SHSHL Playoff Update for 2-26-25

National Division Semifinals

At Hatfield Ice

8:00 North Penn (17-2)

Coach: Kevin Vaitis

Players to watch: Samuel Norton 30 goals, 27 assists, 57 points; Cole Pluck 32-24-56; Nolan Shingle 20-16-36; Aidan Quigley 1.92 GAA, .924 save percentage; Andrew Norton 2.28 GAA, .901 save percentage

Central Bucks South (16-5)

Coach: Shaun McGinty

Players to watch: Sean Cutter 18 goals, 19 assists, 37 points; Jeff Kvecher 13-22-35; Joey Slobodrian 17-15-32; Dom Gibson 17-15-32 Jake Matkowski 3.75 GAA, .838 save percentage; Nate Napolitano 3.53, .866

Notes: The teams split two regular-season meetings. South won 6-5 on Thanksgiving Eve, November 27, and North Penn prevailed 4-2 on November 11.

The winner will play North Penn or Central Bucks South for the division title on Thursday. The highest seeded finalist will host.

North Penn is seeded second for the upcoming Class AA Flyers Cup. South is seeded fifth.

At Grundy Arena

7:30 Council Rock South (18-2)

Coach: Joe Houk

Players to watch: Jake Weiner 41 goal, 19 assists, 60 points; Jeremy Rayher 29-30-59; Jordan Sarne 18-23-41; Trey Prozzillo 2.98 GAA, .880 save percentage

Pennridge (13-7)

Coach: Jeff Montagna

Players to watch Shane Dachowski 35 goals, 26 assists, 61 points; James Rush 25-26-51; Jacob Winton 2.50 GAA, .921 save percentage

Notes: Council Rock South won both regular-season meetings, 6-5 on January 8 and 5-2 on February 13 Tonight’s winner plays North Penn or Central Bucks South for the division championship on Thursday. The highest seeded finalist will host. South is seeded first for the upcoming Class AA Flyers Cup. Pennridge is seeded seventh.

American Division Semifinal

At Hatfield Ice

6:10 (2) Hatboro-Horsham vs (3) Springfield-Montco

Hatboro-Horsham (9-8, 9-7 in the American Division)

Coach: Shane Smith

Players to watch: Vince Graziani 22 goals, 25 assists, 47 points; Nate Nemchinov 27-28-45; Eric Miller 4.97 GAA, .800 save percentage

Springfield (8-8 overall and in the division)

Coach: Don Quinn

Players to watch: Owen Quinn 11 goals, 22 assists, 33 points; Grayson Quinn 14-9-23; Liam Baskin 3.02 GAA, .886 save percentage

Notes: Hatboro-Horsham won three of four regular-season meetings between the two teams. Wednesday’s winner faces top-seeded Plymouth Whitemarsh for the division Thursday at Hatfield Ice (6:00 start).

Hatboro-Horsham will be the 14^th seed in the upcoming Class A Flyers Cup regardless of how they fare Wednesday or Thursday. Springfield was not selected for the Flyers Cup.

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Explorers, Firebirds Win at Spring Mountain

La Salle 3 Malvern Prep 0

Three different players scored goals as La Salle bested Malvern Prep 3-0 Wednesday night in the opening game of the Atlantic Prep Athletic conference doubleheader at Spring Mountain Adventures.

The game was scoreless for almost two periods. Cameron Ross put the Explorers (8-5, 4-2 in the APAC) in front with 11 seconds left in the second period. Nole Donohue extended La Salle’s lead with 6:28 remaining in regulation and Grant LaGreca completed the scoring with 1:20 remaining.

Jake Rossi earned the shutout in goal with 13 saves. Matt Crawford stopped 23 shots for the Friars, who slipped to 2-7 overall and 1-4 in conference.

Malvern Prep 0 0 0—0

La Salle 0 1 2—3

Second-period goals: Cameron Ross (L) from John Greenwalt 16:49

Third-period goals: Nole Donohue (L) from Alistair St. Hillaire, 10:32; Grant LaGreca (L) unassisted, 15:40

Shots: Malvern Prep 13, La Salle 26 Saves: Matt Crawford (MP) 23, Jake Rossi (L) 13

Holy Ghost Prep 5 St. Joseph’s Prep 1

Brady Logue scored three goals and assisted on another as Holy Ghost Prep downed St. Joseph’ Prep 5-1 Wednesday night in the second half of the Atlantic Prep Athletic Conference doubleheader at Spring Mountain Adventures.

The Firebirds improved to 10-3 on the season and 4-2 in the APAC while the Hawks dropped to 8-5 overall and 4-2 in conference play.

Logue scored his first goal with one second remaining in the first period to give Holy Ghost Prep the lead. Patryk Oszer made it a 2-0 game 3:37 into the second period before Logue extended his team’s lead with a power-play goal with 43 seconds remaining.

Logue completed his hat trick 32 seconds into the third period and Joe Spadaccino made it a 5-0 game with 12:33 left in regulation.

Cole Gargon scored for St. Joseph’s Prep with 10:13 remaining.

Jack Unger earned the shutout in goal for Holy Ghost Prep by stopping 23 shots.

“It’s always difficult to judge the quality of a game when there are external factors like rink size and weather affecting the outcome,” said Holy Ghosy Prep coach John Ritchie, “but our guys had fun and it was good to get a win for eding decision down the road.

“The conditions were most difficult for the goalies. I was happy with how Unger handled the condtions.”

Holy Ghost Prep 1 2 2—5

St. Joseph’s Prep 0 0 1—1

First-period goal: Brady Logue (HGP) unassisted, 16:59

Second-period goals: Patryk Oszer (HGP) from Nathan Romer, 3:37; Logue (HGP) from Anthony Valeriote and Joe Spadaccino, 16:17

Third-period goals: Logue (HGP) from Joseph Kauffman, :32 (pp); Spadaccino (HGP) from Logue and Lucas Gonzalez, 4:27; Cole Gargon (SJP) from Frankie Ely, 6:47

Shots: Holy Ghost Prep 24, St. Joseph’s Prep 23; Saves: Jack Unger (HGP) 23, Bruno Mainardi (SJP) 19

C.B. South 10 C.B. West 2

HATFIELD TOWNSHIP—It took Central Bucks South some time to get started Wednesday night. But momentum kept building in the course of the Titans’ season-opening 10-2 win over Central Bucks West at Hatfield Ice Arena.

Leading just 1-0 after the opening period and 4-0 after the second, South put the game away with a four-goal spurt in a span of 3:03 early in the third period.

The Titans got contributions from many hands. Jeff Kvecher delivered a six-point night, scoring two goals and assisting four others. Ryan Montagna scored three goals and added an assist. Logan Hood added a goal and two assists while Keith Waldron generated three assists of his own.

Sean Cutter, the Titans’ captain, found his way onto the scoresheet with a goal and an assist.

“I thought we played pretty solid,” he said. “We started off slow, we definitely have stuff to clean up. But, I’m not disappointed. I think we’re going to have a strong season.”

West goaltender Isaac Mays his team in the game for two periods. The Bucks (0-1) were outshot 18-3 in the first frame and 64-18 for the game.

Anthony Dowd scored both goals for the Bucks, both of them coming in the third period.

The Bucks are one of youngest teams in the SHSHL but they made up for their lack of experience with a sustained effort.

“We’re young and we lack some experience,” said West coach Dave Baun, “but we play hard and you can’t really teach that. That’s a good baseline.

“If we play hard, we just gave to add one or two elements to our performance every game. If we do that, we’ll get better and the next time we play them, it will be a different game.”

South coach Shaun McGinty. “We had our shots, we had our chances [in the first period],” he said. “But with the first game you know nerves, anxiety, whatever you want to call it, the kids are going to play a little flat before they start settling in.

“After the first period we gave them a little talking to. Our D-zone was not what it should be. Then they were able to clean it up in the second and start to put it together. So, all in all it was a good showing by us, a step in the right direction.”

• The Titans carried pink stripes on their helmets to commemorate Breast Cancer Awareness Month [October). The mother of one of South’s players is cancer patient.

“It as meaningful not just for [Cutter’s teammate] but for the team,” Cutter said. “I think it shows the character of the team and what we stand for.”

C.B.West 0 0 2—2

C.B. South 1 3 6—10

First-period goal: Jeff Kvecher (CBS) from Keith Waldron, 9:20

Second-period goals: Logan Hood (CBS) from Peter Herring, 1:51; Ryan Montagna (CBS) from Kvecher, 3:38; Alexander Cannon (CBS) from Herring, 4:53

Third-period goals: Sean Cutter (CBS) from Hood, 2:35; Kvecher (CBS) from Waldron and Montagna, 4:11; Joe Slobodrian (CBS) from Hood, 5:21; Hood (CBS) from Cutter, 5:38; Anthony Dowd (CBW) unassisted, 7:09; Montagna (CBS) from Kvecher, 7:42; Montagna (CBS) from Kvecher and Waldron, 7:58; Dowd (CBW) from Zane Sanders, 10:24

Shots: C.B. West 18, C.B. South 64 Saves: Isaac Mays (CBW) 54, Nate Napolitano (CBS) 16