Program History

This season marks the 34th year of hockey at Georgetown Prep. From its humble roots in 1990 through championships in many different leagues and tournaments to its current status as a perennial power in both the Interstate Athletic Conference (IAC) and the Mid-Atlantic Prep Hockey League (MAPHL), Prep hockey has been guided by visionaries and accomplished leaders that coached, managed, and led the boys who grew up and persevered with this program and built it into what it is today.

1989-1992	In 1989, Prep students John Connell, Joe McCormick, and Steve Radanovic approached School Counselor Rick Robinson and Kyran Kennedy (Development Office), about forming a hockey program. Kyran and Rick set about to lay the groundwork to develop the program, resulting in the first practice taking place on November 13, 1990, at 6:15am in the Wheaton Outdoor rink. The Hoyas took the ice for their first season, under the leadership of Coach Kennedy as a “club” team. At the time of Prep hockey’s formations, there was no hockey division in the Interstate Athletic Conference (IAC). Instead, Prep played in the new Maryland Scholastic Hockey League (MSHL). There were only a handful of high school hockey teams in the area at that time. Games were played at the Cabin John and Wheaton rinks. On these early teams, only a few players had hockey experience or had developed skating skills. Opposition teams tended to be either extremely strong or, or like Prep, in development mode. When Prep would play Good Counsel or Gonzaga, games were generally competitive. Nevertheless, for the first two years of the program, the Hoyas did not win a game.
1992-1994	In the 1992-93 season, Georgetown Prep’s hockey team became a varsity sport. The skating Hoyas won their first game on December 11, 1992, beating Mount St. Joseph’s “white” team 7-5. The Hoyas won their second game during the 1993-94 MSHL season finishing with a 1-8 overall MSHL record. The team also participated in Gonzaga’s inaugural National Capital Hockey Tournament (the Purple Puck) in 1993. During that third season, Prep played a game in the outdoor rink at College Park and, for the first time, started to attract a large Prep following.
1994-1995	During the 1994-95 season, the Hoyas began to reap success. Prep finished 201 at the Purple Puck during this season and finished 1-9 in the MSHL. During the 1995-96 season, Prep won a preseason tournament and finished December of the year with a 4-1 record, marking the best-ever start for the team to that point. Prep hockey finished close to .500 by the end of the season, its best-ever finish and setting the stage for continuing growth and success in the program. Coach Kennedy gave up the reins of the program at the end of the 1995 season.
1996-2001	In 1996, Kevin Charles was named head coach. Coach Charles continued to push the program forward and with the success of the program came new challenges. CJ Kemp became Prep’s very first Washington Post All-Met selection in 1997-98 and repeated again in the 1998-99 season. In the 1999-00 season, Prep joined the MSHL Tier 1 division, the top tier in the league. Prep was ranked no. 4 in Maryland at the end of the 2000-01 season, which was Coach Charles’ last.
2001-2007	In 2001, Brian Maloney became Prep’s third Varsity Head Coach. The 2001-02 season marked the advent of hockey in the IAC and also the first ever winning season for Prep hockey. At the time, there was no IAC tournament. Rather, the IAC championship was solely based upon won-lost record vs. other teams and Prep was the IAC winner that year, establishing the prominence era of Prep hockey. Prep finished ranked third in Maryland in 2001-02 behind DeMatha and Mt. St. Joe’s. The Hoyas finished the 2002-03 season with a 16-4-1 record, the 2003-04 season with a 12-7-2 record and the 2004-05 season with an 11-5-5 record. In 2005-06, the Hoyas placed second for the season behind Landon, but then won the inaugural IAC tournament defeating the Landon Bears 3-2. The Hoyas and the Bears were named co-champions for the season. Prep’s Jason Maggio was the first Hoyas’ goalie to be named to the Washington Post’s First Team All-Met squad. The team went 16-6. The 2006-07 Hoyas went 16-7-1 in Coach Maloney’s final season as Head Coach.
2007-2009	Sean O’Leary became Prep’s fourth Varsity Head Coach in the 2007-08 season. Coach O’Leary played NCAA hockey at Assumption and was a member of the Prep Varsity coaching staff prior to becoming Head Coach. He took over a program that had become a perennial contender in the IAC, MAPHL, and the Purple Puck, and was consistently ranked in the Washington Post’s top ten teams in the metro DC area. Prep had a 12-1 record in 2007-08, losing to Bulls in the IAC tournament semi-finals game. The Hoyas brought home the Purple Puck Championship Banner for Prep, defeating Bishop O’Connell 4-1. The 2008-09 Hoyas season record was 14-6-1.
2009-2012	The 2009-10 Prep Hockey team completed their best-ever season to that point, finishing with a combined pre-season and season total record of 19-4-3. The Hoyas captured the IAC tournament championship, with a come-from-behind overtime victory over Landon, 4-3, and became IAC co-champions. The team ranked as high as no. 2 in the metro area by the Washington Post and finished the season as a semi-finalist in MAPHL. Justin Butler was named to the All-IAC, All-MAPHL teams, was named MAPHL Co-Player of the Year and was named First Team All-Met by the Washington Post. In the 2010-11 season, the defending IAC co-champions found themselves in an IAC that may have been the strongest-ever across the board. The team finished with an overall record of 16-6, finished as IAC finalists, MAPHL semi-finalists, and Purple Puck finalists. Prep hockey finished third overall in both the Washington Post and MAPHL rankings. Justin Butler was named All-Met Player of the Year and received many other honors. In 2011-12, posted a 16-5 record and finished the season ranked number 3 in the State of Maryland. Coach O’Leary was selected as the MAPHL Coach of the Year in his last season as the Hoyas’ Head Coach. PJ McNamara was selected as the Washington Post All-Met Player of the Year, First Team All-Met goalie, All-IAC, All-Gazette, and as the Washington Capitals Player of the Month for January 2012. Senior Captain Mike McDonald was selected All-Gazette and Honorable Mention All-Met.
2012-2015	Paul Fritz became Prep’s fifth Varsity Head Coach in August 2012. In net, the Hoyas would rely on experienced sophomore backstop, Barry Reese and senior Jack Ring. Prep’s hard work earned them another trip to the IAC playoffs, where they lost to arch-rival Landon in the semi-finals. Prep again fell to Landon in the MAPHL quarter-final-game. Coach Fritz began his second season at Prep with one of the youngest squads in recent history and the future of the program ultimately would rest on the large class of varsity freshmen. The Hoyas posted an impressive 7-5-1 record, concluding the season with a 4-2-1 run. The 2014-15 season would mark Coach Fritz’s final season as Prep Head Coach. Hopes for the season were high but the year started with immediate adversity as the team lost both of its upper-class goalies. Despite early challenges, the team got off to a good start and was ranked as high as number 4 in the area after soundly defeating the #1 ranked team, Bishop O’Connell in December. Unfortunately, injuries plagued the team through the spring and the Hoyas finished the season 9-8-2. The team contended for the IAC regular season championship but lost in a barnburner to arch-rival Landon at the end of the season. The team made both the IAC and MAPHL playoffs but was eliminated in the first round of each.
2015-2016	New Head Coach Gregg Marinari, Assistant Coach Peter Perrela, and nine returning Varsity players joined forces with seven new team members to form the squad for 2015-16 campaign. The team encountered an up and down season, posting a final record of 9-12-3 overall, 2-3-0 in IAC league play and 6-6-2 in MAPHL league play. Despite the challenging season, several Hoyas received post season recognition for their body of work.
2016-2017	The 2016-17 season was one for the record books for the Prep hockey program. With a completely new coaching staff and a strong and talented, but young, core of the team, the Hoyas were not the frontrunners going into the year, especially with a lineup filled with injuries. However, the Hoyas, led by fantastic coaches, including new bench boss, Brian Danver, and assisted by coaches Intern John, Duante Abercrombie, and Matt Reilly, took this underdog label in strides, and went on to shock the league with a conference championship victory. After a seven-game run which included the team’s first victory in many years over Gonzaga in a 3-0 shutout, the team went on to win its first IAC championship in many years (2-0 over Landon). The team fought hard to make the MAPHL playoffs and qualified, but fell to perennial rival Gonzaga in the semi-finals. The Hoyas finished the season with a strong record of 15-9-2 (7-5-1 in MAPHL and 2-1-1 in the IAC). Captain MacDowell Johnston and Assistant Captains Ben Holman and Tom Olson led the team into battle every game and contributed a veteran presence that impacted the team’s playoff success. James Flannery had a breakout year and goaltender Will Boggs anchored the team and recorded key shutouts against Gonzaga and in both IAC playoff games.
2017-2018	In the 2017-18 campaign, Prep finished second in the IAC and seventh in MAPHL. Despite the disappointments of not repeating as IAC champions and losing in the first round of MAPHL playoffs, several players earned individual accolades for the outstanding play. Alex Chaconas ’20 earned All-MAPHL and All-IAC honors and was one of the leading scorers in the DC area. Will Boggs ’18 landed on tech All-IAC team for his superb play in net and James Flannery ’19 was recognized as an All-IAC player and All-Met Player, persevering through injuries to establish himself as one of the best players in the area. Coach Brian Danver was recognized as the MAPHL coach of the year.
2018-2019	The 2018-19 season was another fantastic year for Prep hockey and the team earned another IAC championship. Senior captains James Flannery and Clay Lanham led the team with tremendous play and tenacious attitudes. Flannery enjoyed one of the best seasons in Prep hockey history and earned both MAPHL and All-Met Player of the Year in addition to IAC honors. Lanham anchored the team defensively. The team also relied heavily on Juniors Alex Chaconas (among the leading scorers in the DC area), Peter Roches (recognized as one of the best two-way players in the area), Matt Scola (whose physical gritty style of play was a great complement to the team), and defenseman Nolan Urgo (with a unique ability to play any position on the ice). Sophomores Patrick Fitzgerald, Matt Prame and Alex Demers had superb sophomore campaigns. Prep won the IAC tournament and finished third in MAPHL regular season before falling to Spalding in the quarterfinals of the playoffs. The Hoyas finished the season with a 14-4-1 record and ranked third by the Washington Post.
2019-2020	The Hoyas looked to defend their titles in the 2019-20 season and believed that they could repeat as IAC champions and challenge for an MAPHL title. Defensively, the team was led by senior goaltender Elon Granston and defensemen Matt Prame, Alex Demers, and Nolan Urgo.  Offensively, the Hoyas relied on the talent and grit of seniors Peter Roche, Alex Chaconas, and Matt Scola and junior Patrick Fitzgerald. The highlight of the regular season was a Friday-night defeat of rival Landon on home ice to set the stage for the de facto regular season championship vs. St. Albans at Fort DuPont. The Hoyas controlled the game against the Bulldogs from beginning to end to secure back-to-back regular season titles. Unfortunately, the Hoyas fell in the IAC finals and MAPHL semifinals to Landon, who went on the win the MAPHL title. Individually, Alex Chaconas earned All-IAC, All-MAPHL, and All-Met honors, and Elon Granston, Patrick Fitzgerald, and Peter Roche were awarded All-IAC and All-Met.
2020-2021	Due to Covid, there was no official 2020-21 season. Despite the season’s cancellation, the Hoyas took to the ice with Coaches John and Mike. With the leadership and example set by veteran seniors Patrick Fitzgerald and Matt Prame, and together with seniors Billy Allston, Brendan Condron, Alex Demers, Connor McMahon and TJ Prame, the players all came together to practice and scrimmage, even knowing that the season might never happen. It was a testament to Prep hockey that the team meant so much to this group of coaches and Hoyas that they continued to show up, learn, practice and get better, even when required to wear masks on the ice and knowing they may not play games. The varsity and JV players came together to play a blue-gray game and were grateful for that opportunity. Late in what should have been their senior season, the seniors at Prep, Landon and St. Albans organized unofficial games for their teams. The players from all teams were grateful to play and had a great time in these “underground” games.
2021-2022	After missing the 2020-21 season due to the pandemic, the Hoyas eagerly took the ice for the 2021-22 season.  A sense of great joy and relief permeated the team in the early weeks, as the boys were grateful for the opportunity to play once again.  Talented junior and senior classes led the way for the Hoyas, who started the season with non-league wins over rivals Gonzaga and Landon.   Defensively, the Hoyas were led by seniors Peter Flannery and Liam Mulreany and junior Colin Barrett.  On the offensive side, the team boasted one of its deepest rosters in years with junior centers Seamus McNally and Walker Johnston, junior wings Chris Brophy and JB Vito, and senior wings Taylor Steuart and Lucas Chaconas.  Between the pipes, senior Colin Yavinsky led the team with spirited play and tremendous leadership. In IAC-play the Hoyas defeated St. Albans to claim a share of the regular season title but came up short in the semifinals of the playoffs with a loss to Landon.  In MAPHL play, the team finished 6th in the regular season and won its first round of the playoffs.  Despite outplaying DeMatha for large stretches of the game in the quarterfinals, the Hoyas fell to the Stags to conclude their season. Individually, Peter Flannery ’22 earned All-IAC, All-MAPHL, and All-Met Honors, while Seamus McNally ’23 and Chris Brophy ’23 earned All-IAC.
2022-2023	After capturing a share of the IAC regular season title in 2021-’22, the Hoyas took the ice for the 2022-’23 season with great expectations.  The team returned one of the deepest and most talented senior classes in program history: Colin Barrett, Chris Brophy, Jake Engel, Walker Johnston, Jack Kask, Seamus McNally, Bobby Prame, JB Vito, and Ryan Yang. The season began with a strong showing in the Inaugural Capital Classic tournament hosted by Bishop O’Connell over Thanksgiving Break.  The Hoyas defeated St. John’s, O’Connell, and Texas-state champions Dallas Jesuit in group play.  The team advanced to the finals before falling to St. Johns. Unfortunately, the Hoyas lost Chris Brophy and Walker Johnston to injury and would have to play several games without them in the coming weeks.  The rest of the team rallied, however, and completed the pre-Christmas portion of the MAPHL season undefeated, with big road victories at Spalding and DeMatha. After returning from break, the Hoyas completed their regular season in strong fashion with a third-place finish in the MAPHL and a second-place finish in the IAC.  The team was unlucky to finish with ties against Gonzaga, Landon, and Bullis, despite strong performances. The Hoyas ran into a very hot goalie in the IAC semifinals and fell to Bullis 2-1.  The team rallied and vowed to give its best performance in the upcoming MAPHL playoffs.  The boys defeated Spalding in the quarterfinals and set up a rematch with IAC Champion Landon.  This semifinal matchup was a high-scoring affair, with the Hoyas downing their archrival 10-6 to advance to the MAPHL finals for the first time in school history.  Unfortunately, the Hoyas came up short to the DeMatha Stags and had to settle for second place. The season was one of the best in school history with the Hoyas finishing as MAPHL finalists and with a 16-5-3 record.  Individually, Chris Brophy and Conner McCarthy earned All-IAC and MAPHL honors, while Seamus McNally landed on the All-IAC team.
2023-2024	Building on their historic 2022-23 MAPHL finals appearance, the Hoyas entered the 2023-24 season with high hopes and a senior-heavy roster of 11 players. They opened with a 6-3 win over Bullis but hit a rough patch before the holiday break. Spirits lifted when a combined Varsity and JV team reached the Purple Puck Championship, falling to St. Joe’s Prep in overtime. Post-break, the Hoyas found their stride, winning 7 of 11 regular-season games. A new tradition was born with a pregame dinner with rivals Landon, supporting the Shoulder Check foundation honoring Hayden Thorsen. In the playoffs, the Hoyas battled adversity, missing 5 players to injury. They fell 2-1 to Bullis in the IAC playoffs but rebounded in the MAPHL tournament, defeating DeMatha 6-2 and edging out Landon in a thrilling shootout, with goalie Billy Bass delivering a standout performance. Their run ended in the MAPHL Semi-Finals with a hard-fought loss to St. John’s, closing the season 11-8-1. Individual honors included Conner McCarthy (All-IAC, All-Met, All-MAPHL), Austin Markva and Andrew Chaconas (All-IAC, All-Met Honorable Mentions), and Billy Bass (All-IAC).
2024-2025	The 2024-25 team faced a significant rebuild, returning only 13 varsity players after graduating 11 seniors the previous year. This resulted in a difficult start to the season, with a 1-10-1 record, including three overtime losses. However, the Hoyas’ fortunes changed in late January. A second win sparked a remarkable turnaround, as they finished the regular season strong, winning five of their final six games and ultimately posting a 6-11-1 record. The Hoyas began the IAC playoffs seeded fourth after a tiebreaker coin flip with St. Albans. Their playoff run began with a dominant 8-0 win over St. Stephen’s St. Agnes on Monday, February 10th. Overcash, Barth, McCormick, Hurt, Oeltmann, and Raffo all scored, while Billy Bass earned his first playoff shutout. This victory propelled them into the semifinals against rival Landon. The Hoyas faced the Bears on Thursday, February 13th. Hurt and Oeltmann gave Prep an early 2-0 lead, but Landon fought back to tie the game 2-2 early in the third period. Swann quickly answered with a blue-line goal, and Oeltmann added an insurance goal late in the game, securing a 4-2 win and a spot in the championship game against Bullis. The championship game, played at 4:15 pm on Valentine’s Day, was a tense, scoreless affair for two periods. Early in the third, McCormick broke the deadlock, giving Prep a 1-0 lead. With just over a minute remaining, Markva sealed the victory with an empty-net goal, making the final score 2-0. The Hoyas’ underdog story culminated in a joyous celebration with their classmates. Despite their lower seeding, the team’s talent shone through, resulting in a magical playoff run and a well-deserved championship title. The following week, the team shifted their focus back to the playoffs, facing off again against Bullis in the first round of the MAPHL playoffs. Butler and Barth’s goals forced overtime, and Prep secured a 3-2 shootout win with Bass’s five key saves and Menkiti’s decisive goal advancing to the quarterfinals. The quarterfinal matchup vs #1 see St. John’s was a hard-fought battle, with Menkiti tying the game 1-1 with a goal in the 2nd period. The game extended into a tense 10-minute overtime, where St. John’s capitalized in the final 30 seconds to seal the win. It was a heartbreaking end to a valiant playoff run and historic season.