DLN HOCKEY NOTEBOOK: Malvern Prep, West Chester East, Downingtown West boys lead Flyers Cup power rankings
It has been nearly two full years since any ice hockey team hoisted the Flyers Cup. But fans and players can be assured there is finally a 2021 tournament on the schedule.
The puck will drop on April 5 for the 2021 edition of the Flyers Cup, and the long-awaited championship games will be played Saturday, April 20.
That is, of course, if it all goes according to plan.
The first round of power rankings are in and it is no surprise who sits at the top.
Malvern Prep (4-1-0-0) is the team to beat in the Atlantic Prep Hockey Conference, sitting at number one in the AAA power rankings.
Although ranked first, coach Bill Keenan recognizes that Malvern has a highly competitive slate of games on the horizon.
“I think every game from here on out is crucial,” Keenan said Monday. “At any point in time, an APAC team can show up, or not show up. The Flyers Cup ranking is nice and we appreciate the recognition, but to us, it’s just a ranking. We have to continue to show up each game and take care of the business.”
Malvern Prep sits right above Holy Ghost Prep (3-1-0-2) in the rankings and the APAC standings. The Friars beat their conference rival in overtime twice this season, most recently on March 1 in a 3-2 shootout win. The Friars will take them on for a third time on Thursday at Grundy Ice Arena.
La Salle College High School (2-3-0-0) snapped Malvern’s winning streak on Wednesday, with a 5-2 win, but that didn’t break the Friars’ spirit.
Keenan said this season, more than ever, the team is playing as one unit, and that can be credited to the camaraderie they have built in the locker room.
“Last week, I thought the energy was pretty low, “ Keenan said. “We had a bad pregame warmup against La Salle and that translated into the game. But after, as I was walking out of the locker room, I heard guys talking with such positive energy, saying ‘Hey guys, we lost, but we’ve got work to do. Let’s get it next game.’ To hear that as a coach walking out of the locker room, that’s something you don’t you don’t see quite often.”
Keenan attributes the Friars’ success so far this season to leadership from a core group of talented seniors in Chris Blango, Ryan Sambuco, Jimmy Kirk, Matthew Donatucci, and standout forward Jack Costabile — to name a few.
Costabile and junior Matt Harris lead the team in stats, both with five goals and four assists.
But there’s a myriad of players around the APAC that could lead their teams on a run toward the Flyers Cup.
“There’s talented guys all around the league, like Michael Casey from La Salle, and Braeden Baehser from Holy Ghost. Rocco Brunno, the St. Joe’s Prep goalie,” Keenan said. “But not one team across the four have a superstar, and that makes it that much harder. You can’t shut down just one guy, because there’s another that’s gonna pop out of the woodwork.”
Malvern Prep will take on St. Joseph’s Monday in the first of three matchups against the Hawks in March.
Class A and AA
As for the single A division, West Chester East (8-0) is the obvious front-runner.
The Vikings have won each of their last five games by a margin of at least five goals. Last Friday, East secured a 7-0 shutout win over conference foe Downingtown East (2-5-0-1).
If the Vikings can stay hot and build on their momentum, they are well on their way to their goal of securing a first round bye in the Ches-Mont tournament and a No. 1 seed in the Flyers Cup.
The competition in the Ches-Mont is tight, with Downingtown West a close second in the standings, and sitting first in the AA division Flyers Cup rankings.
The Whippets have only lost two games, both to West Chester East.
Girls
The Downingtown West girls (3-3-0-1) aren’t far behind. The Whippets sit second behind Bux-Mont in the girls power rankings.
“We’re a young, scrappy team with some solid senior veterans,” said West coach David Schultz. “Anything’s possible with this group, I’ve seen them win big games, and lose big games, too. But hopefully this is their year.”.
The Whippets have a bright future ahead, as their leading scorer is in eighth grade. Ava Thomas has only played three games for the Whippets, but in those three, she has made her mark, scoring a staggering 15 goals.
“Ava is a really good player, strong contributor, with really good skills and good work ethic, and it shows on the stat sheet,” Schultz said. “She’s really helping out when she’s out there. She’s really mature for her age, both emotionally and physically.”
Alongside Thomas, leadership from the senior class has been a driving force of Whippet success. Forward Annalise Moylan (three goals, six assists), defenseman Josie Silberman (three goals, four assists), and defenseman Ella Miller (four assists) have been the leaders of a young team hoping to make a meaningful run this season.
The competition in the Ches-Mont National League is a close race. With the exception of front-runners like Boyertown-OJR (7-0-0-0), there’s a very even playing field across the league.
“There’s a couple teams at the top with a lot of wins, but everybody else has basically a one- or two-game separation,” Schultz said. “Everybody still has a chance at the playoff, we don’t take any shortcuts in the National Division.”
This Week’s Games to Watch
Thursday (Boys) >> Malvern Prep vs. Holy Ghost Prep
Friday (Girls) >> West Chester Rustin at West Chester Henderson, 8 p.m. at Ice Line. Boyertown-OJR at Downingtown East-Shanahan, 8:20 p.m. at Ice Line.
Sunday (Girls) >> Downingtown East-Shanahan at Downingtown West, 8:15 p.m. at PNY Westtown.
Current Flyers Cup Rankings
Class AAA Boys
- Malvern Prep
- Holy Ghost Prep
- La Salle
- St. Joseph’s Prep
- Roman Catholic
Class AA Boys
- Downingtown West
- Pennsbury
- Haverford High
- Spring-Ford
- Pennridge
Class A Boys
- West Chester East
- Strath Haven
- West Chester Henderson
- Springfield-Delco
- Wissahickon
Girls
- Bux-Mont
- Downingtown West
- West Chester Henderson
- West Chester Rustin
- Avon Grove
