Flyers Cup Class AAA Championship Game 2
Council Rock Indians vs Malvern Prep Friars Apr 2, 1991
Game played @ The Skatium, Havertown, PA
IN THE NEWS:
- 1991 Bussetti’s goals propel Council Rock – Flyers Cup History (flyers-cup-history.org)
- 1991 Rock, penalties eliminate GA in title game – Flyers Cup History (flyers-cup-history.org)
1991 Tier 1 Flyers Cup eludes Malvern
April 4, 1991
The Philadelphia Inquirer
Despite being down, 1-0, to Council Rock in the best-of-three final for the Tier 1 Flyers Cup championship, Malvern Prep figured to have an advantage in Tuesday night’s second game by returning to its home rink at the Skatium in Havertown with a horde of fans backing the team. But Council Rock coach Paul Gilligan had a plan to offset that. “I thought we’d need to establish the tempo early in the game and come out and take control,” Gilligan said. “I figured they’d come out real strong on their own ice, so it was only important that we set the tone.” Council Rock did just that by out-skating the Friars in the first two periods while building a 3-1 lead. The Indians then fell into a defensive shelf in the final period to stan Malvern with a 3-2 victory and take the championship. For Malvern, whose season ended at 22-4, the loss deprived the defending Flyers Cup and state champions of a chance to repeat. For Council Rock (22-1), it was the second time the Indians won the cup, having last taken it in 1988, and they’ll now advance to Saturday’s state championship game against the Pittsburgh region’s Tier I Penguins Cup winner at Viking Arena in King of Prussia. It was difficult to pinpoint where Malvern went wrong in the final series, except that Friars coach Bob Martin felt his team simply met its match in the Indians. In last Thursday’s opening game at the Face-Off Circle Rink in Warminster, the Friars also fell, 3-2. “I thought we played two good, consistent games and we did everything we wanted, but we just didn’t get the wins,” Martin said. The first period of Tuesday’s game was evenly played until Council Rock’s Roman Bussetti gave his team a 1-0 lead on a power-play goal with 3 minutes, 18 seconds remaining Malvern came back to tie it 3 minutes into the second period when winger Adam Russo backhanded a rebound into the net. Council Rock went up 2-1 less than 3 minutes later, when the Indians’ Chris Medl knocked a rebound past Friars goalie Chris Dempsey. Indians defenseman Ron Reilly clinched the game when he beat Dempsey with one second left in the period to make the score 3-1. Malvern did narrow it to 3-2 when Keith Grimley stole a clearing pass and beat Indians goalie Tom Kratchwell (26 saves), but from there the Indians held on for the win by limiting the Friars to few scoring opportunities.
THE ROAD TO THE CUP:
SHSHL – FINALS
Germantown Academy Patriots 3 vs Council Rock 9
SEMI-FINALS
Father Judge Crusaders 3 vs Council Rock Indians 9
FINALS
Council Rock Indians 3 vs Malvern Prep Friars 2 – Game 1
Council Rock Indians 3 vs Malvern Prep Friars 2 – Game 2
SCORING SUMMARY:
MALVERN PREP……………0 1 1–2
COUNCIL ROCK……………1 2 0–3
FIRST PERIOD: (CR) Roman Bussetti (Brian Green, Chad Markowitz) PP 11:42
SECOND PERIOD: (MP) Adam Russo (Keith Grimley, Joe Washco) PP 2:47, (CR) Chris Medl (Kevin Deitch) 5:40, (CR) Ron Reilly (Roman Bussetti, Chad Markowitz) 14:59
THIRD PERIOD: (MP) Keith Grimley (unassisted) 6:49
SHOTS: (MP) 22, (CR) 26
GOALIES: Malvern Prep, Chris Dempsey / Council Rock Tom Kratchwell
REFFERIES: Mike Condon, Steve Miller
ATTENDANCE: 1,232
ROSTER:
Head Coach: Paul Gilligan
Assistant Coach: John Rankel
Assistant Coach: Craig Dal Farra
Manager: Bob Metzgar “Metz”
1 Tom Kratchwell
2 Mike Raditz
3 Justin Kurzac
8 Bill Brown
5 Rich Schwab
7 Eric Kratchwell
15 Chris Medl
10 Jason Rayher
14 Ron Reilly
16 Matt Hunter
19 Mike Kelly
18 Tommy Howard
12 Jim Johnston
9 Roman Bussetti – MVP & Highest Scorer
21 Scott Wackowski
22 Brian Green
23 Bob Burke
20 Chad Markowitz
27 Kevin Deitch
17 Mike Giradi
4 Joe Appell
6 Dave McDonald
30 Scott Prosek
