March 18, 1980
By Don McKee
Inquirer staff writer
The Flyers Cup is not what Bobby Clarke uses for morning coffee – it is the tournament that will put scholastic hockey in this area on a par with every other sport. The inaugural Flyers Cup debuts tonight with a doubleheader at the University of Pennsylvania’s Class of 1923 Rink. The Flyers are sponsoring the regional scholastic tournament with hopes that it will grow into a statewide tournament. The three major area leagues, Inter-County, Suburban, and Lower Bucks, finished their playoffs last week and will send four teams to the Flyers Cup. Archbishop Carroll will meet Archbishop Ryan at 7 p.m., and Malvern Prep will meet Germantown Academy at 9:15 p.m. The losers are eliminated. The two winners begin a best-of-three series tomorrow night at Penn.
Here’s how they match up:
Archbishop Carroll: The Patriots finished 20-4-1 and won the Inter-County League for the third straight year. They are ranked No. 1 in The Inquirer’s Top 10 coaches’ poll. Carroll defeated Malvern Prep two straight in the finals.
The Patriots have the most famous scholastic player in area history – Scott (The Shot) Chamness, who scored 69 goals this year and totaled 94 points. But perhaps Carroll’s biggest asset this year was the development of ninth grader Jeff Arnold into a center who dished off 25 assists. Frank Burdo (31 points) is the left wing on the Pats’ formidable first line. The defense is anchored by massive Carmen DiGiandomenico, an iron man who frequently plays 45 minutes a game. He scored 35 points.
Phil Chamness came into his own as a junior defenseman, scoring 20 goals (second on the team to Scott) and totaling 40 points. The goalies alternate. It’s Rob Schnorr’s turn tonight. Joe Hayden (a former Malvern student) beat his old schoolmates in the league final Friday. The Patriots are the most powerful scoring team in the tournament, but are very thin. Still, only Radnor defeated Carroll when the Patriots were at full strength, and they all are healthy now.
Archbishop Ryan: The Raiders are the mystery team of this tournament. They have compiled a sensational 21- 0 record and are ranked No. 3 by The Inquirer, but are dogged by the perception that the Lower Bucks League is weaker than either of the others. Ryan has lost only one league game in two years, has won the league three straight times, and had the top four scorers in the LBCL. Steve Engle joined Chamness, Scott Bradbury of Upper Dublin, and Steve Duda of Washington as the only players in the area to score 40 goals, and he added 28 assists. Ray Staszak scored 33 goals, and Joe Judge scored 28. That line has firepower to equal Carroll’s best and is much better balanced. Walt McNamee added 20 goals to give Ryan even heavier scoring ability. The goaltender is capable John Stella. On record alone, Ryan is the best team in the Cup. But the Raiders never have faced anything like the pressure Carroll puts on a defense.
Malvern Prep: The Friars came out of nowhere last year to win the regional title and were favored until they fell to Carroll last week. Highly regarded coach Ray Bowman is retiring after this playoff, and that may give Malvern an emotional boost.
The Friars went 20-4 and are ranked No. 2 by The Inquirer. They have a perfectly balanced first line of Al Washco (20 goals, 22 assists), Scott Ianelli (20, 21), and Chris Lero (18, 22), plus excellent defensemen in Steve DiBacco, Alan Cobb, Mike O’Connor, and Ken O’Connor. Senior goaltender Drew Parvin (who also is a good baseball player) had a goals-against average of 3.00, and freshman Chris DeRuschi had a sensational average of 1.42.
Malvern probably is the best skating and position team in the tournament, but the Friars played tired during the Inter-County playoffs. If they can get everything going again, they can win the Cup. If not, GA is capable of chasing them tonight.
Germantown Academy: Another great skating and position team that is at the very top of its game. The Patriots (26-2) have won 14 straight games and haven’t lost since dropping two games in a week in mid-January. They are ranked No. 4 by The Inquirer. But GA has an array of great natural athletes and the depth to outlast the others.
Gump Whiteside, Jimmy Van Blarcom, Charlie Wurts, Jeff Schlucterer, and Dave Jones are excellent skaters. Eric Girardi is one of the area’s premier defensemen. Joe Richter and Greg Hinkson have alternated successfully in goal.
But the most interesting player on GA’s roster is John Hopkinson, an eighth grader who came out of the Wissahickon Bantams in midseason to play on the second line the rest of the way. (An eighth grader is permitted in this instance because he is in the same building as the high schoolers).
If you like interesting darkhorses (and who doesn’t?), GA is your team.
