By: Jeremy Goode
Photos: Richard Barnes
ASTON, PA--Salesianum remembers the Inter County Scholastic Hockey League (ICSHL) championship game last year against Father Judge.
Some of the players probably wish they did not; after all, they came so close, only to eventually lose to Father Judge in the last game of their league’s playoffs.
That was one story line going into the ICSHL championship game this year.
This season Salesianum, located in Wilmington, Del., was presented with a new obstacle. They were going up against one of newer “darlings” of the ICSHL, Devon Prep. It is Devon Prep’s third season with a program and only its second year in the ICSHL league. Three years ago, they won three games. Two years later, they are in their league’s championship game.
It is a quick turnaround for Devon Prep and a great story for the team to rally behind. And Devon Prep was playing great hockey going into the tournament, ultimately making the championship game.
But it was Salesianum that finished the job that they were unable to accomplish last year, beating Devon Prep to win the 2025 ICSHL championship, 6-2 on Thurs., Feb. 27 at Ice Works in Aston, Pa.
Salesianum vs. Devon Prep - 2025 ICSHL Championship - PSD Photos by Richard Barnes
“I felt this year, our team was a lot tighter; we took everything seriously,” Salesianum captain Braeden Graham said. “When it came to our preparation this year, I felt like we prepared a lot better and overall, [that] made us more ready for the game and [to] go out there and get a win.”
Salesianum made a statement early, scoring three and a half minutes into the contest. A minute later, Devon Prep responded, with Braydon Russo taking a slapshot off the pass from James Gabriele to tie the game. Gabriele was coming off of a semifinals game against Father Judge in which he had recorded three assists.
Devon Prep put a little pressure on Salesianum almost four minutes into the second period, as they took the lead after a Kieran Crossan goal. But little did either team know then that Salesianum would go on a 5-1 rampage after Crossan’s goal.
“We were losing at one point; we got on the bench, we got the guys together and told them what we had to do and got it done,” Salesianum forward Liam Bell said.
Salesianum’s captain, Graham, took it upon himself to get his team back into the game, scoring less than a minute after Devon Prep took a 2-1 lead. Six minutes later, Salesianum took the lead for good, as Bell scored off a one-timer from Graham.
Graham had a focused mindset, knowing his Salesianum team had the talent to get out of a 2-1 hole early in the second period. It just came down to putting shots on net, and eventually pucks would get through.
It had been the case all year for Salesianum, and the ICSHL title game would not be different.
Braeden Graham Talks About Winning Championship During His Senior Season
Liam Bell on Salesianum's Ability to Comeback Against Devon Prep
“We knew that we had the star power to compete and come back in the game,” Graham said. “We really grinded through it and kept getting shots, and kept going and going and going, and eventually wore them down.”
The team from Wilmington held onto the 3-2 advantage heading into the final period. For the final half hour of game play, Salesianum goalie Gavin Needs blanked Devon Prep. While his team kept tallying goals in the third period, Needs held strong in front of net, keeping Devon Prep at two goals to finish the game.
“I realized last year, I overprepared myself,” Needs said. “I was too worried, I was stretching too much, and I realized I had to take it one puck at a time… Look at the puck, see it, make sure I stop it; freeze it. As long as I stopped that puck from going behind me, I’m doing my part, and I know the guys around me were doing their part.”
From an offensive standpoint, Salesianum really controlled the first two periods of play. Going into the third, they outshot Devon Prep 25-16.
They continued their aggressive pursuit early in the third, scoring 49 seconds into the final frame. Less than two minutes later, Salesianum scored the dagger, going up 5-2 with 14 minutes to play. The goal drew a timeout from Devon Prep.
The stoppage in play did not impact Salesianum negatively. Two minutes after Devon Prep’s timeout, Connor Davis scored his second goal of the period. Salesianum later went on a power play with 10 minutes remaining, continuing its aggressive dominance.
Both sides traded off shots for the remaining 10 minutes, but the score remained the same.
Gavin Needs on his Performance in Front of the Net
Game Highlights
Salesianum will continue their postseason play, as they will be participating in the Flyers Cup as well.
For Salesianum, the league championship was a long time coming. Last year going out in the championship game stung, and Salesianum ran as the number one team in their league for much of the season.
Ultimately, it was about finishing the job. And they did.
“It feels great, we’ve been stressing about this game for weeks, it’s all we cared about and it’s been in the back of our minds for the entire season,” Graham said. “To finally check it off the list, it’s the best feeling in the world as a senior going out knowing you’re a champion.”