La Salle 3 Holy Ghost Prep 1

HATFIELD TOWNSHIP—Heading down the stretch at Hatfield Ice Monday evening, La Salle found itself hanging on.

The Explorers had the better of the play most of the day against Holy Ghost Prep and held a 2-1 lead with 3:27 remaining in regulation when Michael Zarzycki drew a five-minute major penalty plus a game misconduct for cross checking.

La Salle would have to play the remainder of regulation plus the start of an overtime period shorthanded. It was time for goaltender Jake Rossi to stand tall.

He and the defense corps in front of him did just that, limiting the Firebirds to two shots on goal the rest of the way while Patrick Brace added an empty-net goal with 80 seconds remaining.
The 3-1 win that resulted kept the Explorers perfect in the APAC at 4-0 and improved them to 8-1 overall. Afterward, La Salle coach Wally Muhelbronner lauded his veteran netminder’s effort.

“He’s been solid for two years now,” Muehlbronner said. “It’s not surprising me with Jake. He has very, very good focus and he’d made big saves like that a lot for us.”

Declan Kelly gave La Salle a 1-0 lead 2:36 into the opening period with a shot along the ice from the right point that got past Firebird netminder Jack Bothoff.

Kelly later set up Dean Carvalho who scored a power-play goal 5:30 into the second period to give the Explorers a two-goal.

But the Firebirds (2-6, 0-2 in the APAC) kept working and were rewarded 10:48 into the middle period when Caine Bickel scored off a feed from fellow freshman Nathan Romer. The goal came off a La Salle turnover.

Following Zarzycki’s penalty, Kelly knew he and his teammates had to step things up a bit.

“A five-minute penalty like that, we just have to keep things simple and get the puck out of our zone,” he said. “Keep working all the way through to the end of the game. Those close games, it’s really important to play a full three periods.”

Kelly a junior is playing a more prominent role with the Explorers this season after skating on the third line a year ago.

“Last year we had all these seniors,” he said. “It’s more of a leadership role this year and just showing these underclassmen how to work hard and maybe [overcome] the talent that we lost last year.”

For Holy Ghost Prep, the afternoon was another step in the maturation of a young team, that has taken big strides since the start of the season.

“It’s kind of an ongoing thing,” said Firebird coach John Richie. “We have so many new guys, we graduated 10 seniors, so some of this just come down to chemistry and our coaching staff is together for the first time.

“So, they’re learning our style, we’re kind of still learning some of their tendencies. We’re better than we were a month ago.”

Ice chips— La Salle has beaten each of the other APAC schools once.

Holy Ghost Prep 0 1 0—1

La Salle 1 1 1—3

First-period goal: Declan Kelly (L) from Liam Donahue and Charlie Kennedy, 2:36

Second-period goal: Dean Carvalho (L) from Kelly and Grant LaGreca, 5:35 (pp); Caine Bickel (HGP) from Nathan Romer, 10:48

Third-period goal; Patrick Brace (L) unassisted, 15:40

Shots; Holy Ghost Prep 23, La Salle 32; Saves; Jack Bothoff (HGP) 29; Jake Rossi (L) 22

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Malvern Prep 2 Holy Ghost Prep 1

BRISTOL—Malvern Prep and Holy Ghost Prep took their first steps into the sometimes-perilous waters of the Atlantic Prep Athletic Conference Thursday afternoon. It was the Friars who found smooth sailing.

Brayden Baum and Aidan Kelly scored second-period goals to give their side a 2-1 win over the Firebirds at Grundy Arena. It was the Friars’ third win in four starts.

“We’ve got a lot of good kids on our team,” Kelly said. “Everyone’s really motivated after the year we had last year (10-8 and a loss in the opening round of the Founders Cup playoffs). The coaches are doing a great of getting us motivated.”

Kelly noted that he and his teammates, including the newcomers on hand, are adjusting to their roles in this year’s lineup.

“I think everyone is really excited with their new roles,” the senior said. “It comes with a little bit of nerves, a little bit of pressure, just playing for such a great team in such a great league.

“But I think the older guys, the more experienced guys, are doing a great of helping everyone fit their role and get used to playing at this level.”

Malvern Prep enjoyed a 14-5 shots advantage in the opening period but couldn’t solve Firebird netminder Jack Botthof and the first frame was scoreless.

Baum got the Friars on the scoreboard 12:17 into the middle period and Kelly made it a 2-0 game at 13:58.

Malvern Prep coach Bill Keenan was pleased with the way his players moved the puck.

“The puck was moving at both ends,” he said. “Not a lot of sustained pressure but we settled down into our game. “We were able to be a little more poised with the puck and get pucks deep and sustain that pressure. I’m pretty happy with the result.”

Two goals down and perhaps a bit back on their heels, the Firebirds (0-2, 0-1 in the APAC) came out swarming at the start of the third period.

It took A.J. Prete just 19 seconds to score and make it a one-goal game. But Matt Crawford in the Malvern Prep net was perfect the rest of the way; the junior stopped 15 of the 16 shots he saw in the final period.

“Matt is pretty much anchor here for us,” Keenan said. “He played that well against Council Rock South (a game the Friars lost in overtime) and he [played] that way here today too. I think overall, he’s got a good future here, especially within the APAC. He did well today.”

For a young Holy Ghost Prep team, Wednesday’s game was another step in the building process.

“Better than Game One,” Firebird coach John Richie said of his team’s effort. “Not good enough though. “That second period, we kind of took a step backwards, then that third period was much stronger.

“But we’re a team that can’t have a lapse in judgment for 10 minutes of the second period.”

Malvern Prep 0 2 0—2

Holy Ghost Prep 0 0 1—1

Second-period goals: Brayden Baum (MP) from Gabriel Bedwell and Paxton Hoishik, 12:17; Aidan Kelly (MP) from Caiden Canale and Matt Crawford, 13:58

Third-period goal: A.J. Prete (HGP) from Mike Holt, :19

Shots: Malvern Prep 27, Holy Ghost Prep 29; Saves: Matt Crawford (MP) 28, Jack Botthof (HGP) 25

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Council Rock South 7 Holy Ghost Prep 4

WARWICK—Council Rock South came into the hockey season with great expectations. To date, those expectations have been met.
The Golden Hawks scored three times in the first 10 minutes of the opening period and went on to a 7-4 non-league win over Holy Ghost Prep Monday night at Revolution Ice Gardens. It was the Hawks’ second win of the new season.

Illia Mukhin led the way for South by delivering a hat trick. Nikita Volobuiev added two goals of his own. Kevin Koles provided three assists.

It was a performance that put future opponents on notice.

“I think we’re playing great,” Koles said. “I think we’re moving the puck well. We’re communicating and doing all the right things, and playing good as a team.”

Volobuiev got things started for the Hawks 4:30 into the first period. Jake Weiner made it 2-0 just 16 seconds later.

A.J. Prete cut the lead in half when he scored for the Firebirds (0-1) at the 9:45 mark, but Mukhin found the back of the net at 13:36 to give South a 3-1 lead after one period.

The fast start sent a powerful message.

“Obviously scoring the first goal is very crucial in the game,” Koles said. “It gets our momentum going.”

Volobuiev and Holy Ghost Prep’s Brian Kinniry traded goals in the second period before Mukhin scored twice in a span of three-and-a-half minutes to give his team a 6-3 lead 6:23 into the third.
The Hawks stayed in control the rest of the way, although they spent more time in the penalty box than assistant coach Colin Murphy would have preferred. The two teams were whistled for 19 infractions, nine of them to the Hawks.

“We need to stick to our game,” Murphy said. “We kind of fell into [taking bad penalties]. We’ve got to regroup and kind of figure out that we need to play more as a team.”

Murphy noted the importance of doing the little things right.

“Mainly going back to the fundamentals,” he said, “and just kind of like we instill in these kids every year, that penalties kill us.”

Kinniry finished with two goals for the Firebirds, who were playing their first game with John Richie behind the bench.

“Especially at forward, we have a lot of young guys that need to figure out what their roles are,” he said, “and where they fit in this team. Obviously, we’re still adjusting lines but Council Rock South is going to be one of the best teams in the state at any level this year.

“It was a good test for us, I thought we got a little better as the game went on but obviously we’ve got a lot to learn between now and the end of the season.”

Richie noted that a number of his players are assuming new roles this season.

“For the most part, all these guys play on solid club teams,” he said, “so I don’t think game speed is an issue. But, for some of the younger guys, adjusting to the strength and some of the bigger guys will take a little bit of time, but I think overall I’m trying to figure out what the roles will be; who’s going to be a goal scorer, who’s going to be a grinder, who’s going to bring physicality, those types of things.”

Holy Ghost Prep 1 1 2—4

Council Rock South 3 1 3—7

First-period goals: Nikita Volobuiev (CRS) from Jordan Sarne, 4:30; Jake Weiner (CRS) from Jackson Mosley, 4:46; A.J.Prete (HGP) from Brendan Schultz, 9:45; Illia Mukhin (CRS) from Kevin Koles, 13:36 (pp)

Second-period goals: Volobuiev (CRS) unassisted, 2:51 (sh); Brian Kinniry (HGP) from Prete and Matthew Cholaj, :04

Third-period goals: Mikhin (CRS) from Volobuiev, 2:56; Mikhin (CRS) from Koles and Weiner, 6:23 (pp); Kinniry (HGP) from Nathan Romer, 10:39 (pp); Chas Tovsky (CRS) from Koles, 13:03 (sh); Anthony Valeriote, 15:52

Shots: Holy Ghost Prep 30, Council Rock South 30