La Salle rolls into Flyers Cup final

COLMAR – La Salle’s Jack McDonough couldn’t miss, and Malvern Prep’s offense couldn’t convert.
That was the plot as the Explorers skated past Malvern Prep, 8-0, in the Flyers Cup AAA semifinals at Hatfield Ice Center Tuesday night.
McDonough scored the game’s first three goals and Joe Mancuso added two goals and three assists as the Explorers blew it open early, then watched as the Friars could not penetrate their defense the rest of the way.
“We’ve been banged up all year,” said Friars head coach Dave Dorman, “and we’re a team that has to rely on being gritty and being disciplined.”
With the victory, the Explorers will meet Holy Ghost Prep Thursday (8:45) back at Hatfield in the Flyers Cup AAA final.
The Explorers grabbed an early first-period lead on the game’s first power-play opportunity when Jack McDonough jammed home a shot from the right circle.
The Friars then had three successive power-play chances, but came up empty.
But McDonough was at it again early in the second period when La Salle was again on the power play, this time hammering home a rebound from in tight.
Moments later, McDonough ripped home his third goal of the game, and the Explorers were sitting on a three-goal cushion.
Before the Friars could get out of the period, La Salle would get goals from Coty Thomas and defenseman Matt Echelmeier and went into the ice cut sitting on a 5-0 goal lead and a 28-6 shot advantage.
“Our second period was very good,” said Explorers head coach Wally Muehlbronner. “We found a way to score some goals. We haven’t scored a lot of goals this year.”
The Friars got a two-man advantage for a full two minutes early in the third period. Malvern got four shots on goal, but none of them went in, then another 2-man advantage for 1:10 and could not bury a goal, and the Explorers were able to check the game away.
“We were in the box a lot,” Muehlbronner said. “Some of the penalties were warranted and some were not.”
In all, the Explorers were whistled for 10 minor penalties, but were able to hold the Friars off the scoreboard.
For good measure, Mancuso, Tyler Pohlig and Henry Kaechlin finished off the goal scoring in the third period and it was time to get ready for Holy Ghost Prep.
Meanwhile, the Friars were proud looking back over the season.
“It was a tough loss tonight,” Dorman said, “but we’re proud of our seniors and we’re proud of our players who represented this school with pride.
“I think La Salle was on from the beginning of the game, and they didn’t let up. They came hard all night, and I think they have a good chance to win the whole thing.”
And that was also Muehlbronner’s plan.
“We’re off tomorrow,” he said, “and then we’ll start preparing,” the coach said. “We’ve had two hard, passionate games with them this year, and I think we match up pretty well against them.”