La Salle 2 Holy Ghost Prep 1 OT

HATFIELD TOWNSHIP—Two hockey teams lifted their games and their sport into the clouds Tuesday night, and brought a full house at Hatfield Ice along for the ride. It was La Salle that emerged victorious, 2-1 in overtime over Holy Ghost Prep in the Class AAA Flyers Cup championship game.

Chase Hannon scored the winning goal 6:19 into overtime to give the top-seeded Explorers (15-9-2) their first Flyers Cup title since 2019 and their 12^thoverall. They will face defending champion Peters Township for the Class AAA state title on Saturday in Pittsburgh.

The second-seeded Firebirds finished their season at 18-8. Tuesday’s game brought down the curtain on the career of Holy Ghost Prep coach Gump Whiteside, who announced his retirement earlier this season

Hannon, a senior, scored both of his team’s goals.

“It’s awesome,” he said. “I lost a Flyers Cup my sophomore year (to Malvern Prep) in overtime, so, to win in overtime was great redemption.”

There was little to choose between the Explorers and the Firebirds through 51 minutes of regulation hockey and six minutes of overtime. La Salle’s Aries Carangi and Holy Ghost Prep’s Colin Mudrick were in top form in their respective nets. Mudrick denied La Salle’s James Carpenter on a backhander from close range early in the second period; it may have been the best save of the net by either goaltender.

John Seravalli gave the Firebirds a 1-0 lead 3:23 into the second period on a shot that came directly off an offensive right-circle faceoff. Hannon answered at the 11:49 mark after recovering a loose puck in the offensive zone.

But both goaltenders were sharp and knew their opposite number was as well. The two netminders embraced on the ice following the game.

Carangi, a senior was gratified he was able to play a part in his team’s win. He wound up winning the Bobby Clarke Award as the tournament’s Most Valuable Player.

“My sophomore year, I was a part of that team when we lost in overtime,” he said. “I was out with an injury and it felt like I couldn’t help my team at all.

“So, it felt really good to be out there, and do my job out for the guys and help them get this win today.”

Hannon’s winning goal came on a shot from the top of the right faceoff circle that rocketed past Mudrick under the crossbar. He sald he and his teammates were confident going into overtime.

“The mindset was ‘Score a goal,’” he said. “And win. If anyone on our team did it, we were happy about it. It didn’t matter who if we got the job done.”

And it was the Explorers who celebrated at evening’s end, while Whiteside reflected on his team’s effort.

“It’s one of the best games I’ve ever been involved with as a coach,” he said. “Both teams played really well. I thought either team could have won it. I thought our boys responded well and I’m just really proud of the effort our kids gave.

“I just wish they had a better result, but it was a tremendous high-school hockey game.”

Ice chips: Besides Carangi, the All-Tournament team included Hannon and Thomas Doucet from La Salle and Seravalli, Brady Baehser, and Ciaran Chambers from Holy Ghost Prep.

Holy Ghost Prep 0 1 0 0—1

La Salle 0 1 0 1—2

Second-period goals: John Seravalli (HGP) from Shaun Moore, 3:23; Chase Hannon (L) unassisted, 11:49

Overtime goal: Hannon (L) from Evan Golato and Ryan Desmond 6:19

Shots: Holy Ghost Prep 35, La Salle 35; Saves; Colin Mudrick (HGP) 33, Aries Carangi (L) 34

Class AAA Flyers Cup Finals Preview

There will be no secrets when La Salle and Holy Ghost Prep collide for the Class AAA Flyers Cup championship Tuesday night (8:30 at Hatfield Ice). Perhaps no two area hockey teams are more familiar with each other than the top-seeded Explorers (14-9-2) and the second-seeded Firebirds (18-7).

Tuesday’s meeting will be their fourth of this season alone; Holy Ghost Prep won the first, La Salle has taken the last two including the APAC championship game on March 1^st.

The Explorers have won 12 Flyers Cup titles in their history, most recently in 2019 one of those titles came as a Class AA team. The most recent of the Firebirds’ three championships came in 2017. One of those three came in the Class AA classification

La Salle (14-9-2)

Coach: Wally Muehlbronner

Players to watch: Sr. Aries Carangi (G); Sr. Ryan Warner (D) Sr. Evan Golato (F); Jr; Sr. Ryan Desmond (F)

Holy Ghost Prep (18-7)

Coach: Gump Whiteside

Players to watch: Sr. Colin Mudrick (G); Jr. Michael Holt (D); Sr. Brady Baehser (F); Sr. Kieran Mulholland (F); St. Landon Stout (F)

Previous Meetings

11-9Holy Ghost Prep 6 La Salle 2

2-13 La Salle 6 Holy Ghost Prep 5

3-1 La Salle 7 Holy Ghost Prep 3

Holy Ghost Prep 3 St. Joseph’s Prep 2 OT

HATFIELD TOWNSHIP— Veterans step up when they’re needed most. John Seravalli did just that for Holy Ghost Prep Tuesday night. His goal 1:41 into sudden death overtime gave his team a 3-2 win over St. Joseph’s Prep in a Class AAA Flyers Cup semifinal at Hatfield Ice.

The second-seeded Firebirds will face La Salle for the title Tuesday at 8:30 at this same venue.

Holy Ghost Prep trailed 1-0 and 2-1 before rallying to pick up their 17th win of the season against seven losses. Third-seeded St. Joseph’s Prep closed the season at 14-7-2.

Seravalli’s goal came when he found space between the two circles and beat Hawks’ goaltender Rocco Bruno.

“It was a little nerve-wracking at first,” Seravalli said of going into the extra period. “They’ve got some good players. But we competed, our goalie (Colin Mudrick) played a great game in overtime I was lucky I got the shot that went in”

Both goaltenders were stellar for a period and half. The first goal of the night didn’t come until the 8:54 mark of the second period. It came off the stick of the Hawks’ Joe Samango off a dump into the St. Joseph’s Prep left-wing corner.

The score stayed 1-0 until Landon Stout tied the game for the Firebirds 4:34 into the third period off a scramble in front of the Hawks’ net. The aftermath of the goal was a scrum near the net and the result of it all a roughing penalty to the Firebirds’ Cieran Chambers, who also drew a 10-minute misconduct.

It took St. Joseph’s Prep just 37 seconds to score a power-play goal. Mudrick denied Caiden Kelly on a backhander, but the Firebirds couldn’t clear the puck out of the crease and Shane O’Neill put the puck in the back of the net to give the Hawks the lead for the second time.

Just 62 seconds later, the game was tied once more thanks to Shaun Moore, who converted a feed from Ryan Lippy.

That set the stage for overtime and Seravalli’s game winner. The senior noted the Firebirds responded to the pressure of the moment.

“We got the little jitters out that first period,” he said. “But we caught on, and we (played through it).”

Holy Ghost Prep celebrates its victory. (Robert Bernes)

Holy Ghost Prep coach Gump Whiteside praised his team’s tenacity.

“I thought we played a great game,” he said. “We told them (after the second period) to just keep doing what you’re doing, try to find another level, and they stayed with it. They just battled.”

It was an emotional loss for St. Joseph’s Prep coach David Giacomin, who will be saying goodbye to the 12 seniors on his Flyers Cup roster.

“Both teams played their butts off,” he said.”It comes down to a break here or there and unfortunately, they got it.”

The Firebirds finished with a 41-28 shot advantage.

St. Joseph’s Prep 0 1 1 0—2

Holy Ghost Prep 0 0 2 1—3

Second-period goal: Joe Samango (SJP) from Jake Schultz, 8:54

Third-period goals: Landon Stout (HGP) from Zach Pers, 4:34; Shane O’Neill (SJP) from Caiden Kelly, 5:11 (pp) Shaun Moore (HGP) from Ryan Lippy, 6:13

Overtime goal: John Seravalli (HGP) from Ciaran Chambers, 1:41

Shots: St. Joseph’s Prep 28, Holy Ghost Prep 41; Saves: Rocco Bruno (SJP)) 38, Colin Mudrick, HGP 26

Flyers Cup Results Monday, March 6

Class A First Round

Penncrest 4 Plymouth Whitemarsh 0

Lower Dauphin 5 vs Unionville 1 6:30

Marple Newtown 7 vs. WC Henderson 2

Hershey 4 Strath Haven 2

Council Rock North 7 Radnor 2

7. Garnet Valley vs. 10. Springfield-Delco 9:00 at Skatium

WC Rustin 10 Wissahickon 0

Class AA First Round

Conestoga 6 Downingtown West 3

Class AAA First Round

Holy Ghost Prep 10 Cardinal O’Hara 1

Malvern Prep 6 Father Judge 2

All Tickets for Flyers Cup games must be purchased online via the Box Office link on the Flyers Cup web site. Make sure you select the correct game. Flyers Cup Programs will also be sold only online. The link for that is at the top of the Box Office. You can pick your program up by showing your Program purchase ticket at any Flyers Cup venue.

La Salle 7 Holy Ghost Prep 3

By Rick Woelfel

HATFIELD TOWNSHIP— La Salle’s big guns came up big when it mattered most. The line of Chase Hannon, Evan Golato ands Ryan Desmond combined for four goals and five assists as the Explorers bested Holy Ghost Prep 7-3 Wednesday afternoon in the Atlantic Prep Athletic Conference’s Founders Cup Championship Game in front of a full house at Hatfield Ice.

The win gives the Explorers (13-9-2) their third outright championship in the APAC’s five-year history; they shared a fourth.

La Salle will be the top seed in the Class AAA bracket of the Flyers Cup tournament, which begins next week. The Explorers have a bye into the semifinals and will face either Malvern Prep or Father Judge the week of March 13.

Hannon spearheaded his team’s effort on Wednesday by scoring three goals. Golato added a goal and an assist while Desmond contributed four assists.

Hannon said the key to the win was taking care for the basics.

“Our game plan was to get pucks deep and get on them,” he said. “I think we did that, and it clearly worked for us.”

La Salle coach Wally Muehlbronner considered Wednesday’s game his team’s best start-to finish effort of the season.

“I think we had really good focus,” he said. “The guys really played hard, they came to play tonight.”

La Salle capitalized on a Firebird turnover to score the game’s first goal. Chase Hannon corralled the lose puck in the neutral zone, found space and weaved his way trough three opponents to beat Jack Unger with a forehander from the leading edge of the left circle 4:12 into the opening session.

The Firebirds drew even when the Explorers’ Evan Golato (roughing) and Ryan Desmond (tripping) drew back-to back penalties, giving Holy Ghost Prep a two-man advantage for 46 seconds. It took Landon Stout just 14 seconds to score the tying goal off a rebound of Brady Baehser’s original shot at the 9:20 mark.

The second period produced an abundance of offensive fireworks and a total of seven goals, five of them from the Explorers.

Evan Golato put La Salle in from just five seconds into the period with a shot from the left point. Hannon scored his second goal of the game during a power play at 3:57.

Baehser answered for the Firebirds with a power-play goal of his own at 5:37 but Hannon completed his hat trick just 17 seconds later. John Seravalli’s goal cut the Explorer lead to 4-3 with 3:27 left in the period but Will Gregorio and Charlie Kennedy scored for La Salle before the period ended.

Evan Mudrick replaced Unger in the Firebird net following Kennedy’s goal.

Tim Whitock scored the only goal of the third period at the 8:10 mark. He cited his team’s veteran experience as a factor in the win.

“Senior leadership I guess,’ he said. “Got to get the younger guys going. Do whatever you can.”

For Holy Ghost Prep (16-7) which has yet to win an APAC title, the loss was a disappointing end to the conference season.

“It was not one of our best efforts,” said Holy Ghost Prep coach Gump Whiteside. “I thought we didn’t execute very well. Our structure wasn’t there the whole game. There were some things we did really well but it wasn’t a total team effort.

Ice chips—The Firebirds are seeded second for the Class AAA Flyers Cup and will face seventh-seeded Cardinal O’Hara in a quarterfinal game at Grundy Arena Monday night.

La Salle’s previous Founders Cup titles came in 2019 and ‘20, the APAC’s first two seasons. They shared the title with Malvern Prep two years ago when the Founders Cup final wasn’t played because of the pandemic.

Holy Ghost Prep 1 2—3

La Salle 1 5 1—7

First-period goals: Chase Hannon (L) unassited, 4:12; Landon Stout (HGP) from Brady Baehser and John Seravalli, 9:20 (pp)

Second-period goals: Evan Golato (L) from Ryan Desmond, :05 Hannon (L) from Desmond and Golato, 3:57 (pp); Baehser (HGP) from Landon Stout and X, 11:23; Hannon (L) from Desmond, 11:40; Seravalli (HGP) unassisted, 13:33; Will Gregorio (L) from Desmond, 14:29 (pp); Charlie Kennedy (L) rom Max Monzo and Tim Whitock, 16:42

Third-period goals: Whitock (L) from Thomas Doucet, 8:10

Shots: Holy Ghost Prep 40, La Salle 45 Saves: Jack Unger (HGP) 26 and Colin Mudrick (HGP) 14; Aries Carangi (L) 37

APAC Championship Preview

Founders Cup Championship Game

Wednesday, March 1

La Salle vs. Holy Ghost Prep

4:00 at Hatfield Ice

La Salle (12-9-2) Seed 1

Coach: Wally Muehlbronner

How the Explorers got here: Defeated The Hun School 5-1 in the semifinals. Dean Carvalho scored two goals and assisted on two others. James Carpenter scored a goal and added two assists. Matt Giordano and Michael Zarzycki, also scored goals.

Carpenter has scored seven goals for the Explorers in conference play, including the semifinal, and added six assists for 13 points. Carvalho has scored six goals and added six assists for 12 points. Evan Golato has contributed 7 goals and two assists for nine points.

Holy Ghost Prep (16-6) Seed 2

Coach: Gump Whiteside

How the Firebirds got here: Defeated St. Joseph’s Prep 4-1 in the semifinals. Brady Baehser scored two goals in the win. Kieran Mulholland and Zach Pers also scored goals.

Baehser, the APAC scoring champion, has 12 goals and nine assists for 21 points in conference games, including the semifinal. Mulholland has 10 goals and eight assists for 18 points in conference play. John Servalli has four goals and 10 assists for 14 points.

This season

11-9 Holy Ghost Prep 6 La Salle 2

2-13 La Salle 6 Holy Ghost Prep 5

Past History

La Salle won the first two APAC titles in 2019 and ’20 and was declared a co-champion along with Malvern Prep in 2021 when the championship game was cancelled because of the pandemic. Holy Ghost Prep is seeking its first APAC title.

What Comes Next

The seedings for the Class AAA Flyers Cup tournament will be announced Sunday evening, February on the Flyers Cup YouTube channel. The result of the Founders Cup final will not affect those seedings.

Holy Ghost Prep 4 St. Joseph’s Prep 1

HATFIELD TOWNSHIP—Three different players scored goals as Holy Ghost Prep downed St. Joseph’s Prep 4-1 Wednesday evening at Hatfield Ice in an Atlantic Prep Athletic Conference semifinal at Hatfield Ice.

The second-seeded Firebirds (16-6) will face La Salle in the Founders Cup final next Wednesday at 4 p.m., also at Hatfield Ice. The Hawks fell to 14-6-2. Both teams will learn on Sunday where they will be seeded for the Class AAA Flyers Cup tournament, which begins the week of March 6.

Brady Baehser paced Holy Ghost Prep with with two goals, giving him 12 in APAC play this season. Kieran Mulholland and Zach Pers also scored for the winning side.

It was also a day that saw Jack Unger turn in a stellar performance in goal. Given the starting nod because veteran Colin Mudrick was unavailable, Unger a sophomore, recorded 18 saves and was the epitome of poise.

Mulholland gave Holy Ghost Prep a 1-0 lead when he beat St. Joseph’s Prep netminder Rocco Bruno on a deflection 8:41 into the opening period. Baehser made it a 2-0 game on a breakaway at the 10:59 mark of the second frame.

“I liked our start,” said Holy Ghost Prep coach Gump Whiteside. “We haven’t been starting off games very well of late but today I liked our jump. and we had four lines contributing, which is great.”

Playing with a lead allowed Unger to settle in.

“I think the biggest thing is being able to stay comfortable,” he said. “When we get off to a quick start like that, I’m really comfortable. I know I can trust the forwards, trust the defense. I know that they’ve got my back and I’ve got their backs.”

Unger’s effort earned effusive praise from his coach.

“It was nice to see that from Jack,” Whiteside said. “He’s worked all year and gotten some spots here and there throughout the season, but tonight was a total effort from Jack and our guys just fed off of him.”

Jeffrey Hammond got St. Joseph’s Prep on the scoreboard 6:44 into the third period but the Hawks were stymied much of the night; they managed just 19 shots.

“I think they wanted it more than us today for whatever reason,” said St. Joseph’s Prep coach David Giacomin. “It’s hard to get in the minds of kids (but) they had a lot of jumps, especially in the beginning of the game,

“They wanted it a little bit more than us and they played a really good game.”

St. Joseph’s Prep 0 0 1—1

Holy Ghost Prep 1 2 1—4

First-period goal: Kieran Mulholland (HGP) unassisted, 8:41

Second-period goal: Brady Baehser (HGP) from Ryan Lippy and Landon Stout, 10:59; Zach Pers (HGP) from Kieran Mulholland and John Seravalli, 14:16 (pp)

Third-period goal: Jeffrey Hammond (HGP) unassisted, 6:44; Baehser (HGP) from Seravalli and Mulholland, 11:54;

Shots: St. Joseph’s Prep 19, Holy Ghost Prep 33; Saves: Rocco Bruno (SJP) 29, Jack Unger (HGP) 18

La Salle 6 Holy Ghost Prep 5

BRSTOL—After an up-and-down season, the La Salle Explorers are ripening like a field full of crops, just as harvest time is drawing near. Evan Golato and James Carpenter scored two goals each as the Explorers held off Holy Ghost Prep 6-5 Monday afternoon at Grundy Arena.

After starting the season by winning just one of its first five games, La Salle stands at 11-8-2 with one regular-season game remaining. The Explorers, who have won their last four starts and six of their last seven, finished Atlantic Prep Athletic Conference play as the regular-season champion with a 6-2 league.

They’ll be seeded first in the conference semifinals, and will face the winner of Thursday’s play-in between Malvern Prep and Hun School on February 22 at Hatfield Ice. Ghost Prep (15-6, 4-2-1-1 in conference) will be the second seed in the playoffs and will take on third-seeded St. Joseph’s Prep in the other semifinal on the same day at the same venue.

Golato scored both his goals in the first period as La Salle took a 2-1 lead. The goals were sandwiched a goal from the Firebirds’ Prep’s Colin Bara.

“We expected a dogfight coming into today,” Golato said. “We’re glad we got away with a win. We just want to keep going game by game, winning and winning. That’s all we want as a team.”

Traffic in front of the La Salle net includes the Explorers’ Will Giordano (#3), and Thomas Doucet (#6) along with Holy Ghost Prep’s Kieran Mulholland (#13) and Zach Pers (#72) Photos by Robert Barnes

Carpenter and Holy Ghost Prep’s Brady Baehser traded goals in the second session before John Seravalli tied the game with 6:53 left in the period. But Matt Giordano answered 43 seconds later with a shot from the high slot to give La Salle the lead for good.

Will Gregorio and Carpenter extended the La Salle lead with third-period goals before Ciaran Chambers scored for the Firebirds with 11:11 left in the game. Kieran Mulholland made it a one-goal game with 29 seconds remaining.

Holy Ghost Prep coach Gump Whiteside praised the effort of both teams.

“A great APSC game,” he said. “Two great opponents competed to the bitter end.

“I was really happy with how we kept battling back. Nobody wants to chase the game of course, but I was really proud of the effort there.”

Both teams shuffled goaltenders. Jake Rossi started for La Salle, before giving way to Aries Carangi, but later returned before yielding to Carangi once more. Colin Mudrick started in goal for the Firebirds before Jack Unger came on in relief. Mudrick later returned but Unger relieved him again in the third period.”

Golato noted the victory was a true team effort.

“It wasn’t just a performance by one person,” he said. “Every single kid stepped up and had a great game for us to plug away and get the win.”

La Salle 2 2 2—6

Holy Ghost Prep 1 2 2—5

First-period goals: Evan Golato (L) from Ryan Desmond and Declan Kelly, 3:00; Colin Bara (HGP) from Brandon Barger, 12:26; Golato (L) from Will Gregorio, 15:45 (pp)

Second-period goals: James Carpenter (L) from Matt Giordano, 5:07; Brady Baehser (HGP) from Barger, 5:15; John Seravalli (HGP) from Baehser, 13:02; Giordano (L) from Julian Tarsi, 13:45

Third-period goals: Giordano (L) from Michael Zaraycki, 1:49 (pp); Carpenter (L) unassisted, 4:19; Ciaran Chambers (HGP) from Ryan Lippy, 5:49; Kieran Mulholland (HGP) from Mike Holt and Chambers

Shots: La Salle 32, Holy Ghost Prep 18

APAC Update 3-6-23

Won Lost OTW OTL Pts GF GA

La Salle (13-9-2) 6 2 0 0 18 33 23

Holy Ghost Prep (16-7) 4 2 1 1 15 39 33

St. Joseph’s Prep (14-6-2) 3 4 1 0 11 24 28

Hun School (11-13) 3 5 0 0 9 24 30

Malvern Prep (9-7) 2 5 0 1 4 23 28

This Week

Monday, 2-13

La Salle 6 Holy Ghost Prep 5

Tuesday, 2-14

Founders Cup Playoffs Play-in

Hun School 5 Malvern Prep 2

Wednesday, February 15

Wyoming Seminary 3 La Salle 2

Thursday, February 16

Hun School 5 Princeton Day 2

Semifinals at Hatfield Ice

4:00 La Salle 5 Hun School 2

6:15 Holy Ghost Prep 4 St. Joeph’s Prep 1

Monday, February 27

Malvern Prep 1, Salesianum 0

Wednesday, March 1

La Salle 7 Holy Ghost Prep 3

Scoring Leaders G A Pts

Brady Baehser (HGP) 10 9 19

Joe Samango (SJP) 11 4 15

Kieran Mulholland (HGP) 9 6 15

Jeremy Jacobs (MP) 6 8 14

Jeffrey Hammond (SJP) 4 10 14

Justin LaPlante (HS) 6 8 14

John Seravalli (HGP) 4 8 12

Elian Estulin (HS) 4 7 11

Triatan Winata (SJP) 4 6 10

Ryan Levesque (HS) 4 6 10

Playoff Semifinals

Wednesday February 22 at Hatfield Ice

Game Times 4:00 and 6:00

Wednesday, March 1

Founders Cup Championship Game hosted by highest seeded finalist

Holy Ghost Prep 7 Haverford School 0

Kieran Mulholland scored twice and five other players scored one goal each as Holy Ghost Prep scored a 7-0 shutout over Haverford School Friday night on Senior Night at Grundy Arena.

Jack Gavaghan, Patrick Slook, John Seravalli and Ciaran Chambers all scored goals for the Firebirds, who improved to 14-5 on the season.

Haverford School 0 0 0—0

Holy Ghost Prep 2 2 3—7