Council Rock South 7, Parkland 5

BRISTOL— Six minutes into Tuesday’s second period, Council Rock South’s path to the second round of the Flyers Cup tournament seemed wide open. The Golden Hawks, who were coming off a SHSHL championship game win, held a 6-1 win over Parkland and seemed to be in command.

Instead, sixth-seeded South had to battle to the final buzzer to hold off the 11th-seeded Trojans 7-5 in a Class AA first-round game at Grundy Arena. The Golden Hawks indeed advanced, to Thursday’s quarterfinals against third seed Perkiomen Valley (6:15 at Ice Line) but there were some anxious moments along the way.

The evening got off to an explosive start with three goals in less than five minutes. Bill Harrelson and Jeremy Purcell scored for South before and after a tally from Parkland’s Eric Dennis to give their side a 2-1 lead after just 4 minutes, 47 seconds. Harrelson and Michael Roby added additional goals to give the Golden Hawks a 4-1 lead after one period.

David Mueller extended the Hawks’ lead 4:53 into the second period before Harrelson completed a hat trick at 10:07. Even after Joshua Bower scored for the Trojans with 3:11 left in the middle period, the Hawks were seemingly in control.

But then came the third period and the Trojans, who reached the Flyers Cup finals in 2013, didn’t roll over over. First, Alexander Doe scored a goal with 8:18 remaining in regulation. Then Dennis, the Trojans’ leading scorer, pocketed his second goal of the night during a power play with 6:30 left and then completed his own hat trick with 1:45 remaining.

After having a comfortable lead, the Golden Hawks found themselves hanging on.

“We made a lot of bad turnovers in the neutral zone,” Harrelson said, “and it ended up costing us, I think. We need to control the puck, get in deep, play our game really because (Parkland) knocked us off it a lot. We started losing our heads and taking bad penalties (four in the third period and five of the six in the game) and it was killing us. But we pulled out the win.”

The issue was settled with Michael Roby scored an empty net goal for South with 27 seconds remaining. But South coach Joe Houk remarked that his team will have to play better to have hopes of claiming a fourth Flyers Cup title.

“What we did last week (in the SHSHL final) we did not do this week,” he said. “We’ll have to regroup a little bit. It’s just the little things that make a difference and we didn’t do them tonight.”

Parkland coach Chad Loomis lamented his team’s slow start. “That was definitely our downfall,” he said. “I think we had a hard time just marching their intensity and adjusting to their game.
“We had an opportunity to take a little break (after the second period) and talk about it and make the necessary adjustments. We just kind of ran out of time.”

Parkland 1 1 3—5
Council Rick South 4 2 1—7
First-period goals: Billy Harrelson (CRS) from Brennen Wright and Antii Autere, 2:45 (pp); Eric Dennis (P) from Joshua Bower, 4:12; Jeremy Purcell (CRS) from David Mueller, 4:47; Harrelson (CRS) from Andrew Darling and Purcell, 9:40; Michael Roby (CRS) from Autere and Douglas Lopez, 12:01.
Second-period goals: Mueller (CRS) unassisted, 4:53; Harrelson (CRS) from Roby and Purcell, 10:07; Bower (P) from Alexander Doe and Dennis, 12:49 (pp)
Third-period goals: Doe (P) from Zachary Averill and Hunter Dolan, 7:42; Dennis (P) unassisted, 9:30 (pp); Dennis (P) from Luke Yocum, 14:15; Roby (CRS) from Autere, 15:33 (en).
Shots: Parkland 29, CRS 25; Saves: Vincent Bylick (P) 18, JImmy Sweeny (CRS) 24

Pennridge 4, Neshaminy 3

BRISTOL—Since the calendar turned to 2020 Pennridge has been a hockey team in the rise. On Tuesday night the Rams took another step forward, a big one, by coming from behind in the third period for a 4-3 win over Neshaminy in a Class AA Flyers Cup first-round game at Grundy Arena.

The 10th-seeded Rams trailed 2-0 and 3-2 before Aeryk Lehrhaupt scored on a shot from the right faceoff circle with 55 seconds left in regulation to send he and his mates into the quarterfinals on Thursday against second seed Haverford (7:00 at the Skatium).

Pennridge coach Jeff Montagna praised his team’s effort after being eliminated in the opening round of the SHSHL playoffs by Council Rick South. “It says so much about them,” he said. “I don’t have words of how proud I am of them. That young, they shouldn’t be making all the plays they did.”

The seventh-seeded ‘Skins used a methodical approach to build a 2-0 first-period lead. David McColgan got his team on the scoreboard 4:46 into the opening period, beating Pennridge goaltender Ryan Pico from close range. Thomas Gallagher gave his team a two-goal lead at 10:07.

The Rams responded in the second frame. Andrew Lizak beat Brian Nelson from the deep right circle off a right corner dump to get the Rams on the board 3:18 mark before Richie Shanks tied the game at 9:51.

Neshaminy retook the lead when Joey DeMatteo scored with 6:10 left in the middle session and stayed in front when Nelson denied Lehrhaupt on a two-on-one with 14 seconds left in the period.

The Rams got their second power play chance of the third period at the 8:31 mark when Neshaminy drew a bench minor for having too many men on the ice. Blake Stewart, the Rams’ captain, scored the tying goal with 5:40 left in regulation as the prelude to the finish.

Stewart noted that Pennridge opened its season back in October with a loss to Neshaminy but had natured since then. “We came to this game a much stronger team,” he said. “We just wanted it more, we came out hungry, and we just wanted to move on. No one really wanted us here and no one thought we would be here.”

It was a frustrating evening for Neshaminy coach Matt DeMattteo. “They were the hungrier team today,” he said of the Rams. “They skated harder. They did the things you need to do to win the game and we just did not play a good game as a team.”

Pennridge 0 2 2—4
Neshaminy 2 1—3
First-period goals: David McColgan (N) from Rob Seewagen and J.J. Hathaway, 4:46; Thomas Gallagher (N) from Matt Buchinski and Joey DeMatteo, 10:07;
Second-period goals: Andrew Lizak (P) unassisted, 3:18; Richie Shanks (P) from Blake Stewart and Andrew David; DeMatteo (N) from Nolan Geria and Seewagen, 11:50.
Third-period goals: Stewart (P) from Shanks, 10:20 (pp); Aeryk Lehrhaupt from Jack Lowery and Conrad Frisch, 15:05.
Shots: Pennridge 32, Neshaminy 30; Saves: Ryan Pico (P) 27, Brian Nelson (N) 28

PROFESSIONAL WOMEN’S HOCKEY PLAYERS ASSOCIATION PHILADELPHIA SHOWCASE SELLS OUT

PHILADELPHIA (February 28, 2020) – The much-anticipated Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association (PWHPA) Philadelphia Women’s Hockey Showcase is sold out to the general public ahead of the weekend showcase. The PWHPA sold out of tickets across both days of the showcase which was created to benefits its mission to promote, and advance a single, viable professional women’s ice hockey league in North America.

“This is going to be a remarkable weekend, with the best talent in women’s professional hockey in North America coming together in Philadelphia for the first time ever,” said Jayna Hefford, Olympian and Executive Director of the PWHPA. “Selling out this weekend is a testament to our dedicated fan base and further reinforces our mission of creating a sustainable league. The lasting impact that this weekend will have on the next generation of players is indescribable and we can’t wait to show fans all of the talent these women have to offer.”

The showcase is part of a bigger “Dream Gap Tour” benefiting the PWHPA, Flyers Charities and the Ed Snider Youth Hockey Foundation and will take place February 29 – March 1, 2020 at the Virtua Center Flyers Skate Zone at Voorhees. The weekend’s events will consist of a four-team tournament over two days, showcasing the world’s best female hockey players including Jocelyn Lamoureux-Davidson, Monique Lamoureux-Morando, Brianne Jenner, Hilary Knight, Kendall Coyne Schofield, Natalie Spooner, Sarah Nurse among others. All tournament games will take place at Virtua Center Flyers Skate Zone at Voorhees, home of the Philadelphia Flyers training facility, with the championship game taking place on Sunday, March 1.

The PWHPA Dream Gap Tour was created to draw attention to the fact that there currently is not a league that consistently showcases the best product of women’s hockey in the world, pays its players a living wage and has the infrastructure to set the game up to succeed. Such a league would represent an important step in closing the dream gap between young boys and girls. A young boy can lace up his skates and imagine himself circling the ice in his favorite professional team’s jersey as the crowd chants his name. He dreams it, because he’s seen it countless times. There is no realistic equivalent for aspiring female hockey players to imagine their futures.

About Flyers Charities

For over 40 years, Flyers Charities, the organizing foundation behind the Carnival, has raised more than $29 million to support a multitude of worthy non-profit organizations across the Greater Philadelphia Region that provide educational and recreational resources to underserved youth, engage in important medical and healthcare research, and promote countless community investment initiatives to positively influence the community. These organizations include American Cancer Society, Ed Snider Youth Hockey Foundation, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Michael’s Way, Philadelphia Ronald McDonald House, Salvation Army and Simon’s Heart.

About Ed Snider Youth Hockey Foundation

The Ed Snider Youth Hockey Foundation uses the sport of ice hockey to educate young people to succeed in the game of life. The mission is to build lives and unite communities. All Snider Hockey programs are delivered at no cost to under-resourced boys and girls. The programs uniquely blend a first rate hockey program with character development, life skills, physical fitness, nutrition, and a healthy dose of academics designed to keep our youth on-track for on-time graduation and post-secondary enrollment. The end goal is to turn out productive citizens who understand the importance of giving back to their community.

About Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association (PWHPA)

Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association’s (PWHPA) mission is to promote, advance, and support a single, viable professional women’s ice hockey league in North America that showcases the greatest product of women’s professional ice hockey in the world. The organization aims to provide a united voice to players advocating for the creation of a sustainable professional league. PWHPA is working to accomplish its mission by coordinating training needs and programming opportunities during the 2019-2020 season and collaborating with like-minded organizations to make hockey more inclusive for women today and for future generations. To learn more about PWHPA and the Dream Gap tour visit www.pwhpa.com.

La Salle’s Nathan Benner Skates for His Brother

Nathan Benner’s days as a La Salle College High School hockey player are dwindling to a precious few. The APAC playoffs are ahead followed by the Flyers Cup tournament and perhaps a trip to the state championship. But, at most a month from now, the senior forward will take off his La Salle jersey for the last time.

Benner, who is one of the Explorers’ captains, says his time at La Salle has shaped him as person as well as a hockey player. “It really challenges you,” he said. “Mentally and physically with the hockey, mentally with school. Every week you have tests, you have homework when you get home from school, when you play club hockey (Bennner is skating for the Philadelphia Quakers this year after spending his club career with the Valley Forge Minutemen) you have hockey five days a week, every day on the weekend, balanced with La Sale hockey. Just the values that they stress here, the leadership, the hard work ethic, good character, all in all has definitely made me who I am today.”

Perhaps what Benner treasures most from skating for the Explorers is having his younger brother Jacob in the stands watching his every move.

Jacob Benner is 14 years old and deals with the challenges of Downs Syndrome and Hirschsprung Disease.

Since Nathan started playing hockey the year he turned six, Jacob has been a fixture in the stands whether at a club game or a high-school game.

“He’s been coming to every one of my games from the time I was five years old until now,” Nathan said, “and he memorized everybody’s’ name on the team, everyone’s number, even though we don’t have names on the back of our jerseys.

“When we’re about to leave for a game he’ll go ‘Who do we play today?’ as if he’s on the team, His happiest time is when he comes to watch me play and when he gets to be at the rink.”

sf benner.JPG

Jacob Benner flanked by brother Nathan (right) and father Walter. Photo furnished by La Salle College High School.

On more occasions than not, Jacob Benner is the most enthusiastic La Salle supporter in the building. “He’s the loudest one in the stands,” Nathan says. “He’s always yelling everyone’s name, yelling at the refs, yelling ‘Get into the game.’ Telling us to work harder; he’s always encouraging everyone. Everyone can hear him from the bench and everyone kind of smiles and builds off of what he does from the stands.”

Jacob’s support never wavers, regardless of the numbers on the scoreboard. “Just seeing him cheer me on and watching the games is one of the best things,” Nathan said. “Whether we win or lose, he’s always telling me ‘Good game.’ He loves watching me play no matter how I play and it’s always great to have that.”

Two years ago, Jacob decided he wanted to get on skates himself and began taking lessons at Hatfield Ice. Kati Link was his first instructor. He’s still at it and hopes to play hockey himself one day Nathan drives his brother to his skating lessons, swimming lessons, and other activities.

“At first it was very hard,” Nathan said of his brother’s first efforts on skates, “but he’s able to stand up now, he’s able to move around, and the smile on his face when he skates is one of the best thigs to look at. He always wears my hockey jersey when he goes on the ice and he loves it.”

Nathan Benner says spending time with his only sibling has altered his outlook on and off the ice. “For me, it’s kind of just helped me all around in life with maturing, leadership qualities, about being a good role model,” he said, “because I know my brother wants to model himself off of what I do. I have to be a good role model for him. Even if I do bad things, or say bad words, he models off that so I really have to be watching and be mindful of how I’m acting, because he’s always watching me and acting as if I would act.”

The 2020 Flyers Cup selection show will air Sunday, February 22 at 7 p.m. Eastern Time on You Tube

Neshaniny 11, Abington 1

WARWICK—Neshaminy had things pretty much its own way Wednesday night. The ‘Skins scored four goals in just under six minutes and went on to an 11-1 win over Abington in a Suburban High School Hockey League Class AA game at Revolution Ice Gardens that was halted following the second period via the 10-goal mercy rule.

The result was not unexpected. Neshaminy (11-3, 9-2 in divisional play) is assured of a top-four seed at worst in next week’s SHSHL playoffs and is seemingly in line for a high seed in the upcoming Flyers Cup tournament. The Galloping Ghosts, who have 15 underclassmen on their roster, slipped to 3-13 overall and 2-9 in the division; each team has one regular-season game remaining.

Thursday’s meeting was something of a bridge between two eras of SHSHL history. Neshaminy knew its share of sorrows before taking giant strides forward this season and last. And while Abington has struggled in recent seasons, the Galloping Ghosts have a rich historical legacy that is tied to the origins of the league. Abington won the championship in the SHSHL’s inaugural reason in 1974 and went on to win the first three league titles and four of the first five. There was no Flyers Cup tournament in those days but the Galloping Ghosts claimed two state titles as well.

All told, Abington has won six SHSHL titles of one sort or another, the last of them the second of back-to-back Class AA crowns in 2004. That trails only Germantown Academy (11), Central Bucks South (8) and possibly Council Rock (six documented titles and a possible seventh) on the all-time list.

That a history that Abington coach Ken Brzozowski wants his team to embrace. “I shared that with the tonight,” he said, “and hopefully that will mean something to them.

“For us, we’ve got little goals. Next year, to improve our record, compete for a playoff spot. And then from there, maybe try to restore some of that glory that Abington had in the past.

“We’ve got a few kids that have some talent, we mix in some hard work, and maybe we can get back to that point.”

Jacob Helms scored two goals for Neshaminy while nine other players scored one goal each.

Neshaminy coach Matt DeMatteo urged his team to maintain its focus. “You start to get into a lack of team play,” he said, “where everybody wants to skate up and try and get on the scoresheet. That leads to bad habits, which (Thursday) night against Council Rock South could come back to hurt us.”

Griffin Carpenter scored the Abington goal with 1:12 left in the second period.

The ‘Skins outshot the Galloping Ghosts 35-3. Abington didn’t record its first shot on goal until 2:05 remained in what turned out to be the final period.

Neshaminy, which has won four straight and five of its last six, closes the regular season against Council Rock South on Thursday while Abington finishes against Quakertown on Friday.

Neshaminy 7 4 x—11

Abington 0 1 x—11

First-period goals: J.J. Hathaway (N) unassisted, 1:21; Joseph Hornung (N) from Joey DeMatteo, 2:25; Michael Knipple (N) from Nolan Geria, 5:14; Jacob Helms (N) from Hathaway, 5:59; DeMatteo (N) from Noah Seawagen, 8:23; Geria (N) from Hathaway, 12:32 (pp); Helms (N) from DeMatteo and Knipple, 14:15.

Second-period goals: Thomas Gallagher (N) from Ryan McColgan, 4:09; Matt Buchinski (N) from Gallagher, 4:50; Noah Seawagen (N unassisted, 7:38; Horning (N) unassisted, 7:38; Griffin Carpenter (A) from Joe Stelacio and Tom Rourke, 14:18.

Shots: Neshaminy 35, Abington 3; Saves; Brian Nelson (N) 0 and Andy Nau (N) 2; Sam Nemec (A) 24

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 full 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 pageor 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.

Pennridge 3, Pennsbury 2

HATFIELD— It took Pennsbury and Pennridge some time to hit their stride Thursday night. For two periods plus the Falcons and the Rams delivered a performance that seemed to offer little in the way of emotional energy.

The pace picked up down the stretch and it was Pennridge that came out on top. Aidan Boyle’s goal with 2:12 left in regulation gave the Rams a 3-2 win in a game that both teams needed strengthen their position the Suburban High School Hockey League’s Class AA standings and their credibility with the committee that will select sand seed the Flyers Cup field in a little over two week’s time.

“We just kept telling them ‘Get it to the third period with a chance to win,’” said Pernnridge coach Jeff Montagna,”

Just one goal was scored over the first two periods. It came off the stick of Pennsbury’s Brendan MacAinish 9:16 into the first frame. Ryan Schuler tied the game for the Rams (9-6, 6-5 in divisional play) 3:36 in to the finals period but Reece Millman’s shot from the edge of the right faceoff circle put the Falcons (8-5-1, 4-5-1) back in front at the 6:58 mark.

When Arek Lehrhaupt scored for the Rams at 10:06 it set the stage for a big finish. Boyle’s game winner came on a shot from the right circle that got past Falcon netminder Topher Seiler.

Seiler and Ryan Pico, his Pennridge counterpart, were both sharp, making 62 saves between them.

The Rams came into the game without Blake Stewart who was injured, and lost Richie Shanks in the second period. But they kept battling.

“They just kept fighting and scrapping,” Montagna said of his troops. “I’m just so proud of them, so proud of the way then did that down the stretch. We were down to seven forwards. It was a great win.”

The loss was the third straight for the Falcons. “Their goalie had an outstanding game,” said Pennsbury coach Ryan Daley. We could have had more goals, that’s for sure. I think that kind of got to us in the stretch there. You’re masking good plays and working hard and we weren’t getting rewarded for any of it.”

Daley was quick to point out the loss was no fault of Seiler’s who kept his team in the game in the third period. “It’s a shame our last three games have (losses) next to them,” he said. “He’s played outstanding in all three of them.”

Pennsbury 1 0 1—2
Pennridge 0 0 3—3
First-period goal: Brendan MacAinish (Pb) from Shane Siegmond and Beau
Third-period goal: Ryan Schuler (Pr) from Conrad Frisch, 3:36; Reece Millman (Pb) unassisted, 6:58; Arek Lehrhaupt (Pr) from Jeff Manto and Jack Lowery, 10:06; Aidan Boyle (Pr) from Cooper White, 13:48.
Shots: Pennsbury 35, Pennridge 32; Saves: Topher Seiler (Pb) 29, Ryan Pico (Pr) 33

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 full 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. Stop in an check us out or please visit our Facebook page

La Salle 6, Malvern Prep 3

WEST GOSHEN— Coming off an emotional loss, La Salle needed a good performance Monday night and got it. It wasn’t a. Perfect effort but the Explorers played well enough long enough to post as 6-3 win over Malvern Prep in an Atlantic Prep Athletic Conference game at Ice Line.

Five different players scored goals as the Explorers (10-14) improved to 2-3-2-1 in the APAC to move into third place in the APAC with one conference game remaining. It was La Salle’s first time on ice since losing to Holy Ghost Prep last Friday.

Keenan Schneider, who scored a goal and added an assist, noted Monday’s result had far-reaching ramifications. “It was very important,” the sophomore said. “We needed these three points to clear our seeding in the Flyers Cup and right we can keep moving forward.”

The Friars (6-8 overall, 2-5-2-0 in conference) had the better of play early on, thanks in part to an early power play chance but the Explorers successfully killed off the penalty before Jake Armstrong scored the evening’s first goal at the 4:59 mark with help from Nathan Benner and Ryan Ferry. Schneider made it 2-0 with 52 seconds left in the period.

The Explorers extended their their lead at the 4:16 mark of the second stanza when the Friars coughed up the puck in front of their own net and Max Maddallo put the puck past Malvern Prep netminder Anthony Perti. It became a 4-0 game when Dan Dolan found the back of the net at 11:02.

The Friars cut into the deficit by scoring twice in the final minute of the period. Jimmy Kirk scored off a La Salle turnover with 55 seconds remaining before Ryan Sambuco added a shorthanded goal with nine seconds left. By period’s end, the Friars had a a 23-14 edge in shots but were still two goals down.

“When you have that many shots it’s tough when you don’t get your bounces,” said Malvern Prep coach Bill Keenan. “I thought we played a solid couple periods there, the bounces just didn’t go our way.”

It was still a game at the start of the final period and the Friars picked up where they left off when La Salle’s Chase Hannon drew a hooking penalty nine seconds in to create a four-on-four situation. Sambuco scored his second goal of the evening off the ensuing faceoff to make it a one-goal game.

By this point, La Salle coach Wally Muehlbronner had some concerns. “I think we got a little complacent,” he said, “and got away from what we were doing well that got us to 4-0. I think we played a good simple game the way we want to play the first period-and-a-half and then you get up 4-0 and you think it’s going to be easy. It’s not.”

Muehlbronner’s concerns were eased when David Kimmel concluded a game of tic tac toe with Schneider and Jake Hannon with 9:10 left in regulation to make it a two-goal game once more. Andrew Budzynski scored into an empty net with 41 seconds remaining.

La Salle 2 2 2—6
Malvern Prep 0 2 1—3
First-period goals: Jake Armstrong (L) from Nathan Benner and Ryan Ferry, 4:59; Keenan Schneider (L) from David Kimmel and Nolan Woudenberg, 15:08
Second-period goals: Max Maddallo (L) from Tim Whitlock, 4:16; Dan Dolan (L) from Frank Ford and Chris Wnek, 11:02
Third-period goals: Sambuco (MP) unassisted, :24; Kimmel (L) from Schneider and Jake Hannon, 6:50; Andrew Budzynski (L) unassisted, 15:19.
Shots: LaSalle 25, Malvern Prep 32; Saves: Aidan McCabe (L) 29, Anthony Perti (MP) 19;

SHSHL Update for 2-3-20

SHSHL Standings as of 2-3-20

Class AA W L T OTL Pts

C.B. South 11-0-0-1) 9 0 0 0 18

North Penn (9-2-0-0) 8 0 0 0 16

Neshaminy (9-3-0-0) 7 2 0 0 14

C.R. South (6-4-0-0) 6 1 0 0 12

C.B. East (9-2-1-1) 6 2 1 1 14

Pennridge (8-5-0-0) 5 4 0 0 10

Pennsbury (8-4-1-0) 4 4 1 0 9

C.B. West (6-4-2-1)) 3 4 2 0 8

Souderton (3-9-1-1) 3 5 1 1 8

Abington (2-10-0-0) 1 7 0 0 2

William Tennent (4-8-0-1) 2 6 0 1 5

Quakertown (2-9-1-0) 1 6 1 0 3

Council Rock North (1-13-0-0) 0 10 0 0 0

Class A W L T OTL Pts

Plymouth Whitemarsh (12-1-0-0) 9 0 0 0 18

Wissahickon (8-6-0-0) 6 4 0 0 12

Hatboro-Horsham (10-4-0-1) 5 3 0 1 11

Lower Moreland (1-12-0-0) 1 7 0 0 2

Truman (1-12-0-0) 1 7 0 0 2

Scoring

Class AA G A Pts

Jake Lang (CBW) 24 17 41

Robert Seewagen(Nesh) 21 13 34

Chris Trefz (CBW) 10 22 32

Michael Roby (CRS) 20 11 31

Antii Autere (CRS) 11 18 29

Dominic Patrone (CBS) 13 16 29

Tyler Greenstein (NP) 11 18 29

Beau Brusius-Yedman (Pb) 12 16 28

Sean Gorman (CBE) 24 4 28

Josh Kaufhold (NP) 13 14 27

Class A G A Pts

Aidan Keogh (PW) 18 26 44

Jake Weikel (PW) 22 16 38

Alex Howieson (HH) 20 18 38

Seth Lerner (HH) 19 12 31

Dean Keller (PW) 17 14 31

Nicholas Hussa 24 6 30

Luke Weikel (PW) 15 14 29

Bryan Gary 17 10 27

Aidan Esack (HH) 11 14 25

Tarek Elsabbagh (HH) 11 10 21

Flyers Cup Power Rankings for 2-3-20

Rankings are based on game results, analytics, and on-site observations. For more information, go to the Flyers Cup tournament web site HERE

This is the finals et of rankings prior to the announcement of the final field, which will occur on Sunday, February 23rd at 7 p.m. Eastern Time

Class AAA

St. Joseph’s Prep (6-0-0-4)
Holy Ghost Prep (7-3-0-0)
La Salle (6-3-0-1)
Malvern Prep (6-4-0-0)
Father Judge (12-5-0-0)

Class AAA

Central Bucks South (11-0-0-1)
Haverford High (14-1-0-0)
Perkiomen Valley (11-2-0-0)
North Penn (9-2-0-0)
Downingtown West (9-5-0-1)
Neshaminy (9-3-0-0)
Council Rock South (6-3-0-1)
Central Bucks East (9-2-1-1)
Boyertown (9-5-1-1)
Parkland (13-0-2-0)

Class A

West Chester East (13-1-0-0)
Springfield Delco (11-3-0-2)
Unionville (9-5-1-0)
West Chester Bayard Rustin (9-5-0-2)
Palmyra (15-2-0-1)
Hershey (13-2-1-2)
Plymouth Whitemarsh (12-1-0-0)
Strath Haven (10-3-0-1)
Lower Dauphin (12-6-0-0)
West Chester Henderson (5-8-1-1)

N.J/Del

Eastern (13-2-3-0)
Salesianum (8-6-1-1)
Appoquinimink (12-1-0-2)
Moorestown (8-5-5-0)
St. Mark’s (13-1-1-1)

Girls

Bux-Mont Catholic (12-1-0-0)
Unionville (8-3-0-2)
Avon Grove (9-3-0-1)
West Chester East (3-8-0-0)

Holy Ghost Prep 2, La Salle 1

BRISTOL—If familiarity doesn’t breed contempt it certainly breeds a certain amount of hostility. Friday’s game between La Salle and Holy Ghost Prep was the third of the season between the Atlantic Prep Athletic Conference rivals and Grundy Arena was filled to the brim with emotional energy.

Anthony Sparo’s goal with 8:28 left in regulation was the difference in the Firebirds’ 2-1 win. The win moved Holy Ghost Prep into first place in the APAC with a 4-3-1-0 league mark for 14 points, one point in front of St. Joseph’s Prep, which has a game in hand.

La Salle dropped to 9-14 overall and 1-3-2-1 in conference play.

“There was a lot of emotion,” said Holy Ghost Prep coach Gump Whiteside. “Two very good hockey teams, great energy in the building tonight. Just happy to get out of here with a win.”

The Explorers’ Chris Wnek opened the scoring 3:15 into the first periods off a feed from David Kimmel.

Early in the second frame the Firebirds found themselves with an opportunity to draw even when they were presented with an 83-second two-man advantage. EJ. Pohl thought he had tied the game at the 2:11 mark with a shot from the right wing but the referee ruled the puck hit the post and did not cross the goal line and the Explorers killed off the remainder of both penalties. A few minutes later, Sean Joyce made a pair of big saves seconds apart to keep it a one-goal game,

The Firebirds did tie the game with a minute left in the period when Brady Baehser scored on an effort that got through a pile of players in front of the net and past La Salle netminder Matthew Bant.

The two teams started the third period on fresh ice and if anything, the pace of play picked up.

Sparo’s game-winning goal came off a left-circle faceoff in the offensive zone.

With 1:29 left in the game the emotions of the evening boiled over when La Salle’s Andrew Budzynski was called for cross checking. Moments later it appeared the Explorers’ Max Maddalo was knocked into the boards but no additional penalties were called and La Salle skated a man short until the Explorers’ Nathan Benner and the Firebirds’ Dan Behr got into a scuffle with eight seconds to go that led to five additional penalties.

La Salle coach Wally Muehlbronner was unavailable for comment following the game.

Notes—Brant stopped 39 shots in the La Salle net … La Salle will close its conference campaign at Malvern Prep Monday night … Holy Ghost Prep will host St. Joseph’s Prep Wednesday afternoon. A regulation win would give the Firebirds the APAC regular-season title.

La Sallle 1 0 0—1
Holy Ghost Prep 0 1 1—2
First-period goal: Chris Wnek (L) from David Kimmel, 3:15;
Second-period goal: Brady Baehser (HGP) from Aidan Mulholland, 15:00 (pp)
Third-period goal: Anthony Sparo (HGP) unassisted, 7:32
Shots: La Salle 16, Holy Ghost Prep 41; Saves: Matthew Brant (L) 39, Sean Joyce (HGP) 15

If you or a family member, or friend are looking for a dentist, Hockey Happenings is proud to recommend All Smiles Family Dentistry. They’re located at 1620 South Broad Street in Lansdale.

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.

Check out our Hockey Happenings podcast atwww.buzzsprout.com/213400