Westmoreland PIHL playoff preview capsule: Pennsylvania Cup championship game

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Friday, March 25, 2022 | 6:09 PM

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Saturday’s game

Pennsylvania Cup Hockey Championship

Class A

Norwin (16-4-2) vs. West Chester East (17-0)

11 a.m., Ice Line Quad Rinks, West Chester

Coaches: Mike Robinson, Norwin; Eric Wolf, West Chester East

Scouting report: Norwin returned to the PIHL finals for the first time in 38 years and made the most of the opportunity, winning its first championship with a 5-0 victory over McDowell, the alma mater of coach Mike Robinson. Sophomore goalie Owen Burmiester made 25 saves in his third shutout of the season, and sophomores Alex Thomas and Mario Cavallaro each tallied two goals for the second game in a row. Ty Shigo leads the Knights with 41 points on 18 goals and 23 assists. Thomas has a team-best 25 goals, Fear has 21 goals and 16 helpers and Meier 20 assists. … West Chester East defeated Springfield, 6-2, in the Flyers Cup final to advance to the state final. The Vikings are the defending state champions and feature forwards Chase Becnel and Trey Jefferis, defensemen Michael Cardarelli and Henry Thornton and goalie Jesse Davis. All five players made the all-tournament team. Cardarelli was the leading scorer, and Thornton won the Bobby Clarke Award as the MVP. Cardarelli led the team with 30 points during the regular season (nine goals, 21 assists). Daniel Tirendi had 16 goals and 12 assists, Jefferis 15 and 10, Ethan Fredricks 10/12, Becnel 10/11 and Joey Cardarelli 10/10. Dais has three shutouts and a 1.45 goals-against average. The Vikings also won state titles in 2008 and ’13. … The Class 2A final will follow at 2 p.m., with the Class 3A game at 5.

Bill Beckner Jr. is a TribLive reporter covering local sports in Westmoreland County. He can be reached at bbeckner@triblive.com.

Tags: Norwin