North Allegheny, Mt. Lebanon move on to Penguins Cup finals in Class AAA

By: Bob Orkwis
Tuesday, April 13, 2021 | 12:22 AM

3736239_web1_ptr-PineLebo05-041321 — Chaz Palla | Tribune-Review

Mt. Lebanon’s Brady Conrardy checks Pine-Richland’s Samuel Stagier during the Penguins Cup AAA semifinal on Monday, April 12, 2021 at Robert Morris University Island Sports Center.

3736239_web1_ptr-NAPeters08-041321 — Chaz Palla | Tribune-Review

North Allegheny’s Connor Chi’s shot beats Peters Township goaltender Tanner Ringwald during the Penguins Cup AAA semifinal on Monday, April 12, 2021 at Robert Morris University Island Sports Center.

3736239_web1_ptr-PineLebo04-041321 — Chaz Palla | Tribune-Review

Mt. Lebanon’s Ryan Gates celebrates with Trevor Turkovich after Turkovich’s goal against Pine-Richland during the Penguins Cup AAA semifinal on Monday, April 12, 2021 at Robert Morris University Island Sports Center.

3736239_web1_ptr-PineLebo01-041321 — Chaz Palla | Tribune-Review

Mt. Lebanon’s Conner Ribstein’s shot beats Pine-Richland James Spear during the Penguins Cup AAA semifinal on Monday, April 12, 2021 at Robert Morris University Island Sports Center.

3736239_web1_ptr-PineLebo03-041321 — Chaz Palla | Tribune-Review

Mt. Lebanon goaltender Austin Martin makes a save on Pine-Richland’s Lucas Enos during the Penguins Cup AAA semifinal on Monday, April 12, 2021 at Robert Morris University Island Sports Center.

3736239_web1_ptr-PineLebo06-041321 — Chaz Palla | Tribune-Review

Mt. Lebanon’s Nolan Lynam and Baeddan Pollett celebrate with Marcus Simmonds after Simmonds’ goal against Pine-Richland’s in the third period during the Penguins Cup AAA semifinal on Monday, April 12, 2021 at Robert Morris University Island Sports Center.

3736239_web1_ptr-PineLebo02-041321 — Chaz Palla | Tribune-Review

Mt. Lebanon celebrates Conner Ribstein’s goal against Pine-Richland during the Penguins Cup AAA semifinal on Monday, April 12, 2021 at Robert Morris University Island Sports Center.

3736239_web1_ptr-NAPeters07-041321 — Chaz Palla | Tribune-Review

Peters’ Austin Malley beats North Allegheny goaltender Josh Bailey in the first period during the Penguins Cup AAA semifinal on Monday, April 12, 2021 at Robert Morris University Island Sports Center.

3736239_web1_ptr-NAPeters02-041321 — Chaz Palla | Tribune-Review

North Allegheny’s Connor Chi (43) celebrates his game-winning goal to beat Peters Township in the Penguins Cup AAA semifinal on Monday, April 12, 2021 at Robert Morris University Island Sports Center.

3736239_web1_ptr-NAPeters06-041321 — Chaz Palla | Tribune-Review

North Allegheny’s Austin Peterson’s shot beats Peters Township goaltender Tanner Ringwald during the Penguins Cup AAA semifinal on Monday, April 12, 2021 at Robert Morris University Island Sports Center.

3736239_web1_ptr-NAPeters03-041321 — Chaz Palla | Tribune-Review

Peters’ Austin Malley celebrates his goal against North Allegheny to tie the game late in the third period during the Penguins Cup AAA semifinal on Monday, April 12, 2021 at Robert Morris University Island Sports Center.

3736239_web1_ptr-NAPeters04-041321 — Chaz Palla | Tribune-Review

North Allegheny’s Josh Bailey makes a save on Peters Township’s Cooper Slavin during the Penguins Cup AAA semifinal on Monday, April 12, 2021 at Robert Morris University Island Sports Center.

3736239_web1_ptr-NAPeters01-041321 — Chaz Palla | Tribune-Review

North Allegheny’s Connor Chi’s shot beats Peters goaltender Tanner Ringwald for the game winner in overtime during the Penguins Cup AAA semifinal on Monday, April 12, 2021 at Robert Morris University Island Sports Center.

3736239_web1_ptr-NAPeters05-041321 — Chaz Palla | Tribune-Review

North Allegheny’s Josh Bailey makes a save on Peters Township’s Maxwell Kness during the Penguins Cup AAA semifinal on Monday, April 12, 2021 at Robert Morris University Island Sports Center.

Connor Chi’s second goal of the game 30 seconds into overtime gave No. 4 North Allegheny a 4-3 win over Peters Township in the first of two PIHL Class AAA semifinal matchups at the RMU Island Sports Center on Neville Island on Monday night.

Chi, who also connected on a first-period power play, fired a wrist shot from between the circles on a one-on-three rush to send the Tigers to the championship game for the second time in the last three seasons. North Allegheny won the AAA title in 2019 and was set to play in the semifinals last year before the covid-19 shutdown.

“If you give Connor a little bit of room, he finds a way to score goals. He’s done it numerous times this year, including in overtime against Mt. Lebanon,” North Allegheny coach Mike Bagnoto said of his junior forward.

Chi’s tally overshadowed the last-second heroics from the Indians’ Austin Malley. Malley, who scored the game’s first goal on a power play, deflected a Carson Alexander wrist shot behind Tigers goaltender Josh Bailey with four seconds left in regulation to tie the game at 3-3.

Special teams played a big part in the win for North Allegheny (15-5-2). The Tigers went 2 for 3 with the man advantage and killed off all three power-play opportunities for No. 1 Peters Township (16-5) in the second period. Bailey made 21 saves in the net to earn the victory for North Allegheny.

Bagnoto acknowledged his special teams were a big part of the win for the Tigers.

“They were (huge),” he said. “Our power play has been pretty steady all year long. We’ve been working really hard on the penalty kill the last three or four weeks and it obviously has paid off.”

In the nightcap, No. 7 Mt. Lebanon continued its roll by defeating No. 3 Pine-Richland, 3-2.

Marcus Simmonds’ power-play goal at 5:53 of the third period of the second semifinal contest put the Blue Devils in front, and their defense and sophomore goaltender Austin Martin held the high-scoring Rams off the board the rest of the way to secure the victory.

Connor Ribstein notched his second goal of the playoffs for Mt. Lebanon and senior defenseman Trevor Turkovich also scored. Martin stopped 26-of-28 Pine-Richland shots as the Rams, who won the AA PIHL Title in 2019, saw their season end at 15-7. The Blue Devils (11-9-0-2) endured a stretch during the regular season where they lost eight of nine games.

Following a 3-0 loss to Canon-McMillan, Mt. Lebanon has now won six of its last seven games.

According to Blue Devils coach Jeremy Church, Mt. Lebanon has been in playoff mode since that stretch.

“We’ve been battle tested since that Canon-Mac game, and I knew after that loss we might not necessarily get here, but we’d win a lot of hockey games,” he said. “We really had to win out to even get into the playoffs, so that’s been the key.”

The Blue Devils will play North Allegheny at 6:30 p.m. next Monday night at the RMU Island Sports Center for the PIHL Penguins Cup AAA Championship.

It will mark the third meeting of the year between the teams, and both regular-season games were nail biters.

North Allegheny won 6-5 in overtime in January and in the regular season finale, the Tigers prevailed 3-2 in a shootout.

North Allegheny is trying to become the first PIHL AAA team to repeat as champions since Bethel Park in 2002. The Tigers defeated Peters Township 3-0 in 2019 to capture their third title, and since the playoffs were canceled last season before the championship was decided, North Allegheny technically remains the defending 3A champion.

Watch an archived broadcast of North Allegheny vs. Peters Township on Trib HSSN.

Watch an archived broadcast of Mt. Lebanon vs. Pine-Richland on Trib HSSN.