Malvern Prep 7, Cardinal O’Hara 2

Matt Harris and Jack Constabile each scored two goals as Malvern Prep downed Cardinal O’Hara 7-2 Thursday night at Ice Line. Hayden Campbell, Jimmy Kirk, and Jonathan Holt also scored for the Friars, who recorded their second straight win to open the 2020-21 season.

The Lions got goals from Nathan Fox and Steve Graney to take a 2-1 lead after the first period but Malvern Prep took control from there.

“The boys got off to a slow start,” said Malvern Prep coach Bill Keenan. “It was our first game in a few weeks and first time on the ice as a full team since Thanksgiving.
“We were missing some key players to our team tonight but we found a way to grind it out and come out with a win.’
Anthony Perti got the win in goal, making 27 saves.

Cardinal O’Hara 2 0 0—2

Malvern Prep 1 3 3—7

First-period goals: Nathan Fox (CO) unassisted, 9:26; Jack Constabile (MP) from Matt Harris, 12:18; Steve Graney (CO) from Fox, 16:12 (pp).

Second-period goals: Harris (MP) from Jeremy Jacobs, 1:27; Harris (MP) from Chris Blango, 9:16; Hayden Campbell (MP) from Matt Donatucci, 15:39.

Third-period goals: Jimmy Kirk (MP) from Blango, :16 (pp); Jonathan Holt (MP) from Jimmy Jacobs and Will Traynor, 5:44. Constabile (MP) from Harris and Jeremy Jacobs, 16:58.

Shots: Cardinal O’Hara 29, Malvern Prep 43; Saves: Ronan Marley (CO) 36, Anthony Perti (MP) 27.

Malvern Prep at the Threshold of a New Hockey Season

Malvern Prep is approaching the 1920-21 hockey season with a blend of caution and optimism. The Atlantic Prep Athletic Conference will not begin its new season until after the holidays but the Friars, like other scholastic hockey teams in the area, are holding preseason drills.

Unlike most other teams however, Malvern Prep is hoping to get on the ice for some non-league games between now and the end of the year; the Friars are scheduled to go against West Chester Rustin Thursday night at Ice Line.

The three other members of the APAC, Holy Ghost Prep, St. Joseph’s Prep, and two-time defending champion La Salle, are all on the ice but none of the other three have committed to playing a game as of yet.

Malvern Prep coach Bill Keenan has adjusted his practice schedule to try to get his players as much ice time as possible. “We flip flop a little bit between a varsity-only practice, and a JV and varsity combined practice,” he said, “but for the most part, all the guys are (on the ice) twice a week.”

Keenan described how he structures a practice with safety in mind. “When I go into practices, the biggest thing I try to do is implement the drills in a sense to where the kids are constantly moving and not standing in line next to each other,” he said.

““If we do have those drills where guys must stand in a line, I try to form drills so it’s not only one or two lines but a drill that has multiple components where the kids might be in five or six different lines across the ice. So, you’re taking your guys and you’re kind of spreading them and then while they’re in line they can kind of adhere to social distancing. I would say most of the guys are rarely next to each other for more than a minute or two when the drills are kicked off. And by the time they get back in line they’re starting to flow through the drill again. It’s constant movement.”
Malvern Prep’s student body is back on campus and the players are screened a minimum of twice each day.

“They get health screenings before they go on campus in the morning,” Kenan said, “They do one at home and then when they (arrive on campus) they do another one; there are color coded wristbands and they’re not allowed to come to practice without a wristband.”

The players are not forbidden to utilize the locker room facilities at Ice Line prior to or following practices.

APAC Season to Begin in January

The start of the Atlantic Prep Athletic Conference’s third season will be delayed until January due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. League officials are hoping to implement a 10-league schedule following the Christmas and New Year’s holidays, depending on the academic schedules of the league’s four member schools, La Salle, Holy Ghost Prep, Malvern Prep, and St. Joseph’s Prep.

“Many of the details depend on the schools’ academic calendars, which are still in flux,” said APAC Commissioner Jim Britt. “Some schools have yet to finalize their academic calendars for the 2020 winter months through May 2021, including holiday breaks, spring breaks, exam periods, and dates we might potentially need to black out.

“The impact of schedule conflicts for students who normally participate in spring sports or other activities is also a factor to be considered.”

The APAC is hoping to conclude its season by late February to coincide with the traditional start date of the Flyers Cup tournament.

All four league schools have been on the ice for preseason drills.

Malvern Prep has scheduled non-league games against West Chester Rustin on November 12 and Cardinal O’Hara on Thanksgiving Eve. Two-time defending APAC champion La Salle and St. Joseph’s Prep are hoping to schedule non-league games during November and December while Holy Ghost Prep coach Gump Whiteside indicated his team would not play a game until January.

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APAC Announces All-Conference Team

The Atlantic Prep Athletic Conference is pleased to announce the 2019-2020 All-APAC teams. The honorees were selected by vote of the Head Coaches of the APAC member schools: Holy Ghost Prep, LaSalle College High School, Malvern Prep, and St. Joseph’s Prep; institutions that share similar missions to promote academic and athletic excellence for their student-athletes.

First Team

Byron Hartley

Holy Ghost Prep (senior)

Position: Forward

Key facts: The APAC’s leading scorer with 26 goals and 22 assists for 48 points and helped the Firebirds reach the Flyers Cup semifinals.

“Byron was our senior captain,” said Holy Ghost Prep coach Gump Whiteside. “He was a true leader who developed tremendously over his four years at Holy Ghost Prep. He was a great teammate who made players better by his work ethic and personality.

Ryan Sambuco

Malvern Prep (junior)

Position: Forward

Key facts: Played a key role for the Friars while scoring 10 goals and adding 16 assists for 26 points. “He shows great vision, said Malvern Prep coach Bill Keenan, “and always finds ways to jump start the team.”

James Craig

St. Joseph’s Prep (senior)

Position: Forward

Key facts: A tenacious player whose eight goals and 13 assists for 21 points in APAC/Flyers Cup play and helped his team reach the Flyers Cup semifinals.

“He did everything a coach could ask for,” said St. Joseph’s Prep coach David Giacomin. “He was a tremendous competitor.”

Andrew Centrella

St. Joseph’s Prep (sophomore)

Position: Defense

Key facts: Scored four goals and provided 13 assists for 17 points in APAC and Flyers Cup play.

“He was an assistant captain and our hardest worker,” Giacomin said. “He played huge minutes and was always a threat on the ice.”

Chris Blango

Malvern Prep (junior)

Position: Defense

Key facts: Was a major force on the blue line for the Friars, scoring three goals and adding eight assists for 11 points. “He was the anchor of Malvern’s defense,” Keenan said, “and is very posed with the puck.”

Aidan McCabe

La Salle (senior)

Position: Goaltender

Key facts: A four-year varsity performer, he was the catalyst for an Explorer team that captured its second straight APAC title and reached the Flyers Cup semifinals. “He was the backbone of our team,” said La Salle coach Wally Muehlbronner.

Second Team

Nathan Benner

La Salle (senior)

Position: Forward

Key facts: Finished his final high-school season with nine goals and six assists for 15 points. “He was one of our captains,” Muehlbronner said, “and a solid all-around player.”

Jeffrey Hammond

St. Josephs Prep (freshman)

Position: Forward

Key facts: Made an impressive debut for the Hawks with nine goals and seven assists for 16 points in APAC/Flyers Cup competition. “He’s a great two-way player,” Giacomin said. “He played in all situations.”

David Kimmell

La Salle (junior)

Position: Forward

Key facts: An offensive catalyst for the Explorers. Led the team in scoring with 13 goals and 12 assists for 25 points. “He was our top scorer,” Muehlbronner said, “and an offensive key.”

Michael Urbani

St. Joseph’s Prep (senior)

Position: Defense

Key facts: Served as one of the Hawks’ captains and contributed five goals and 11 assists to his team’s effort. “He was a captain and the leader of our defensive corps,” Giacomin said. “He has a deadly shot and was a key defensively.”

Nolan Woudenberg

La Salle (sophomore)

Position: Defense

Key facts: Had a solid season for the Explorers with 10 goals and six assists for 16 points. “He was a strong, all around defenseman,” Muehlbronner said.”

Sean Joyce

Holy Ghost Prep (senior)

Position: Goaltender

Key facts: Finished his final season with the Firebirds with a 2.13 GAA and a .914 save percentage.

“Sean was a gamer,” said his coach, Gump Whiteside. One of the best goalies in the history of Holy Ghost Prep hockey. When Sean was in net, you always knew you could win the game.”

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Thursday Flyers Cup Schedule

The Class AA quarterfinals are scheduled for Thursday

Boyertown 5, Central Bucks South 4 OT

Downingtown West 3, North Penn 2

Perkiomen Valley 4, Council Rock South 3

Haverford 8, Pennridge 1

Winners to semifinals on March 11 or 12

The Class AAA quarterfinals are scheduled for Thursday

Holy Ghost Prep 8, Bishop Shanahan 0

Father Judge 6, Malvern Prep 2

St. Joseph’s Prep 3, Cardinal O’Hara 2

La Salle 8, Roman Catholic 1

Winners to semifinals on March 11 or 12

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Holy Ghost Prep 4, Malvern Prep 1

Holy Ghost Prep scored three times in a span of less than two minutes in the first period and went on to defeat Malvern Prep 4-1 on Monday in an Atlantic Prep Athletic Conference semifinal at Grundy Arena. The top-seeded Firebirds will face defending champion La Salle in the Founders Cup final on Wednesday in the same venue; GAME TIME WILL BE 4 PM.
The opening period was played on more or less even terms until the Firebirds erupted. Cole Stevens scored the first goal of the game at the 10:14 mark and Landon Stoudt made it a 2-0 game just 64 seconds later. Braedon Baehser competed the barrage at 11:56 to give the hosts a 3-0 lead. Daniel Behr assisted on two of the three goals.
The teams traded goals in the third period. Matt Harris got the Friars on the scoreboard with a power-play goal at 2:58. Byron Hartley extended the Firebirds’ lead when he found the back of the net with 3:39 left in the game.
Malvern Prep outshot Holy Ghost Prep 33-26. Sean Joyce got the win in goal, making 32 saves.

La Salle’s Francis Ford carries the puck against St. Joseph’s Prep on Monday. The Explorers won the Founders Cup semifinal 5-2 (photo by Kathy Leister Photography)

Malvern Prep, the fourth seed in the APAC playoffs, has also been seeded fourth for the Class AAA Flyers Cup tournament and will face fifth seed Father Judge in an 8:15 quarterfinal game at Ice Line on Thursday, March 5.
Holy Ghost Prep is assured of the top seed in the Class AAA Flyers Cup tournament regardless of the result of Wednesday’s Flyers Cup finale. The Firebirds will face eighth-seeded Bishop Shanahan in a 6:45 quarterfinal game March 5 at Grundy Arena.

Malvern Prep 0 0 1—3

Holy Ghost Prep 3 0 1—4

First-period goals: Cole Stevens (HGP) from Daniel Behr, 10:14; Landon Stoudt (HGP) from Byron Hartley, 11:18; Braedon Baehser (HGP) from Behr, 11:56.
Third-period goals: Matt Harris (MP) from Chris Blango, 2:58 (pp); Hartley (HGP) unassisted, 12:21.
Shots: Malvern Prep 33, Holy Ghost Prep 26; Saves: Anthony Perti 23, Sean Joyce (HGP) 32

APAC Playoff Semifinals Set

The Atlantic Prep Athletic Conference playoffs will get underway on Monday with a pair of semifinal games.

Top-seeded Holy Ghost Prep will host fourth seed Malvern Prep in a 4:00 game at Grundy Arena. The other Monday semifinal will match St. Joseph’s Prep and La Salle. The site and time of that game will depend on the result of Friday’s regular season finale between the Hawks and the Explorers. The winner will be the second seed and the loser third.

If La Salle wins, the semifinal will be played at Hatfield Ice with a 4:10 scheduled start. If the Hawks prevail, the semifinal will be played at the University of Pennsylvania’s Class of 1923 Arena with a 4 p.m. start (LATE UPDATE)

The Founders Cup championship game will be played Wednesday, February 26 with the site and time to be determined.

The results of the Founders Cup playoffs will not impact the seedings for the Class AAA Flyers Cup tournament, which will be announced Sunday night.

APAC Update for 2-12-20

Standings through 2-12 W L OW OL Pts GF GA

Holy Ghost Prep (14-4-1) 5 3 1 0 17 32 24

St. Joseph’s Prep (11-11) 3 1 0 4 13 25 24

LaSalle (12-13) 2 3 2 1 11 29 29

Malvern Prep (7-8) 2 5 2 0 10 44 45

Teams receive:

3 points for a regulation win

2 points for an overtime or shootout win

1 point for an overtime or shootout loss

0 points for a regulation loss

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Scoring Leaders Games G A Pts

Byron Hartley (HGP) 18 21 13 34

Matt Harris (MP) 15 19 11 30

Jack Constabile (MP) 15 6 20 26

Ryan Sambuco (MP) 15 9 15 24

Evan Mudrick (HGP) 16 11 9 20

Anthony Sparo (HGP) 17 8 11 19

Dave Kimmel (La) 20 10 7 17

Jimmy Craig (SJP) 16 6 11 17

Nolan Woudenberg (La) 19 10 5 15

Keenan Schneider (La) 20 4 11 15

Andrew Centrella (SJP) 16 2 13 15

Nathan Benner (La) 20 9 6 15

Jeffrey Hammond (SJP) 14 8 6 14

Braedon Barsher (HGP) 19 12 2 14

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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;

APAC Update 2-2-20

Atlantic Prep Athletic Conference Standings

Includes games played and reported through 1-31

W L OW OL Pts GF GA

Holy Ghost Prep (11-4-1) 4 3 1 0 14 27 22

St. Joseph’s Prep (11-10) 3 0 0 4 13 25 24

LaSalle (10-14) 1 3 2 1 8 29 29

Malvern Prep (6-8) 2 4 2 0 10 36 42

Teams receive:

3 points for a regulation win

2 points for an overtime or shootout win

1 point for an overtime or shootout loss

0 points for a regulation loss

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Scoring Leaders Games G A Pts

Byron Hartley (HGP) 15 17 11 28

Matt Harris (MP) 13 17 8 25

Jack Constabile (MP) 13 6 15 21

Evan Mudrick (HGP) 13 10 9 19

Ryan Sambuco (MP) 13 6 12 18

Anthony Sparo (HGP) 14 6 10 16

Jimmy Craig (SJP) 15 5 11 16

Jeffrey Hammond (SJP) 14 8 6 14

Andrew Centrella (SJP) 15 2 12 14

Nolan Woudenberg (La) 17 10 3 13

David Kimmel (La) 18 8 5 13

Nathan Benner (La) 18 8 5 13

Braedon Barsher (HGP) 16 11 1 12

Keenan Schneider (La) 18 2 10 12

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