devon Prep lost to La Salle in the first round of last year’s Flyers Cup.

Devon Prep 0 0 0 1—1

Holy Ghost Prep 0 0 0 0—0

Overtime goal: Danny Dowling (DP) from Jan Bach, 4:55

Shots; Devon Prep 31, Holy Ghost Prep 47; Saves: Aidan Wright (DP) 47, John Botthof (HGP) 30

Holy Ghost Prep 8 Devon Prep 3

BRISTOL—Monday marked the start of a new season for Holy Ghost Prep. The afternoon offered glimpses of the type of hockey team it hopes to become.

Anthony Valeriote scored three goals and five other players scored one goal each as the Firebirds bested Devon Prep 8-3 in a non-league encounter at Grundy Arena.

The day’s events gave Holy Ghost Prep coach John Ritchie some insights into where his team is with the APAC opener against La Salle now less than a week away.

“I think we needed a convincing victory,” he said, “and to just get started off on the right foot for this season. I think we came out and did that for the most part.”

Valeriote made sure the Firebirds got off to a good start; he scored the first goal of the game from the low slot just 37 seconds after the opening faceoff. But the Tide, who took the ice Monday having won two games against Class AA opposition, responded three-and-a-half minutes later when Kieran Crossan beat Jack Unger in the Holy Ghost Prep net.

Valeriote put the hosts back in front with 7:58 left in the period before the Firebirds broke the game open in the second frame. Mike Previtera, Valeriote, Joe Kaufmann, and Brian Kinniry all scored goals in a span of 2 minutes, 12 seconds, sending Tide goaltender Grant Gale to the bench and putting the hosts in complete control with a 6-1 lead with 7:09 still left in the second period.

For the Tide, which are in just their third season of ice hockey, it was another step in the evolutionary process. Devon Prep coach Matt Fabrizio spoke about what it was like to take the ice against an APAC opponent. The Tide compete in the Prep/Catholic Division of the Inter County League where they are aligned with Father Judge, Salesianum, Haverford School, and a co-op team that blends Bishop Shanahan and Coatesville.

“I think the biggest difference is the speed of the game,” Fabrizio said. “The way that a Holy Ghost plays, the way their feet never stop moving, the way they backcheck, the way attack the zone, the way they send their forwards crashing to that far post, is all a lesson.

“As the game went on, we got stronger, but when we watch that game film, they’re going to watch [Holy Ghost Prep.] I want them to watch what they do and learn from that.”

Holy Ghost Prep’s Joe Kaufmann battles Devon Prep’s Danny Pucci in Wednesday’s game (photo: Robert Barnes)

Braydon Russo scored for the Tide before the second period ended and Crossan pocketed his second goal of the game 87 seconds into the third session before Logan Barnes and Spadaccino added additional goals for the Firebirds.

Ritchie expressed satisfaction with his team’s performance.

“We were missing a big piece up front for this game due to injury,’ he said, “but I thought we did a nice job of picking up. the slack. I know we have four lines that can contribute and produce. So, offensively we did a great job, Defensively, we have to clean up.”

Senior defenseman Ryan Lippy, the Firebirds’ captain said he and his teammates played with self-assurance.

“We played really confident,” he said. “We moved the puck well and we played how we should be playing. But we had a couple mistakes which led to goals and I think we can pick it up next week.”

Devon Prep 1 1 1—3

Holy Ghost Prep 2 4 2—6

First-period goals: Anthony Valeriote (HGP) unassisted, :37; Kieran Crossan (DP) from Braydon Russo and Logan Reaney, 4:08; Vaeriote (HGP) from Joe Spadaccino, 7:58

Second-period goals: Mike Previtera (HGP) from Logan Barnes and Valeriote, 4:57; Valeriote (HGP) from Chase Logue and Joe Kaufmann, 5:17; Kaufmann (HGP) from Logue 5:59; Brian Kinniry (HGP) from Kaufmann, 7:09 (pp); Russo (DP) from Crossan and Reaney, 13:13

Third-period goals: Crossan (DP) from Russo, 1:27 (pp); Logan Barnes (HGP) unassisted, 1:54 (sh); Spadaccino (HGP) from Brady Flynn and Logue, 15:28

Shots: Devon Prep 27, Holy Ghost Prep 52 Saves: Grant Gale (DP) 33 and Aidan Wright (DP) 11; Jack Unger (HGP) 24

Malvern Prep 8 Devon Prep 0

Brady Doyle scored two first-period goals in a span of two-and-a-half minutes and the Friars rolled to the 8-0 shutout win over the Tide Monday night at Ice Line in a Class AAA Flyers Cup first-round game.

Second-seeded Malvern Prep broke the game open with five goals in the second frame. Aidan Kelly, Jonathan Holt, Colin Inskeep, Jeremy Jacobs, and Recce Hanna all scored for the Friars (10-8,) who will face St. Joseph’s Prep next Thursday in the semifinals.

Devon Prep 0 0 0—0

Malvern Prep 3 5 0—8

First-period goals: Brady Doyle (MP) from Jeremy Jacobs, 4:13; Doyle (MP) from Jacobs, 6:36 (pp); Aidan Kelly (MP) unassisted, 15:54

Second-period goals: Jonathan Holt (MP) from Andrew Starck and James Young, 1:14; Colin Inskeep (MP) from Caiden Canale and Kelly, 3:17; Canale (MP) from Teague Murray and Kelly, 6:08; Jacobs (MP) unassisted, 9:05 (pp); Reece Hanna (MP) unassisted, 11:31

Shots; Devon Prep 10, Malvern Prep 66; Saves: Aidan Wright (DP) and Grant Gale (DP) 54, Matt Crawford (MP) 10

APAC Getting Ready for Year 5

As the start of a new scholastic hockey season approaches, the Atlantic Prep Athletic Conference is continuing to evolve.

The APAC, which will be starting its fifth season this fall, will once again include five teams. Defending conference and Class AAA Flyers Cup champion Malvern Prep will be joined by Holy Ghost Prep, The Hun School, St. Joseph’s Prep, and La Salle.

In addition, the conference has created partnerships with two other private schools, The Haverford School and Devon Prep which will compete against APAC member schools this season.

“The APAC schools are coordinating as scheduling partners with The Haverford School and Devon Prep, two institutions with developing varsity ice hockey programs,” said APAC Commissioner Jim Britt. Those games will not count as part of the APAC regular-season standings, but the competitions will help develop future opportunities.”

While the complete APAC schedule has yet to be announced, the conference has scheduled two doubleheader events for this season. The first will be sometime in mid-November on a date and at a site to be announced. The second will be an outdoor event on January 11, 2023 at the Spring Mountain outdoor rink in Spring Mount.