"I definitely want to win the Flyers Cup this year, and I think we have a real shot at it if we continue playing good hockey," Haig said.
Last week, the Friars took over first place in the Eastern League with an 11-2 win over Upper Darby on Feb. 5 and a 4-1 victory over Cardinal O'Hara on Thursday. The games, which increased Malvern's winning streak to 12, put them at 13-2-1, 4 points ahead of Monsignor Bonner at 11-3-1.
Haig and his brother, Scott, have been an integral part of Malvern's success this season. Scott Haig, a sophomore, had 2 goals in each game last week and leads the league with 31 goals. Keith Haig is among the league's leading scorers with 18 goals and 12 assists.
Keith Haig said he felt the main ingredient of the successes this season were the team's balanced attack. Last season, the team rode through its 22-2 season largely on the performances of Derek Amoroso and brothers Ryan and Rob Mulhern. The trio scored 53, 39 and 26 regular-season goals, respectively, accounting for better than 60 percent of the team's scoring.
When Amoroso and Rob Mulhern graduated and Ryan Mulhern transferred, that left Malvern with a gaping hole in its offense for the 1989-90 season. To compensate, the Friars had to approach this season with an emphasis on teamwork.
As of two weeks ago, Malvern had 10 players who were among the top 45 scorers in the Eastern League, more than any other team. And that seems to suggest that a more balanced attack has been achieved.
"I think we have a better shot because we don't have any superstars on the team," Keith Haig said. "Last year, if we got down in a game, we folded. This year . . . we don't fold. There's not just the one guy that can do it all."
DOWN TO THE WIRE
At the end of last week, the Haverford School climbed into fifth place in the Eastern League with a 7-6-2 record and remained headed toward the playoffs as one of the league's top six teams.
