Flyers Cup Power Rankings 1-6-2020

Below are the Flyers Cup power rankings for Monday, January 6. They are based on a combination of game results, schedule strength, and the observations of the Flyers Cup Competition Committee.

Records include results reported as of 1-5-2020.

The information below is provided by the Flyers Cup Committee. For complete information about the 41^st Flyers Cup, go to www.flyers-cup.org .

Class AA

Central Bucks South (7-0-0-1)
Haverford (12-1-0-0)
Perkiomen Valley (7-1-0-1)
North Penn (5-2-0-0)
Neshaminy (7-2-0-0)
Central Bucks East (6-1-1-1)
Central Bucks West (6-1-1-1)
Downingtown West (5-4-0-1)
Pennsbury (6-2-1-0)
Council Rock South (4-2-0-0)

The top three teams remained the same as top-seeded CB South (SHSHL) did not take the ice this week. Second seeded Haverford High (ICSHL) took care of business against Ridley (ICSHL) with an 8-1 victory. Perkiomen Valley (ICSHL) remains in third as they defeated AAA Cardinal O’Hara (ICSHL) by a score of 4-3. Previous #4 CB West (SHSHK) suffered a 12-2 loss to Pennridge (SHSHL), dropping them to #7, and Downingtown West (ICSHL) fell from #6 to #8 after a 2-1 loss to Boyertown (ICSCHL). Ridley additionally fell out of this week’s rankings after their loss to Haverford High and were replaced by CR South (SHSHL), who enters this week at #10.

Key Upcoming Games

1/6: Avon Grove vs. Downingtown West
1/8: CB South vs. CB East
1/8: CB West vs. CR South
1/9: North Penn vs. Neshaminy
1/10: Conestoga vs. Downingtown West

Class AAA

St. Joseph’s Prep (6-1-0-1)
Holy Ghost Prep (5-2-0-0)
Malvern Prep (4-3-0-0)
La Salle (4-2-0-0)
Father Judge (7-5-0-0)

There was no change to this week’s rankings due to a large break for league and local play. St. Joseph’s Prep (APAC) remains as the top seed and is followed by Holy Ghost Prep (APAC), Malvern Prep (APAC), La Salle (APAC) and Father Judge (ICSHL). Father Judge added to their win record with a 5-2 victory over Roman Catholic in ICSHL-PCL play and remains as the only non-APAC school in the top 5.

Key Upcoming Games

1/8 @ 4:00pm: Malvern Prep vs. La Salle (Hatfield Ice Arena)
1/10: Holy Ghost Prep vs. La Salle
1/10: St. Joseph’s Prep vs. Malvern Prep
1/10: Father Judge vs. Cardinal O’Hara

Note: . The Flyers Cup Committee made the decision to only quantify results against other Flyers Cup eligible teams (league and non-league). Teams will not be potentially penalized by example for traveling out of state to compete against other nationally ranked schools from around the Mid-Atlantic region and country. The records in graphic represents eligible games.

Class A

West Chester East (9-2-0-0)
Plymouth Whitemarsh (7-1-0-0)
Springfield Delco (7-2-0-2)
West Chester Rustin (5-3-0-2)
Unionville (7-5-0-0)
Hatboro-Horsham (8-1-0-1)
Palmyra (10-1-0-1)
Strath Haven (7-3-0-1)
Hershey (8-1-1-2)
West Chester Henderson (4-4-1-0)

West Chester East (ICSHL) remains as the top seed of Class A after a 3-1 victory over West Chester Henderson (ICSHL). Plymouth Whitemarsh’s (SHSHL) large 12-3 victory over Lower Moreland (SHSHL) keeps them at #2, and Springfield (ICSHL) remains at #3 with no games played last week. West Chester Rustin (ICSHL) makes the climb from #5 to #4 after defeating Ches-Mont rival Downingtown East (ICSHL) by a score of 3-1. Unionville also climbs from #6 to #5 after defeating Avon Grove (ICSHL) 5-2, swapping places with #6 Hatboro-Horsham (SHSHL) who took care of business against Truman (SHSHL). WC Henderon’s loss to WC East caused a slight shake up from #7-#10. Palmyra (CPIHL) and Hershey (CPIHL) both benefitted from Henderson’s loss, and Strath Haven (ICSHL) remained at #8 after a 7-2 victory over Garnet Valley (ICSHL).

Key Upcoming Games

1/6: WC East vs. Downingtown East (AA)
1/8: Plymouth Whitemarsh vs. Wissahickon
1/10: Palmyra vs. Hershey
1/10: Strath Haven vs. Lower Merion

South Jersey/Delaware

Eastern (8-2-2-0)
Salesianum (5-3-1-1)
Mooresetown (7-3-2-0)
Shawnee (6-4-2-0)
Appoquinimink (8-1-0-1)

Eastern (SJHSHL) sits at the top as they lead the pack in the SJHSHL and after they defeated Kingsway 9-2 in a league battle this past week. Salesianum (ICSHL) checks in at #2 and are followed by Moorestown (SJHSHL) and Shawnee (SJHSHL) who played each other this past week – Moorestown won 4-3. Appoquinimink (ICSHL) rounds out the top 5 after defeating Bishop Shanahan by a score of 5-2.

Key Upcoming Games

1/6: Eastern vs. Shawnee
1/10: Salesianum vs. Perkiomen Valley (AA)
1/10: Eastern vs. Moorestown

Girls

Unionville (8-2-0-1)
Bux-Mony (9-1-0-0)
Avon Grove (8-3-0-1)
West Chester East (3-6-0-0)

Unionville (ICSHL) leads the way in the first power rankings for the Flyers Cup girls division with a record of 8-2-0-1. They are followed by Bux-Mont (ICSHL), Avon Grove (ICSHL), and West Chester East (ISCHL). The following teams are additionally eligible for the girls division: Conestoga, Radnor, West Chester Henderson, and West Chester Bayard Rustin – All from the ICSHL.

Key Upcoming Games

1/10: Bux-Mont vs. Radnor

Who Is Eligible?

The following boys’ teams are eligible to compete in the 2020 Flyers Cup.

Class AAA (10 teams, the final field will consist of a maximum of 8)

Archbishop Carroll

Bishop Shanahan

Bux-Mont Catholic

Cardinal O’Hara

Father Judge

Holy Ghost Prep

La Salle

Malvern Prep

Roman Catholic

St. Joseph’s Prep

Class AA (24 teams, the final field will consist of a maximum of 16)

Abington

Avon Grove

Boyertown

Central Bucks East

Central Bucks South

Central Bucks West

Conestoga

Council Rock South

Cumberland Valley

Downingtown East

Downingtown West

Haverford

Manheim Township

Neshaminy

North Penn

Parkland

Pennridge

Pennsbury

Perkiomen Valley

Quakertown

Ridley

Souderton

Spring-Ford

William Tennent

Class A (21 teams, the final field will consist of maximum of 16)

Council Rock North

Garnet Valley

Hatboro-Horsham

Hershey

Lower Dauphin

Lower Merion

Lower Moreland

Owen J. Roberts

Palmyra

Penncrest

Plymouth Whitemarsh

Radnor

Springfield-Delco

Strath Haven

Sun Valley

Truman

Unionville

West Chester Bayard Rustin

West Chester East

West Chester Henderson

Wissahickon

South Jersey/Delaware (11 teams, size of field TBD)

Appoquinimink

Cherokee

Delaware Military Academy

Eastern

Egg Harbor

Kingsway

Moorestown

Salesianum

Shawnee

St. Mark’s

Washington Township

Flyers Cup Podcast

Hockey Happenings sat down with Eric Tye, the President of the Flyers Cup Committee, to discuss the 2020 Flyers Cup. The countdown is underway to the 41st edition of the tournament, which is scheduled to begin March 2.

Check out our podcast at www.buzzsprout.com/213400.

First Set of Flyers Cup Power Rankings Announced

The Flyers Cup Committee has released its first set of power rankings for the 2019-20 season. The committee established the rankings system in an effort to enhance the tournament’s competitive balance.

The rankings include scholastic hockey teams in Eastern Pennsylvania, South Jersey, and Delaware. They are based in part on results prior to the holiday break, as well as schedule strength and the input of a five-member competition committee,whose members, all of whom have extensive hockey backgrounds, attend and observe games throughout the area.

Longtime coach Eric Tye overseeing the Flyers Cup Committee. He stresses the importance of the competition committee observing games.

“I think it’s very important,” he said. There is a formula that were using, but eye tests are a factor here and the only way to get eye tests is to watch games. They’re paying attention and they’re watching.”

The rankings will be updated weekly until the tournament field is selected in February; the selections are scheduled to be announced on February 23.

The 41^st edition of the Flyers Cup will get underway on March 2

Class A

West Chester East (8-2-0-0)
Plymouth Whitemarsh (5-2-0-0)
Unionville (6-5-0-0)
Hatboro-Horsham (7-1-0-1)
West Chester Henderson (7-1-0-1)
Springfield Delco (7-2-0-2)
Palmyra (9-2-0-0)
Hershey (8-1-1-1)
Lower Dauphin (8-4-0-0)
Strath Haven (6-3-0-1)

Class AA

Central Bucks South (7-0-0-1)
Haverford High (11-1-0-0)
Perkiomen Valley (6-1-0-1)
North Penn (5-2-0-0)
Neshaminy (7-2-0-0)
Central Bucks West (6-0-1-1)
Downingtown West (5-3-0-1)
Pennsbury (5-2-1-0)
Ridley (7-3-0-0)
Central Bucks East (5-1-1-1)

Class AAA (records through 12-29)

St. Joseph’s Prep (6-7)
Holy Ghost Prep (8-3)
Malvern Prep (3-4)
La Salle (7-7)
Father Judge (6-5)

N.J./Delaware

Cherokee (6-2-3-0)
Shawnee (7-3-2-0)
Eastern (6-3-2-0)
Salesianum (5-3-1-1)
Moorestown (6-3-2-0)

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Flyers Cup Dates Set

By Rick Woelfel

Dates have been set for the 2020 Flyer Cup tournament. The 41^st edition of the tournament will be contested from March 2 through March 19 and feature the top high school teams in Eastern Pennsylvania, South Jersey, and Delaware.

Champions will be crowned in five divisions, including Class AAA, Class AA and Class A in Pennsylvania, as well as a girls’ division plus a separate championship for teams from South Jersey and Delaware.

The size of the tournament field is expected to be slightly reduced in 2020. The Class AAA field will be include a maximum of eight teams and the girls’ division will once more feature four schools. The Class AA and Class A fields however are expected to be capped at a maximum of 16 teams each. The size of the NJ-Delaware field is undetermined.

First-round games are set to begin on Monday, March 2 with championship games tentatively set for March 17, 18, and 19. The three Pennsylvania boys’ champions will face their counterparts from Western Pennsylvania in state championship games on Saturday, March 21.

The defending champions are as follows:

Class AAA La Salle

Class AA Downingtown East

Class A West Chester Rustin

Girls Unionville

SJ/Delaware Eastern Regional

The Flyers Cup was first played in 1980 and featured a four-team field. In the years since, it has been recognized as the premier event on the scholastic hockey schedule.

Flyers Cup Finals on You Tube

The webcasts of Sunday’s Flyers Cup finals are now available on You Tub as listed below

A Final – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYMFTLLkMi4

AA Final – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkGl31ugH6k

AAA Final – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mL2cxIEr7ks

Enjoy!!

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Downingtown East 7, Downingtown West 2

Ryan Prestayko scored four goals to lead Downingtown East to a 7-2 win over Downingtown West in Sunday’s Class AA Flyers Cup final at the Wells Fargo Center. Michael Bolger added three assists for the Cougars, who captured their third straight Cup, matching the record in Class AA. Bolger was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player.

Prestayko scored twice to give the Cougars a 2-0 lead with 4:13 left in the first period. David McQuiston scored the Whippets to make it a 2-1 game after the first frame.
Andrew Ceglia, Theo Velia, and Chris Boyd scored for the Cougars in the second period to break the game open.

Matt Flinn scored for Downingtown West early in the third period before Prestayko added two additional goals.
Downingtown East is the third Class AA team to win three consecutive Flyers Cups, joining Archbishop Carroll (2000-’02) and Haverford High (2005-’07)

Downingtown West 1 0 1—2
Downingtown East 2 3 2—7

More Flyers Cup History

The first Flyers Cup tournament was played in 1980. It featured just four teams.

All games were played at the University of Pennsylvania’s Class of 1923 rink, which was less than a decade old at the time and was home to the university’s NCAA Division I hockey team.

Semifinals;

Archbishop Carroll def. Archbishop Ryan

Malvern Prep def. Germantown Academy in overtime

The winners advanced to a best-of-three final

Game 1 – Malvern 6, Carroll 5

Game 2 – Carroll 7, Malvern 3

Game 3 – Carroll 6, Malvern 2

Our thanks to Rob Bear of the Philadelphia Flyers for providing this information

MVP: Scott Chamness, Carroll (four hat tricks in four games)

Downingtown East 3, Pennridge 2

Michael Bolger’s goal with 6:15 left in the third period proved to be decisive as Downingtown East held off Pennridge 3-2 Thursday night in a Class AA Flyers Cup semifinal at Ice Line.

The two-defending Flyers Cup and state champion Cougars Downingtown West in Sunday’s championship game (4:30 at the Wells Fargo Center).

Top-seeded Downingtown East took a 1-0 lead on Ryan Johnston’s power-play goal with 2:48 left in the first period but the fourth-seeded Rams answered back when Blake Stewart scored with 36 seconds remaining in the opening session.

Nick Rosati gave the Cougars the lead for good when he scored with 3:56 remaining in the second period and Bolger’s tally gave Downingtown East a two-goal lead.

Eric Slater scored for Pennridge with 4:24 left in regulation to cut the lead in half and the Rams kept up the pressure, generating several chances in the final minutes and hitting a post with 30 seconds to play.

The Cougars had a 34-26 edge in shots.

Pennridge 1 0 1—2

Downingtown East 1 1 1—3

Three Flyers Cup finals will be available Sunday HERE beginning with the Class A final between Hershey and West Chester Rustin at 2:00. The Class AA final between Downingtown East and Downingtown West will follow at 4:30, followed by the Class AAA matchup between LaSalle and Holy Ghost Prep at 7:00.

St. Joseph’s Prep 6, Malvern Prep 2

Owen Moke scored two goals and added an assist s St. Joseph’s Prep defeated Malvern Prep 6-2 in a Flyers Cup Class AAA semifinal Thursday night at Ice Line. The win puts the sixth-seeded and defending champion Hawks into Sunday’s final against LaSalle (7 p.m. at the Wells Fargo Center).

Four of the Hawks’ six goals came on power plays.

Second-seeded Malvern Prep took a 1-0 first-period lead on goal from Nick Martino 2:48 into the first period.

Austin Amato countered for the Hawks on a power play at the 9:48 mark before Moke scored a power-play goal of his own at 11:46 to give the Hawks a 2-1 lead.

John Dewey tied the game for Malvern Prep 6:44 into the second period but Nick Corrado’s power-play goal at 12:19 but St. Joseph’s Prep the lead for good. Vincent Borgesi extended the lead with a goal with just 47 seconds left in the period.

Owen Kelly and Moke scored in the final period; Kelly’s goal was his team’s fourth power-play effort of the game.

Dan McGill got the win in goal, making 25 saves.

St. Joseph’s Prep 2 2 2—6

Malvern Prep 1 1 0—2

LaSalle 5, Holy Ghost Prep 4

By Rick Woelfel

HATFIELD TOWNSHIP—Down but not out, late in the final round of Thursday night’s Class AAA Flyers Cup semifinal Thursday night, LaSalle rallied to score a dramatic knockout win.

Daniel Sambuco and Sam Lipkin scored goals 11 seconds apart in the final 28 seconds of the third period to give the Explorers a 5-4 win over Holy Ghost Prep at Hatfield Ice. Lipkin’s game winner, which came with 17 seconds remaining in regulation time, marked the first and only time the top-seeded Explorers held the lead in a game that saw them score all five of their goals in the third period.

With the win, the top-seeded Explorers (21-6) will move on to Sunday evening’s final at the Wells Fargo Center (7 p.m.) where they will try to win their 11^th Flyers Cup. Their opponent will be sixth-seeded and defending champion St. Joseph’s Prep, a 6-2 winner over Malvern Prep in the other Class AAA semifinal that was played Thursday at Ice Line.

Trailing by a goal as the clock wound down inside the final minute of the third period, LaSalle’s chances weren’t exactly bright. But Explorer head coach Wally Muehlbronner remained upbeat and his players kept battling.

“The way we’ve been able to score throughout the season I thought we could get one,” Muehlbronner said. “I sure didn’t think we’d get two.”

Sambuco tied the game for LaSalle with 38 seconds left when his shot from the deep left wing beat Firebird goaltender Sean Joyce inside the far post.

The Explorers won the ensuing faceoff and played the puck into the Firebirds’ zone before Lipkin collected it and scored the game winner to send his team to the finals and hand the fourth-seeded Firebirds (9-14) the loss, their fifth against LaSalle this season.

LaSalle’s Eric Ford battles Holy Ghost Prep’s Alex D’Angelo in Thursday’s Flyers Cup Class AAA semifinal. (Photo by Kathy Leister)

“I was really proud of our effort,” said Holy Ghost Prep coach Gump Whiteside. “I thought we came out really hard, I thought we played a really good game. But 38 seconds is 38 seconds, and it’s unfortunate. They capitalized on bad breaks.

The Firebirds had the better of the play in a hard-hitting but scoreless opening period that saw them outshoot the Explorers 11-6. They took a 2-0 lead into the second session on the strength of goals from Colin Costello at the 6:48 mark and a shorthanded effort from Byron Hartley at 9:49.

Both came off Explorer breakdowns in their own defensive zone. The margin might have been wider had it not been for the work of Aidan McCabe in the LaSalle net.

“We never would have gotten to this point if McCabe didn’t play the way he did,” Muehlbronner said. “He stopped four breakaways in the first two periods.”

The Explorers served notice at the start of the third period that they were still around. It took Sambuco just 53 seconds to cut the deficit in half. Collin Kleiser tied the game at the 3:09 mark on a wrister from the left point.

Evan Mudrick put Holy Ghost Prep back in front when he split two defenders near the LaSalle blue line and went up the middle to beat McCabe at 4:54. Sambuco tied the game for the second time when he went down the left wing and behind the Firebird net before finding Lipkin in front, who tucked the puck in the net with 4:38 remaining.

It took Dan Behr just 63 seconds to respond for the Firebirds off a feed from Alex D’Angelo, who just minutes earlier had been helped off the ice after suffering an apparent leg injury during a collision.

At that point, Holy Ghost Prep was 3:35 away from victory, but their quest came up short.

“I thought Ghost played a tremendous game,” Muehlbronner said. “They took it to us for two periods strong, I think we came out in the third and we played the way we’re capable of playing.”

Holy Ghost Prep 0 2 2—4

LaSalle 0 0 5—5

Second-period-period goals: Colin Costello (HGP) from Byron Hartley, 6:48; Hartley (HGP) from Costello, 9:59 (sh).

Third-period goals: Daniel Sambuco (L) unassisted, :53; Collin Kleiser (L) from Zach Baker and Michael Casey, 3:09; Evan Mudrick (HGP) rom Alex D’Angelo, 4:54; Sam Lipkin (L) from Sambuco and Casey, 12:22; Dan Behr (HGP) from D’Angelo, 13:25; Sambuco (L) from Lipkin, 16:33; Lipkin (L) from Casey and Sambuco, 16:47.

Shots: Holy Ghost Prep 32, LaSalle 34; Saves: Sean Joyce (HGP) 29, Aidan McCabe (L) 28.

Three Flyers Cup finals will be available Sunday HERE beginning with the Class A final between Hershey and West Chester Rustin at 2:00. The Class AA final between Downingtown East and Downingtown West will follow at 4:30, followed by the Class AAA matchup between LaSalle and Holy Ghost Prep at 7:00.