April 11, 1979
“Give me six kids like Albert and we’d never lose,” said Malvern Coach Ray Bowman.”
Al Washco had an emergency appendectomy two weeks ago. Usually, that’s reason enough to take time off from school and recuperate, maybe catching a few Flyers games on television. But Washco not only played hockey last night, he scored a three-goal hat trick to lead Malvern Prep past Archbishop Wood, 9-6, in the second round of the Southeast Pennsylvania regional tournament.
Wood was eliminated after two straight losses. Malvern, a 7-1 victim of Archbishop Ryan Monday night, plays on. “It’s just desire to play,” said Washco, an amazing 5-foot, 2-inch freshman who is all heart. “In the hospital, you just sit around and do nothing. Last Thursday we were playing O’Hara and my mother
and my mother wouldn’t even let me go to watch. I was going nuts.”I skated twice Friday, twice Satur- day and once Monday, trying to get back in shape.” Washco was in top form last night. Wood took a 3-1 lead at the end of one period, on goals by Charles Geib, Frank Reago, and Mike McGregor. Washco scored twice early in the second period to bring Malvern back to a 3-3 tie. With Scott Ianelli also on his way to a hat trick, Malvern bolted to a 7-4 lead in the last period. Washco’s final goal, on a power play with just 3 minutes to play, raised the lead to 8-5. “Give me six kids like Albert and we’d never lose,” said Malvern Coach Ray Bowman. “His father called me Monday and said, “Al’s gonna play tonight.’ I said, ‘He’s gonna what?’
“But after I was satisfied that he had seen his family doctor and the surgeon and that there was no danger, I let him on. We picked his spots Monday night, but as you could see last night, he asked no favors. That’s what this game’s all about. He’s the personification of heart.”N Especially considering his tiny stature. “They see I’m small,” said Washco, a Darby resident, “and they think, ‘Let’s get him outta here.’ They take runs at me from the other side of the rink. But they do that to all the small guys.” In the second game at Lafayette Gardens, Archbishop Carroll buried Radnor, 16-2.
