LaSalle Explorers vs Malvern Prep Friars Mar 26, 2003
Flyers Cup Class AAA Champions LaSalle Explorers vs Malvern Prep Friars Mar 26, 2003 Played at The Spectrum Philadelphia, PA
2003 Malvern Prep Friars Class AAA Flyers Cup Champions
March 27, 2003
The Philadelphia Inquirer
MALVERN SLIPS BY LASALLE
Campanale’s game winning goal as he kept digging even while on the iceFlyers Cup MVP, Chris Campanale
Members of the Malvern Prep ice hockey team sat in their locker room looking at each other last night before their Flyers Cup AAA championship game against La Salle at the First Union Spectrum. They knew what was at stake before they took the ice, and they didn’t want to say anything that would jinx their chances. The teams played a taut game before Malvern Prep’s Chris Campanale scored in the third period to give the Friars a 2-1 victory. When the teams met in the regular season, Malvern Prep posted a 1-0 win. The victory made Malvern Prep the first team to win three straight AAA titles. It also lifted the Friars into the state championship game, where they will face Meadville, the Penguins Cup champion. That game is scheduled for Sunday at 3:30 p.m. at Ice Line in West Chester. “It’s nice to make history and we all knew what was at stake,” said Malvern Prep senior Mike Curran, who scored the game’s first goal. “We didn’t say anything to each other in the locker room before we came out, but we knew. I suppose you can say we were superstitious.” Campanale, a junior, was selected tournament MVP. His determination with 10 minutes, 4 seconds left in the third period led to the winning goal. As the puck sat against the arm of La Salle goaltender Ken Wochele, Campanale kept poking at the puck until it finally snuck by Wochele’s pads. “We knew the puck was loose and it was just sitting there,” Campanale said. “Their goalie was flopping around trying to find it, and I kept poking at it until it went in.” The teams entered the third period tied, 1-1. Curran began the scoring with a first-period goal. He dove and poked the puck past Wochele on a rebound. Andreas Wochtl picked up the assist. Carl Olejniczak tied the game with 3:54 left in the second period, with the assist coming from Matt Loftus. Olejniczak shot the puck through a scrum of players in front of the Malvern Prep net. It somehow found its way by Friars goaltender Mark Cetola. The teams played evenly through the first two periods. The Friars had two second period power plays and came away empty. La Salle put just token pressure on Malvern Prep during its one power play in the first period. Wochele played well in defeat. The 5-11, 175-pound sophomore stoned Malvern Prep’s Justin Martin late in the second period on a breakaway and stopped a point blank shot by the Friars Ed Shinn in the opening seconds of the third. Cetola, a 5-8, 150-pound junior, had his moments as well. With Malvern Prep leading, 2-1, La Salle threatened, but Cetola saved three rapid-fire shots in succession midway through the third period, preserving Malvern Prep’s edge.
CREDIT: The Philadelphia Inquirer Joe Santoloquito – Suburban sports writer
THE ROAD TO THE FLYERS CUP
IceLine – Malvern Prep Friars 14 vs Monsignor Bonner Friars 1 March 19, 2003 Quarter-Finals IceLine – Malvern Prep Friars 10 vs Archbishop Ryan Raiders 2 March 21, 2003 Semi-Finals Spectrum – Malvern Prep Friars 2 vs LaSalle Explorers 1 March 26, 2003 Finals
Head Coach:John Graves Assistant Coach: Father Ed Casey Assistant Coach: Mike Anderson Trainer: Bill Mills Athletic Director: Frank Ryan Principal: James Stewart
1 Mark Cetola 3 Will Averona 8 Justin Martin 9 Nick Averona 13 Ed Shinn 18 Michael Curran 22 Sean Olejar 31 Josh Firely 34 Andreas Wochtl 36 Chris D’Ambrio 44 Luke Benner 57 Jason Ferrell 68 Tim Donaghue 89 Matt Farrell 90 Tim Horn 91 Chris Campanale – MVP 92 Tim Gehring 94 Matt Campanale 96 Warren Byrne
