Holy Ghost Prep ice hockey savors Flyers Cup championship win over La Salle (PHOTO GALLERY)
HATFIELD – In sports, there are great games you enjoy watching and then there are classics that you want to replay time and again. The Holy Ghost Prep win over La Salle College High School in the Flyers Cup Class AAA Division championship game would definitely rank as a classic.
La Salle entered its recent big showdown at Hatfield Ice as a probable favorite. The Explorers have won five of the last six Flyer Cups. They also had beaten Holy Ghost in their two regular season clashes by 6-3 and 3-0 scores. To get to the championship tilt, they defeated Father Judge 13-0 and Malvern Prep 3-2 in overtime.
The two losses to La Salle were the only ones for Holy Ghost, which racked up an impressive 13-2-1 overall record. The Firebirds had downed Archbishop Carroll 6-0 and Saint Joseph 5-1 in the first two rounds of Flyers Cup play.
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Ghost came into the battle against their rival ready to play. Jack Smiley, who along with Bob Ovecka, George Mundy, Luke Ledes and Zach Babst, provides Ghost with talented senior leadership, outlined the Firebirds’ battle plan.
“We knew the team we had and we thought that since they had beaten us two times, they might take us a little lightly and maybe they’d think they would roll out with an easy win. We knew we had to come out firing and be physical from the get go, fire shots on net, and try to put them on their heels right away.”
Ghost executed their game plan to perfection, pressuring La Salle at both ends of the ice. They took a 1-0 lead 11 minutes into the game when Luke Aquaro scored a power play goal off assists by Luke Ledes and Jacob Cresbo.
Jack helped fuel the strong start by being a fiery leader in the early going, a role he readily accepted this season. “On the ice, I’m a big body. I’m a forward and I like to drive to the net. I take faceoffs. I just do whatever I can to win puck battles for our team and get good scoring opportunities for myself and my teammates.”
Jack did just that, scoring with 13:37 gone in the opening period. He credits his teammate George Mundy for the play that put Ghost up by a 2-0 margin.
“We were on a penalty kill and were shorthanded at the time. The puck went into their zone and George Mundy chased after it and got the puck. I started skating hard toward the net and somehow the puck found my stick. That was a great pass because the defender was right on me. I just made a little move on the goalie and shot where I could see net and it went in.”
The Firebirds were not about to let up. In the second period, Timothy Wolfe scored off an assist by Zach Babst. Twelve minutes later, Luke Aquaro netted his second goal with help from an assist by Luke Ledes.
After teams broke for intermission, Ghost coach Gump Whiteside offered his squad some sage advice. “At intermission, the coaching staff said we did what we had to do in the first two periods but we have to keep on them. We knew they would come out flying in the third period.”
The prediction proved valid as two goals by La Salle’s John McDonough sandwiched around a lone tally by Ethan Lamond narrowed the margin to 4-3 with eight minutes left in regulation time.
Despite the frenzy of Explorer scoring, Jack maintained a calm and seasoned approach. “I felt confident that we still had it. I just wanted to get out and do my job.”
When the Firebirds’ Jarod Crespo scored an empty net goal with 11 seconds remaining on the scoreboard, the Holy Ghost cheering section went wild, knowing the upset was almost history. Jack greatly appreciated the support.
“Having the crowd behind us is the best feeling ever. We were at La Salle’s home rink and I think we had more fans than they did. It’s a great feeling playing for your school. It’s such a privilege playing for Holy Ghost. It’s such a great program.”
With the sounding of the final horn, the Firebirds broke into a well-earned celebration. Jack voiced the whole team’s feelings. “We all felt extremely exhilarated. That was like nothing I’ve ever felt playing hockey. It was the best hockey moment of my career. We were the underdogs and found a way to win. It was unbelievable.”
With the 5-3 victory, the Firebirds earned a trip to Pittsburgh where they will play in a state championship game against the winner of the Penguins Cup at the Robert Morris University Island Sports Center. Jack knows his team will be ready. “We’ll just go in there, forget about past games, and play our hardest.”
Jack’s hockey career will not end with the conclusion of the state championship battle. He loves his sport too much. “It’s so different than any other sport. It’s got everything. It’s fast-paced. There’s really no down time. I love the physical aspects. It’s the best feeling being out there.”
Regardless of where his love of hockey takes him, Jack will already have a lifetime memory. He played in and won a classic Flyers Cup championship game.
TOP PHOTO: Holy Ghost Prep forward Jack Smiley (16) sizes up LaSalle defender Tyler Pohlig (15) in Flyers Cup Championship win over the Explorers Monday, March 20 at Hatfield Ice. (John Gleeson – 21st-Century Media)
