Your Source for High School Hockey
Four different players scored goals as Malvern Prep opened its season Monday afternoon with a 4-0 win at Calvert Hall.
Alex March opened the scoring with 8:07 left in the first period. He assisted on Cole Scarbinsky’s effort 3:42 into the second frame. Quinn Riley added a goal later in the second period and Andrew Starck extended his team’s lead in the third.
Matt Crawford and Riley Doyle split the shutout in goal.
After guiding the Atlantic Prep Athletic Conference through the first six years of its existence, Jim Britt is stepping away from his commissioner’s post. The conference issued a statement Monday afternoon.
Jim Britt has notified the Atlantic Prep Athletic Conference (APAC) schools that he is stepping back from his role as Commissioner. Jim will assist during the transition and will remain affiliated with the conference in the future as an advisor. APAC schools are grateful for the leadership that Jim has provided the conference since its inception in 2018. Jim’s understanding of the conference schools, his belief in scholastic hockey and all the great things that the game of hockey teaches, made him the right man to help build APAC.
At the APAC May meeting, conference schools appointed Steve Mackell as their new Commissioner. Steve is a longtime coach in the Atlantic District at the youth level and as a former head coach at Malvern Prep. For many years, Steve has also been heavily involved with the Atlantic District Player Development Program Staff. He is a proven leader who knows the conference schools, the value they place on providing a well-rounded education, and their commitment to the sport of ice hockey. APAC school administrators and coaches are excited to work with Steve in the years ahead.
Jeremy Jacobs taken another step in his development as a hockey player. Jacobs who will soon graduate from Malvern Prep, recently played five games for the Odessa (Texas) Jackalopes in the North American Hockey League.
Jacobs spoke to how it all came about.
“They came to one of my games,” he said. “They watched me for two months or so and ended up talking to me.
“I went down and was able to get in a game with them. And from then on, I was like ‘This is where I want to be.’ I ended up signing with them.”
Jacobs’ five-game stint with the Jackalopes included his first NAHL goal on April 4 against Corpus Christi. He was used at center and also spent a brief amount of time killing penalties.
But a lot of this postgraduate course in his hockey education was spent in practice, as a member of Odesa’s extended roster.
“I was there for two weeks and able to practice for those two weeks” he said, “and embrace the full two weeks rather than being in and out for a week.”
Jacobs’ time in Odessa gave him new insights into the game.
“You just pick up on the little details, he said, “and just how they go about things differently, how they see the game differently, and how it’s just at a faster level. It just helps you elevate your game and play better. It’s a faster speed.
“The guys were accepting and really, really helped me out. Being sent there helped me grow and be a better hockey player.”
It took some time but Jacobs adapted to the NAHL’s pace.
“Once you go there the first few minutes of practice are definitely a little shocking,” he said, “but after that you just pick right up where you left off.
“It’s not too bad, at least I thought. I thought the speed was pretty good, and I like playing at that speed.
“It’s definitely a great group around to help you elevate your game.”
Virtually everyone in the Tier II NAHL has aspirations of playing at a higher level of junior hockey and/or in college, and Jacobs, who has signed a tender to play in Odessa next season, is no exception.
But he will take his memories of his time at Malvern Prep with him. Jacobs finished his final high-school season with 18 goals and 19 assists for 37 points, including a goal and four assists in three Class AAA Flyers Cup games. He played on Flyers Cup championship teams his first two high-school seasons and on a state-championship team as a freshman. This year’s edition of the Friars, with Jacobs as their captain, reached the Flyers Cup finals before falling to La Salle.
“Winning that state championship is something I’ll remember forever,” Jacobs said, “and going back to back in the Flyers Cup.
“That (2022 team) was a special team and having a bigger role on that team as opposed to being a freshman, that was huge, being a bigger part. I thought I had a pretty solid part in my freshman year but I’ll definitely take away those first two years because we came out on top.”
As a captain, Jacobs embraced the role of mentor to his teammates.
“I enjoyed that,” he said, “being able to teach the younger guys what I was taught when I was younger.”
Some of Jacobs’ fondest memories of Malvern Prep were made off the ice.
“I’m going to take away the friendships and relationships I made with everyone,” he said. “Winning is great and all but the relationships are what I’m going to take away the most, just because it was a great experience all my four years.”
Jeremy Jacobs
Wednesday, March 20
Class AAA Final
6:00 at Hatfield Ice
La Salle (22-3)—The defending champion Explorers are trying for their 13th Flyers Cup title, an achievement that would expand on their all-time record of 12 , the most of any school in any classification.
Head coach Wally Muehlbronner has been on the winning side in a final on 10 occasions.
This year’s team bested Perkiomen Valley 5-1 and Holy Ghost Prep 5-2 to reach the finals.
Seven different players have scored goals in the two Flyers Cup games. Grant Lagreca has two goals and two assists. Dean Carvalho has scored three goals while James Carpenter has provided two goal and an assist.
Malvern Prep (11-8)
The Friars have claimed 10 Flyers Cup titles, second only to La Salle on the all-time list. Victories over Devon Prep 8-0 and St. Joseph’s Prep 3-1 put them in the finals.
Ten different Malvern Prep players have scored goals in the tournament. Jeremy Jacobs leads the way with a goal and three assists. Aidan Kelly has added a goal and two assists.
This marks the third meeting of the season between the two teams. La Salle won the two regular-season meetings.
11-22 La Salle 4 Malvern Prep 1
1-17 La Salle 3 Malvern Prep 0
Class AA Final
8:45 at Hatfield Ice
Pennridge 21-2-2
The top-seeded Rams claimed the Class AA Flyers Cup and state titles in 2022 and reached the Cup finals last season.
This year’s team reached the finals with wins over Bensalem 10-2, Downingtown East 5-1 and Downingtown West 10-1
The Rams feature one of the most explosive lines that has ever skated for any area high-school team. Shane Dachowski has six goals and five assists for 11 points in three Cup games. Kevin Pico has five goals and five assists for 10 points, while Andrew Savona has provided four goals and four assists for eight points.
Council Rock South 24-1
The second-seeded Golden Hawks are seeking their fourth Flyers Cup. The previous three came in 2009, ’11, and ’12.
This year’s squad reached the finals with wins over Spring-Ford 12-0, Cherokee 7-1, and Boyertown 3-1. Kevin Koles is the team’s top tournament scorer with three goal and nine assists for 12 points. Blaise Pepe has accumulated three goal and five assists for eight points, while Jake Weiner has provided five goals and two assists for seven points.
This marks the fourth time the Ram and Golden Hawks have faced one another this season.
12-13 Pennridge 7 Council Rock South 3
2-7 Council Rock South 8 Pennridge 7
2-29 Council Rock South 7 Pennridge 2*
*For the SHSHL National Division championship
Thursday, March 14
Class AAA Semifinals
La Salle 5 Holy Ghost Prep 2
Malvern Prep 3 St. Joseph’s Prep 1—Teague Murray and James Young scored first-period goals and the second-seeded Friars went on to beat the third-seeded Hawks Thursday night in a Class AAA Flyers Cup semifinal at Ice Line.
Henry Tesoriero also scored for Malvern Prep (11-8) which will meet La Salle in the final.
Tristan Winata scored for St. Joseph’ Prep (16-7)
St. Joseph’s Prep 0 0 1—1
Malvern Prep 2 0 1—3
First-period goals: Teague Murray (MP) from Jeremy Jacobs and Jonathan Holt, 12:11 (pp); James Young (MP) from Logan Love, 13:47
Third-period goals: Henry Tesoriero (MP) unassisted, 15:25 (en); Tristan Winata (SJP) unassisted. 16:09
Shots: St. Joseph’s Prep 36, Malvern Prep 35; Saves: Jacob Aranda (SJP) 32; Matt Crawford (MP) 35
Class AA Semifinals
Penneidge 10, Downingtown West 1—
The top-seeded Rams scored six goals in the first period and rolled to the win over the fourth-seeded Whippets in a Class AA semifinal Thursday night at Hatfield Ice.
Shane Dachowswki scored four goals for Pennridge (21-2-2) and added an assist. Nolan Shaw provided two goals. Kevin Pico, Josh Kelly, Tyler Manto, and Andrew Savona all scored goals.
Joseph Butter scored for Downingtown West (18-5)
Downingtown West 0 1 0
Pennridge 6 2 2
Council Rock South 3 Boyertown 1
Championship games will be played Tuesday, and Wednesday, March 19, and 20.
Brady Doyle scored two first-period goals in a span of two-and-a-half minutes and the Friars rolled to the 8-0 shutout win over the Tide Monday night at Ice Line in a Class AAA Flyers Cup first-round game.
Second-seeded Malvern Prep broke the game open with five goals in the second frame. Aidan Kelly, Jonathan Holt, Colin Inskeep, Jeremy Jacobs, and Recce Hanna all scored for the Friars (10-8,) who will face St. Joseph’s Prep next Thursday in the semifinals.
Devon Prep 0 0 0—0
Malvern Prep 3 5 0—8
First-period goals: Brady Doyle (MP) from Jeremy Jacobs, 4:13; Doyle (MP) from Jacobs, 6:36 (pp); Aidan Kelly (MP) unassisted, 15:54
Second-period goals: Jonathan Holt (MP) from Andrew Starck and James Young, 1:14; Colin Inskeep (MP) from Caiden Canale and Kelly, 3:17; Canale (MP) from Teague Murray and Kelly, 6:08; Jacobs (MP) unassisted, 9:05 (pp); Reece Hanna (MP) unassisted, 11:31
Shots; Devon Prep 10, Malvern Prep 66; Saves: Aidan Wright (DP) and Grant Gale (DP) 54, Matt Crawford (MP) 10
Wednesday’s Founders Cup championship game between La Salle and St. Joseph’s Prep will mark the conclusion of the Atlantic Prep Athletic Conference’s sixth season.
Jim Britt has served the APAC’s commissioner since the conference was formed prior to the 2018-19 season. He expressed satisfaction with how the league has evolved since then.
“We have been very pleased,” he said “The reason why the APAC has been so successful is that the institutions are so likeminded when it comes to developing the whole student, athletically, academically, and with a strong service component. This year, it’s been amazing with all the schools, how well they’ve done on the ice with the competition among each other, and against schools from other leagues.
“But the special things they’ve done off the ice have been truly amazing, so it’s a great thing. And we’re looking forward to continuing and growing that.”
Hockey is a varsity sport at all five APAC schools. Britt, who at one time was the head coach at Holy Ghost Prep, says the conference’s hockey programs are aligned with the philosophies of each member school.
“One of the benefits of the way we are structured and the schools, the way they approach it, is that hockey is an integral part of the school’s institutions,” he said. “Their DNA, their philosophies, their values, the integrity of what they’re trying to do.
As a hockey coach, one of the things amazingly valuable was the structure that we might try and instill in the hockey players didn’t stop at the rink door. It was part and parcel of the daily experience at the school. I used to joke that I found it easy to coach when my boss was the athletic director because I knew the philosophies and values that school exhibited and wanted to demonstrate through the athletic program; it was easy to comply with that. It’s a whole lot easier to get everyone the same page.”
Britt credit the coaches of the five conference schools for their approach and for understanding what the APAC is about.
“I’ve known all of the APAC coaches for many years, dare I say decades,” he said.
“The latest coach to join, John Ritchie at Holy Ghost Prep, was one of my players. I’m very proud to be part of this circle of people who are trying to do the right thing and provide an outstanding experience for the hockey players.”
There is considerable speculation within the area hockey community concerning if and the APAC will expand beyond its current alignment of Holy Ghost Prep, Hun School, and Malvern Prep in addition to the two Founders Cup finalists. Britt deals with that issue on a regular basis.
“I don’t think a week goes by, especially this past season, where someone hasn’t pulled me aside or sent me an e-mail [regarding expansion],” he said.
“We’re going to enjoy this APAC playoff season and certainly look forward to a successful Flyers Cup season at the AAA level for the four teams who do compete in the Flyers Cup, then we’ll get together and decide the direction of next year and possible growth.
“There are several school who have expressed an interest in joining the APAC but we want to make sure that everything is aligned correctly, the right way, so that the integrity of the conference remains high. That the schools that might be considered to join APAC are competitive, are aligned with the same values on and off the ice. I would not want to predict a timeline for growth or anything in the near future.”
All season long, St. Joseph’s Prep has counted on young players to step up in big situations. One of them did Wednesday night when it mattered most.
Sophomore Michael Castelli’s goal with 6:53 remaining in regulation was decisive as the Hawks bested Malvern Prep 3-2 in an Atlantic Prep Athletic Conference semifinal at the University of Pennsylvania’s Class of 1923 Arena. The third-seeded Hawks (15-5) will face top-seeded La Salle next Wednesday at Hatfield Ice (time TBD) for the Founders Cup. It will mark the school’s first appearance in the final in the six-year history of the APAC.
Castelli, a first-year varsity player, described the winning goal.
“My teammate [Ben Kersun] shot from the point,” he said. “I drove the net hard, got the rebound, and buried it.”
Castelli’s effort on the game winner is what the Hawks have come to expect from the underclassmen on the roster.
Senior captain John Lynch noted their impact in the semifinal.
“It was huge,” he said. “They show that they deserve ice time out there. Because they’re working just as hard as [the upperclassmen] do. And we try to push them as hard as we can. “They’re really earning their ice. They’re not given the ice. They’re earning it every time and they’re getting better every game.”
Castelli says the support of the upperclassmen has sped his development as a player.
“They’v been great,” he said. They’re just very supportive. Never negative,”
The second-seeded Friars (9-8) took the ice missing several key performers due to injury, including their captain, Jeremy Jacobs.
But they took the early lead when Jonathan Holt found the back of the net just 1:53 into the opening period. Tristan Winata tied the game for the Hawks 10:07 into the second frame but Caiden Canale put Malvern Prep back in front with 3:52 left in the period.
Lynch tied the game for St. Joseph’s Prep with a power-play goal 4:34 into the final period as momentum gradually shifted in the Hawks’ direction.
“I thought we had a good period-and-a-half of hockey,” said Malvern Prep coach Bill Keenan. “[St. Joseph’s Prep] came out in the second half of that game and played well.
“Our third period cost us. We had two penalties off the get go playing shorthanded. That cost us.”
Ice chips: Both teams will be part of the field for the Class AAA Flyers Cup beginning the week of March 4. The Hawks and the Friars split two regular-season meetings.
St. Joseph’s Prep 0 1 2—3
Malvern Prep 1 1 0—2
First-period goal: Jonathan Holt (MP) from Brady Doyle and Caiden Canale, 1:53
Second-period goals: Tristan Winata (SJP) from Calum Hartnell, 10:07; Canale (MP) from Teague Murray and Aidan Kelly, 13:08
Third-period goals: John Lynch (SJP) from Cole Garson and Hartnell; Michael Castelli (SJP) from Ben Kersun, 10:07
Shots: St. Joseph’s Prep 24, Malvern Prep 15; Saves: Jacob Aranda (SJP) 13, Matt Crawford (MP) 21
Tuesday, February 20
APAC Play In
#5 Hun School at #4 Holy Ghost Prep
4:00 Grundy Arena
Hun School (4-10, 1-7 APAC)
A young Raider squad battled inexperience and injuries for much of the season. Justin Laplante scored four goals and added three assist in conference play. Julian Arsenault (.920 save percentage) and P.J. Angotti are both solid in goal.
Holy Ghost Prep (10-12, 3-5 APAC)
A young team matured as the season progressed.
Anthony Valeriote leads the team in scoring with four goals and 10 assists for 14 points in all competitions. Matt Cholaj has scored three goals and added 10 assists for 13 points.Jake McCaw finished regular season with nine goals and added four assists for 13 points; 3-3-6 in APAC play. Jack Unger is the probable starter in goal (.958 save percentage, 0.84 GAA in conference play; .893/2.36 in all competitions).
Wednesday, February 21
#1 La Salle vs Hun School/Holy Ghost Prep
4:00 at Class of 1923 Rink
La Salle (18-3, 8-0 APAC)
The defending conference, Flyers Cup, and state champion Explorers are seeking their fourth outright APAC title in the conference’s six-year history (they’ve also shared another). Dean Carvalho led the APAC in scoring with six goals and six assists for 12 points. He tallied 15 goals and 21 assists for 36 points in all competitions. Patrick Brace has collected eight goals and 11 assists for 19 point in all competitions; 4-3-7 in the APAC. Goaltender Jake Rossi has a season-long save percentage of .936 and a GAA of 1.63; .954/1.13 in conference play.
#3 St. Joseph’s Prep vs #2 Malvern Prep
6:15 at Class of 1923 Rink
St. Joseph’s Prep (14-5, 4-4 APAC)
A corps of young players combined with veteran leadership to record some impressive results for the Hawks this season. Brayden Collins led the team in scoring with eight goals and 13 assists for 21 points; 3-3-6 in conference play. John Lynch scored four goals and added 11 assists overall. Jake Schultz was the Hawks’ top scoring in APAC competition with four goals and three assists for seven points; 7-5-12 overall. Jacob Aranda started every conference game in goal and finished league play with an .894 saver percentage and a 3.09 GAA; .893/2.85 overall.
Malvern Prep (9-7, 4-4 APAC)
The Friars had their ups and down early on, but rebounded to win six of their last nine games. Jeremy Jacobs led the team in scoring with 17 goals and 15 assists for 32 points; 5-6-11 in conference play. Caiden Canale deposited six goals and added seven assists for 13 points in all competitions; 1-4-5 in the APAC. Brady Doyle added five goals and seven assists overall; 1-4-5 in conference play. Goaltender Matt Crawford turned in a .935 save percentage in APAC play with a 2.27 GAA; .911-2.62 in all competitions.
Final Regular Season Standings
W L OTW OTL Pts GF GA
La Salle (18-3) 8 0 0 0 24 36 9
Malvern Prep (9-7) 4 4 2 2 12 18 20
St. Joseph’s Prep (14-5) 4 4 1 0 11 28 25
Holy Ghost Prep (10-12) 3 5 0 1 9 13 20
Hun School (4-10) 1 7 0 1 3 16 37
Playoff Schedule
Tuesday 2-20
4:00 (5) Hun School vs. (4) Holy Ghost Prep at Grundy Arena
Wednesday, February 21
4:00 Hun School or Holy Ghost Prep vs. (1). La Salle
6:15 (3) Malvern Prep vs. (2) St. Joseph’s Prep
Both game at Class of 1923 Rink
Wednesday, February 28
Tentative date for Founders Cup final to be hosted by highest seeded finalist
Scoring (Conference Games) GP G A Pts. PPG
Dan Carvalho (L) 8 6 6 12 1.50
Jeremy Jacobs (MP) 8 5 6 11 1.38
Patrick Brace (L) 8 4 3 7 0.88
William Carpenter (L) 8 1 6 7 0.88
Justin Laplante (HS) 8 4 3 7 0.88
Jake Schultz (SJP) 7 4 3 7 0.88
Ryan Levesque (HS) 6 1 4 5 0.83
Jake McCaw (HGP) 8 3 3 6 0.75
Brayden Collins (SJP) 8 3 3 6 0.75
Julian Tarsi (L) 8 3 3 6 0.75
Declan Kelly (L) 8 1 5 6 0.75
Will Gregorio (L) 8 1 5 6 0.75
Tristan Winata (SJP) 8 6 0 6 0.75
Save Pct (Conference Games) GP Shots GA Save Pct.
Jack Unger (HGP) 4 72 3 .958
Jake Rossi (L) 7 197 9 .954
Matt Crawford (MP) 7 293 19 .935
Julian Arseneault (HS) 4 200 16 .920
Jaccob Aranda (SJP) 8 235 25 .894
Goals Against (Conference Games)
Jack Unger (HGP) 0.84
Jake Rossi (L) 1.13
Matt Crawford (MP) 2.27
Jacob Aranda (SJP) 3.09
Julian Arsenault (HS) 3.10
(Goaltemders must have played 153 minutes in conference games)
Hockey Happenings 