By: JJ MICHALSKI

The APAC has playoffs have commenced. This year’s Founder’s Cup began on Monday with a play in game between Holy Ghost Prep and The Hun School. With the addition of The Hun School for 2021, the fourth edition of the Founder’s Cup is the first to feature a third round of playoffs. After a dominant 9-4 win, Holy Ghost will advance to the final four, which is set to be hosted at Ice Line in West Chester later tonight. Number one seed Malvern Prep’s home ice will serve as the surface for the doubleheader.

In 2022, the semi-final games are slated to be No. 1 Malvern Prep vs. No. 4 Holy Ghost Prep, while No. 2 seeded La Salle College High School will host No. 4 St. Joseph’s Prep.

The Founder’s Cup final will be determined by tonight’s results with the highest remaining seed hosting the lowest remaining seed on either February 23 or 24 at a time to be determined.

Holy Ghost Prep is back in the playoffs this year and had the opportunity to play in the first ever play-in game on Monday afternoon. The game was hosted by The Hun School, who won Friday’s final regular season game by a final score of 2-1. Entering Monday, The Hun School had won both contests between the two teams in 2022.

In the third period, the scoresheet opened up as both teams combined for six goals. Holy Ghost Prep scored four of those goals, taking a final victory of 9-4. Six different Firebirds scored in the game, highlighted by Baesher’s three goal, two assist effort. Four of the nine Holy Ghost goals came on the powerplay.

“Anytime you have an opportunity to work with young men and be put in this position to vie for a playoff and a championship is always welcomed. Whether it’s through a playoff game or advancing, we’re just happy to be a part of this whole process,” said Gump Whiteside, head coach of Holy Ghost Prep.

With the win on Monday, Holy Ghost now looks ahead to the challenge of the top ranked Malvern Prep Friars. Malvern won both regular season contests between the two teams by a combined score of 7-4. The teams first game was played on November 17, with the Philadelphia Flyers Wells Fargo Center serving as the neutral ice for the contest. Malvern won a close game, with goals coming from three different scorers. The game had no score through the first period and was a 2-1 game until Quinn Dougherty scored an empty netter to seal the Friars’ 3-1 victory.

Holy Ghost Prep enters the game with a chip on its shoulder after getting back to its winning ways on Monday night. Prior to Monday, the Firebirds struggled to find the win column this year after opening up APAC play with a 2-0 record. They were 3-0 overall before facing Malvern Prep on November 17. The Firebirds -14 goal differential is the worst in the APAC, and their 16 goals scored are tied for last with the Hun School. Braedon Baehser led the APAC with 17 goals, 12 assists and 29 overall points in 2022. His five-point effort against the Hun School kept him ahead of Malvern Prep’s Jimmy Jacobs who has 22 overall points and 11 goals this season. Baehser’s season will go down as one of the best in APAC history to date. Sean Marshall spoke to the grit and competition in the APAC before Holy Ghost Prep’s play-in game on Monday.

“I think you treat the game like a regular season game,” Marshall said. “You need to come out and play every game just one at a time. But in the back of your head, you know that it could be one of your last games coming up and you need to lay everything out on the line. I’ve seen in the past how it happens, and it just hits the seniors in the locker room after the game and I don’t ever want that to happen. I think the APAC is a top tier league and every game is tight, every game is close. Every team has a chance to win every game and whoever is the better team that night is the team that will win the game.”

Last season, the lone semi-final game featured La Salle and St. Joe’s Prep after Holy Ghost Prep announced all extra-curricular activities would be put on hold with the school temporarily moving to online classes.

In a rematch of that semi-final game, St. Joe’s Prep will again be the visiting team as the Hawks take on La Salle College High School. Last year La Salle won the playoff matchup 4-0. So far in 2022, La Salle has won both games between the teams by a combined score of 5-2. The first game came on January 21 and was hosted by St. Joe’s Prep. The Explorers capitalized on two first period goals enroute to a win. Nicholas Storti scored the only goal of the game for St. Joe’s midway through the second period. There were seven combined power plays in the game with La Salle scoring their second goal of the night on a man advantage. St. Joe’s Prep was 0-for-4 on its power play in the game.

Goaltenders Rocco Bruno and Ajay White split time this season, with Bruno clocking more minutes in APAC play. Bruno, who was in net for both La Salle games this season can expect to face a lot of shots against a tough team. He faced a combined 75 shots in his final two league games of the year, both against the Explorers. Bruno has saved 91.4 percent of the shots he’s seen between the pipes this year.

In a season of up and downs for the Explorers, they were able to clinch the number two spot in the Founder’s Cup playoffs with the 3-1 win against St. Joe’s last week. La Salle has consistently been one of the best teams in the APAC since the league’s founding in 2019. The Explorers remain the only team to ever hoist the Founder’s Cup. La Salle’s 4-3-1 mark this season shows just how difficult and unpredictable the APAC can be.

Don’t look for the Explorers to explode on offense, as their 19 goals rank third in the APAC this year. Defense is key to winning the championship this year as La Salle has a league best 16 goals allowed. They remain the only APAC team this season to give up fewer than 20 goals. Goaltenders Aries Carangi and Willum Braun split playing time this season, with the two alternating contests throughout the year. Carangi recorded the win last week against St. Joe’s saving 28 of 29 shots that he faced. He was also in goal for the game on January 21 against the Hawks. He has a 3-2 record this season in APAC play.