La Salle Alum Lipkin Signs With Arizona

Former La Salle College High School forward Sam Lipkin has signed an entry-level contract with the Arizona Coyotes.

Lipkin played for La Salle’s state championship team in 2019 before going on to play for the Chicago Steel in the USHL, where he was part of a Clark Cup championship team in 20212.

For the past two years, Lipkin has played college hockey for Quinipiac; he was part of an NCAA championship team last season.

He was the Coyotes’ seventh-round draft pick in 2021.

Lipkin will finish the 2024 season with the American Hockey League’s Tucson Roadrunners on an amateur tryout; his three-year entry-level contract will kick in next season.

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3 APAC Alums to Skate for U.S. at World Juniors

Three players with ties to Atlantic Prep Athletic Conference institutions will be part of the Team USA roster for the 47^th IIHF World Junior Ice Hockey Championships which will kick off the day after Christmas.

Forward Tyler Boucher, a native of Haddonfield, New Jersey, played at St. Joseph’s Prep. Kenny Connors, from Glen Mills, PA skated for Malvern Prep while Sam Lipkin, from Philadelphia, competed for La Salle.

All are forwards.

Boucher is currently playing for the Ottawa 67’s after playing one season at Boston University. He also spent two seasons in USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program His NHL draft rights are held by the Ottawa Senators, who made him their number-one draft pick (10^th overall in 2021).

Connors is in his first season at Massachusetts after playing two years of junior hockey with Dubuque in the NAHL. His NHL rights are held by the Los Angeles Kings, who selected him in the fourth round of the 2022 draft.

Lipkin is in his first season with Quinnipiac after spending two seasons with the Chicago Steel in the USHL. The Arizona Coyotes made him their seventh-round draft choice in the 2021 NHL draft.

The Junior World tournament is set for its customary holiday window, from December 26 through January 5 in Halifax, Nova Scotia and Moncton, New Brunswick. Games will be televised on the NHL Network.

LaSalle Win Class AAA State Title

By Rick Woelfel

Sam Lipkin and Michael Casey combined for five goals as LaSalle defeated North Allegheny 6-3 Saturday afternoon to win the Class AAA Pennsylvania Cup at the Robert Morris University Island Sports Center in Pittsburgh.

Daniel Sambuco scored a goal and added three assists as LaSalle won its sixth state championship, scoring three times in the third period to do it.

LaSalle’s top line of Lipkin, Casey, and Sambuco, the Explorers’ top line all season, accounted for just all six goals but four of the team’s five assists.

“The Casey, Lipkin, Sambuco line was clutch again,” said LaSalle coach Wally Muehlbronner.

Lipkin gave the Explorers (23-6) the lead just 20 seconds into the opening period on his team’s first shot of the game. Tyler Putnam tied the game for the Tigers 8:50 into the opening frame but Casey answered back just 28 seconds later to give LaSalle a 2-1 lead after one period.

Casey scored his second goal of the game at the 3:24 mark of the second period to give LaSalle a 3-1 lead but Aaron Miller scored twice for North Allegheny in a span of 2 minutes, 10 seconds to tie the game. His second goal came on a breakaway off a LaSalle turnover in the neutral zone to make it a 3-3 game with 1:40 left in the second period.

At the start of the third period, LaSalle picked up its intensity level. ““The start of the third period was key,” Muehlbronner said. “We came out hard and confident. We played a simple game in the third period. And (goaltender Aidan) McCabe was solid.”

Lipkin’s shorthanded goal at 7:39 of the period proved to be the game winner. It came while Sambuco was in the box serving a cross-checking penalty. The Tigers coughed up the puck behind their own net and Sambcuco was on hand to score on wraparound.

The sophomore completed his hat trick by scoring into an empty net with 1:07 left before Sambuco did the same thing with 18 seconds remaining.

“I’m very proud of the boys,” Muehlbronner said. “We battled hard the past three weeks (through the Flyers Cup tournament) and showed a lot of character when facing adversity.

“I’m very happy for all the players, especially our four seniors (Zach Baker, Brandon Leer, Sean Keaveney, Bryan Evans).

Notes: LaSalle’s previous state titles came in 1998, 2008, ’09, 2012, and 2015 …LaSalle’s six Class AAA Titles put it second on the all-time list in that class, behind Meadville, which has won seven … The Tigers won a state title of their own in 2007 … In Saturday’s other Pennsylvania Cup games, West Chester Rustin won a record sixth consecutive Class A title 11-3 over Montour. Pine Richland defeated Downingtown East 3-0 in the Class AA final.

LaSalle 2 1 3—6

North Allegheny 1 2 0—3

First-period goals: Sam Lipkin (L) from Daniel Sambuco, :20; Tyler Putnam (NA) unassisted, 8:30; Michael Casey (L) from Lipkin and Sambuco, 8:58.

Second-period goals: Casey (L) from Sambuco, 3:24; Aaron Miller (NA) from Haden Shimko, 13:10; Miller (NA) from Tyler Lamark and Luke Turkovich, 15:20.

Third-period goals: Lipkin (L) unassisted, 7:39, (sh); Lipkin (L) from Zach Baker, 15:53 (en); Sambuco (L) unassisted, 16:42 (en).

Shots: LaSalle 46, North Allegheny 34; saves: Aidan McCabe (L) 31, Rich Karapandi (NA) 40.

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The Grundy Skate Shop is a full-service hockey pro shop inside the Grundy Arena, offering a great selection of equipment, brands and various services. We do a range of repairs as well as offer custom hockey jerseys. We recently celebrated our 5th year at the shop but owner, Bill Keyser, has over 25 years experience in the industry and specializes in skate sharpening, including profiling. Please visit our Facebook page or stop in and check us out!

LaSalle 5, Holy Ghost Prep 4

By Rick Woelfel

HATFIELD TOWNSHIP—Down but not out, late in the final round of Thursday night’s Class AAA Flyers Cup semifinal Thursday night, LaSalle rallied to score a dramatic knockout win.

Daniel Sambuco and Sam Lipkin scored goals 11 seconds apart in the final 28 seconds of the third period to give the Explorers a 5-4 win over Holy Ghost Prep at Hatfield Ice. Lipkin’s game winner, which came with 17 seconds remaining in regulation time, marked the first and only time the top-seeded Explorers held the lead in a game that saw them score all five of their goals in the third period.

With the win, the top-seeded Explorers (21-6) will move on to Sunday evening’s final at the Wells Fargo Center (7 p.m.) where they will try to win their 11^th Flyers Cup. Their opponent will be sixth-seeded and defending champion St. Joseph’s Prep, a 6-2 winner over Malvern Prep in the other Class AAA semifinal that was played Thursday at Ice Line.

Trailing by a goal as the clock wound down inside the final minute of the third period, LaSalle’s chances weren’t exactly bright. But Explorer head coach Wally Muehlbronner remained upbeat and his players kept battling.

“The way we’ve been able to score throughout the season I thought we could get one,” Muehlbronner said. “I sure didn’t think we’d get two.”

Sambuco tied the game for LaSalle with 38 seconds left when his shot from the deep left wing beat Firebird goaltender Sean Joyce inside the far post.

The Explorers won the ensuing faceoff and played the puck into the Firebirds’ zone before Lipkin collected it and scored the game winner to send his team to the finals and hand the fourth-seeded Firebirds (9-14) the loss, their fifth against LaSalle this season.

LaSalle’s Eric Ford battles Holy Ghost Prep’s Alex D’Angelo in Thursday’s Flyers Cup Class AAA semifinal. (Photo by Kathy Leister)

“I was really proud of our effort,” said Holy Ghost Prep coach Gump Whiteside. “I thought we came out really hard, I thought we played a really good game. But 38 seconds is 38 seconds, and it’s unfortunate. They capitalized on bad breaks.

The Firebirds had the better of the play in a hard-hitting but scoreless opening period that saw them outshoot the Explorers 11-6. They took a 2-0 lead into the second session on the strength of goals from Colin Costello at the 6:48 mark and a shorthanded effort from Byron Hartley at 9:49.

Both came off Explorer breakdowns in their own defensive zone. The margin might have been wider had it not been for the work of Aidan McCabe in the LaSalle net.

“We never would have gotten to this point if McCabe didn’t play the way he did,” Muehlbronner said. “He stopped four breakaways in the first two periods.”

The Explorers served notice at the start of the third period that they were still around. It took Sambuco just 53 seconds to cut the deficit in half. Collin Kleiser tied the game at the 3:09 mark on a wrister from the left point.

Evan Mudrick put Holy Ghost Prep back in front when he split two defenders near the LaSalle blue line and went up the middle to beat McCabe at 4:54. Sambuco tied the game for the second time when he went down the left wing and behind the Firebird net before finding Lipkin in front, who tucked the puck in the net with 4:38 remaining.

It took Dan Behr just 63 seconds to respond for the Firebirds off a feed from Alex D’Angelo, who just minutes earlier had been helped off the ice after suffering an apparent leg injury during a collision.

At that point, Holy Ghost Prep was 3:35 away from victory, but their quest came up short.

“I thought Ghost played a tremendous game,” Muehlbronner said. “They took it to us for two periods strong, I think we came out in the third and we played the way we’re capable of playing.”

Holy Ghost Prep 0 2 2—4

LaSalle 0 0 5—5

Second-period-period goals: Colin Costello (HGP) from Byron Hartley, 6:48; Hartley (HGP) from Costello, 9:59 (sh).

Third-period goals: Daniel Sambuco (L) unassisted, :53; Collin Kleiser (L) from Zach Baker and Michael Casey, 3:09; Evan Mudrick (HGP) rom Alex D’Angelo, 4:54; Sam Lipkin (L) from Sambuco and Casey, 12:22; Dan Behr (HGP) from D’Angelo, 13:25; Sambuco (L) from Lipkin, 16:33; Lipkin (L) from Casey and Sambuco, 16:47.

Shots: Holy Ghost Prep 32, LaSalle 34; Saves: Sean Joyce (HGP) 29, Aidan McCabe (L) 28.

The Grundy Skate Shop is a full service hockey pro shop inside the Grundy Arena, offering a great selection of equipment, brands and various services. We do a range of repairs as well as offer custom hockey jerseys. We recently celebrated our 5th year at the shop but owner, Bill Keyser, has over 25 years experience in the industry and specializes in skate sharpening, including profiling. Please visit our Facebook page or stop in and check us out!

Three Flyers Cup finals will be available Sunday HERE beginning with the Class A final between Hershey and West Chester Rustin at 2:00. The Class AA final between Downingtown East and Downingtown West will follow at 4:30, followed by the Class AAA matchup between LaSalle and Holy Ghost Prep at 7:00.

LaSalle and Holy Ghost Prep to Meet for APAC Title

FINAL LASALLE 6 HOLY GHOST PREP 3

LaSalle wins Founders Cup

The on-ice rivalry between LaSalle and Holy Ghost Prep is as intense as it is mutually respectful. On Wednesday, the Explorers and the Firebirds will collide one more time, for the inaugural Founds Cup, symbolizing the championship of the Atlantic Prep Athletic Conference. Game time will be 4:00 at Hatfield Ice.

Top-seeded LaSalle comes into the final with a mark of 19-6 after defeating St. Joseph’s Prep 3-1 in the semifinals on Monday. Sam Lipkin, who captured the APAC scoring title, leads the way with 13 goals for 32 points in 10 conference games (including the semifinal). He’s joined by linemates Daniel Sambuco (14 goals, 15 assists and Michael Casey (nine goals, 18 assists). The trio are the top three scorers in the conference. Aidan McCabe is the likely starter in goal.

The third-seeded Firebirds (8-12) bested Malvern Prep 4-1 in their semifinal. Byron Hartley has recorded 15 goals in conference play plus six assists for 21 points. Sean Joyce will be in goal.

LaSalle won all three regular-season meetings between the two teams, 5-1, 3-2 in overtime, and 6-3.

Both teams will move on to the Class AAA Flyers Cup tournament.

Holy Ghost Prep and St. Joseph’s Prep will play for the APAC junior varsity championship Thursday at Grundy Arena. Game time will be 3:30

For more information about the schools in the Atlantic Prep Athletic Conference click below

LaSalle College High School

Holy Ghost Preparatory School

St. Joseph’s Preparatory School

Malvern Preparatory School

LaSalle 3, St. Joseph’s Prep 1

By Rick Woelfel

HATFIELD TOWNSHIP— The postseason is a different animal. That point become apparent when La Salle and St. Joseph’s Prep took to the ice Monday afternoon in the Atlantic Prep Athletic Athletic Conference Founders Cup semifinals at Hatfield Ice.

The top-seeded Explorers had to work hard to secure the 3-1 victory over the Hawks to earn a place in Wednesday’s inaugural Founder’s Cup final. LaSalle’s opponent in the final will be longtime rival and third seed Holy Ghost, a 4-1 win over second seed Malvern Prep in Wednesday’s other semifinal.

Game time will be 4:00 at Hatfield Ice.

LaSalle (19-6) had beaten the fourth-seeded Hawks three times during the regular season, but the the two teams skated on fairly even terms on Monday.

“I think (the Hawks) played a really good game,” said LaSalle head coach Wally Muehlbronner. They clogged up the middle and did a great job of doing that. That took away our team speed a little bit, more than I would have liked, but we stuck with it and scored some dirty goals, which was good to see.”

Sam Lipkin gave LaSalle a 1-0 lead when he scored off at the 6:04 mark of the opening period.

The key sequence in the game however, commenced 2:24 in to the second frame when LaSalle’s Daniel Sambuco drew a five-minute major penalty for cross checking in the midst of a pileup at the Hawks’ net that resulted in an injury to St. Joseph’s Prep’s Matt Moresco (who later returned to the game). A few minutes later, LaSalle’s Byron Evans drew a minor penalty for cross checking, forcing the Explorers to play two men short for 1:29. But they escaped both penalties unscathed.

“I think we maybe gave up two or three shots in the five-on-three,” Muehlbronner said, “and had some tremendous offensive opportunities during it as well. I was really happy with the way we killed penalties.”

St. Joseph’s Prep coach David Giacomin looked back on the missed opportunity. “It’s a shame,” he said, “because we worked on the five-on-threes in practice quite a bit, just in case we got a chance. The sad part is, we didn’t get enough puck movement today to even get scoring opportunities. I think that would have maybe changed the tide of the game.”

Lipkin extended LaSalle’s lead when he scored a power-play goal off a deflection with 3:57 left in the second period.

But the Hawks kept battling and they finally got on the scoreboard with 4:21 left in the third period when Evan Cassidy beat LaSalle netminder Aidan McCabe on a shot from the high slot off an Explorer turnover. The Hawks kept the pressure on the rest of the way but couldn’t score the tying goal.

Andrew Budzynski accounted for the final margin when he scored into an empty net with a long shot from the neutral zone just before time expired.

Notes: LaSalle had a 35-15 edge in shots. The Explorers are seeded first for the Class AAA Flyers Cup while the Hawks will be seeded sixth.

St. Joseph’s Prep 0 0 1—1
LaSalle 1 1 1—3
First-period goal: Sam Lipkin (L) from Michael Casey and Fabrizzio Mazzzarelli, 6:04
Second-period goals: LIpkin (L) from, Casey and Jan Olenginski, 12:03 (pp)
Third-period goals: Evan Cassidy (SJP) unassisted, 11:21; Andrew Budzynski (L) unassisted, 16:00 (en)
Shots; St. Joseph’s Prep 15, LaSalle 35; Saves: Troy Stefano (SJP) 32, Aidan McCabe (L) 14

Holy Ghost Prep 4, Malvern Prep 2—Colin Costello scored two goals as third seeded Holy Ghost Prep bested second seed Malvern Prep 4-2 on Wednesday in the other Founders Cup semifinal at Ice Line.

Jack Kelly’s goal gave the Firebirds a 1-0 first-period lead. Costello scored with 2:36 left in the middle period to extend his team’s lead and added his second goal 2:56 into the third.

Kenny Conners scored for the Friars with 2:28 left in the game before Evan Mudrick finished the scoring with 1:36 left.

Sean Joyce got the win in goal, making 25 saves.

APAC Update 2-20-18

Final Regular Season Standings

W L OTW OTL Pts

LaSalle (18-6) 8 0 1 0 26

Malvern Prep (12-4) 5 3 1 0 17

Holy Ghost Prep (7-12) 1 5 0 3 6

St. Joseph’s Prep (6-16) 1 7 1 0 5

The Founders Cup playoff semifinals are scheduled for Monday, February 25 with top-seeded LaSalle hosting St. Joseph’s Prep ( 4 p.m. at Hatfield Ice) and second-seeded Malvern Prep hosting Holy Ghost Prep at 4:40 at Ice Line.

The Founders Cup championship game will be played on Wednesday, February 27 and will be hosted by the highest seeded finalist.

Scoring Leaders Goals Assists Points

Sam Lipkin La 11 19 30

Daniel Sambuco La 14 15 29

Michael Casey La 9 16 25

Byron Hartley HGP 14 16 20

Nick Martino MP 9 8 17

Alex D’Angelo HGP 4 11 15

Andrew Serafin HGP 7 7 14

Jan Olenginski Ls 4 10 14

Colin Costello HGP 8 4 12

Vincent Borgessi SJP 5 5 10

Daniel Behr HGP 2 7 9

Evan Mudrick HGP 6 3 9

Kyle Washkalavitch MP 4 5 9

Fabrizio Mazzarelli 4 5 9

APAC Scoring Leaders

Here are the top scorers in the Atlantic Prep Athletic Conference as of 1-29-19; conference games only.

GP G A Pts

Sam Lipkin Ls 6 7 9 16

Michael Casey Ls 6 5 9 14

Daniel Sambuco Ls 6 5 9 14

Nick Martino MP 5 7 5 12

Kyle Washkalavitch MP 6 3 4 7

Byron Hartley HGP 5 4 1 5

Jan Olenginski Ls 5 2 3 5

Eric Pohl HGP 6 2 2 4

Charlie Andress MP 5 1 3 4

Brandon Leer Ls 6 3 1 4

LaSalle Bests Malvern Prep

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

Click here If you’d like to learn more about LaSalle College High School

Click Here if you’d like to learn more about Malvern Preparatory School

Atlantic Prep Athletic Conference Scoring Leaders

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