Lower Merion Girls 3 Avon Grove 1

Thea Moore scored one goal and assisted on another as Lower Merion bested Avon Grove 3-1 Thursday night in the Flyers Cup girls’ championship game at PNY Arena.

Top-seeded Avon Grove took a 1-0 lead on a goal from Emmy Sullivan 1:18 into the 16-minute first period but Ellen Smith tied the game for the Aces just 25 seconds later off a setup from Moore.

Stella Stoode scored the Cup-winning goal with 7:22 left in the first frame and Moore added a goal of her own 3:34 into the second.

Lower Merion goaltender Ruby Leno came up big, making 41 saves. The Aces were outshot 42-26

Lower Merion 2 1 0—3

Avon Grove 1 0 0—1

First-period goals: Emmy Sullivan (AG) from Brianna Register and Blaire Stoltzfus, 1:18; Ellen Smith (LM) from Thea Moore, 1:43; Stella Strode (LM) unassisted, 8:38

Second-period goal: Moore (LM) unassisted, 3:34

Shots: Lower Merion 26, Avon Grove 42; Saves: Ruby Leno (LM) 41, Mckayla Mellon (AG) 23

North Penn 3 Boyertown 1

North Penn was presented with an abundance of opportunities Tuesday night. Eventually, the Knights began cashing them in. it took some time but North Penn found a series of winning combination en route to a 3-1 win over Boyertown in the Class AA Flyers Cup final at Hatfield Ice.

Having successfully defended its Flyers Cup crown, North Penn (26-1) will attempt to defend its state title against Penguins Cup champion Penn-Trafford in Saturday’s Class AA state-title game (2:00 at Ice Line). The Knights will go into that game shorthand. Samuel Norton, one of the SHSHL’s most prolific point producers over the course of his career, drew a major penalty for boarding plus a game misconduct in the third period and will be serving a mandatory suspension.

It took the Knights until early in the second period to solve Boyertown goaltender Lucas Yancey. Daniel Cabrales broke the scoreless deadlock at the 3:59 mark with a blast from the right point during a power play.

Nolan Shingle made it a 2-0 game at the 11:07 mark off a perfectly timed feed from Ismael Cabrales.

“I think [Boyertown} is a great team,” said North Penn defenseman James Boyle. “I think we had a lot of opportunities, it was just about bearing down.

“I think we finally figured it out and we were able to net a couple there and the lead. I think it was just patience and not giving up must keep on working until we get one.”

Special teams played a role all evening; there were 10 minor penalties called in the first two periods. By the time the clock wound down to six minutes remaining in regulation, with, six more infractions had been whistled.

With 4:18 remaining Boyertown (17-6) lost the services of senior forward Jack Schreiber, who was called for interference and then received an additional penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct, plus a 10-minute misconduct and a game misconduct.

Norton was banished with 3:39 remaining and when North Penn goaltender Andy Norton was called for delay of game for knocking his net off its pegs, the Knights were two men short.

The Bears took advantage. Logan Brown converted the power-play chance with 2:09 to go and the Knights found themselves hanging on until Boyle scored into an empty net with 61 seconds remaining.

Boyle was the recipient of the Bobby Clarke Award as the tournament’s Most Valuable Player.

“I think it’s just as special the second time around as it was the first time around,” said North Penn coach Kevin Vaitis.

“Going back to back is tough and I’m just so proud of these guys for the work they put in all season.

“I’m so happy for all of them, The seniors especially. They were on this team three years ago when we won one. It’s a remarkable turnaround and I’m so happy for everybody.”

By the numbers: After Tuesday night, North Penn is 47-4 over the past two seasons … SHSHL teams have won five consecutive Class AA Flyers Cups.

Boyertown 0 0 1—1

North Penn 0 2 1—3

Second-period goals: Daniel Cabrales (NP) from James Boyle, 3:59 (pp); Nolan Shingle (NP) from Ismael Cabrales, 11:07

Third-period goals: Logan Brown (B) from Zach Rosen, 14:51 (pp); James Boyle (NP) unassisted, 15:59 (en)

Shots: Boyertown 28, North Penn 39 Saves: Lucas Yancey (B) 36, Andy Norton (NP) 27

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

Dunn Has Been Through it All at North Penn

Somewhere a bell is tolling, signaling the end of Gabe Dunn’s high-school hockey career is close at hand. But that moment hasn’t arrived just yet.

Dunn and his North Penn teammates will take on Boyertown Tuesday night in the Class AA Flyers Cup final (8:45 at Hatfield Ice). The winner will face Penguins Cup champion Penn Trafford on Saturday in the state-title game.

The top-seeded Knights, the defending Cup and state champions, have enjoyed a remarkable run the past two seasons, compiling a 46-4 record, including 25-1 this season.

It’s quite a turnaround from Dunn’s freshman season when the Knights won just one SHSHL game. As a four-year varsity player, he’s seen a lot.

“Hockey and life have interchangeable skills,” Dunn said. “As a four-year varsity player, I have been exposed to many different situations and levels of success. I have had to mature through that experience and make the most of the situations as they happen.

“My freshman year we went 1-8-1 in league play That’s not because we weren’t working. That’s not because we weren’t doing the right things. We just had to battle through that. To learn from it and use it to get better.

“As my role as a hockey player changed over that time I had to learn to communicate better, to manage feedback effectively, and to thrive in a high-stress, competitive environment.

I have had to explore my role on the ice over the years and I have also explored my role as a teammate and. Through all these things, we just kept going. As we push through, the outcomes change. we as individuals got better. We as a team got better.”

Dunn says a key reason for North Penn’s run of success has been the players’ willingness to accept their assigned roles.

“I believe the reason our team is great at accepting our roles and the reason we have had success is because we all know our end goal.” he said.

“With that goal always in mind, both as teammates and friends we know who is best suited for every situation. If we need a big hit to change the pace, we have a guy. If we need net front pressure, we have a guy. If we need someone to pick corners, well, we have a guy for that too. It’s our diversity and varying skill sets that set us apart and allows us to be successful.”

Dunn’s own role has evolved over the course of the season, out of necessity.

“At the start of the season I was a “defensive defensemen”,” he said. “That was my role. With a couple early season injuries on the team, the coaches needed to move a few people around to re-balance the lines and I was asked to play forward. Come to find out I’m pretty versatile and I can be multi-dimensional. Changing from being that last line of defense to a hard forechecker felt like a natural switch. It has been a lot of fun and I’m glad I have been able to make meaningful contributions.

“I think it has really helped me to see myself differently not just in hockey, but in all things. Today isn’t yesterday. You don’t have to be the guy you were yesterday.”

La Salle-HGP Rivalry Renews in Class AAA Cup Final

When La Salle and Holy Ghost Prep meet on the ice there is generally something at stake, from an APAC or Flyers Cup title to local bragging rights.

The latest chapter in the rivalry will play out Tuesday night when the fourth-seeded Explorers and the top-seeded Firebirds collide in the Class AAA Flyers Cup final at Hatfield Ice (6:00 start).

Holy Ghost Prep (19-4) is the defending champion while La Salle (8-13) has won 13 Cup titles in its history, more than any other school.

This marks the 10^th time the two schools have met in a Flyers Cup final since 1999; La Salle holds a 6-3 advantage in those games.

As intense as the rivalry is, it is characterized by mutual respect.

La Salle senior forward Luke Baumann is very familiar with the Firebirds.

“Holy Ghost is a great team from top to bottom,” he said. “I have played with or against a lot of their guys in club hockey over the years so I know how talented and competitive they are. They are number two in the state and the number one seed in the Flyers Cup for a reason, and we have a lot of respect for them.

“We also have not forgotten last year’s championship which was a tough loss for the guys who were there.

“At the same time, we have a lot of younger players who are experiencing this for the first time so it is about balancing that motivation with staying focused on the moment.”

Holy Ghost Prep senior forward Jack Gavaghan is anticipating an intense atmosphere at Hatfield Ice.

“The game is going to have high intensity,” he said. “We know they’ve begun to heat up during February and into March. They’re never a team you can take lightly.

“They’ll grind and come out with a push and we have to match that. La Salle is a team you can’t count out but we know we have what it takes to beat them. We’ll set the tone by matching their intensity and then some. Us being familiar with them will work to our advantage as we know what’s coming. We’ll be ready to go.”

The two teams took different paths to reach the finals. As the defending Cup and now two-time APAC champion, Holy Ghost Prep has amassed 40 victories over the past two seasons.

“I think our depth and experience have helped us be successful the past two years,” Gavaghan said.

“Last year we had a senior heavy group who were a big reason we were able to succeed, but we had younger guys following right behind them in a deep playoff run. This year, a lot of us have experienced what it takes to win a Flyers Cup and how difficult it is to win a state championship. That experience has been a key factor in our success this year and helped lead us back to the Flyers Cup championship.”

The Explorers meanwhile, had an up and down campaign but have played much better hockey since the start of 2026; they’ve won five of their last seven games

“I think our turnaround really comes from everything we went through earlier in the season,” Baumann said. “After losing last year’s Flyers Cup championship and graduating a big senior class, we had a young group that needed time to adjust to varsity hockey, the speed, the physicality, and our system. Early on we took some tough losses, but our coaches never let us get discouraged. They have done an unbelievable job keeping us focused, holding us accountable and putting us in the best position to succeed every day. “

The Explorers tend to pick up their level of play after their annual holiday trip and this season was no exception.

“Even though I was hurt at the time, I noticed a big shift in our team after the Rhode Island tournament at the end of December,” Baumann said. “I was only able to watch the games back at our home rink, but you could clearly see the difference in how we were playing before and after. We were more connected, more confident and playing with a lot more structure and energy. As one of only two seniors, I have seen how much this group has matured. The guys who were part of last year’s loss have helped motivate the younger players and over the last two months we have really come together. From January on we have played much more confident and disciplined hockey and that has shown in our results.”

Flyers Cup Class AA Finals Preview

Tuesday, March 17

North Penn vs. 2 Boyertown 8:45 at Hatfield Ice

North Penn

Coach: Kevin Vaitis

Record: 25-1

Key players: Sr. James Boyle 17 goals, 11 assists, 28 points; Jr. Samuel Norton 22-23-55; So. Andy Norton .924 save %

In this tournament: Def. Shawnee 9-2 in first round; def. Owen J. Roberts 6-3 in quarterfinals; def. Downingtown West 4-1 in semifinals.

2. Boyertown

Coach: Joe Slowik

Record: 17-5

Key players: So. Brayden Kotzen 17 goals, 23 assists, 40 points; Sr. Logan Brown 22-14-36; Sr. Zach Rosen 22-10-32; So, Lucas Yancey .907 save %

In this tournament: Def. Souderton 12-2 in first round: def. Pennsbury 5-3 in quarterfinals; def. Council Rock South 4-3 in semifinals.

Ice chips: North Penn is trying to become the first Class AA team to successfully defend a Flyers Cup title since Downingtown East won its third straight championship in 2019 … SHSHL teams have won the last four Class AA Cup titles. Three of the four went on to win the state championship including North Penn last year … The last SHSHL team to successfully defend a Class AA Cup title was Council Rock South in 2012.

Class AAA Flyers Cup Finals Preview

Tuesday, March 17

Holy Ghost Prep vs. 3 La Salle 6:00 at Hatfield Ice

Holy Ghost Prep

Coach: John Ritchie

Record: 19-4

Key players: Matt Salita .914 save %; Chase Logue 29 goals, 6 assists, 35 points; Lucas Gonzalez 11-15-26; Anthony Valeriote 7-16-23

In this tournament: Had a bye in the quarterfinals; def. Malvern Prep 3-2 in overtime in semifinals.

3. La Salle

Record 8-13

Key players: Anthony Foster .923 save %; Thomas Leonards 13 goals, 2 assists, 15 points; Patrick Lunsford 7-1-16; Andrew Frantz 4-9-13

In this tournament: Def. Father Judge 6-2 in quarterfinals; def. St. Joseph’s Prep 4-1 in semifinals

Ice chips: This marks the 10th time Holy Ghost Prep and La Salle have met in a Flyers Cup final, the third time in the last four years. La Salle has a 6-3 edge in those meetings. The Explorers have won 13 Cups in all, including one in Class AA. The Firebirds have won five, including one in Class AA.

Flyers Cup Finals Game Times

Monday, March 16

Class A Final

Hershey vs 2. Penncrest 7:00 at Ice Line PPD to 3-18 7:30 at Ice Line

Tuesday, March 17

Class AAA Final

Holy Ghost Prep vs. 3. La Salle 6:00 at Hatfield Ice

Class AA Final

North Penn vs. 2. Boyertown 8:45 at Hatfield Ice

Thursday, March 19

Girls Final

Avon Grove vs. 3. Lower Merion 7:00 at PNY Arena

North Penn 4 Downingtown West 1

Special teams matter more than ever come the postseason. Special-team situations worked to North Penn’s advantage Thursday night. The Knights overcame an early 1-0 deficit and scored twice on second-period power plays to separate themselves from Downingtown West en route to a 4-1 win in a Flyers Cup Class AA a semifinal at Hatfield Ice.

The top-seeded Knights (25-1) will attempt to complete a successful title defense Tuesday night against Boyertown, a 4-3 winner over Council Rock South in Thursday’s other semifinal.

From North Penn’s perspective, it was a performance that was more workmanlike than flamboyant.

“{Downingtown West} is a very good hockey team,” said North Penn coach Kevin Vaitis. “Their goalie (Justin Adams) is outstanding. We knew going in that it was going to be a tough game and it was.

“They got goal early, but we kept playing and kept working.”

The fifth-seeded Whippets (13-9-1) drew first blood when Brady Cusa opened the scoring 5:35 into the opening period. Joey Risa took a shot from the left wing. North Penn goaltender Andrew Norton made the save but lost track of the rebound and Cusa tucked the puck inside the left post.

Nolan Shingle responded for North Penn at the 9:52 mark however to send the teams into the second period on even terms.

The Whippets undermined themselves with penalties in the second frame. Colin Gordon was whistled for interference just 19 seconds into the period. It took Chris Silvotti just 44 additional seconds to respond with a power-play goal. Shingle’s second goal of the night, which came with 5:26 remaining in the period, was also a power-plays effort. James Boyle assisted on the goal to pick up the 100th point of his career.

“We always try to work on the power play,” Shingle said. “When you’re given a chance like that, you kind of have to capitalize, it can be a big momentum swinger.

“This whole season, we kind of have been on the other side of calls a lot, so I feel like every power play we get, we’ve got to make the most of it.”

Declan Leahy added the Knights’ fourth goal, with Boyle’s help, 4:56 into the third period.

Now, it’s on to the finals where the Knights will try to become the first Class AA team in seven years to defend a Cup title. Shingle says the Knights are taking it a step at a time.

“That’s been a big thing this whole season,” Shingle said. “Don’t get too ahead of ourselves and just keep focused. “We’ve got to go into every game with the mentality that this team can beat us if we don’t come to play.”

• Downingtown East in 2019 was the last Class AA team to mount a successful Flyers Cup defense. The Cougars won three straight titles from 2017-’19.

Downingtown West 1 0 0—1

North Penn 1 2 1—4

First-period goals: Brady Cusa (DW) from Joey Risa, 5:35; Nolan Shingle (NP) from Samuel Norton, 9:52

Second-period goals: Chris Silvotti (NP) from Ismael Cabrales, 1:03 (pp) Shingle (NP) from Norton and James Boyle, 11:34 (pp)

Third-period goals: Declan Leahy (NP) from Boyle, 4:56

Shots: Downingtown West 14, North Penn 40; Saves: Justin Adams (DW) 36, Andrew Norton (NP) 13

Flyers Cup Class AAA Semifinals Preview

Thursday, March 12

Holy Ghost Prep vs. 4 Malvern Prep 8:45 at Hatfield Ice

Holy Ghost Prep

Coach: John Ritchie

Record: 18-4

Key players: Matt Salita .956 save %; Chase Logue 27 goals, 6 assists, 33 points; Lucas Gonzalez 11-12-23; Anthony Valeriote 7-16-23

In this tournament: Had a bye in the quarterfinals

4. Malvern Prep

Coach: Bill Keenan

Record: 6-11-2

Key players: Ryan Corrado .908 save % Jake Weingartner 7 goals, 13 assists, 20 points, Pax Hoishik 7-10-17; Logan Love 4-3-7

In this tournament: Def. Devon Prep 6-4 in quarterfinals

2. St. Joseph’s Prep vs. 3. La Salle 6:30 at Ice Line

2. St. Joseph’s Prep

Coach: Charlie Van Kula

Record:17-7

Key players: Declan Geary .929 save %; Cole Gargon 16oals, 13 assists, 29 points; Bradan Fisher 11-14-25; Michael Washlick 9-11-20

In this tournament: Def. Salesianum 8-0 in quarterfinals

La Salle

Coach: Wally Muehlbronner

Record: 7-13

Key players: Anthony Foster .918 save %; Thomas Leonards 13 goals, 2 assists, 15 points; Patrick Lunsford 6-8-14; Andrew Frantz 4-8-12

In this tournament; Def. Father Judge 6-2 in quarterfinals

Ice chips: The four APAC schools in this year’s semifinals have won 14 consecutive Class AAA Flyers Cup titles and 17 of the last 18. All told, La Salle has win 13 Flyers Cups (including one in Class AA), Malvern Prep 10, Holy Ghost Prep 5 (one in Class AA) and St. Joseph’s Prep 1.

Malvern Prep won a record five straight Cups from 2001-05.