Rustin roars to Class A Flyers Cup title

Brett Christie might have taken three strides before he was surrounded by 11 teammates at center ice during the Flyers Cup Class A division final Monday night.

The dozen players from West Chester Rustin's hockey team converged, arms up, between the two penalty boxes and against the boards, yelling and screaming in celebration.

The scene looked and felt like a championship celebration, and for all intents and purposes it might have been. They rejoiced because Christie's slapshot from just inside blue line sneaked past the West Chester Henderson goalie's five-hole, as well as the first-period buzzer, and gave Rustin a 3-0 lead.

Rustin roared to a 7-1 victory at Ice Line in West Chester.

"You don't get goals like that on a great goalie like that," West Chester Rustin coach Nicholas Russo said. "That was a nail, I guess."

The win gave Rustin its second straight Flyers Cup and fifth in seven years. Rustin also went on to beat the Penguins Cup champion and win the state title in 2009 and 2014.

"We're a dynasty," said defenseman Michael Grande, who had a goal and three assists and earned the Bobby Clarke Award as the tournament's most valuable player. "We're never going to go away. Like coach says, we don't rebuild, we reload."

Christie finished with a hat trick and led the tournament with eight goals and 13 points. He was the first one that goalie Jason Grande tackled at the blue line. This time, though, it was actually a championship celebration.

West Chester Henderson 0 1 0 - 1

West Chester Rustin 3 4 0 - 7

Goals: WCH - Jarrett Slear (unassisted), 6:42.

WCR - Brett Christie (unassisted), 5:00; Austin Aurillo (Michael Grande), 12:19; Christie (unassisted), 16:59; Eric Flynn (Grande), 4:52; Flynn (Grande), 5:06; Grande (Tommy Sloan, Flynn), 8:11; Christie (Sloan), 15:11.

Saves: WCH - Connor Carroll, 13, Tyler Bonjo, 17; WCR - Jason Grande, 25.

Unionville girls prevail. After falling behind by 2-0 early, Unionville scored eight straight goals to beat West Chester East, 8-2, in the Girls' Flyers Cup final at Ice Line. Madison Doucette scored three goals.

West Chester East 2 0 0 - 2

Unionville 2 4 2 - 8

Goals: WCE - Jennifer Porter (Hayley Eshleman), 2:37; Mary Shupard (Erin Bonner), 2:50. U - Kaitlyn Anderson (unassisted), 9:15; Hannah Close (Madison Doucette), 14:53; Doucette (Sierra Dycio, Catherine Ward), 2:58; Doucette (Anderson), 5:19; Claire Donovan (Dycio), 6:24; Doucette (Close) 11:17; Donovan (Anderson), 6:17; Rashelle Terrey (Donovan, Ward), 8:20.

Saves: WCE - Danielle Latare, 30; U - Lillian Jones, 11, Mackenzie Myers, 1.