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The Lasalle Explorers dropped a 3-2 decision to Bishop Henricken (RI) on Thursday in the opening round of the Mount St. Charles Academy tournament.
The Explorers (10-3 overall) will face Fairfield Prep Friday afternoon at 2:00 Eastern Time in a consolation game before concluding tournament play on Saturday.
The LaSalle hockey team is heading to Rhode Island after Christmas. The Explorers will be making their annual post-Christmas trek to Woonsocket, Rhode Island to compete in the annual Mount St. Charles Academy tournament.
The eight-team tournament gets underway on Thursday, December 27 and runs through Saturday the 29th. The single-elimination tournament features a consolation bracket
I think it comes at a great time every year for guys to get closer together as teammates,” said LaSalle coach Wally Muehlbronner. It’s our only time when we travel and spend time as a team throughout the season.
“The way the tournament is set up, we play three games, one game a day which is great. there is a lot of downtime where the guys can really get together and grow as a team.”
The tournament features an elite field. “The same eight teams have been going there a long time, Meuhlbronner said.
LaSalle’s first-round opponent will be Bishop Hendricken of Rhode Island Thursday night.
HATFIELD TOWNSHIP—It was a hockey game that featured a bit of everything, including a dramatic finish and an outstanding effort in goal; from the losing goaltender.
Jan Olenginski scored off a faceoff 2:23 into overtime to give LaSalle a 3-2 win over Holy Ghost Prep Friday night at Hatfield Ice in an Atlantic Prep Athletic Conference matchup between the two longtime rivals.
The goal came off a draw in the circle to the left of Holy Ghost Prep goaltender Sean Joyce. Sam Lipkin drew the puck back to the top of the circle where Olenginski was waiting to launch a shot that beat Firebird netminder Sean Joyce.
“I didn’t really have to do too much,” Olenginski said. “He went right to me and I just shot it.”
LaSalle (10-2, 6-0 in the APAC) dominated the bulk of the last two periods. That the Firebirds were able to take the game to overtime was a testament to Joyce’s efforts in goal. He made 39 saves, two of them on penalty shots.
“He’s a competitor,” said Holy Ghost Prep coach Gump Whiteside. “He comes to play every game, that’s all you can ask for. And that just gets our guys going.”
The Firebirds (4-7, 0-6) essentially started the evening with a one-goal advantage. LaSalle’s Eric Ford drew a cross-checking penalty just 59 seconds after the opening faceoff. Colin Costello put his team in front just 11 seconds after that.
Max Levenberg responded for the Explorers with a shot from the right side off a scramble in front with 17 seconds remaining in the period.
In the second period the game turned from physical to chippy. Ten penalties were called in the period but the most significant of them came with 2:21 remaining when the Explorers were awarded a penalty shot when the Firebirds’ Jake Marek was whistled for closing his hand over the puck in the crease.
Lipkin took the penalty shot but Joyce turned his forehander aside.
Andrew Budzynski gave LaSalle it’s first lead with 8:15 left in the third period on a play that Michael Casey started with a move down the right wing. Casey went cross ice to Lipkin who in turn found Casey who deposited the puck in the lower right-hand corner of the net.
All three players involved in the play, along with Olenginski, are sophomores.
“A lot of those guys that are sophomores now had a year to play together here , to know the way we want them to play when they’re playing for LaSalle,” said Explorer coach Wally Meuhlbronner. “I think the best quality about them is that they’re unselfish and they work hard and play together well.”
Alex D’Angelo tied the game for Holy Ghost Prep with 6:31 remaining off a feed from Jack Kelly.
Before overtime however, the Firebirds to weather another storm. With les than two minutes left in regulation, Lipkin found himself on a breakaway for the Explorers when Kelly threw his stick along the ice at him. This time it was Olenginski who took the penalty shot but again, Joyce proved impenetrable.
LaSalle finished with a 42-22 edge in shots.
Holy Ghost Prep 1 0 1 0—2
LaSalle 1 0 1 1—3
First-period goals: Colin Costello (HGP) from Eric Pohl and Evan Mudrick, 1:10 (pp); Max Levenberg (L), 15:43.
Third-period goals: Andrew Budzynski (L) from Sam Lipkin and Michael Casey, 7:49; Alex D’Angelo (HGP) from Jack Kelly, 9:29.
Overtime goal: Jan Olenginski (L) from Lipkin, 2:23.
Shots: Holy Ghost Prep 22, LaSalle 42; Saves: Sean Joyce (HGP) 39, Aidan McCabe (L) 20
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Atlantic Prep Athletic Conference W L OTW OTL Pts
LaSalle (9-2) 5 0 0 0 15
&Malvern Prep (5-2) 2 2 0 0 6
St. Joseph’s Prep (4-4) 1 2 1 0 5
Holy Ghost Prep (4-6) 0 4 0 1 1
& overall record incomplete
Includes games through 12-16-18
3 points for regulation win, 2 points for overtime/shootout win, 1 point for overtime/shootout loss
WEST GOSHEN— It wasn’t exactly a rerun. But LaSalle faced down a challenge from Malvern Prep and went on to a 6-3 win over the Friars Monday night in an Atlantic Prep Athletic Conference matchup at Ice Line.
Sam Lipkin scored three goals and assisted on two more as the Explorers ran their conference record to 5-0 (6-2 overall). It was LaSalle’s second win over Malvern Prep (5-2, 2-2) in 11 days; the Explorers shut out the Friars 4-0 on November 30.
LaSalle coach Wally Meuhlbronner fielded a team that was at less than full strength; due to some absences he utilized three lines rather than four. But it didn’t seem to matter.
“We were a little bit short,” he said. “But the guys really worked hard. They managed their shifts well, kept their shifts short, so I was very happy with the way they played.”
Malvern Prep netminder Dan Dougherty kept his team in the game for most of two periods. The senior made 14 saves in a scoreless first period and when on to make 37 in the game.
“Every year that he’s been in net that we’ve played against them he’s been strong,” Meuhlbronner said.
LaSalle took control of the game early in the second period by scoring two goals in just 20 seconds. Lipkin opened the scoring by tipping in a rebound of Dan Sambuco’s original shot at the 47-second mark before Sambuco himself made it a 2-0 game at 1:07.
But the Friars got back in the game when Jack Constabile scored a shorthanded goal at the 5:34 mark after the Explorers coughed up the puck in their own zone.
That was as close as the hosts would come. Lipkin scored a shorthanded goal of his own and Brandon Leer made it a 4-1 game with 2:31 left in the period.
Jan Olenginski extended the LaSalle lead 5:47 into the third period.
LaSalle defenseman and captain Zach Baker cited the balance in the lineup as a key to the team’s success. “Everyone has energy, everyone is always ready to play,” he said. “We always support each other, which keeps us going. We have a lot of guys with a lot of energy who are always ready to go.”
Harrison Campbell brought the Friars closer by scoring two third-period goals, the first on a slapshot at 11:26 and the second on a power play at 15:24.
Lipkin completed his hat trick by scoring into an empty net with 27 seconds left in the game.
Malvern coach Dave Dorman noted that his young team had trouble dealing with LaSale’s speed. “It’s real simple,” he said, “we have to get better.
“We’re asking a lot from some of our younger guys. And they’ll be fine, we’ll get back to work. We’ll be fine, but we’ve got to learn to play that pace from the very first puck drop.”
LaSalle 0 4 2—6
Malvern Prep 0 1 2—3
Second-period goals: Sam Lipkin (L) from Dan Sambuco and Michael Casey, :47; Sambuco (L) from Casey, 1:07; Jack Constabile (MP) from Kenny Connors, 5:34 (sh); LIpkin (L) from Casey, 8:26 (sh); Brandon Leer (L) from Lipkin, 13:29.
Third-period goals: Jan Olenginski (L) from Lipkin, 5:49; Harrison Campbell (M) from Matt Harris and Nick Martino, 5:49; Campbell (MP) from Quinn Dougherty and Martino, 11:26 (pp); Lipkin (L) unassisted, 15:33 (empty net).
Shots: LaSalle 43, Malvern Prep 25; Saves: Aidan McCabe (L) 22, Dan Dougherty (MP) 37
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W L OTW OTL Pts
LaSalle 4 0 0 0 12
Malvern Prep 1 1 0 0 3
Holy Ghost Prep 0 2 0 0 0
St. Joseph’s 0 2 0 0 0
Wednesday’s game
Malvern Prep at Holy Ghost Prep, 3:30 at Grundy Check back here for a recap
Monday result
LaSalle 6 St. Joseph’s Prep 0
HATFIELD TOWNSHIP—The eruption came without warning. For one period and part of another, LaSalle and Malvern Prep battled on even terms. But the Explorers took over the game by scoring four goals in a span of 5 minutes, 18 seconds in the second period.
Neither team scored thereafter and LaSalle left Hatfield Ice Friday night as 4-0 winners.
Four different players scored goals for the Explorers, who stand at 5-2 on the season and a perfect 3-0 in the Atlantic Prep Athletic Conference, having defeated every other team in the league once.
Sophomore Daniel Sambuco scored LaSalle’s first goal at the 7:10 mark of the second frame with help from Michael Casey and Sam Lipkin. Casey made it a 2-0 game with Sambuco’s help at 9:15 and Fabrizio Mazzarelli extended the lead just 39 second later. Eric Ford finished the scoring at 12:28.
Sambuco, who leads the APAC in scoring with three goals and five assists for eight points in three conference games, said he and his mates on the Explorers’ top line took things up a notch in the second period. “We started running some quick passes and two-on-ones,” he said, “and started driving more pucks to the net That was just our game plan from there on out, put everything to the net.”
LaSalle coach Wally Meuhlbronner was pleased to get production from four lines, particularly in the early going. “We were rolling four (lines) right out of the gate,” he said, “and we switched up a little bit and and kind of got the Sambuco line out there every third (shift) and I think that got them energized a little bit more.”
At the other end of the ice, LaSalle goaltender Aidan McCabe stopped all 19 shots he saw. His best effort came two-and-a-half minutes into the third period when he turned aside Chris Blango’s slapshot from just inside the blue line.
McCabe noted that the effort of the defense corps in front of him expanded his comfort zone. “It allows me to be really confident in the net,” the junior said. “They keep the shots to the outside which lets me see the puck. So I just try to do my job.”
The loss was the first for Malvern Prep after three wins (1-1 in the APAC). Friar coach Dave Dorman saw the evening as another step in the maturation of his young team.
Danie”It was a very typical LaSalle-Malvern Prep hockey game,” he said. “For our younger guys it was baptism by fire. Not the result we want but you know what? That’s part of the learning process, the maturation process for these younger kids.”
Notes—Sambuco’s cousin Ryan, also a sophomore, was in uniform for Malvern Prep. The hitting was intense but clean; there was just five penalties called by referee Eric Michaels, three to LaSalle and two to Malvern Prep, and one of the Malvern penalties was a bench minor for too many men on the ice.
Malvern Prep 0 0 0—0
LaSalle 0 4 0—4
Second-period goals: Daniel Sambuco (L) from Michael Casey and Sam Lipkin, 7:10: Casey (L) from Sambuco, 9:15; Fabrizio Mazzarelli (L) from Ryan Walsh and David Kimmel, 9:54; Eric Ford (L) from Jan Olenginski, 12:28.
Shots: Malvern Prep 19, LaSalle 32; Saves: Dan Dougherty (MP) 28, Aidan McCabe (L) 19.
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Through 11-29-18 G A Pos
Daniel Sambuco LaSalle 2 4 6
Sam Lipkin LaSalle 2 2 4
Michael Casey LaSallr. 2 2 4
Nick Martino Mal. Pr 3 0 3
Brandon Leer LaSalle 2 1 3
By Rick Woelfel
The pieces fit together quite nicely for LaSalle Wednesday afternoon. Five different players scored goals as the Explorers downed defending Class 3A Flyers Cup champion St. Joseph’s Prep 5-0 in an APAC game at Hatfield Ice.
The win was LaSalle’s fourth without defeat this season and its second straight in the APAC.
“All four lines played pretty well,” said LaSalle coach Wally Meuhlbronner. The ‘D’ played pretty well. We overcommitted at times, but we were definitely happy with the result.”
LaSalle took a 2-0 first-period lead on goals from Michael Casey at 9:32 and Dan Sambuco at 14:52.
The pair joined Sam Lipkin on a line that collected nine points against Holy Ghost Prep last Friday night in the Explorers’ league opener. The trio collected five points on Wednesday
“They were all together last year,” said Explorer senior Brandon Leer. “They play club together so they’re on the ice together all the time. Their chemistry has been building up since last year. This year, everything has worked out.”
Despite the score, the teams battled on even terms through most of the opening frame. The second period was scoreless but by the time it concluded the Explorers were definitely in command.
In the third frame, St. Joseph’s coach David Giacomin, in search of an offensive spark, shuffled his lines and moved some defensemen up front.
The Explorers responded by scoring three times with the goals coming from Ryan Ferry, Nathan Benner, and Leer.
For the Hawks, who were opening their season on Wednesday, it was an opportunity to find out about themselves.
“They’re well-disciplined,” Giacomin said of the Explorers. “They play fast, It gives us the experience to be able to go back and say ‘If we want to compete, this is what we have to do in order to get better. I always like playing better teams in the beginning of the year rather than playing weak opponents”
LaSalle outshot the Hawks 41-21 but Giacomin was pleased that his troops battled to the final buzzer. “They didn’t quit and they hustled,” he said. “For me, there are some skill things we have to work on and can certainly do better, puck movement and other stuff, but the hustle across our three lines … those kids didn’t quite and they kept hustling their butts off.”
Aidan McCabe earned the shutout in goal for the Explorers.
St. Joseph’s Prep 0 0 0—0
LaSalle 2 0 3—5
First-period goals: Michael Casey (L) from Sam Lipkin and Dan Sambuco, 9:32; Sambuco (L) from Lipkin, 14:52.
Second-period goals: None
Third-period goals: Ryan Ferry (L) from Brandon Leer and Andrew Budzynski, 4:40; Nathan Benner (L) from Collin Kreisler and Zach Baker, 7:16; Leer (L) from Sean Keaveney, 9:00.
Shots: St. Joseph’s Prep 21, LaSalle 41 Saves: Dan McGill (SJP) 36, Aidan McCabe (L) 21.
Check back for a recap
The prevailing mindset at Grundy Arena Friday night, both before and after LaSalle’s 5-1 win over Holy Ghost Prep, was one of satisfaction.
The result of the game mattered of course, but there was a lot more to the evening than that result
A lot of people but in a lot of effort to make the Atlantic Prep Athletic Conference a reality and seeing that vision become a reality on the ice was obviously satisfying to the responsible parties.
“It’s something we’ve talked about for years,” said LaSalle coach Wally Muehlbronner, “and to finally pull it together, I think it’s going to be a great thing for all the schools involved.”
Friday’s game drew a large and enthusiastic audience to Grundy Arena. Holy Ghost Prep coach Gump Whiteside enjoyed the evening despite his team taking the loss.
“This is great,” he said. “The environment we had here tonight, both teams competing really hard, “LaSalle worked hard. I thought we worked hard, this was just a great atmosphere. This is what high-school hockey in the Delaware Valley is all about. Two great teams, two great schools, and I wish we could play like this every night.”
Holy Ghost Prep captain Tom McNulty enjoyed the atmosphere as well. “It was a great atmosphere tonight,” the senior defenseman said. “We had a big (turnout), the whiteout (from Holy Ghost Prep supporters) was awesome. Our fans were really into it.”
McNulty pointed out that the four APAC schools (Holy Ghost Prep, LaSalle, Malvern Prep, St. Joseph’s Prep) will benefit from going against each other on a regular basis. “I think it will be really good,” he said. “We’re going to have a lot of time for improvement. Playing these better teams, we’re going to become better; we’re going to just keep picking it up from there.”
APAC Commissioner Jim Britt was on hand for Friday’s opener. Britt coached at Holy Ghost Prep and later helped launch the Ed Snider Youth Hockey Foundation. He was approached last spring about heading up the APAC.
“(The four league schools) had come together and reached a great discussion point,” he said, “to try to organize, celebrate, to help grow the game of high-school hockey in the Philadelphia area.
Britt was elated at the atmosphere of Friday’s game and the enthusiasm of both the participants and fans.
“The turnout tonight is indicative of the kind of enthusiasm that is possible, that is out there,” he said. Someone said earlier that it’s like a Flyers Cup playoff game already and this is only the first game of the conference. So, it’s really neat to see.”
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