A new era is dawning in the Atlantic Prep Athletic Conference this season. Steve Mackell, a longtime coach and administrator, is beginning his first season as the APAC’s commissioner.
He replaces Jim Britt, who served as the commissioner in the conference’s first six years of existence.
Mackell played high-school hockey at Cardinal O’Hara and junior hockey with the Quakers before playing for a year at West Chester State.
He began his coaching career alongside Jim McCrossin at Malvern Prep and later served as the Friars’ head coach. He also spent time behind the bench with the Quakers and Junior Flyers before joining Atlantic District player development staff.
“I’ve admired what the APAC mission was about”, Mackell said, “I know the schools, I know a lot of the coaches and the administrators from those schools and was really excited to be offered this opportunity.”
Mackell noted the unique stature that hockey is afforded at the five APAC member schools, Holy Ghost Prep, La Salle, Malvern Prep, St. oseph’s Prep, and Hun School.
“I think the common thread is hockey is recognized as a varsity sport in each of the schools,” he said. It’s run by the administration through the athletic director as well as the coaches.
“To be a varsity sport and have the backing of the school I think is paramount to being successful.”
Mackell points out the APAC’s success on the ice is coupled with a commitment to academic excellence.
“What the APAC has done in the [six] years they’ve been in existence is create a very competitive environment,” he said. “All those schools are academically challenging and I think they draw a lot of the same type student-athletes into the sport. They’ve been able to create a very high level of competitiveness through their individual scheduling at the schools as well as through the APAC scheduling.”
Since the APAC made it’ debut for the 2018-19 season, conference schools have won six consecutive Class AAA Flyers Cups. All told, they’ve won 24, including the last 13 in succession.
