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ICE HOCKEY: La Salle Takes it to the Net With Seconds To Spare, Secures Spot in Flyers Cup Championship Showdown

By Matt Maratea- photos by Kathy Leister, Geneva Heffernan & Matt Maratea, 03/15/19, 6:45PM EDT

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HATFIELD TWP—Never say never… no really. The Flyers Cup semifinal match-up between the La Salle Explorers and the Holy Ghost Prep Firebirds came down to one period, and a battle of wills.

With less than 30 seconds in regulation, the Explorers scored back to back goals to seal a 5-4 victory and a spot to play in the final Flyer’s Cup AAA Championship game.

A rematch of the Atlantic Prep Athletic Founders Cup Finals, Holy Ghost Prep took up the role as aggressor early in the game, eager to exact revenge on the league champions. Holy Ghost Prep was forcing chances, including an opening minute break away from Firebirds' captain Alex D’Angelo which was stopped by La Salle goalie Aiden McCabe.

His early saves were a key factor in the score remaining 0-0 through the first period.

“It definitely helps give me confidence, to see myself stop the puck and keeping it close,” said McCabe.

“We never would’ve got to this point if McCabe didn’t play the way that he did, he stopped four breakaways in the first two periods. A pretty unbelievable performance by him,” said La Salle head coach Wally Muehlbronner.

The second period started with La Salle on the powerplay, and it looked like the momentum had turned after the first period when Holy Ghost Prep broke through. Colin Costello took a feed from Byron Hartley and converted on his shot to give the Firebirds a 1-0 advantage. That pair wasn’t done, converting on a shorthanded opportunity less than two minutes later, with the roles reversing. This time Hartley took a feed from Costello and went off to the races. He slid a puck past McCabe as a La Salle defender took him down. The goal likely helped dull the sting of the collision the pair made with the boards. The period would end with the Firebirds up 2-0, but La Salle turned up the pressure.

FLYERS CUP SEMIFINALS: La Salle vs. Holy Ghost Prep. (pictures by Kathy Leister)

For more game photos go to http://knlpix.com

La Salle stopped the Firebirds’ momentum at the start of the third when Daniel Sambuco took advantage of a bounce and potted home a goal to halve the lead. Two minutes later, the tying goal was scored. The point shot from Collin Kleiser found its way through to the net, with Zach Baker and Michael Casey getting assists.

Muehlbronner noted his team’s tenacity in the final frame. “I just think we played harder in the third period. We picked up our intensity.”

Just when it seemed that La Salle was back, Holy Ghost Prep struck again. Evan Mudrick scored an empathic goal off-of an D’Angelo assist, who was one of the most noticeable players on either team. The game got tense, with both teams trading penalties and the crowd waiting for the next moment to happen.

That moment did happen off the stick of La Salle’s Sam Lipkin, who scored to tie things up with assists from Sambuco and Casey. One minute later the Firebirds upped the ante with another marker, this time Daniel Behr scoring with another D’Angelo assist.

Holy Ghost Prep was intensely trying to hold on the lead. The clock ticked below a minute and McCabe was taken out for La Salle.  The Firebirds looked like they might make it out. Then, the Explorers broke through, cutting the air out of the Firebirds’ wings. Sambuco rammed home a goal mouth chance off-of a Casey feed and skated over to the crowd which roared with excitement. At 4-4 with 28 seconds left, overtime seemed imminent.

 

But then, a still stunned Holy Ghost Prep team and fan base was dealt a final blow. Eleven seconds later with 17 seconds left in regulation, Lipkin took a cross ice pass from Casey and fired the shot that sent the team in a celebratory frenzy all the way to the bench. The buzzer sounded and the scoring was over. La Salle earned their spot to play in the Flyers Cup finale.

SHOTS: Holy Ghost Prep 32, LaSalle 34; Saves: Sean Joyce (HGP) 29, Aidan McCabe (L) 28.

The Explorers will face-off against St. Joseph’s Prep this Sunday at 7 p.m. in the Championship Final at the Wells Fargo Center.   

FLYERS CUP SEMIFINAL HIGHLIGHTS: La Salle 5 vs. Holy Ghost Prep 4 (video Matt Maratea)

La Salle head coach Wally Muehlbronner talks about his team's comeback (video: Matt Maratea)

La Salle goalie Aiden McCabe, who stopped 28 of 32 shots during the game, talks about how this win set the mood for the Championship game (video: Matt Maratea)