The Season Is Over

With a 9-1 score against a previously undefeated western team to become state champs La Salle College High School is being whispered by some as the best high school team ever assembled in Pennsylvania. During the Flyers Cup at the Spectrum, La Salle 4 Holy Ghost Prep 1, there was a lot of chatter in the stands. One Flyers Cup official was in fact overheard saying this was the best high school team he had ever seen from Philadelphia. Rumors moved around in the stands like stray pucks shot high; Holy Ghost Prep was going to play a trap; La Salle's players were being heavily recruited by other prep schools; there were college scouts in the stands. Holy Ghost Prep did not play a trap, in fact they played an up-tempo contest with no one player really standing out. They played as a fast paced team. If they did have a special game plan it was to keep a man high in the neutral zone for long passes out of the defensive zone. This did in fact create a number of odd man rushes. But La Salle goalie Dan Pyne was a brick wall and Holy Ghost Prep was caught in a back and forth rushing style game more suited for La Salle than Ghost. An observer near the Holy Ghost Prep goal noted after the first period that Holy Ghost Prep goalie Steven Berardi would have to stand on his head all game to keep it close. In the end La Salle continued to play "their game" and slowly chipped away at Berardi's armour. The Explorers continued that mindset in becoming state champs. La Salle has been under pressure to perform, as a fan favorite, and while they have been continuing a winning tradition year after year championships have eluded them. Often it is said that the only thing that matters is winning a championship. However, even if their roster does change, building a program that will continue this winning tradition is just as, if not more, important. This team is a link in a chain that is now crossing decades. It is what enables La Salle to draw the players it draws and is the product of extreme forethought and management by the school and coaching staff culminating into the fantastic athletic feats of its players. Congratulations, and keep it going.

Flyers Cup Game Plans

Holy Ghost Prep Head Coach Steve Ivcic came right out and said it. "We don't have the depth they have...And they'll want to play up-tempo. But we have things we're going to try." This was in todays Inquirer. The phrase "things we're going to try" sounds like a secret game plan. The trap or some sort of left-wing lock come to mind when trying to slow a game down. But with most of your scoring coming from a single player, winger Nick Seravalli, you would want him free to play his game. How do you allow that? Long passes, Man high, using the Swedish torpedo offense. Or perhaps it is all a mental strategy to calm and focus his players. Conestoga is going to rely on their defense in the AA game. "We told our players that if we’re the best defensive team, we would win the Flyers Cup" said Pioneers Head Coach Mike Graves on dailylocal.com. And West Chester East Head Coach Drew Cox feels that momentum will carry them forward, "we are coming together the way championship teams come together in the playoffs.” The Class A championship game between Bayard Rustin and West Chester East is scheduled for 11 a.m. The Class AA championship game between Conestoga and Pennridge is set for 1:30 p.m.; the Class AAA title game between Holy Ghost Prep and La Salle is scheduled for 4 and will be shown live on CN8.

ICSHL Schowcase

The ICSHL Season-End Showcases are a confusing affair. Just look at one of its multiple charts. With teams playing across levels you end up with Malvern Prep AAA playing against La Salle AA and losing 8-1. For more on these games look here. Salesianum, while playing a AAA regular season, with a final record of 1-8-1, was one win away from the ICSHL President's Cup playing against AA teams. Honestly, the ICSHL Season-End Showcases are a confusing affair.

HGP Vs La Salle

Is the story here Holy Ghost Prep rebounding from a bad start to make it all the way again? Or is the story La Salle College High School and their constant grab for the AAA crown? La Salle has to be the favorite to win. With handy wins against HGP 5-0 and 8-3 the Explorers know they have an edge. They have steamrolled through a season to a 25-1-2 record losing only to a strong Christian Brothers Academy squad. La Salle has a history of always making it to the Flyers Cup, even an off year is a strong year in their program, but despite 15 straight years of winning seasons and tournament appearances they have only claimed the Flyers Cup twice. As the Evening Bulletin noted, La Salle's story might be one of revenge. Holy Ghost Prep defeated them last tournament on the way to a Flyers Cup championship. They want the repeat. They have been dominating the LBCSHL for years now. They have built a leading program that is, with strong leadership, going to be a leader for years to come. Both programs are strong and both are proverbial perennial contenders. This should be a good game.

First Flyers Cup

Archbishop Carroll won the first Flyers Cup and repeated in 1981 for two titles in a row. The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that it took considerable effort on the part of the Flyers and that after a year of negotiations it lead to the creation of the state championships. The importance of the Flyers Cup is supported by its history. It has shaped how leagues are structured. It has shaped how the game is played in Philadelphia. It literally created the programs we have today.

Flyers Cup Vs League Championship

Parkland defeated Northampton 6-2 en route to a two game sweep of the Lehigh Valley Scholastic Hockey League title. This is Parkland's third league title in five years which qualifies the Trojans as a true Lehigh Valley Scholastic Hockey League powerhouse. The Morning Call noted, that the night before Parkland's sweep Northampton had just won their first Flyers Cup tournament game. In fact it was the first time a Lehigh Valley team ever won a game in the Flyers Cup. The league championship game was Northampton's third game in four nights, and the league was unable to reschedule the games. Parkland had lost to Boyertown 9-3 in the opening round of the Flyers Cup and thus were fresh. Northampton was not. Northampton Head Coach Brian Ruff was quoted in The Morning Call saying the Flyers Cup victory was worth it. ''We did end up kind of paying for [the Flyers Cup win],'' Ruff said. ''But that's something the kids won't forget.'' The vagaries of hockey scheduling are always a factor, and the two teams could easily have ended up in the others situation. As it stands both teams made history.

New Jersey

With top-notch squads like St Augustine Prep battling it out with Christian Brothers Academy the New Jersey post-season has been an intense affair. The New Jersey State High School Hockey Championships will be played the same date and time as the Flyers Cup. Tickets are for sale on the internet. One of the best things about going other than the game would be to see the high school ice hockey jersey display at the Prudential Center. The Devils have a section of their website where you can preview it located here. But if you can not make it to the arena the match-up will be shown live on Comcast. It will be on channel 990 on 3/22 at 2pm.

There Can Be Only One

It ends. This weekend. Champions all around. And then the march to the War Memorial. Oddly Flyers Cup coverage is dying off. Not much to report but here, here, and here. The flurry winds down as the field narrows and AAA, AA, A champions will be found on Saturday. AAA, no surprises there. La Salle had no option and no excuse not to make the finals, and HGP and Malvern are too strong a set of programs to not cowboy up. Those three teams are going to be the Philadelphia High School hockey leadership for the long term future. In AA Pennsbury losing to Washington Township was a bit of a surprise. In A East's defeat of Henderson was not as surprising as reports would have you believe, if you have been following them through the season or looked at the numbers. Although it is always interesting to see how previews match-up against reviews.

The Future of Philadelphia Amateur Hockey

The only thing that matters in Philadelphia hockey is the Flyers Cup. It is the most important hockey event in Philadelphia right now. Thing is amateur hockey is poised to explode in Philly. If you think it already has...then you need to start thinking about the future. Philly has the potential to get more NCAA college hockey, if it wants to, Philly has the potential to create more youth hockey national champions, if it wants to, Philly can become the Atlantic coast hockey mecca, if it wants to. But here is the rub. The hockey explosions of the 70s, 80s, and 90s worked because everyone got better. It was a rising tide that raised all ships. The hockey community became more skilled and better prepared as a whole. The next hockey explosion is not going to be a few youth AAA teams destroying, and eventually abandoning the rest of the Philadelphia hockey community. It needs to be an explosion where the least skilled members of the hockey community are still pretty good. It should be an explosion where hockey is something everyone plays, and not just a few kids in every town. It would be an explosion that makes Philadelphia a year round hockey town above all other sports. Right now Philadelphia is a town for hockey, but it is not a hockey town. Yet it can be. And for one simple reason. The level of hockey in this region has gotten exponentially better over the past ten years alone. The level is there and that will feed the numbers. Making ice hockey a number one sport in a region requires quality, not quantity, as the birth seed. And tournaments like the Flyers Cup are what has lifted Philadelphia hockey to this new level we see today. And tournaments like the Flyers Cup are what will lift Philadelphia to the next level.

Flyers Cup

It started. No doubt if you have been reading the papers regularly you have stumbled over the insidious phrase "cup running over" by now. Coverage of this years Flyers Cup has been good and plentiful. You can read up on it here. And here. And here. And here. And also here. Then here. Over here. Now here. Plus here. Here, here, and here. Back here. Here too. Look here. Five more with these here. And here again. If you have been following the season the scores so far should not surprise you. No major upsets. The perennial heavy hitters have slogged through at AAA with recent hot hands peppering the mainstays in the AA and A tournaments. This Friday March 14th the AAA tournament narrows down to the inevitable face off for the AAA Flyers Cup crown with the Malvern Prep, Holy Ghost Prep, Father Judge High School, and La Salle College High School programs playing it out once again.

Great Outdoors II

Well it happened. But it happened out west. And the Mt. Lebanon Blue Devils won it. The Blue Devils won the "Ice Bowl" 2-0. Although the match received good press in the mainstream media via the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review the best article about the event comes from the Pennsylvania hockey resource www.pahockey.net offering not only facts about the outdoor game but a real picture of what hockey should be all about. The www.pahockey.net entry Mt Lebanon scores first and wins over Bethel in a 'Great Night for Hockey'! can be found here.

Holy Ghost Prep Sets Goals

In a recent article celebrating Holy Ghost Prep's fifth league championship in six years the Firebirds Head Coach Steve Ivcic stated clearly what has set their team apart and enabled them to dominate in the LBCSHL. Setting goals. The setting of goals gives his team benchmarks but also incentives, it gives them another reason to work hard. It seems simple but when your expectations are to win it all, or as Head Coach Ivcic put it, "Our goal every year is to win the Commissioner’s Cup...then the Flyers Cup and then the states,” it puts an added pressure on to perform. It gives focus, intensity, and a sense of urgency. Moreover, when a program reaches a level when you can say your goal is to win championships and truly mean it year after year, you know that program is on the right track.

Flyers Cup Tournament Pool

Did you know you can do a Flyers Cup tournament pool? It has been going on for years and is available online here.

The Great Outdoors

Well it happened. But it happened out west. The Bethel Park Blackhawks and Mt. Lebanon Blue Devils will face off tonight Thursday, Feb. 28, at the South Park Ice Rink in what is being billed as an "Ice Bowl." Pennsylvania Interscholastic Hockey League Commissioner Ed Sam was quoted on wpxi.com as saying "The PIHL is excited about the opportunity and support we've received from everyone at the County...This will be great for the high school players, and it allows the PIHL and its associations to highlight our community involvement as we donate the profits from the game to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation." Admission to the Charity Outdoor Classic is free for children under twelve, $5 for spectators thirteen and above. Proceeds will be donated to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

To Recap

Holy Ghost Prep drowned Roman Catholic 13 goals to 5 over two games to take their third LBCSHL championship in three years. The HGP dynasty proved itself again but with playmaker Nicholas Seravalli a senior will it continue? One has to think that a winning tradition will continue with their program with careful planning, good coaching, and a commitment from the school. For more information click here. Malvern Prep losses a shocker to Kennett High School 3-2 in the first round of the ICSHL playoffs before squeaking by Springfield High School 5-4. For more information click here. The big end of the year match-up between Malvern Prep and La Salle College High School was canceled due to snow and the Explorers finished their undefeated AAA season against Germantown Academy. And to bring it full circle Germantown Academy will start their 2008 Flyers Cup against defending champion Holy Ghost Prep.

LBCSHL Finals

Roman Catholic is set to play Holy Ghost Prep in the LBCSHL finals. HGP have been a LBCSHL dynasty winning four of the last five titles. RC bested HGP to start the season but both teams changed directions from there with HGP winning 11 of their next 13 games to finish 15-7-0 while Roman finished the season with back to back losses against Father Judge and Pennridge High School to finish 12-7-3. Moreover, the teams are a study in opposites as HGP sports five of the top fifteen LBCSHL scorers and league leader Nicholas Seravalli, whereas Roman has only two scorers located at the tail end of that list. Roman plays a more defensive style allowing less goals than HGP and was simply described as the Bucks County Currier Times as being "stingy." The difference between their playing styles seems to balance these teams out as HGP scored .73 more goals a game but Roman's defense has allowed .54 less goals a game.

CBA Out In NJ

Christian Brothers Academy lost to St. Augustine Prep in the Gordon Cup semi-finals by a score of 5-2. The Prep's game plan was, according to Head Coach Tim Fingerhut quoted on nj.com, "...to get the puck to the net...we knew we had to try and crash the net and get some rebounds...The bottom line is to capitalize on your chances and we did." CBA simply became frustrated and took too many penalties and St. Augustine hustled to the win.

Malvern Prep and La Salle At The Finish Line

Both Malvern Prep and La Salle College High School wrap up their regular season with a non-league match-up scheduled for today, weather permitting, and this game, whenever it is played, will say a great deal. Malvern Prep has won more AAA Flyers Cups than any other team. With eight championships, and five of those in row from 2001-2005, MP has dominated the tournament. In fact, if you google the term "Malvern Prep hockey" the Flyers Cup comes up second only after their own website. On the other hand there is La Salle College High School, the perennial contender, often voted number one in polls, a favorite to win, they have built such a strong program over the years that any team that wants to win it all has had to go through them first. It is highly likely that these teams are going to meet again and add to a rivalry that has been building for about fifteen years. The Explorers have marched through their season like a juggernaut with a current 25-1-2 record including a 7-3 victory over MP earlier in the season. The result of this game will be a preview of this years Flyers Cup, and it will say a great deal.

Playoff Nutrition

With hockey leagues going into the playoffs nutrition is going to play a key role in winning championships according to a study at the Chicago Center for Clinical Research. The study, called Working with professional athletes in the rink: the evolution of a nutrition program for an NHL team, concluded that teams which have at least a basic nutritional plan simply have healthier athletes. While that is obvious, it is something that players and coaches do not think a great deal about, and as a result few high school teams actually pay any attention to this part of their training. Nutritional programs not only effect weight and conditioning but mental acuity and prevents and heals injuries faster. The study concludes that there is a quantifiable positive result from having and enforcing a nutritional program, and that teams with such a program will have an edge over the course of a season and in the playoffs.

Neshaminy Praise

The Bucks County Courier Times recently heaped praise on Neshaminy High School goaltender Joey Mangiarcina as he blocked 49 of 52 shots against Father Judge in the opening rounds of the LBCSHL playoffs. Although Neshaminy lost to FJ 3-2, the game was 1-1 going into the third period and Mangiarcina certainly kept it close despite overwhelming odds.

Bergan Catholic Video

In one of the last big match-ups of the regular season Bergen Catholic High School defeated Don Bosco Prep in a 6-1 landslide. The victory was a much needed one pulling them above .500 in league play on way to a 6-5-5 league record. Highlight video of the contest can be found here. BC will be facing the Delbarton School in the semi-finals Wednesday, 5:45 at Aspen Ice.

Gordon Cup Is A Tradition

New Jersey's elite Gordon Cup is entering its 50th anniversary this year and according to the Star-Ledger the NJSIAA's ice hockey committee has invited members of the Livingston team that won the inaugural Gordon Cup in 1959. New Jersey's playoffs are well underway. More information can be found here.

Holy Ghost Prep Presses Onward

Although Father Judge had bested HGP early in the season the Firebirds recaptured their season, have bested Father Judge 3-0 in the playoffs, and are now set to play Roman Catholic in the LBCSHL championships. If victorious this would be their third Commissioner's Cup in a row and fourth in five ears. One can not help the feeling however that what is really on the teams agenda is a return to the Flyers Cup and a hope to repeat as AAA champions.

Pennsbury Out Of Playoffs But Into Flyers Cup

After dropping a 2-0 loss to Roman Catholic in the LBCSHL playoffs the Pennsbury Falcons are turning towards the Flyers Cup. According to The Bucks County Currier Times the Falcons were missing their top three players including team captain Ryan Gannon to injuries. The fact that Pennsbury kept the match so close, within two goals, shows just how strong their program really is. Pennsbury goalie and LBCSHL All-Star MVP Colin Fafara stopped 25 of 27 shots. While RC is a AAA level team Pennsbury will be playing in the AA Flyers Cup and should be a favorite to perform well, especially if they can recover their injured players.

ICSHL Player Featured In The Philadelphia Inquirer

Shane Lewis, goalie for the Twin Valley High School Raiders, received a full length feature in this past weeks Philadelphia Inquirer. The article covered his thoughts on how dangerous the sport of ice hockey can be, his love of race cars, and mentions his national championship run with the Quakers' 16-and-under team.

AAA Standings

La Salle College High School will finish AAA league play against Germantown Academy tomorrow February 20th. With second place rival Malvern Prep already finished with an 8-2 record the Explorers have the number one spot locked up. However, if La Salle defeats the Patriots tomorrow they will have finished league play 10-0 and finish undefeated in AAA league play for the second season in a row.

Chicago Showcase

As part of the never ending professionalization of youth sports tryouts for the Chicago Showcase are being held next month. The Sun-Sentinal recently referred to the event as "arguably hockey's single most important recruiting vehicle for high school players." The reasoning behind this includes the large number of scouts congregated in one place and the all-star like atmosphere of the teams sent. According to the SHSHL the tournament "typically attracts between 200 and 300 scouts from Junior, Division I, Division III, and Professional Hockey." Simply by making a regional squad a player has distinguished themselves through talent and commitment. Playing in a tournament such as this is not a sure fire way to make it to college hockey, but it is definitely something for a player to consider if they want to play in college.

Old Time Hockey, Quakertown Versus Hatboro-Horsham

In a contest described as "highly-physical," and "anger-fueled," by the Intelligencer, Quakertown defeated Hatboro-Horsham in a contest of "scrums," and "penalites." The game may have been rough but the winning goal was pretty. Quakertown's Ryan Henderson faked a slapshot, toe-dragged the puck, and deked to win.

We Are Not Alone

If you have ever had a gripe about how "things" are done with seedings, playoffs, schedules, et cetera you can take heart that hockey is not alone. A recent article in the Bucks County Currier Times ripped local basketball in a very pithy way. Although the sport may be different the complaints sound similar if not the same.

ICSHL Video Highlights

Video highlights of ICSHL games are available here, and this is a step in the right direction. However, on a long enough timeline it is inevitable that full games for all teams will some day be available.

Father Judge Ends On High Note

Winning five of their last six league games Father Judge ended the regular season with a 7-3-0 record and has tied for third in AAA standings. According to the ICSHL website through nine games FJ had 44 goals for, the fourth highest, and 29 goals against, the fourth lowest. Although forward standout Ryan Patch accounted for about a quarter of those goals Father Judge likes to spread the puck around and offense can come from any player at any time. Moreover, with victories against Malvern Prep and Holy Ghost Prep the Crusaders have proven that they can win against other Flyers Cup teams and are a definite contender to go far into this years tournament.

Ryan Gunderson ECHL All-Star

The former Holy Ghost Prep player and current ECHL Trenton Devils rookie denfensemen was named to the 2008 All-Star game held in Stockton California. Gunderson leads Devils defensemen and all ECHL rookie defensemen in points with four goals and 31 assists. Two side notes; the Trenton Devils practice at Grundy which was Gunderson's high school stomping grounds; the 2009 ECHL All-Star game will be held close to home at the Sovereign Center in Reading, PA. The Sovereign Center is the home rink of the ECHL Reading Royals.

La Salle College High School Moves To First

La Salle College High School has advanced in team standings and, through Adam Berkle, in individual standings. With four goals and three assists against Archbishop Ryan Berkle surpassed HGP forward Nicholas Seravalli to take the AAA scoring lead with 29 points. HGP has concluded league play and with no other players within striking distance it looks like Berkle will hold the lead. More importantly for La Salle their 9-2 victory against the Raiders has put them over Malvern Prep with a 9-0 record and mathematically locked first place in AAA. La Salle still has one league game left to play in the regular season against long standing rival Germantown Academy.

Marple-Newtown Bulletin

A full feature is being offered as a valentine to the Marple-Newtown High School ice hockey club in The Bulletin. The A level program is covered in detail including their tough schedule, their reliance on head blueliner Matt Taxin, and the teams emergence as perennial contender since Head Coach Buzz Wienckowski took the helm. Coach Wienckowski compared the teams schedule to Big East basketball stating a tough schedule strengthens a team and noted that they expect to make a mark in the Flyers Cup this year.

Hockey Week Across Philadelphia

In case you missed it this entire week was declared "Hockey Week Across Philadelphia" by newly installed Mayor Michael A Nutter. According to the Philadelphia Flyers website "USA Hockey is leading the hockey community in a nationwide celebration of the sport in the first-ever Hockey Weekend Across America, which will run from February 15-17, 2008. In conjunction with USA Hockey, the Philadelphia Flyers and Phantoms are supporting this effort with a week of scheduled events across the region to raise public awareness of the sport and provide opportunities for those who have not played hockey to try it." There are events scheduled for the entire week and a photo contest. More information is available on the Flyers website.

AAA Point Leaders

Nicholas Seravalli is currently in the lead with 25 points. The Holy Ghost Prep forward has 14 goals and 11 assists in 10 games. However, La Salle College High School forward Adam Berkle is a close second with 8 goals and 14 assists through 8 games. It is just possible he may take that lead before the Explorers season is over.

Dan Wrensen Injury

Middletown North High School junior Dan Wrensen is back playing hockey after suffering a broken neck and undergoing surgery to repair the damage. Since crashing on a dirt bike last summer Wrensen wore a neck brace and eventually made the decision to have surgery telling his doctors to "cut me open." He has played 19 games this season with 19 shots 4 goals and 5 assists.

Defensemen Receive Praise In The Star-Ledger

The Star-Ledger on nj.com has heaped praise on the role defensemen play in high school hockey noting that they "shoulder much of a team's hopes in the state playoffs and cup tournaments," while receiving great blame when things go wrong and little credit when things go right. It was explained that having one or two particularly strong defensemen can control a game much in the way having a star goalie would. St. Peter's Prep Head Coach Joe Maione went one step farther saying, "I think it's the hardest position to play..."

Realignment and Jurisdiction

A constant conversation piece in the hockey community is the alignment of high school teams, leagues, conferences, divisions et al. Internet chatter has proposed a myriad of solutions most of which are simple examples of tinkering by geography and student population. The problem with these ideas are that many teams would rather not play the schedules required by these proposals. Non-league games against non-Philadelphia area programs are key for many teams, Pennsbury High School, La Salle College High School, Malvern Prep, and Germantown Academy are a few examples. In addition it is likely that this will have an impact on teams that play, and like to play, crossover games. The concept of local rivalry based on geography is dead. It could be suggested that rivalry now exists based on playing level and strength of programs, not by what school is in the next town over. Geography is simply not the best predictor of good competition. However, as always an argument could be made that allowing the PIAA to finally take jurisdiction, as they will soon do over high school lacrosse, would bring the sense of balance being searched for and allow the sport to grow.

Radnor High School Girls Hockey Interview

Tom Petrondi, head coach of the girls Radnor High School ice hockey team, was recently featured in The Philadelphia Inquirer Student Spotlight section. The piece was in the form of a question and answer session and covered the growth of girls hockey in the Philadelphia area, some of the differences between boys and girls hockey, and Head Coach Petrondi's coaching and playing experience.

Bayard Rustin High School Puts It On Net

Bayard Rustin High School tied Kennet High School as the two teams sea-sawed through three periods of play. Kennet built an early two goal lead by simply firing the puck at the net. Proving again the idea that good things happen when you put it on net. Both teams seemed happy with the tie, as BR Head Coach Nick Russo told dailylocal.com, “we’ve had a lot of games in a short amount of time...we’ll take a point any time we can get one.”

Delbarton High School Takes Gordon Conference Lead

With victories like their 8-1 trouncing of St. Peter's Prep The Delbarton School has passed Christian Brothers Academy to take the lead in New Jersey's elite Gordon Conference.

Brick Township Battles Towards Playoffs

Brick Township High School player James Murphy did what every coach has told their team to do at one time or another. Throw the puck at the net. Murphy did it and it went in. As a result he wrested a loss and created a tie with just fourteen seconds left to play. "I just threw it there to throw it there,'' Murphy said. With that goal Brick Township High School moved closer to the playoffs, at the helm is New Jersey's all time coaching win leader Bob Auriemma, and his team obviously listens to what he says.

Pennridge On Winning Streak

Entering the playoffs Pennridge High School is on an eight game winning streak. While credit usually shoots to what has been referred to as the two headed monster of Harrison Welch and A.J. Moyer, The Intelligencer recently anointed the teams defensive play as key. Indeed, with the rest of the team having few penalties, adding a smattering of goals, and smothering the opposing teams Pennridge has climbed the standings. They unabashedly play the trap and as scorer A.J. Moyer put it opposing teams, "... just didn't know what to do against the trap..."

Hun School Has Tough Times

The Times on nj.com recently covered a Holy Ghost Prep versus the Hun School contest which featured a mostly junior varsity HGP squad, a Hun team in need of a new crop of freshman, and a 1-0 nothing score. The article noted that Hun lost eight players form last year and that all of them were upperclassmen.

LBCSHL Playoffs HGP and Pennsbury Favorites

The Bucks County Currier Times continued its regular coverage of local high school hockey with a recent article on the LBCSHL playoffs. Although the title of the piece declared the lower bucks second season to be a wide open affair the favorites for the championship are clearly Holy Ghost Prep and Pennsbury High School. HGP has won four out of the last five championships and has built a real LBCSHL dynasty. What is more impressive than the championships they have won however is the program they have built. Any team can win a game on any given night, but it takes an actual program to be perennially strong and a favorite to win every night. After a slow start HGP finished with a 15-7 league record and in second place behind Pennsbury High School. The Falcons finished in first with an 18-3-1 record and tough to beat 4.18 goals for and 1.68 goals against. They do however enter the playoffs with injuries in their top line. Pennsbury relies on that line heavily and as the Falcons Head Coach John Bria put it, “The kids stepped up to fill the void...Nobody's going to replace Barnes and Gannon, but they have stepped up." Both Holy Ghost Prep and Pennsbury High School had first round byes.

Neckguards In High School Hockey / Richard Zednik

Few high school players wear neck guards. And many leagues do not even require one. As a full contact sport ice hockey should be treated with the respect and caution it deserves. There are many types of neck guards available today and surely there is one out there that would suit every player. Even the old trick of wearing the top of a turtle neck sweater would be better than nothing. The recent accident with NHL Florida Panther Richard Zednik has brought the importance of sport safety to the forefront again. It is very easy to loss amongst the fun and hard work of athletics that there is a certain amount of danger. It is possible to send Mr. Zednik your support on the Florida Panthers website. More information on the incident and the sport safety talk involved can be found here and here.

LBCSHL Mercy Rule

The LBCSHL Coaches Code of Conduct and Responsibilities enforces a mercy rule, or as it is called by the league an eight goal non-embarrassment rule, stating that "when a team goes up by eight or more goals, the team that is in the lead is expected to go into a numbered passing drill type of offense or other drill." The point of a mercy rule is to end an unfair or potentially humiliating contest. While it does not look like any team this year has had to do this in the LBCSHL, and it would be difficult to prove that a team did or did not abide by this rule, one has to wonder if playing keep away betrays the sense of compassion mentioned in the LBCSHL's codicils. Is it not better to simply end the game at some point?

Philadelphia Invitational Tournament

It would be very interesting if a tournament was held in Philadelphia. A big tournament. The kind of thing that would equal the likes of the Meadville Tournament, the McMichigan Cup Tournament, the Empire Cup, the Mount St. Charles Tournament, or the Nike Bauer National Invitational Tournament. Something that had all the flavor and excitement of the Minnesota State Tournament, tradition that continues year after year, and something the mainstream Philadelphia press would have to cover. Why not invite the previous years state champions from Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Maryland? Call it the Atlantic Cup and throw in one or two local teams as hosts. That would be exciting.

Conestoga Bulletin

The Pioneers were recently praised by The Bulletin as an excellently balanced machine. As part of a game listing, Conestoga High School vs. Downingtown East Friday, 6 p.m. at Ice Line, The Bulletin noted that Conestoga has the third-highest goals at 78 coupled with the second-fewest goals allowed at 32. The match-up is part of a tense race in the ICSHL Varsity standings between Perkiomen Valley, Strath Haven, Conestoga, Methacton, and WC Henderson.

Holy Ghost Prep Did Something Different In The Second Half

Holy Ghost Prep finished exactly .500 in the AAA standings. Five wins, five losses, forty-three goals for, forty-three goals against, and exactly ten points. However, in the first half of the season they went 2-3 with an average of 4.4 goals for and five goals against a game. The second half featured a 3-2 record with an average of 4.2 goals a game but a much lower 3.6 goals against. With 43 goals scored it looks like HGP never had a problem putting it in the net, in fact most of the games in the first half were close high scoring affairs, but in the second half of the season goals and even the number of shots taken on HGP dropped. Simply put when they clamped down defensively they created more chances to win.

PA VS NJ 2

On the other hand, it might be that there is no hockey gap between Pennsylvania and New Jersey. As stated before top team versus top team competition is circa .500 between the two states and without a broader range of teams to look at, A and AA, it would be truly difficult to make an informed opinion. Maybe the feeling that New Jersey has an edge comes from the recent realization that such good talent now exists, or has always existed, just on the other side of the river.

High School Hockey On The Radio

Holy Ghost Prep is facing off against the Princeton Day School this Friday in non-league play. Not only is this an interesting rematch for PDS, they lost to HGP early in the year, but the game will broadcast at 3:45 on 1490-WBCB. This Friday will be a hockey smörgåsbord as the HGP vs. PDS game will be turned into a radio double header with Council Rock North vs. Abington following at 8:30. This second game is part of the standings race in the SHSHL with Council Rock North trying to close in on division rival Pennsbury.

PA VS NJ

One can not but help get the feeling that Pennsylvania is seriously behind the curve against New Jersey. Looking at the current number one in the AAA Philadelphia standings, Malvern Prep, their record against New Jersey teams is 0-1-1 this season. Current number two La Salle College High School is 1-1-2. Although these are examples of top teams playing top teams, and one would expect a circa .500 winning percentage in that case, you can not help but feel that New Jersey has an edge. The population of New Jersey is smaller than Pennsylvania and the amount of youth under 18 is very similar so it is not a matter of numbers. The median income level for New Jersey is slightly higher than Pennsylvania which could be a factor, however, according to an undocumented team count from wikipedia.com Pennsylvania has about 60 more high school teams than New Jersey. One commentator recently suggested that there is an inability to attract and keep good coaches in Pennsylvania. It was suggested that PIAA accreditation could help remedy the problem, and that it was not a difference in playing ability that was creating this gap but rather a difference in team play.

Haverford High School And EHSHL Standings

It is very possible that Haverford High School will be the only AA EHSHL team with a winning record. Out of the five AA teams they are currently the only team with a winning record although Ridley High School could make the jump with two games left (Ridley is also the only EHSHL AA team to beat Haverford). The EHSHL AA teams have some very interesting scores since they play a large number of crossover games with A and AAA level teams. For example Haverford lost to both AAA Cardinal O'Hara and A Marple-Newtown but defeated The Haverford School and 76% of their other match-ups.

Skating Characteristics of NHL Forwards

A study of NHL forwards found that they "spend most of their time on the ice gliding on two feet interspersed with cruise strides, medium intensity skating and struggling for the puck or position. They spent equal amounts of time skating at a high intensity and skating backward. They turned left more than right. High point scorers glided on two feet with the puck more than low point scorers, conversely low point scorers had more occurrences of backward to forward skating," ironically what this means for high school players is that perhaps they have to do the exact opposite. They have to do what every good high school coach tells their players to do... move their feet. If high school players coast or glide on the ice they do not have the leg strength to cover an area as quickly as professionals do. How many times has a coach had to battle with bad habits formed by emulating a style of play that simply does not work at this age level? At the high school level what this study confirms is that players need to work on their conditioning, leg strength, and skating style if they want to be able to someday cover the ice as well the pros do.

Stanley Cup At The Delbarton School

George Parros of the NHL Anaheim Ducks, formerly of the Delbarton School Green Wave, and now a Stanley Cup winner recently took the cup on a victory lap to his high school. Born in Washington, PA Parros played his high school hockey at the Delbarton School before moving on to Princeton University, the AHL, and eventually the NHL. A photo gallery of Parros bringing the Stanley Cup to his high school can be found here.

Gordon Conference

New Jersey juggernauts the Delbarton School and Christian Brothers Academy are on a race for first. Delbarton is in second with a 11-1-1 league record chasing a 12-1-2 CBA leader. Both teams are on a winning streak (Delbarton 13, CBA 5) and both teams have bested some great talent this year, as a matter of course in Gordon Conference play, and in non-league play, although Delbarton has played more teams from out of the tri-state area. With a handful of league games left it is possible Delbarton could close the three point gap in the standings. The race for first only intensifies the meeting between the Delbarton School and Christian Brothers Academy as they play this Saturday February 9th, 4:30pm at Aspen Ice, Randolph NJ.

Del

Ran - Aspen Ice, Randolph

LSCHS Head Coach Wally Muehlbronner

According to LSCHS Head Coach Wally Muehlbronner this contest was canceled due to a number of La Salle players committed to an NAHL Showcase in Ann Arbor. He expressed disappointment at not being able to reschedule the event and noted that the Lawrenceville School tried very hard to reschedule and should be credited for their efforts. He also noted that the two teams have had a long standing relationship and that it will continue in the future. It would have been a great game for tri-state hockey had it been possible to reschedule.

Games Missing From LSCHS Schedule

The Lawrenceville School La Salle College High School match-up has been dropped from the Explorers schedule so it looks like the game is definitely off. Interestingly the Empire Cup tournament has also been dropped from their schedule. La Salle had this prestigious event listed on their schedule until very recently. It is worth noting however that the Explorers did defeat two out of the eight teams participating.

Absences Blamed For O'Hara Loss

In a recent delcotimes.com article Cardinal O'Hara Head Coach Bill Swahl blamed absent Lions from the lineup as the reason behind the loss stating, "We had some big players out of the lineup and that hurts when you play a good team like Malvern." O'Hara is a good team too, who up until the final games of this season was competing with MP in the standings. They will get their chance against Malvern again in the Flyers Cup.

Monsignor Donovan Takes Hold of Division

Monsignor Donovan High School, who in recent years has been feeding players directly to the University of Scranton ice hockey program, declared their dominance of the Shore A South Division in New Jersey's Shore Conference with a 7-3 win over Middletown North. MD seems poised for a playoff run in NJ.