Adam Charrafi and Cole Gargon each scored two goals for the Hawks, who now stand at 3-1 overall and 1-1 in conference play. Jai Perry Pereira and Thomas Ely also scored for St. Joseph’s Prep, which won its third straight after opening the season with a loss to La Salle.
Charrafi put the Hawks in front 8:52 into the first period when he beat Jack Unger in the Firebird net. Gargon made it a 2-0 game five-and-a-half minutes later before setting up Charrafi’s second goal of the game 3:34 into the second frame.
St. Joseph’s Prep coach David Giacomin was elated with the game’ up-temp pace.
“I was very pleased with the pace of play,” he said. “we played very quickly and got a nice early lead on them and knew they were going to push back, which they did.
“It was nice to play a game with two fast teams going up and down the ice.”
Anthony Valerie scored for Holy Ghost Prep (5-2, 1-2 in conference) on a power-play effort with 7:09 left in the middle period. but Thomas Ely answered for St. joseph’s Prep to extend the Hawks’ lead to 4-1 with 5:30 remaining in the period.
Before the period ended the Firebirds made a charge. Brian Kinniry and Lucas Gonzalez scored goals in a span of 2 minutes, 5 seconds to make it a 4-3 game with 2:59 still left in the second frame.
But the Firebirds could not solve Declan Geary again; he finished the game with 31 saves.
Jai Perry Pereira and Gargon added goals in the closing moments to widen the final margin.
“I was extremely impressed with the way we played in the third period,” Giacomin said. “We really played a smart game and continued to skate hard and got excellent goaltending.”
Holy Ghost Prep coach John Ritchie said his team was undone by a slow start.
“We were unfocused to start the game,” he said. “St. Joe’s took it to us and we dug too deep of a hole for ourselves to get out of. I didn’t think we started playing decent hockey until halfway through the second period and by that point it was too late.”
Ritchie said the Hawks prevailed in part because of their work ethic.
“They outworked us and deserve to win,” he said. “We make too many excuses, and at the end of the day we have to be able to execute on a consistent basis against the teams in our league.”
The Firebirds have dropped their last two conference games.
St. Joseph’s Prep 2 2 2—6
Holy Ghost Prep 0 3 0—3
First-period goals: Adam Charrafi (SJP) from Frank Ely, 8:52; Cole Gargon (SJP) unassisted, 14:19
Second-period goals: Charrafi (SJP) from Gargon, 3:34 (pp); Anthony Valeriote (HGP) from John Gavaghan and Brady Logue, 9:51 (pp); Thomas Ely (SJP) from Bradan Fisher and Noah Stuhl, 11:30; Brian Kinniry (HGP) from Joseph Kaufmann, 11:56; Lucas Gonzalez (HGP) from Logue, 14:01
Third-period goals: Jai Perry-Pereira (SJP) from Michael Washlick, 15:47; Gargon (SJP) from Frank Ely, 16:40
Shots: St. Joseph’s Prep 37, Holy Ghost Prep 34; Saves: Declan Geary (sjp) 31, Jack Unger (HGP) 31
– Rick Woelfel, hockeyhappenings.com
