Lehigh Valley, PA – It’s school winter sports Championship Season! The Lehigh Valley Phantoms and PPL Center are thrilled to announce the return of the Phantoms Cup Scholastic Hockey Championships which will take place at the PPL Center starting March 2nd. The exciting return of the Championships will allow area teams and kids from the Lehigh Valley Scholastic Hockey League the opportunity to represent their schools as they compete for a championship in the professional setting of the PPL Center.
“We are very proud of our role in supporting youth sports in the Lehigh Valley,” Phantoms Co-Owner Jim Brooks said. “What an exciting opportunity for these kids to experience the thrill of playoffs in the same building as the professionals, the PPL Center, and getting to do so while wearing their school colors. I know it means a lot to the boys and girls to represent their schools and show off their school spirit.”
Last year the Phantoms and PPL Center hosted the first ever Phantoms Cup which featured three age divisions, Youth, Middle School, and Junior Varsity. This year, in partnership with the Lehigh Valley Scholastic Hockey League, a Varsity Phantoms Cup Champion will also be crowned.
The top four (4) teams in each Championship Division will qualify for the Phantoms Cup, with seeding to be announced on March 1, 2023. The top seed will face-off against the fourth seed, and the second seed will play the third seed; with the winners of these Semi-Final games meeting in the Championships. Same as last season, the JR Varsity, Middle School, and Youth (Elementary) Divisions will play a winner-take-all game to decide the Champions. The Varsity Division will feature a best of three games series for the Championship.
“Following the success of the Inaugural Phantoms Cup last season, we are excited to add the Varsity Division this year. This is a wonderful experience for the youth playing hockey in the area – playing on the ice where the Phantoms play with their families, friends, fellow students, teachers, principals, and more coming together to cheer them on,” Senior Director of Ticket Sales for PPL Center & the Phantoms, Trevor Herrick, said. “In the 9 years I have been in the Lehigh Valley, I have personally seen so many kids, families and coaches working to improve their skills and develop a strong youth hockey program in the Valley – and to see those efforts culminate with the Phantoms Cup games, it’s truly rewarding.”
Last season’s Phantoms Cup Champions were:
JR Varsity – Northampton Kids
Middle School – Emmaus Hornets
Youth/Elementary – Parkland Trojans
The Lehigh Valley Scholastic Hockey League consists of teams representing area schools including Allentown Central Catholic, Bethlehem Area School District, Bethlehem Catholic, Easton, Emmaus, Nazareth, Northampton, Parkland, Phillipsburg, and Southern Lehigh.
As part of the organization’s continued drive to support youth hockey in the community and thanks to the following partners Service Electric, PenTeleData, Leader of the Pack, Bethlehem Landfill, and Embassy Bank, this is a FREE HOCKEY EVENT and all games are free and open to the public. To continue supporting community initiatives, fans can come to PPL Center and cheer on these students representing their schools.
The schedule for the 2023 Phantoms Cup:
Thursday, March 2:
6:00 P.M. – Varsity 1 seed v. 4 seed
7:45 P.M. – Varsity 2 seed v. 3 seed
Monday, March 6:
6:00 P.M. – Youth 1 seed v. 4 seed
7:20 P.M. – Youth 2 seed v. 3 seed
8:40 P.M. – Varsity Finals Game 1
Tuesday, March 7:
6:00 P.M. – Middle School 1 seed v. 4 seed
7:20 P.M. – Middle Schools 2 seed v. 3 seed
Wednesday, March 8:
6:00 P.M. – Junior Varsity 1 seed v. 4 seed
7:20 P.M. – Junior Varsity 2 seed v. 3 seed
8:40 P.M. – Varsity Finals Game 2
Monday, March 13:
6:00 P.M. – Youth Finals
7:20 P.M – Middle School Finals
Tuesday, March 14:
7:20 P.M. – Junior Varsity Finals
8:40 P.M. – Varsity Finals Game 3 (if necessary)
The Phantoms Cup is presented by Service Electric Cable TV & Communications. Additional proud sponsors of this great event are: Embassy Bank, Bethlehem Landfill, PenTeleData, and Leader of the Pack
