Tag: Wally Muehlbronner

LaSalle Shuts Out Malvern Prep 4-0

HATFIELD TOWNSHIP—The eruption came without warning. For one period and part of another, LaSalle and Malvern Prep battled on even terms. But the Explorers took over the game by scoring four goals in a span of 5 minutes, 18 seconds in the second period.

Neither team scored thereafter and LaSalle left Hatfield Ice Friday night as 4-0 winners.

Four different players scored goals for the Explorers, who stand at 5-2 on the season and a perfect 3-0 in the Atlantic Prep Athletic Conference, having defeated every other team in the league once.

Sophomore Daniel Sambuco scored LaSalle’s first goal at the 7:10 mark of the second frame with help from Michael Casey and Sam Lipkin. Casey made it a 2-0 game with Sambuco’s help at 9:15 and Fabrizio Mazzarelli extended the lead just 39 second later. Eric Ford finished the scoring at 12:28.

Sambuco, who leads the APAC in scoring with three goals and five assists for eight points in three conference games, said he and his mates on the Explorers’ top line took things up a notch in the second period. “We started running some quick passes and two-on-ones,” he said, “and started driving more pucks to the net That was just our game plan from there on out, put everything to the net.”

LaSalle coach Wally Meuhlbronner was pleased to get production from four lines, particularly in the early going. “We were rolling four (lines) right out of the gate,” he said, “and we switched up a little bit and and kind of got the Sambuco line out there every third (shift) and I think that got them energized a little bit more.”

At the other end of the ice, LaSalle goaltender Aidan McCabe stopped all 19 shots he saw. His best effort came two-and-a-half minutes into the third period when he turned aside Chris Blango’s slapshot from just inside the blue line.

McCabe noted that the effort of the defense corps in front of him expanded his comfort zone. “It allows me to be really confident in the net,” the junior said. “They keep the shots to the outside which lets me see the puck. So I just try to do my job.”

The loss was the first for Malvern Prep after three wins (1-1 in the APAC). Friar coach Dave Dorman saw the evening as another step in the maturation of his young team.

Danie”It was a very typical LaSalle-Malvern Prep hockey game,” he said. “For our younger guys it was baptism by fire. Not the result we want but you know what? That’s part of the learning process, the maturation process for these younger kids.”

Notes—Sambuco’s cousin Ryan, also a sophomore, was in uniform for Malvern Prep. The hitting was intense but clean; there was just five penalties called by referee Eric Michaels, three to LaSalle and two to Malvern Prep, and one of the Malvern penalties was a bench minor for too many men on the ice.
Malvern Prep 0 0 0—0
LaSalle 0 4 0—4
Second-period goals: Daniel Sambuco (L) from Michael Casey and Sam Lipkin, 7:10: Casey (L) from Sambuco, 9:15; Fabrizio Mazzarelli (L) from Ryan Walsh and David Kimmel, 9:54; Eric Ford (L) from Jan Olenginski, 12:28.
Shots: Malvern Prep 19, LaSalle 32; Saves: Dan Dougherty (MP) 28, Aidan McCabe (L) 19.

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Brandon Leer Savoring His Experiences at LaSalle

Brandon Leer’s time at LaSalle College High School has been a period of growth, both on and off the ice.

A senior from Schwenksville. Pa. Leer is in his second varsity season with the Explorers. He’s scored two goal and added an assist in his team’s first two Atlantic Prep Athletic Conference games while working primarily at right wing.

LaSalle coach Wally Muehlbronner says Leer has worked hard to earn his place on the roster. “He’s worked very hard to get a regular shift,” he said and when gets out there think he does a good job keeping it simple.”
Leer says he’s learned a lot about hokey during his time at LaSalle. “It’s definitely been something I’ve never experienced before,” he said. “The coaches here teach you in a way like most kids can never experience. It’s truly awesome, the skill level at any practice.

“We only have one practice a week and how these coaches are able to bring us together and develop our skills is incredible. It’s really a great experience.”

Leer makes the commute to LaSalle each day from his home in Schwenksville. He says the logistics aren’t as challenging as might be expected. “The driving really isn’t that bad. It’s like 30 minutes in the morning, taking the turnpike, and there are three kids that live within like five minutes of me so we carpool.”
Leer has enjoyed the experiences LaSalle has to offer. He chose the school in large measure because of its high academic and athletic standards “The academics, the extracurriculars like hockey it’s all top level,” he said. You’re going to be getting the best out of each thing you’re involved in so there’s really nothing that can match that around me.”

Leer says that meeting the academic demands of the school while also playing a sport necessitates developing time-management skills.

“You definitely can’t be lax,” he said You always have to be sure you’re getting your homework done in free periods and stuff like that; make sure you’re not procrastinating or falling behind, just staying on top of all your schoolwork. Just to make sure you’re doing well in the classroom as well as outside of the classroom.

Freshman year, it was a bit rough but then sophomore year it was a lot easier and it’s been a lot easier ever since.”

 

LaSalle Beats St. Joseph’s Prep 5-0

By Rick Woelfel

The pieces fit together quite nicely for LaSalle Wednesday afternoon. Five different players scored goals as the Explorers downed defending Class 3A Flyers Cup champion St. Joseph’s Prep 5-0 in an APAC game at Hatfield Ice.
The win was LaSalle’s fourth without defeat this season and its second straight in the APAC.
“All four lines played pretty well,” said LaSalle coach Wally Meuhlbronner. The ‘D’ played pretty well. We overcommitted at times, but we were definitely happy with the result.”
LaSalle took a 2-0 first-period lead on goals from Michael Casey at 9:32 and Dan Sambuco at 14:52.
The pair joined Sam Lipkin on a line that collected nine points against Holy Ghost Prep last Friday night in the Explorers’ league opener. The trio collected five points on Wednesday
“They were all together last year,” said Explorer senior Brandon Leer. “They play club together so they’re on the ice together all the time. Their chemistry has been building up since last year. This year, everything has worked out.”
Despite the score, the teams battled on even terms through most of the opening frame. The second period was scoreless but by the time it concluded the Explorers were definitely in command.
In the third frame, St. Joseph’s coach David Giacomin, in search of an offensive spark, shuffled his lines and moved some defensemen up front.
The Explorers responded by scoring three times with the goals coming from Ryan Ferry, Nathan Benner, and Leer.
For the Hawks, who were opening their season on Wednesday, it was an opportunity to find out about themselves.
“They’re well-disciplined,” Giacomin said of the Explorers. “They play fast, It gives us the experience to be able to go back and say ‘If we want to compete, this is what we have to do in order to get better. I always like playing better teams in the beginning of the year rather than playing weak opponents”
LaSalle outshot the Hawks 41-21 but Giacomin was pleased that his troops battled to the final buzzer. “They didn’t quit and they hustled,” he said. “For me, there are some skill things we have to work on and can certainly do better, puck movement and other stuff, but the hustle across our three lines … those kids didn’t quite and they kept hustling their butts off.”
Aidan McCabe earned the shutout in goal for the Explorers.

St. Joseph’s Prep 0 0 0—0
LaSalle 2 0 3—5
First-period goals: Michael Casey (L) from Sam Lipkin and Dan Sambuco, 9:32; Sambuco (L) from Lipkin, 14:52.
Second-period goals: None
Third-period goals: Ryan Ferry (L) from Brandon Leer and Andrew Budzynski, 4:40; Nathan Benner (L) from Collin Kreisler and Zach Baker, 7:16; Leer (L) from Sean Keaveney, 9:00.
Shots: St. Joseph’s Prep 21, LaSalle 41 Saves: Dan McGill (SJP) 36, Aidan McCabe (L) 21.

 

 

 

Check back for a recap

LaSalle Beats Holy Ghost Prep

Friday night marked the beginning of a new era in scholastic hockey in the Delaware Valley. At 7:38 p.m. the referee dropped the puck to begin the matchup between LaSalle and Holy Ghost Prep, the inaugural game of the new Atlantic Prep Athletic Conference.
A large, emotionally engaged crowd was on hand at Grundy Arena for the event.

The players on both sides rose to the occasion, particularly the Explorers, who got two goals from sophomore Sam Lipkin on the way to a 5-1 win.

Lipkin scored the first goal in APAC history at the 9:15 mark of the first period, beating Firebird netminder Sean Joyce. Brandon Leer made it a 2-0 game on a power-play goal at 13:19.

Lipkin said the Explorers (3-0 overall) were buoyed by their quick start. “Any game in this league can be important,” he said. “I think we just played really good overall.”

The Firebirds (0-1) hurt themselves in the first period by taking four minor penalties; Leer’ goal came while they were two men short.

“You don’t want to work on your penalty kill all that much in the first period,” said Holy Ghost Prep coach Gump Whiteside. “But we battled through, we got a couple scrapes and a couple bruises from it, but it’s a learning experience.”

It took the Firebirds just 10 seconds to respond to Leer’s goal. Byron Hartley scored to make it a one-goal game.

Michael Casey extended LaSalle’s lead when he scored at 9:54 of the middle period before Lipkin and Daniel Sumbuco scored goals in the third. The line featuring Lipkin, Casey, and Sambuco combined for nine points.

“We’re missing some key guys tonight (because of club commitments),” said LaSalle coach Wally Meuhlbronner, “so we needed a good push out of that top line that we had and then I think the other two lines did a great job. The fast start helped us and helped us settle in a little bit too.”

Whiteside looked at Friday’s game as a learning experience for his young team, which also had some players away on club duty.

“I was really happy with our group,” he said. “If you lose 10 seniors, it’s tough, but I love the makeup of our team. We’re going to be a good team.”

Notes: LaSalle had a 33-19 edge in shots. All APAC games will have a winner. If a game is tied after 48 minutes of regulation, a five-minute overtime will be played followed by a shootout if needed. The game was officiated by one referee and two linesmen.

 

LaSalle 2 1 2—5

Holy Ghost Prep 1 0 0—1

First-period goals: Sam Lipkin (L) from Daniel Sambuco and Michael Casey, 9:15; Brandon Leer (L) from Ryan Ferry and Andrew Budzynski, 13:19 (pp); Byron Hartley (HGP) from Alex D’Angelo, 13;29 (sh).

Second-period goal: Michael Casey (L) from Sambuco and Lipkin, 9:54.

Third-period goals: Lipkin (L) from Sambuco and Casey, 6:23; Sambuco L) unassisted, 14:58.

Shots: LaSalle 33, Holy Ghost Prep 19; saves: Aidan McCabe (L) 18; Sean Joyce (HGP) 28.

 

Atlantic Prep Athletic Conference Previews

The Atlantic Prep Athletic Conference is set to kick off it’s inaugural season this week.

Here is a look at all four teams.

 

St. Joseph’s Prep

Head coach: David Giacomin (sixth season)

Last year: 26-4-1; Flyers Cup and Pennsylvania state Class 3A champions

Key players: Sr. Troy Stefano (GK); Sr. Dan McGill (GK); Sr. Nick Ciampitti (D); Sr. Nick Corrado (D); Jr. Mike Urbani (D); Sr. Evan Cassidy (F); Sr. Owen Kelly (F); Sr. Austin Amato (F)

Outlook: The Hawks lost their top two lines from last year to graduation so some retooling will likely be necessary. But this should still be a formidable group.

“We hope to be a speed driven team that will play hard in all three zones,” Giacomin says. “It probably will take time to see who we truly will be. Depth will play a big role this year.”

 

Holy Ghost Prep

Coach: Gump Whiteside (10th season)

Last year: 19-6

Key players: Jr. Sean Joyce (GK); Sr. Tom McNulty (D); Sr. Andrew Serafin (D); Sr. Alex D’Angelo (F); So. E.J. Pohl (F); So. Evan Murdick (F)

Outlook: The Firebirds feature a blend of senior leadership and young talent after reaching the Flyers Cup finals a year ago. Joyce, a first-year starter in goal, will be a key to this team’s success.

 

LaSalle

Coach: Wally Muehlbronner (21st season)

Last year: 14-10

Key players: Jr. Aidan McCabe (GK); Sr. Zach Baker (D)

Outlook: The Explorers will likely field the most experienced team in the league; 15 players return from what was a young team a year ago. Muehlbronner likes the balance in his lineup. Goaltender McCabe will be a lynchpin.

 

Malvern Prep

Coach: Dave Dorman (fifth season)

Last year: 13-7-1

Key players: Sr. Dan Dougherty (GK); So. Chris Blango (D); So. Jack Constabile (D); Sr. Charlie Andress (F); Sr. Nick Martino (F); So. Kenny Connors (F); Sr. Kyle Washkalavitch (F); So. Ryan Sambuco (F)

Outlook: A young Friars squad reached the Flyers Cup semifinals a year ago; nine freshmen saw varsity time last year; a number of those returnees are expected to fill key roles this season. Dougherty offers a veteran presence in goal.

 

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Holy Ghost Prep 2, LaSalle 1

HATFIELD—Two of the area’s best hockey teams shared the ice in Hatfield Friday night, bringing with them arguably the area’s two best goaltenders who between them produced a masterpiece.
Holy Ghost Prep got goals from Luke Aquaro and Shane Stevens to post a 2-1 win over LaSalle in a Suburban High School Hockey League Class 3A matchup. But the brightest stars of the night were in goal.
The Firebirds’ Tristan Devine stopped 28 of the 29 shots he saw. The Explorers’ William Affel turned aside 24 of 26 shots.
Devine did his best work in the third period when he made 17 saves while protecting a one-goal lead. “He just battled,” Firebird coach Gump Whiteside said of his netminder, “and our players feed off of that. He works incredibly hard at practice and it carries over to the game.
“He does a great job. He stays focused; if he gets beat he doesn’t let it bother him.”
The Firebirds (12-4, 2-0 SHSHL Class 3A) took a 1-0 lead 3:39 into the first period when Luke Aquaro made a rush up the center of the ice, forced his way between two opponents, and beat Affel low and inside the right post. Stevens made it a 2-0 game 5:42 into the second period with a wrestler from midway between the two faceoff circles.
LaSalle answered back with a goal from freshman Jan Olenginski who scored a goal too commemorate his first LaSalle-Holy Ghost Prep game. He put in a a rebound of Sam Lipkin’s original shot.
The penalty box was crowded during the first two periods. There was plenty of hitting and the officials kept a tight rein on the goings on by calling 15 penalties in the first 32 minutes, eight to the Firebirds, seven to the Explorers. At the end of the second frame the officials huddled with Aquaro and LaSalle captain John McCuen and things simmered down after that; just one penalty was called each way in the final period.
A major portion of the third frame was played at the Firebirds’ end of the ice. Devine was often under duress but was equal to the challenge. “You’re under a lot of pressure,” he said. “But we stepped it up really big. We had a lot of heart at the end, blocking shorts left and right.”
Affel was just as good at the other end of the ice. “They had some great opportunities that Will made great saves on,” said LaSalle coach Wally Muehlbronner. “It could have been a lot worse early on.”
By evening’s end, LaSalle (12-6-1, 2-3) had a 29-26 edge in shots.
“We came out not quite with the energy they did,” Muelbronner said, “but I think we got it going in the second and third. It was a typical Ghost-LaSalle game toward the end there.”

Holy Ghost Prep 1 1 0—2
LaSalle 0 1 0—1
First-period goal: Luke Aquaro (HGP) from Max Massari, 3:39.
Second-period goals: Shane Stevens (HGP) from Colin Costello and Andrew Serafin, 5:42; Jan Olenginski (L) from Sam Lipkin and Daniel Sambuco, 7:00.
Shots: Holy Ghost Prep 26, LaSalle 29; Saves: Tristan Devine (H) 28, William Affel (L) 24.
Records: Holy Ghost Prep (12-4, 2-0 SHSHL Class 3A Division); LaSalle (12-6-1, 2-3).

 

Our thanks to the administration and staff at Holy Ghost Prep for their support of this web site.

Holy Ghost Prep is a private, Catholic, all-boys school located in Bensalem, Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

Located adjacent to the busy I-95 corridor in metropolitan Philadelphia, Holy Ghost Prep attracts students from more than 100 elementary feeder schools from throughout metropolitan Philadelphia counties and New Jersey

Today it is is a vibrant community of nearly 500 young men preparing for college and adult life through a challenging program which stresses the cultivation of students’ unique gifts and talents, academic excellence, and generous service to the poor. We continue to be mindful of our founding history as a seminary as we seek to form young men morally, intellectually, and spiritually in the Spiritan tradition.

 

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The Hill School 2, LaSalle 0

HATFIELD— The Hill School generated an abundance of scoring chances Wednesday afternoon. La Salle did not. The result was a 2-0 win for the Blues in a Mid-Atlantic Prep League game at Hatfield Ice. C.J. Duval scored both goals, one into an empty net. as Hill School improved to 14-5-2 overall and 5-0 in the MAPL.
The Blues limited the Explorers (11-6-1, 3-2) to 14 shots in the 54-minute game and successfully killed off seven penalties.
‘At this point in the season we want to be a team that can win different ways,” said winning coach Chris Bala, “and tonight we were opportunistic when we needed to be.”
Duval gave Hill School a 1-0 lead when he scored off a feed from David Hill 9:40 into the opening period. The Blues had an 11-4 edge in shoots in the first frame but netminder William Affel kept the opposition at bay.
The key point in the game came late in the second period when back-to-back penalties left the Blues two men short for 1 minute, 47 seconds. LaSalle failed to generate a single shot on goal during the two-man advantage.
“(Killing penalties) has been a strength for us all year,” Bala said. “I think we’ve got some players who are really reliable, and rugged, and willing to do the dirty jobs. And our PK was really good.”
Bala noted that his goaltender, Dalton Jerzak, was sharp as well. It starts with any team with the goaltender,” he said. Dalton made the saves when he needed to.
Affel was sharp in the LaSalle net before Duval scored into an empty net with 29 seconds left in the third period. But the Explorers didn’t generate a lot of offense, a circumstance which frustrated their coach, Wally Muehlbronner.
“It was a tough game,” he said. “We’ve got to compete harder. It’s that simple. If you don’t compete hard you’re not going to get many opportunities.
LaSalle will face Holy Ghost Prep Friday night at 7:10 at Hatfield Ice.

Hill School 1 0 1—2
LaSalle 0 0 0—0
First-period goal: C.J. Duval (H) from David Hill and Alex Kiviniemi, 9:40.
Third-period goal: Duval (H) from Kiviniemi and Walpole, 17:31(en).
Shots: Hill School 27, LaSalle 14; Saves: Dalton Jerzak (H) 14, William Affel (L) 25.
Records: Hill School (14-5-2); LaSalle (11-6-1)

Our thanks to the administration and staff at Holy Ghost Prep for their support of this web site.

Holy Ghost Prep is a private, Catholic, all-boys school located in Bensalem, Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

Located adjacent to the busy I-95 corridor in metropolitan Philadelphia, Holy Ghost Prep attracts students from more than 100 elementary feeder schools from throughout metropolitan Philadelphia counties and New Jersey

Today it is is a vibrant community of nearly 500 young men preparing for college and adult life through a challenging program which stresses the cultivation of students’ unique gifts and talents, academic excellence, and generous service to the poor. We continue to be mindful of our founding history as a seminary as we seek to form young men morally, intellectually, and spiritually in the Spiritan tradition.