APAC Previews 2023-24

The Atlantic Prep Athletic Conference is embarking on its sixth season. Here’s a look at what to expect.

Holy Ghost Prep

Coach: John Richie (first season)

Last year: 18-8, 4-2-1-1 in APAC

Key players: Jr. Jack Unger (G); Sr. Mike Holt (D); Jr. Ryan Lippy (D); Sr. A.J. Prete (F); St. Matt Cholaj (Sr.); Sr. Jake McCaw (F)

Outlook: Richie, who once played for the Firebirds, takes over for the retired Gump Whiteside.

This year’s team will be a young group that will be lacking much of last season’s offensive firepower.

“The strength of this year’s team will be the returning defensive corps,” Richie said, “who have all played varsity before. We have great depth within the program and expect a lot of players to get opportunities at the varsity level this upcoming season as players look to establish their role and solidify their spots come playoff time.”

Unger’s experience in goal will help.

Hun School

Coach: Eric Szeker (first season)

Last year: 11-13, 3-5 in APAC

Key Players: Sr. Julien Arseneault (G); Sr. Charles-Étienne Jetté (D); Sr. Ryan Levesque (F); Sr. Justin Laplante (F); Sr. Brendan Marino (F); Sr. Jack Neckritz (F)

Outlook: Szeker, a Hun School alum, takes over for Ian McNally after serving as his assistant. Ten seniors are gone from last year’s team but some impressive talent returns and Szeker is enthused about the newcomers who will be stepping into the varsity lineup.

“We will be looking to our sophomore class to make a big jump this season,” he said, “with plenty of holes to fill.”

Arsenault heads up the goaltending corps, while Levesque, Laplante and Marino will be counted on to provide the majority of the scoring punch.

La Salle

Coach: Wally Muehlbronner (26^th season)

Last year: 16-9-2, 6-2 in APAC; defending Founders Cup, and Class AAA Flyers Cup and state champions

Key players: Jr. Jake Rossi (G); Sr. Thomas Doucet (D); Sr. Charlie Budd (D); Jr. Cam Ross (D); Jr. Will Gregorio (D); Dean Carvalho (F); Sr. James Carpenter (F), Sr. Patrick Brace (F); Sr. Ryan Wiley (F); Sr. Charlie Kennedy (F); Sr. Liam Donahue (F)

Outlook: The Explorers come into the season off their 11^th Flyers Cup title and seventh state championship. They’ve also claimed three of the previous five Founders Cup titles and shared another.

This year’s roster features what Muehlbronner calls “A nice group of players,” one that is deep and offers scoring balance.

Rossi is being counted on in goal.

Malvern Prep

Coach: Bill Keenan (fifth season)
Last year: 10-8, 2-5-0-1 in APAC

Key players: Jr. Matt Crawford (G); Sr. Brady Doyle (D); Jr. Matt Barbacane (D); So. Cole Scrabinsky (D); Sr. Jeremy Jacobs (F); Sr. Caiden Canale (F); Sr. Aidan Kelly (F); Sr. Brayden Baum (F); Jr. Gabe Bedwell (F); Jr. Teague Murray (F); So. Pax Hoishik F

Outlook: The Friars struggled in the APAC last season but they return a core group of experienced upperclassmen, including Jacobs, who is the APAC’s top returning scorer.

The mix will also include a group of promising newcomers.

“We are excited to see what this younger incoming class can do,” Keenan said. “The seniors in this group are probably one of the best groups of seniors that has come through our program since we won back in 2021. The boys are just having fun and are ready to compete day in and day out. The energy and work this group is putting in is great to see.”

St. Joseph’s Prep

Coach: David Giacomin (11^th season)

Last year: 16-7-2, 3-4-1-0 in APAC

Key players: Jr. Jacob Aranda (G); Sr. John Lynch (D); Sr. Gareth McDonald (D); Sr. Shane O’Neil (D); Sr. Tyler Degirolamo (D); Sr. Brayden Collins (F); Jr. Tristan Winata (F); Jr. Jake Schultz (F); Jr. Caden Kelly (F)

Outlook: The Hawks lost 10 seniors off last year’s team, one that was a formidable group when all the pieces were in place, and claimed a title at the prestigious Purple Puck tournament.

The returning corps of veterans will be bolstered by some promising newcomers, including Aranda in goal.

“We hope to be a speed driven team that will play hard in all three zones,” Giacomin said. “Depth will play a big role this year. With offensive returnees and the defense leading the way we hope to get off to a fast start and build from there.”

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APAC Recap for 10-25-23

Malvern Prep 6 St. John’s College High 3

Jeremy Jacobs scored three goals and assisted on a fourth as Malvern Prep defeated St. John’s College High 6-3 Wednesday afternoon in a non-league game in Rockville, Md.

Caiden Canale, House Young and Henry Tesoriero scored one goal each as the Friars won their second straight.

Council Rock South 6, St. Joseph’s Prep 3

Council Rock South came out on top in Wednesday’s non-league game at the Class of 1923 Rink on the University of Pennsylvania campus.

Blind Hockey Event to Kick Off Scholastic Season

The Philadelphia Blind Hockey 3 on 3 Blind Awareness Tournament will serve as the unofficial curtain raiser for the scholastic hockey season. It will also exemplify the power of the game of hockey to give back to the communities it touches.

Nine high-school teams will converge at Hatfield Ice on Thursday night. North Penn will be one of them.

Kevin Vaitis, the Knights’ head coach, notes the positive impact hockey has on the community at large.

“We are always looking for ways that we as an organization can give back to the community,” he said. “We do volunteer work, organize a toy drive for those in our community, and help run learn-to -play programs for future ice hockey players at North Penn.

“When we were asked to participate in this event, this was a no-brainer. To give the players an opportunity to see what kind of impact they can make when we all come together for a common cause is truly an unforgettable moment that these kids will remember for a long time. We thank (Flyers Cup President Eric Tye) and the members of Blind Hockey Awareness for including us and we look forward to a great evening and raising a lot of money for a wonderful cause.”

Holy Ghost Prep will also field a team in the tournament. Senior forward Mike Holt, the Firebirds’ captain feels it’s important that he be in the lineup.

“As a captain, I feel like there was definitely a need to step up and let our guys know what we’re all about at Ghost,” he said. “Although a big part of what we do is trying to win and things like that, another big part of it is giving back to the community and I feel like I needed to set that example for my teammates.

“I feel like it’s going to be a great opportunity not just to show my teammates but to show everybody in the awareness that needs to be set for blind hockey.”

Holt, as well as the other players who will skate in the tournament, had a chance to try on the reduced-vision goggles the players will wear on the ice.

“It was definitely a unique experience,” Holt said, “but I think one of the things we took away from it was really realizing what these guys and girls playing blind hockey, or with any kind of disability, go through, not just in hockey but in everyday life, every single day.

“I think it’s important that we raise awareness and we kind of feel what they have to go through. I think it’s really important that we were able to get that experience and so having had that experience we are definitely pumped up to raise awareness and to participate.”

North Penn captain Joey Silvotti, a senior forward, has also tried on the goggles.

“It was challenging,” he said. “When I put the goggles on, I started to think how hard it must be for these players who go through this every day. It made me look forward to being able to participate in the fundraiser event. Myself along with my team and the other teams that night, we want to do everything we can to make it a great night for all those players that are a part of the Blind Hockey Awareness program.”

Besides North Penn and Holy Ghost Prep, the tournament will also include Pennridge, Central Bucks South, Haverford, Malvern Prep, Springfield-Delco, Father Judge, and Penncrest.

Player introductions begin at 6:00 and the first games will kick off at 6:25.

Malvern Prep 7 West Chester East 2

Malvern Prep jumped to a 4-0 second-period lead and went on to a season-opening 7-2 win over West Chester East Wednesday afternoon in a non-league game at Ice Line.

Jeremy Jacobs led the way for the Friars with three goals and a pair of assists. Caiden Canale, House Young, Brady Doyle, and Finn Gatta scored one goal each.

Teagan Stutzman and Jimmy Haynes scored for the Vikings.

West Chester East 0 2 0—2

Malvern Prep 3 3 1—7

First-period goals: Caiden Canale (MP) from Jeremy Jacobs, 16:25; House Young (MP) from Alex March, 15:42; Jacobs (MP) unassisted, 5:43.

Second-period goals: Jacobs (MP) from Brayden Baum, 15:51; Teagan Sturzman (WCE) from Colin Mastronardo, 15:14; Jacobs (MP) from Logan Love, 11:46; Jimmy Haynes (WCE) from Cam Greenawalt, 1:48; Brady Doyle (MP) from Caiden Canale and Jacobs, 1:12 (pp).

Third-period goal: Finn Gatta (MP) from Cole Soarbinsky, 8:52.

Shots: West Chester East 43, Malvern Prep 43; Saves: Cameron Chandler (WCE) 36, Matt Crawford (MP) 12 and Ryan Caterino (MP) 29

Friars’ Doyle, Canale Eying Senior Season

The start of a new hockey season is at hand. That has given Brady Doyle something of a new perspective. A senior defenseman at Malvern Prep, the West Chester native understands the clock is ticking on his high-school hockey career.

“I feel like I have a lot more confidence now,” he said. “I’m playing with a lot of kids I’m older than; I have more experience. My final year I feel like I’ve got to push way harder. I’m never going to have another chance at it.

Doyle has seen plenty of ice time with the Friars and has been part of two Class AAA Flyers Cup championship teams. As a senior however, he finds himself taking on new responsibilities, notably in the realm of leadership. He says he’s comfortable in that role.

“Definitely,” he said. “I feel like all the underclassmen look up to the seniors, no matter what so. I don’t have any problem speaking up.”

Doyle enrolled at Malvern Prep in the eighth grade at the urging of teammates Jimmy and Jeremy Jacobs.

“It really felt like home,” he said.”

Like many of his peers, Doyle had to learn to manage his team and balance his commitments to academics, playing for the Friars, and club hockey.

“I try to get a lot of my academics done during the day,” he said. “Whenever I get home, I’m trying to get my homework done, then it’s practice the rest of the night.

“I kind of break it down; school first at the beginning of the day and hockey at night.”

Doyle’s teammate, senior forward Caiden Canale, had a cousin who attended Malvern Prep some years ago. Canale himself played for the middle-school hockey team before stepping up to the varsity. He says to this point he’s been enjoying his senior year of high school.

“It’s been great so far,” he said. “I’m a little nervous like everybody else. But I definitely have to step it up. Senior year is our last year so you’ve just got to make the most of it.”

Canale speaks to the importance of leadership within the ranks of the players.

“As seniors we’ve been on the team for four years,” he said. “We kind of have to help the underclassmen live up to expectations.”

Canale, a West Chester native, believes in leading by example. “In my opinion one of the most important aspects of leadership by action is my actions,” he said.

Canale noted his perception of the game of hockey has changed over the course of his career.

“As a freshman and sophomore, it was crazy fast paced,” he said. “I’m getting a little bit more used to it now, but it’s always going to be super fast so you always have to adjust.”

Last year’s Malvern Prep team finished 10-8 overall and 2-5-0-1 in the Atlantic Prep Athletic Conference before reaching the Class AAA Flyers Cup semifinals.

Doyle notes the caliber of play in the conference dictates that its teams bring their best efforts to the rink every time out.

“I feel like every year you’ve got to step it up,” he said. Every team gets better every year.”

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Schedule Set for Philadelphia Blind Hockey Benefit

The schedule has been announced for the Philadelphia Blind Hockey 3 on 3 Blind Awareness tournament. The event is set for Thursday, October 26 at Hatfield Ice beginning at 6 p.m. with pre-tournament introductions. Nine high-school teams will play in the tournament, which will feature three-on-three cross-ice games (three skaters and a goaltender).

The players will be wearing goggles to simulate visual impairment; goaltenders will be blindfolded.

Proceeds from the event will benefit Philadelphia Blind Hockey, which is staging the tournament in conjunction with the Flyers Cup Committee.

The nine schools will be divided into three pools of three teams each. The schedule is as follows:

6:25 Holy Ghost Prep vs. Central Bucks South

Pennridge vs. Father Judge

Malvern Prep at North Penn

6:55 Haverford vs. Holy Ghost Prep

Father Judge vs. Penncrest

Springfield (Delco) vs. Malvern Prep

7:25 Central Bucks South vs. Haverford

Penncrest vs. Pennridge

North Penn vs. Springfield-Delco

For more information about the tournament, go to the Flyers Cup You Tube Channel

Atlantic Prep Athletic Conference All-Conference Team 2023

The 2023 All-APAC team as selected by the conference coaches.

First Team

F Brady Baehser Holy Ghost Prep Sr.

F Chase Hannon La Salle Sr.

F Joey Samango St. Joseph’s Prep Sr.

D Matt Giordano La Salle Sr.

D Ryan Lippy Holy Ghost Prep So.

G Stephen Chen Hun School Sr.

G Aries Carangi La Salle Sr.

@ The vote for goaltender ended in a tie

Second Team

F Jeremy Jacobs Malvern Prep Jr.

F Jeffrey Hammond St. Joseph’s Prep Sr.

F Justin LaPlante Hun School Jr.

D Brady Doyle Malvern Prep Jr.

D John Lynch St. Joseph’s Prep Jr.

G Rocco Bruno St. Joseph’s Prep Sr.

Honorable Mention

F Jim Jacobs Malvern Prep Sr.

F Elian Estulin Hun School Sr.

F Kieran Mulholland Holy Ghost Prep Sr.

F John Seravalli Holy Ghost Prep Sr.

F Ryan Desmond La Salle Sr.

F TimWhittock La Salle Sr.

D Scott Richmond Hun School Sr.

D Michael Holt Holy Ghost Prep Jr.

D Jack Sharer Malvern Prep Sr.

D RyanWarner La Salle Sr.

D Shane O’Neill St. Joseph’s Prep Jr.

G Brandon Novabilski Malvern Prep Sr.

G Colin Mudrick Holy Ghost Prep Sr.

Malvern Prep 6 Father Judge 2

WEST GOSHEN—After an up-and-down regular season and a loss in the APAC play-in game, Malvern Prep had an opportunity to make a fresh start Monday night in the quarterfinal round of the Class AAA Flyers Cup. The Friars made the most of the opportunity.

Jimmy and Jeremy Jacobs two goals each as Malvern Prep, the defending Cup champion, turned in a dominant performance in a 6-2 win over Father Judge at Ice Line.

The fourth-seeded Friars (10-7). will face top-seeded La Salle in the semifinals on a date to be announced. The fifth-seeded Crusaders closed the campaign at 15-4-0-1. Three of their losses were to APAC teams.

It’s best to be wary of an unfamiliar opponent at Flyers Cup time, and the Friars and the Crusaders did not meet during the regular season.

Jimmy Jacobs said the Friars focused on what they had to do as versus what the Crusaders might do.

“I think they only thing we could do is just play out game,” he said, “and see how we do from there. You can’t really have a game plan if you’ve never played against them before.”

Jeremy Jacobs said that lack of familiarity helped keep him and his teammates focused.

“It’s the Flyers Cup, it’s one and done,” he said. “It could be over if you lose. You’ve definitely got to treat the game like it’s a championship game, and just go out there and play as hard as you can.”

The Friars did just that, especially in the first period. It took Jimmy Jacobs just 2 minutes, 16 sends to get a puck past Crusader goaltender David Marcellino to give Malvern Prep a 1-0 lead. Jeremy Jacobs extended the Friars’ lead with a shorthand goal at the 8:09 mark. Devon Mallon got father Judge on the scoreboard exactly 12 minutes unto the opening session, but Jack Sharer answered for the Friars with 2:15 remaining in the period.

Jeremy Jacobs spoke to the importance of his team’s fast start.

“Just to get the tempo of the game going,” he said, and show them who we really are, and put pucks in the back of the net quick.

“Quick starts are really the key to games. Momentum off the start is huge.”

Jimmy Jacobs and Gavin Wilson scored goals 1 minute, 47 seconds apart to extend the Friars’ lead to 5-1 2:27 into the second period. The Friar offense was in high gear; by evening’s end they had been credited with 45 shots on goal.

Robert Cattalo scored for Judge 9:48 into the period to cut into the Malvern Prep lead but Jeremy Jacobs scored his second goal of the game 8:38 into the final period to put the exclamation point on the Friars’ win.

Jimmy Jacobs said he and his teammates are focused on the task at hand.
“The good thing with the Flyers Cup, and the bad thing, is it’s one and done.” he said.”

Father Judge. 1 1 0—2

Malvern Prep 3 2 1—6

First-period goals: Jimmy Jacobs (MP) from Jeremy Jacobs and Gabe Bedwell, 2:36; Jeremy Jacobs (MP) from Jimmy Jacobs, 8:09 (sh); Devon Mallon (FJ) from Robert Cattalo, 12:00; Jack Sharer (MP) unassisted, 14:45

Second-period goals: Jimmy Jacobs (MP) from Jeremy Jacobs, :40; Gavin Wilson (MP) unassisted, 2:27 Carratlo (FJ) from Gavin Moore, 9:48

Third-period goal: Jeremy Jacobs (MP) unassisted, 8:22 (sh)

Shots: Father Judge 29, Malvern Prep 45; Saves: David Marcellino 39, Brandon Novabilski 27

Flyers Cup Results Monday, March 6

Class A First Round

Penncrest 4 Plymouth Whitemarsh 0

Lower Dauphin 5 vs Unionville 1 6:30

Marple Newtown 7 vs. WC Henderson 2

Hershey 4 Strath Haven 2

Council Rock North 7 Radnor 2

7. Garnet Valley vs. 10. Springfield-Delco 9:00 at Skatium

WC Rustin 10 Wissahickon 0

Class AA First Round

Conestoga 6 Downingtown West 3

Class AAA First Round

Holy Ghost Prep 10 Cardinal O’Hara 1

Malvern Prep 6 Father Judge 2

All Tickets for Flyers Cup games must be purchased online via the Box Office link on the Flyers Cup web site. Make sure you select the correct game. Flyers Cup Programs will also be sold only online. The link for that is at the top of the Box Office. You can pick your program up by showing your Program purchase ticket at any Flyers Cup venue.

Hun School 5 Malvern Prep 2

HAMILTON TOWNSHIP, N.J.—The playoff environment gave The Hun School Raiders a spring in their step. Brendan Marino scored goals as the Raiders kicked off the Atlantic Prep Athletic Conference Tuesday afternoon with a 5-2 win over Malvern Prep in a play-in game at Ice Land.

The win advances the fourth-seeded Raiders (10-12 overall) to the APAC semifinals; They’ll oppose La Salle on February 22 at 4:00 at Hatfield Ice. Fifth-seeded Malvern Prep (8-7) will be idle until the Class AAA Flyers Cup tournament next month.

The Raiders’ aggressive style worked to their advantage as they physically dominated the Friars from the outset.

“I think we’ve got an older team” Marino said, “a big, strong team and I think it helped us early in the game, because we’re able to get physical, get pucks in, get pucks out, and play together as a team.”

Hun School coach Ian McNally noted the referees were tolerant of physical play early on. There were no penalties called in the first period. There were seven whistled in the second period and 10 in the third.

“The first two periods there weren’t many penalties being called,” McNally said. “That let us kind of set the tone.”

Malvern Prep was laboring under the additional burden of being shorthanded; offensive catalysts Jimmy and Jeremy Jacobs were away on club duty.

By the time the first period ended, the Friars were in a 2-0 hole.

Hun School’s Justin LaPlante and Malvern Prep’s Pax Hoshik barrel in front of the Malvern Prep net. (photo: Robert Barnes)

Josh Sosner got things started for the Raiders 10:30 into the opening period off an offensive zone faceoff. Marino made it 2-0 with 32 seconds left in the period when he topped in Aidan Shine’s shot from the right point.

Gavin Wilson got Malvern Prep on the board 3:08 into the second frame when he beat Stephen Chen in the Hun School net.

The Raiders answered back almost six minutes later with one of the most picturesque goals of the APAC season. Charles Etienne-Jeffe played the puck the puck up the center of the ice from the midway point on his own defensive zone and caught Ryan Levesque in full stride. Levesque beat the Friar defense and goaltender Brandon Novabilski to make it a 3-1 game at the 9:04 mark.

Just 31seconds later, Elian Estulin gave the hosts a 4-1 lead.

Aidan Kelly cut onto that lead when he scored for the Friars with 4:09 left in the period.

Going into the third frame, Jared Ingersol, who filled in for Bill Keenan behind the Malvern Prep bench (Keenan was absent due to a family issue) thought his team still had a shot as it started the third period with a 72-second power play; Marino was serving a high-sticking sentence.

“We thought we were right there coming out of the second period,” Ingersol said. “Hopefully we could get a power-play goal and get us back in the game.”

Alas for the Malvern Prep faithful, it wasn’t to be. The Raiders killed the remaining penalty time and Marino scored his second goal of the game and what turned out to be the only goal of the third period, just nine seconds after his penalty expired.

McNally saw the win as a season’s worth of effort paying off.

“We’ve had a lot of games where we work hard,” he said. “We shoot the puck, I think we’re playing physical, but we don’t score the clutch goals when we need them.

“And today was back-to-back breakaways and a guy coming out of the box for a breakaway goal. Those goals are clutch goals at the right time.”

Ice Chips—Hun School and La Salle will open the semifinal doubleheader next Wednesday at 4:00. The second semifinal matching second seed Holy Ghost Prep and third seed St. Joseph’s Prep will follow at 6:15. The Founders Cup title game is set for March 1. It will be hosted by the highest seeded finalist.

Malvern Prep 0 2 0—2

Hun School 2 2 1—5

First-period goals: Josh Sosner (HS) from Aidan Shine and Justin LaPlante, 10:30; Brendan Marino (HS) from Shine and Ryan Levesque 16:28

Second-period goals: Gavin Wilson (MP) from Matt Barbacane and Teague Murray, 3:08; Ryan Levesque (HS) from Charles Etienne-Jeffe, 9:04; Elian Estulin (HS) from Levesque and Charles Guida,9:35; Aidan Kelly (MP) from Murray and Jack Sharer, 11:51 (pp)

Third-period goals: Brendan Marino (HS) from Vincent Gregoire, 1:23

Shots: Malvern Prep 24, Hun School 52; Saves: Brandon Novabilski (MP) 47, Stephen Chen (HS) 22