March 22, 1993
Germantown Academy also goes to the tourney despite losing in the Suburban League final.
William Tennent and Germantown Academy have reached what their coaches call their “ultimate” destination: the Flyers Cup hockey tournament. Both will compete in the quarterfinal series this week. Tennent won its fourth Suburban High School Hockey League championship in five years Thursday with a 5-3 victory over Germantown Academy at the Face-Off Circle in Warminster. “Our ultimate goal is to win the Flyers Cup, but winning the league championship was nice,” coach Joe Paul said of his Panthers, who beat the Patriots, 2-1, in the three-game league championship series. “I had to admit, a smile crossed my face when the game was over.” The smile might not have been evident on GA coach John Ioia’s face, but the hope of a Class AAA Flyers Cup title is very much on his mind. “We wanted to win the league championship, but our ultimate goal was to get into the Flyers Cup,” Ioia said. “I think that winning the Flyers Cup is still very much in our capabilities, and we’re excited about our chances.” Tennent, as SHSHL champion, will host the 7:30 p.m. quarterfinal single-elimination game tomorrow at the Face-Off Circle against the second-place finisher from the Lower Bucks League, Bishop Egan. Germantown Academy, as the No. 2 finisher in the SHSHL, will play the LBHL league champion, Archbishop Ryan, at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Grundy Skating Rink in Bristol. The winners of the Tennent-Egan and Germantown Academy-Ryan quarterfinals will meet in a single-elimination semifinal on March 30 at a to-be-determined site and time. The winner of that game will advance to the best-of-three championship series against the survivor of the Inter-County League/Eastern League semi-final game. The dates, times, and site have not been determined. William Tennent won the opening game against GA, 2-1, last Monday. Sophomore Rob Shaner opened the scoring for the Patriots, but Mark Platt scored a second-period goal to tie the score. Platt scored the game-winner for the Panthers with 1 minute, 15 seconds left in the game. Germantown Academy rebounded with a 5-4 win in the second game. Tennent led, 2-0, on goals by Dave Prasch and Platt, but GA responded with three consecutive second-period goals two by Shaner and one by Willie Robertson to snag a 3-2 lead. Jeremy Brooks increased the lead to 4-2, but two goals by Platt forged a 44 tie. Brooks scored the game-winner for the Patriots with 3:37 left to force the third game. Germantown Academy started well in the third game, getting goals from Brooks and Robertson, but Platt scored to make it 2-1. Shaner scored to give GA a two-goal advantage, but a goal by Prasch with 18 seconds left in the period sliced the lead to 3-2 entering the final period. The third period belonged to the Panthers, as Mike Pietrangelo scored twice and Platt added a goal to conclude the scoring. “Not to take anything away from Tennent, but we weren’t healthy in that final series,” Ioia said. “We lost Curt Goldman, our leading scorer, with whiplash from a sledding accident. And we didn’t play with Ryan Kilstein, who pinched a nerve in his shoulder. Both of them should be back this week against Ryan, though.” Tennent now will get ready for Egan, which lost in the LBHL best-of-three championship finals to Ryan, two games to one. Egan lost, 41, on Thursday in the deciding game. The Eagles were frustrated in Thursday’s defeat. They peppered Ryan goaltender Mike Kelly with 14 shots in the first period and scored just once, on a goal by Dominic Vecchione.
HISTORY REPEATS
Last season, La Salle sailed into the Inter-County League playoffs with an unbeaten regular season only to lose in the ICHL championship game to Unionville. Unfortunately for La Salle, history repeated itself this season. The Explorers, unbeaten in the regular season, lost, 8-2, in the ICHL title game to West Chester East Wednesday at the Viking Arena in King of Prussia. “This was a crushing defeat for the coaching staff and the kids,” La Salle coach Peter Nolan said. “We knew what we had to do to win the game, but we just went out and played a bad game.” La Salle, as regular-season champion, will be the No. 1 seed from the ICHL in the Class AAA Flyers Cup tournament that will begin at 9 p.m. Wednesday at the Skatium in Havertown. The Explorers will face the second-place team from the Eastern League, Downingtown or Monsignor Bonner. The Whippets and Friars will decide the Eastern League title tonight in the finale of their best-of-three series.
CHELTENHAM IS AA CHAMPION
Cheltenham captured the Class AA SHSHL title with a two-game sweep of Washington Township. The Panthers battered the Minutemen, 7-4, in the first game and followed with a 7-5 win to clinch the title Wednesday. “We’re on a nice roll, and I hope we continue that roll into the Flyers Cup playoffs,” Cheltenham coach Greg O’Conner said. The Panthers will play Father Judge at 8pm tonight at the Face-Off Circle in a Flyers Cup Class AA semi-final game. The Crusaders finished in third place in the Lower Bucks County League this season. The winner of the Cheltenham-Judge game. will advance to the Class AA finals against the winner of the Inter-County/Eastern League playoff.
By Scott Huff
The Philadelphia Inquirer
