2026 APAC All-Stars Named

The Atlantic Prep Athletic Conference All-Star Team was selected by the five conference coaches

First Team

F Chase Logue Junior Holy Ghost Prep

F Pax Hoishik Senior Malvern Prep

F Cole Gargon Junior St Joseph’s Prep

D Nate Romer Junior Holy Ghost Prep

D Adam Charrafi Senior Saint Joseph’s Prep

G Matt Salita Junior Holy Ghost Prep

Second Team

F Lucas Gonzalez Senior Holy Ghost Prep

F Anthony Valeriote Senior Holy Ghost Prep

F Braden Fisher Senior St Joseph’s Prep

D Andrew Frantz Sophomore LaSalle College High School

D Andrew Darst Senior Hun School

G Blake Echternacht Senior Hun School

Honorable Mention

F Zach Vallee Junior Hun School

F Liam Greenawalt Sophomore LaSalle College High School

F Patrick Lunsford Junior LaSalle College High School

D Danny Burke Junior LaSalle College High School

D Reece Hanna Senior Malvern Prep

G Declan Geary Junior St Joseph’s Prep

Pennsylvania Class AAA Finals. Sat. 3-21

Holy Ghost Prep vs. Seneca Valley 5:00 at Ice Line

Holy Ghost Prep (20-4)

Coach: John Ritchie

Key players: Chase Logue 29 goals, 7 assists, 36 points; Lucas Gonzalez 11-16—27, Anthony Valeriote 8-16-24; Matt Salita .950 save %

Seneca Valley (22-0-1)

Coach: Tyler Mesisca

Key players: Braden Morin 17 goals, 12 assists, 29 points: Jacob Gilbert 10-17-27; John Sroka III 11-15-26; Cooper Hoehn 15-10-25; Chris Nichols .947 save %

Ice chips: This game is a rematch of the Raiders’ 7-2 win a year ago which gave them their first state championship.

The Firebirds, who are 41-9 over the last two seasons, will be seeking the second state title in school history; their first came in 2015.

Since the Atlantic Prep Athletic Conference was launched in the 2018-19, three of its teams have won state titles: La Salle in 2019 and ’23, and Malvern Prep in 2021.

La Salle is also the last Class AAA team to successfully defend, in 2009.

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

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.”

APAC Concluding 8th Season This Week

When the Atlantic Prep Athletic Conference was launched in the fall of 2018 it was unique in the realm of Philadelphia-area interscholastic hockey; a hockey-only conference comprised of schools where hockey was a full-fledged varsity sport, overseen and supervised by administrators at each member institution; Holy Ghost Prep, Hun School, La Salle, Malvern Prep and St. Joseph’s Prep.

Hun School joined the APAC following its second season, the other four institutions have been part of the conference since it was founded.

As the APAC concludes its eighth season this week, with the Class AAA Flyers Cup final on Tuesday between Holy Ghost Prep and La Salle, with the state title hame to follow on Saturday, what was something of an experiment has proven to be an unqualified success, a successful melding of academic, athletic, and spiritual components.

Steve Mackell is in his second season as the Commissioner of the APAC, having succeeded Jim Britt, who had served in the commissioner’s post from the time the alliance was founded.

Mackell, who has had a long career in amateur hockey as a coach and administrator, cited the keys to the APAC’s success.

“I’m honored to be in the shoes of Jim Britt,” he said. “I think that the level of people we’re dealing with, the coaches, understand the game, they understand what they want to do with the kids, to make them men.

“I think it’s a combination of the academic environment and the athletic environment, which puts the APAC at really the echelon of hockey in this area.”

Mackell stresses the importance of the hockey programs at each conference school being a full-fledged varsity under direct institutional supervision.

“I think it’s the key to our conference,” he said, “that this is a varsity sport. The schools all fully back the sport. The student bodies there, the athletic directors there. The principals have been to many of the games and we’re very fortunate to have the support of the schools in our league.

”I think that’s what makes it real easy to deal with them because they can deal with a lot of stuff from an expectation standpoint before they even come into the rink.

{The players and coaches} know what they’re dealing with because they have to answer to people at school as well.”

Mackell is proud of the APAC’s success in helping its student athletes strike a balance among the various components of their lives and achieve success on and off the ice.

“All hockey players have a lot going on.” he said. I think the level of academics, what they need to do to stay in good standing at their schools from an academic standpoint, the spiritual world, and also the athletic side, to play at that level of hockey.

“There’s a lot of juggling that goes on between their club teams, their high-school teams, between their academic lives and their spiritual lives. I think that you see motivated young men that are all looking to move on to the next level, whether it’s in college, whether it’s in {junior hockey}, whether it’s in a different sport, whether it’s no sport, or academics, they understand their high schools are very important to where they are and I think they’re all striving for that.”

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

Holy Ghost Prep 3 Malvern Prep 2 OT

It was an ending fit for a classic. Chase Logue’s goal 6:58 into overtime gave Holy Ghost Prep a 3-2 win over Malvern Prep Thursday night in a Class AAA Flyers Cup semifinal at Hatfield Ice.

Top-seeded and defending champion Holy Ghost Prep (19-4) will move on to face La Salle in Tuesday’s championship game at this same venue. La Salle was a 4-1 winner over St. Joseph’s Prep in Thursday’s other semifinal.

The game-winning goal exemplified excellence. The Firebirds’ Lucas Gonzalez made a dash down the left wing and beat a Friar player to a loose puck along the wall at the Malvern Prep blue line. Gonzalez sent a backhand pass cross the ice and found Logue midway between the two circles. Logue unleashed a forehander that beat Malvern Prep goaltender Ryan Caterino.

{Gonzalez} made a great pass,” Logue said. “I saw a chance to go to the net, just took my chance and shot it, and it went in”

For the Firebirds, it was a narrow escape.

The fourth-seeded Friars, who closed their season at 6-12-2, struck first when Andrew Starck beat Holy Ghost Prep netminder Matt Salita 2:20 into the first period.

That opening goal set the tone for the evening.

“I think they were prepared,” Holy Ghost Prep defenseman and captain Chris Marshall said of the Friars. “They were ready to go. Their guys were fired up. They gave us a hell of a game.”

Jake Smaron tied the game for the Firebirds 12:32 into the first frame, but James Young’s solo effort put the Friars up 2-1 2:34 into the middle period.

Logue scored the last goal of regulation with 1:35 left in the second period.

The fact the Firebirds never led in the game until Logue’s game winner was not due to a lack of effort. The victors held a 25-14 advantage in shots over the last two periods of regulation plus overtime. That regulation ended in a deadlock was due in large measure to Caterino’s work in the Friar net; the senior logged 35 saves in his final high-school game,

Sudden-death overtime began with the teams changing ends (thus dealing with long changes) and a regulation-period length 17 minutes on the clock.

Holy Ghost Prep coach John Ritchie had some instructions for his troops prior to the start of overtime.

“We needed to adjust offensive zone possession,” he said. “They were releasing a guy and taking a cycle off every time.

“We were trying to create some low-to-high chances, with our {defense} because they were just clogging the middle.

“So the biggest thing was keeping our guys steady and controlling our emotions. I think the experience of last year helped us.”

In the end the Firebirds moved on. But the Friars’ effort resonated with everyone in the building.

“This was a resilient group of seniors that held this team together,” said Malvern Prep coach Bill Keenan. “It makes a difference when you have a good senior group, and they were the glue of this team.

“I thought we brought our best effort tonight. Taking Ghost to overtime in a Flyers Cup game; you couldn’t ask more from the boys. I’m proud of where we were tonight.”

Malvern Prep 1 1 0 0—2

Holy Ghost Prep 1 1 0 1—3

First-period goals: Andrew Starck (MP) from Jake Weingartner and Pax Hoishik, 2:29; Jake Smaron (HGP) from Lucas Gonzalez, 12:32

Second-period goals: James Young (MP) unassisted, 2:34; Chase Logue (HGP) from Gonzalez, 15:25

Overtime goal: Chase Logue (HGP) from Gonzalez 6:58

Shots: Malvern Prep 27, Holy Ghost Prep 38 Saves: Ryan Caterino (MP) 35; Matt Salita (HGP) 25

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.

Class A Flyers Cup Semifinals

Hershey 7 West Chester East 1

The top-seeded Trojans scored four goals in the first period and went on to a 7-1 win over the fourth-seeded Vikings in a Class A Flyers Cup semifinal Tuesday night at Ice Line. Blake Umberger and Callan Peterson scored twice each for Hershey. Bryce Erwin, Cameron Kertulis, and Brady Cox also scored for Hershey, which won this tournament two years ago.

Cole Pariseault scored the only goal for the fourth-seeded Vikings in the third period.

West Chester East 0 0 1—1

Hershey 4 1 2—7

Penncrest 5 Kennett 2

Trailing 1-0 in the first period, the second-seeded Lions reeled off five straight goals to post a Class A semifinal win at Ice Line Tuesday night.

Keane Naugle, Nash Grant, and Benett Sullivan scored goals before the first period ended. Christian Vernacchio and Sebouh Flett added goals in the second.

Luke Ganly and Lucas Mott scored goals for the third-seeded Blue Demons

Kennett 1 0 1—2

Penncrest 3 2 0—5