Your Source for High School Hockey
APAC Standings As of 9 p.m. on Wednesday 12-15
W L OTW OTL Pts
Malvern Prep (7-2) 4 0 0 0 12
Hun School (5-5) 1 2 1 0 5
Holy Ghost Prep (9-2) 1 2 1 0 5
La Salle (3-4) 1 2 0 0 3
St. Joseph’s Prep (2-4-1) 0 1 0 2 2
This Week
Tuesday: Lawrenceville 5, Hun School 4
Wednesday: Malvern Prep 7, Hun School 2
Holy Ghost Prep is headed home from the National Scholastic Invitational with a championship trophy; the Governor’s Cup
Brady Baehser scored two goals and Luke Panepresso, Colin Moore, and Landon Stout contributed one each as the Firebirds downed Culver (Indiana) Academy 5-1 in the championship game in Jamestown, N.Y.
The win lifted the Firebirds to 9-1 on the season. The loss was the first for Culver Academy (15-1-2).
Baehser was named the championship game’s Most Valuable Player.
Jason Soule made 20 saves on the afternoon. He was in goal for all five games during the weekend.
“I’m super excited to get such a prestigious win during my senior year,” he said. “I have a great team in front of me and that helps provide a ton of confidence no matter who we are playing.”
Holy Ghost Prep coach Gump Whiteside said the tournament was an opportunity for his team to grow and mature on and off the ice.
“I’m very happy for the team,” he said. “This retreat weekend is full of opportunities for the players to grow together and to play some talented teams from different parts of the county. We look forward to jumping back into our APAC conference schedule later this week.”
The Firebirds will face the Hun School in an APAC game Friday afternoon.
Jeff Mauro has written a book on the history of the Pennsylvania state high school hockey championship. To find out more and order a copy CLICK HERE
Hockey Happenings is looking for reliable individuals to provide video clips of APAC games. If you’re interested or would like more information, please contact us at rwoelfel2103@gmail.
Semifinals
Holy Ghost Prep 3, North Allegheny 2 OT—Brady Baehser scored in overtime to give the Firebirds the win in Jamestown, N.Y. Luke Panepresso and Landon Stout scored goals in regulation.
Culver Academy 5, Bethel Park 3
Culver Academy from Culver, Indiana, will face Holy Ghost Prep for the tournament title at 1:00
Jeff Mauro has written a book on the history of the Pennsylvania state high school hockey championship. To find out more and/or order a copy CLICK HERE
Hockey Happenings is looking for reliable individuals to provide video clips of APAC games. If you’re interested or would like more information, please contact us at rwoelfel2103@gmail.
Holy Ghost Prep has reached the semifinal round of the National Scholastic Invitational in Jamestown, N.Y. The Firebirds started their Saturday by defeating Medina 5-1 before besting Erie Cathedral Prep 4-0.
Sunday Schedule
8:30 Culver Academy vs. Bethel Park
8:45 Holy Ghost Prep vs. North Allegheny
Finals: 1 PM
It’s a trip that has become a tradition in the Holy Ghost Prep hockey program, one that offers a plethora of benefits, on and off the ice. The Firebirds are in Jamestown N.Y. this weekend for the National Scholastic Invitational.
The tournament brings together some of the finest scholastic hockey programs in America while at the same time allowing the players to spend quality time together off the ice.
Senior Brian Butler is making the trip for the second time.
“It’s really just having the house and all the guys hanging around together,” he said. “And then, just remembering that we’re there to win the tournament; that’s really the bottom line.”
Butler says the time spent together off the ice helps the players get to know each other as people, particularly their younger teammates.
“Definitely, we have the core group of guys that I play club with,” he said, “but, with the newer guys this year, especially the two freshmen, the trip just means everything. It’s really important just to get to know everybody, and just bond to the team, and I think that can only help us, especially going into the playoffs.”
Butler says the upperclassmen on the roster take on the responsibility of assisting the newcomers.
“It’s really our job to make sure the underclassmen feel comfortable,” he said, “and I just remember my first time in Jamestown (two years ago), the seniors did a great job. That’s what we’re going to try and do here.”
Holy Ghost Prep coach Gump Whiteside is taking a team to Jamestown for the 13th time.
“We use it as a team builder,” he said. “A chance to get away from school. Just be by ourselves, eat together, play games together, just get to know one another away from the rink a little bit.”
Whiteside emphasizes the importance of the seniors’ role on the trip. “The seniors that are going way with us have obviously experienced this tournament,” he said, “and played a major part in the tournament, and they play a major part in the success of our team.
“The underclassmen really look up to them for guidance and support, I’ve always said our leadership group is an extension of our coaching staff and I think this year with Luke (Pappareso) Brian, and Sean (Marshall), I think it’s quite evident that they’re truly the leaders of the team and kind of set the tone.”
The Firebirds were scheduled to open tournament play Friday evening at 6:15 against DeMatha (Md.) before playing two more games on Saturday against Medina and Cathedral Prep. Sunday’s schedule if any will depend on the results of those games.
Jeff Mauro has written a book on the history of the Pennsylvania state high school hockey championship. To find out more and order a copy CLICK HERE
Hockey Happenings is looking for reliable individuals to provide video clips of APAC games. If you’re interested or would like more information, please contact us at rwoelfel2103@gmail.com
There weren’t a lot of surprises at the Wells Fargo Center Wednesday night. Holy Ghost Prep and Malvern Prep know each other well as a result of their history in the APAC.
It was the Friars who prevailed on this occasion. Jimmy Jacobs scored one goal and assisted on another to help his side to a 3-1 win in front of an energetic audience.
It was the fourth meeting between the two teams since last February
“I think since we played each other three times last year we kind of figured each other out,” Jacobs said. “Both goalies played really good, it was just a scrappy game. Nothing really pretty. We just had to crash the net hard and we won a lot of battles.
Gavin Wilson gave the Friars (4-1, 2-0 in the APAC) the lead 5:27 into the second period when he flipped the puck over the shoulder of Holy Ghost Prep netminder Jason Soule with Jacobs assisting. but Brady Baehser tied the game for the Firebirds (3-1, 2-1) just 22 seconds later.
Jacobs deposited what proved to be the winning goal at the 10:50 mark of the period, a power-play effort that came while the Firebirds’ Patrick Slook was serving a holding minor.
Both Soule and Anthony Perti were sharp in the third period, each making some strong saves to keep their opponents at bay.
Quinn Dougherty who played against Holy Ghost Prep in the Wells Fargo Center three years ago (he recorded an assist on that occasion) etched his name into history one more time when he scored into an empty net with 42 seconds remaining in regulation.
It was a satisfying evening for Malvern Prep coach Bill Keenan. “With Ghost, coming off two big wins in the league (over La Salle and St. Joseph’s Prep) we knew it would be a tough fight,” he said. “Our boys showed up, and we’re glad to get out of here with a win.”
Keenan felt his team dealt successfully with the atmosphere inside the building. “I think overall, there was a lot of energy,” he said. “The message was to take it all in, soak it all in.
“There are only so many opportunities to play down here. The guys returning, they knew what it was like. But all these new guys, it was a big undertaking and it was good to see them settle in.”
Holy Ghost Prep coach Gump Whiteside noted his team had an off night. “Credit to Malvern,” he said. “They played well, well enough to win the game. We just didn’t have our best effort. It was disappointing from a coaching standpoint. But we know we can play better.
”Whiteside is confident his team will rebound from the loss. “This is one game,” he said. “There were a lot of bad habits tonight obviously, but we’ll regroup at practice tomorrow and next week and go into Thanksgiving with some positives.”
Holy Ghost Prep 0 1 0—1
Malvern Prep 0 2 1—3
First-period goals: Gavin Wilson (MP) from Jimmy Jacobs, and Matt Harris, 5:27
Second-period goals: Brady Baehser (HGP) from John Seravalli and Sean Marshall, 5:49; Jimmy Jacobs (MP) from Jeremy Jacobs and Brady Doyle, 10:50 (pp)
Third-period goals: Quinn Dougherty (MP) from Pierre Larocque, 16:18 (en)
Shots: Holy Ghost Prep 31, Malvern Prep 26 Saves: Jason Soule (HGP) 23, Anthony Perti (MP) 30
Gavin Wilson scores the game’s first goal (Video by Gracie Cleveland)
For more about Malvern Prep CLICK HERE
For more about Holy Ghost Prep CLICK HERE
Elsewhere:
St. Augustine 3, St. Joseph’s Prep 2
Enzo Fanelli’s goal with 5:30 left in the third period gave St. Augustine a 3-2 win over St. Joseph’s Prep on Wednesday at the Class of 1923 rink.
Liam Mooney and Jeffrey Hammond scored for the Hawks
St. Augustine 1 1 1—3
St. Joseph’s Prep 0 2 0—2
The opportunity to take the ice at the Wells Fargo Center is obviously a special occasion for a high-school hockey player. Holy Ghost Prep and Malvern Prep will have that opportunity Wednesday night in an Atlantic Prep Athletic Conference encounter. Game time is 7:00.
The two teams met at the Wells Fargo Center in January of 2019 with the Friars prevailing 3-2 in overtime.
Malvern Prep senior defenseman Quinn Dougherty was a freshman on that team. To his recollection, there was just one other freshman in a Friars uniform on that occasion.
“I’d never had the chance to play there for a club team,” he said. “I think the last time I played there was Mites on Ice. Honestly, it was really electric. The atmosphere was amazing. All the people that came out to support us. Just walking through the halls down there, it makes you feel special, like you’re playing a really big game.”
Holy Ghost Prep senior and captain Shawn Marshall was also in the lineup that night.
“I was the only freshman on the team when we went to the Wells Fargo Center,” he said. “It was a great experience.
“We wound up losing that game so we want a little redemption this time. Playing at the Wells Fargo Center is a special thing. I’m glad I get to be a part of it and I’m glad our team gets to be a part of it.”
Dougherty has a devised a strategy for dealing with the emotions of the moment.
“I think that kind of starts in warmups,” he said. “Right in the warmups, when I hop on the ice, I try to get acclimated to what’s going on. I take a breath, try and calm myself down, and then when we huddle around the net, I try and calm everyone else down because I know their nerves are probably going a mile a minute.
“I think it takes a little while for us to get settled in especially after the first shift, but you kind of block out the outside and, you just focus on the game and the team.”
Standing on the edge of the abyss, Holy Ghost Prep refused to yield. The Firebirds scored the last three goals of the evening to overcome a 4-2 second-period deficit and record a 5-4 overtime win over St. Joseph’s Prep in an APAC contest at the Skatium that was a splendid advertisement for high-school hockey.
Brady Baehser scored the game winner with 1:21 remaining in the three-on-three overtime, his second goal of the game.
The win was the third straight for Holy Ghost Prep (2-0 in the APAC). Joey Samango scored twice for the Hawks (2-1 against high-school competition), who were opening their conference schedule
Midway through the second period, things were going pretty much the Hawks’ way. With the game tied 1-1, Dante Passio, Joey Samango, and Christian Short scored goals inn a span of 5 minutes, 21 seconds to put the hosts up 4-1 with 6:47 left in the period, prompting Holy Ghost Prep coach Gump Whiteside to use his timeout.
Colin Moore’s power-play goal with 2:20 left brought Holy Ghost Prep a bit closer but the Firebirds still started the third period two goals down, albeit in full possession of their resolve.
“We don’t get down on each other,” Baehser said. “We stay together, stay positive, talk about what we need to do, and get the job done.”
Baehser delivered a power-play goal 2:52 into the third period to make it a one-goal game. For the rest of the third period the two goaltenders, St. Joseph’s Prep’s Rocco Bruno and Holy Ghost Prep’s Colin Mudrick, took turns making quality saves.
Bruno yielded just once more, when Zach Pers tied the game with 1:53 remaining in regulation.
Baehser’s overtime effort was a memorable conclusion to the evening.
“I’m really proud of our boys,” Whiteside said. “I told them at the beginning of the season I was going to ask two things from them, that they work hard, have a good work ethic, and I want you to be a good teammate.
“I think you saw that in the third period and overtime. We stuck together. I think we really settled our game down, once we called that timeout. We chased the game a little bit, which you never want to do, but I was really proud of the effort and proud of our senior leadership.”
Holy Ghost Prep 1 1 2 1—5
St. Joseph’s Prep 1 3 0 0—4
First-period goals: Landon Stout (HGP) from Kieran Mulholland and Shaun Moore, 6:27 (pp); Joey Samango (SJP) from Quinn Egan, 13:36
Second-period goals: Dante Passio (SJP) from Nick Storti, 4:52 (pp); Samango (SJP) from Luca Palachick and Egan, 6:03; Christian Short (SJP) unassisted, 10:13 Colin Moore (HGP) from John Seravalli and Luke Penepresso, 14:40 (pp);
Third-period goals: Brady Baehser (HGP) from Seravalli and Moore, 2:52 (pp); Zach Pers (HGP) from Stout and Mulholland, 15:07.
Overtime goal: Baehser (HGP) from Marshall, 3:39
Shots: Holy Ghost Prep 25, St. Joseph’s Prep 25; Saves: Colin Mudrick (HGP) 21, Rocco Bruno (SJP) 20
Joey Samango scores the game’s first goal.
Video courtesy of Jost Winata
A fast start proved decisive for Holy Ghost Prep Wednesday afternoon. The Firebirds scored twice before the game was six minutes old and went on to a 3-1 win over La Salle in an APAC encounter at Hatfield Ice Arena.
Landon Stout beat La Salle netminder Will Braun just 41 seconds after the opening faceoff off a dash down the right wing, and Sean Marshall added a power-play goal at the 5:32 mark as Holy Ghost Prep won its second straight start and its conference opener.
Coach Gump Whiteside appreciated his team’s energy level, particularly in the first period.
“I thought we came out with a good start,” he said. “Any time you play La Salle, you’ve got to be on your toes.”
La Salle (0-2 overall and in the APAC) cut the deficit in half when Matthew Conforti scored just 12 seconds into the middle period. It was the Explorers first goal of the season and seemed to give them an energy boost; La Salle outshot the Firebirds 22-12 over the finals 34 minutes, but couldn’t pocket another goal, thanks in large part to the work of Firebird goaltender Jason Soule. The senior and first-year starter finished with 34 saves.
“Jay was huge for us,” Whiteside said. “ He’s playing really well and the kids really rally around him.”
Marshall finished the scoring with an empty-net goal with 15 seconds remaining in the final period. “We said in the the locker room before the game ‘We’ve got to come out strong,’” he said. “It’s a great team on the other side. I knew we had to come out strong, and we did. We put it too them in the first couple minutes and scored two quick.
“We lost our momentum a little bit but we got it back. We battled in the third period and never gave up.”
Despite the final result, La Salle coach Wally Muehlbronner took an abundance of positives away from the encounter.
“I thought it was a good game,” he said. “After we gave up two, we settled in pretty well.
“I think Will played a great game after he settled down a little bit, and our second and third period, I thought we played really well.
“We’ve got to find a way to start scoring some goals.”
Marshall noted the game was the latest in a long strong of close encounters between the Firebirds and the Explorers. “Both teams are good every year,” he said, “A lot of people on both teams are seniors. When they graduate, new people come in. They battle every game.”
Prior to the opening face-off, the Holy Ghost Prep players presented their counterparts at La Salle a memorial puck in honor of La Salle student-athlete Blake Barklage.
Holy Ghost Prep 2 0 1—3
La Salle 0 1 0—1
First-period goals: Landon Stout (HGP) from Shaun Moore, :41; Sean Marshall (HGP) from Brady Baehser, 5:32 (pp)
Second-period goal: Matthew Conforti (L) from Patrick Brace, :12
Third—period goal: Marshall (HGP) from Baehser, 16:45 (en)
Shots: Holy Ghost Prep 25, La Salle 35; Saves: Jason Soule (HGP) 34, Will Braun (L) 22
La Salle and Holy Ghost Prep begin Wednesday’s third period
The host Firebirds scored five goals in the first period and went on to the non-league win Friday night at Grundy Arena.
Brady Baesher, Zach Pers, and Shaun Moore each scored twice for the hosts, who were opening their 2021-22 season. Six other players scored one goal each.
C.B. South 0 1 0—1
Holy Ghost Prep 5 2 5—12
Hockey Happenings 