PIHL High School Hockey Notebook – 02/13/2012

By: Bruce Markey
Monday, February 13, 2012 | 3:31 PM

Welcome to another edition of “PIHL Notebook,” your weekly companion to “The PIHL Power Play” on the MSA Sports Network. Check out which teams are hot right now in “Melting the Ice” and track recent game action in “Scoreboard Watch.” Plus, we preview upcoming MSA broadcasts and quote guests from the show in “They Said It.”

PIHL CLASS AAA:

MELTING THE ICE

Canon-McMillan maintains control of Section 1 with back-to-back victories … Peters Township is trying to keep pace with three straight wins … Bethel Park continues its torrid second-half pace with a six-game winning streak and points in the last seven contests … North Allegheny holds a two-point advantage in Section 2 after posting two points in the last five outings … Penn-Trafford looks to have the Section 4 title secure after winning two in a row.

SCOREBOARD WATCH

2/9/12 – Non-section: Bethel Park 4, State College 1 … The Black Hawks continue to surge and snap a five-game unbeaten streak for the Little Lions … Bethel Park took a 2-0 lead into the locker room after a scoreless first … State College got a power play goal from Dan Moscone early in the third, but it was 3-1 just 19 seconds later, and an empty-netter would later ice the victory … Austin Jameyson and Jacob Worcester each scored twice, with Worcester getting the winner, while Derek Lesnak picked up two assists … Zach Woytowich wasn’t bad in the losing effort with 24 saves, but Alex Blum was better with 28 stops.

2/10/12 – Non-section: North Allegheny 7, Pittsburgh Central Catholic 2 … The Vikings had registered points in five of seven contests since the calendar flipped to 2012, but the Tigers roared loudest on this night … It stayed close early, with a 1-1 tie after one and North Allegheny up 2-1 at intermission … It was 3-2 by the 1:51 mark of period three, but NA broke the game open from there … Joe Griffin notched the hat trick, Harry Kramer scored two power play goals, one of them being the winner, and Matt Fantaski registered three helpers … Kevin Kline scored both goals for Pittsburgh Central, one of them with the man advantage … Matt Goda stopped 18 shots to earn the victory.
 

PIHL CLASS AA:

MELTING THE ICE

West Allegheny continues to headline the pack with an uncontested 13-game winning streak topping the league … Erie Cathedral Prep is keeping itself within four points of Bishop Canevin atop Section 2 with points in back-to-back contests while Chartiers Valley has regained its form and captured four straight decisions … Latrobe now has points in its last seven games … Plum has come out on the right side of its last three outings.

SCOREBOARD WATCH

2/9/12 – Section 2: Chartiers Valley 5, Bishop Canevin 3 … The Colts pull within three points of first place and avenge an 8-7 loss to the Crusaders which started a nine-game unbeaten streak back on December 8 … It was 2-1 Bishop Canevin after one, but Chartiers Valley scored three unanswered in the second, which proved enough in the end … Justin Sabilla was a factor as usual, including the game-winner and a shorthanded marker as part of his hat trick … Evegeny Koatsov helped the CV cause with three points (PPG, 2 A) while Brian Pustay set up two goals … Matt Walsh paced BC with three points (2 G, 1 A) while Marc Slomiany recorded two assists … Noah Stevenson backstopped the Colts to victory with 26 saves.

2/9/12 – Non-section: Kiski Area 3, Latrobe 3 (OT) … The Cavaliers pick up a surprising point to keep themselves mathematically in the hunt for the tenth and final playoff spot, but the Wildcats still pick up another point … Latrobe led 1-0 after 15 minutes of action, but Kiski fought its way to a 3-2 lead at 10:06 of the second period … Adam Ferguson scored his second of the night at 11:59 to tie it, and the goaltenders took center stage from there until overtime ended … Josh Singley set up both of Ferguson’s goals while Alex Welsh lit the lamp twice for Kiski … Shane Brudnok stopped 14 shots for Latrobe, but was outdone by Benjamin Crawford’s 27 saves.
 

PIHL CLASS A:

MELTING THE ICE

Mars has won five straight and will not give up the Section 2 crown easily … Quaker Valley’s winning streak ends, but a tie extends the unbeaten streak to 13 games … Freeport maintains a three-point lead in Section 3 with five consecutive victories, but Kittanning’s four-game winning streak is keeping the race interesting.

SCOREBOARD WATCH

2/7/12 – Non-section: Mars 8, Serra Catholic 4 … The Planets make a statement and snap a four-game winning streak for the Eagles … Serra Catholic drew first blood 3:05 into the contest, but Mars made it 3-1 before the second period began and led 5-2 when the Zamboni hit the ice … Nicholas Blaney (3 G, 1 A) and Austin Heakins (2 G, 1 PP, 1 SH, 2 A) paced the Planets offensively … Joe Bender and Maxwell Master each scored twice, with Bender netting the winner, while Greg Makozy set up two goals … Robert Kendi (1 G, 2 A) led the Eagles with help coming from Garner Kraemer (2 G), Tyler Speis (PPG, 1 A) and Tyler Kresl (2 A) … Christian Knapp made 27 saves to earn the victory.

2/7/12 – Section 3: Freeport 3, Westmont Hilltop 1 … The Yellowjackets find themselves featured in this segment once again, this time by overcoming one of the two teams hoping to steal the section title from them … Lewis Buchkovich got the Hilltoppers on the board at 10:00 of the second period following a scoreless first, but it was 1-1 just 2:11 later … Overtime seemed to be on the horizon, but Eric Waddell prevented that from happening at 11:59 of the third … Cole Helper was the only multi-point producer, scoring once and setting up another for Freeport … Adam Ayre stopped 22 shots for Westmont Hilltop, but Cody Lee was better with 34 saves.
 

PIHL OPEN CLASS:

MELTING THE ICE

Section 2 has seen Quigley and Harbor Creek each pick up back-to-back wins … Ford City seems unstoppable having extended the winning streak to 12 games, but Indiana will not let them have the Section 3 title without a fight, picking up four straight decisions to stay within three points … Baldwin is hoping its 11-game string of success will be enough to maintain its three-point edge on over Greensburg Salem in Section 4, but don’t forget about Carrick’s current six-gamer.

SCOREBOARD WATCH

2/9/12 – Section 1: John Marshall 3, Morgantown 2 … The Monarchs take an important step toward securing the section championship by keeping the Mohawks three points behind them while evening the season series at 1-1-1 … No red lights were spotted in the first, but John Marshall finally got one turned on at 3:37 of period two and carried that lead into the break … Morgantown made it 1-1 at 4:16 of the third, but it was 2-1 just 44 seconds later before Isaac Fitzpatrick netted the winner at 7:50 … Blake Karolcik scored on the power play at 12:36, but the Mohawks could not get the equalizer … Karolcik and Fitzpatrick each picked up assists while Alan Games was the only other multi-point scorer with two assists for the Monarchs … Morgantown outshot John Marshall 37-10, but Drew Balcar was equal to the task with 35 saves.

2/9/12 – Section 4: Carrick 4, Keystone Oaks 2 … The Raiders will do no worse than the fifth seed in the Chiefs Cup bracket while the Golden Eagles are barely holding onto the seventh slot … After a scoreless first, Keystone Oaks grabbed a 1-0 lead at 1:59 of the second and held it for nearly 10 minutes before Carrick tied it … The Raiders led 2-1 after 30 minutes and got the winner from Nico Aggazio at 8:18 of the third … The teams would then trade goals in the final minute of play, the last one going into an empty net … Aggazio led all scorers with three points (2 G, 1 A) while Mark Granatire contributed a power play goal and one assist … Dan Smee made 35 saves for the Golden Eagles while Josh Brown stopped 28 pieces of vulcanized rubber.
 

UPCOMING MSA BROADCASTS

2/16/12 – Class AA – Non-section: West Allegheny @ Bishop Canevin … This will be the first of two meetings between the clubs down the stretch, and the Crusaders currently trail the Indians by three points for the number one seed in the playoff bracket … Should this one see overtime, it may favor Bishop Canevin, which has gone 2-1-1 in such contests this season while West Allegheny has yet to see the extra frame … Matt Walsh of BC is the top offensive performer on the docket, leading the class with 25 assists and eight power play goals, but don’t count out Jonathan Levitt, who tops the competition with six shorthanded markers … This one also features two of the top three goaltending records in the class with Jason Kumpfmiller (13-1-0) going against Nikita Meskin (11-2-1) … Meskin boasts a slightly better GAA and save percentage, but Kumpfmiller leads the shutout battle 4-0 … The puck drops at 7:10 PM on these airwaves.

THEY SAID IT:

“We have been rotating since sophomore year at varsity, and it’s just been a friendly competition on and off the ice as we just try to make each other play better. And while we’re doing that it just helps the team I believe get some wins and hopefully advance into the playoffs.” – Norwin goaltender Scott Cromling on sharing the job with Ryan Boccabella

“It’s kind of funny. When I took over the head job they told me how they lost one of the best goalies in the league last year, but there’s a kid from North Carolina that’s coming in, and he should be pretty good. You kind of roll your eyes and say yeah, wonderful.’ After the first practice, I turned to my assistant coach and said this kid is the real deal.” – Hampton head coach Dan Serakowski on his first impression of goaltender Cam Radna

That wraps up this edition of “PIHL Notebook,” but check back every Monday from now through March for the most current news from around the league. First, though, Adam Hoerner and Josh Rowntree host another episode of “The PIHL Power Play” on Wednesday night at 8:00. Joining us this week will be Latrobe forward Jacob Koluder to tell us why the Class AA competition should still fear the Wildcats this March. Plus, Morgantown head coach Jeff Anderson will be along to tell us why the Mohawks should not be overlooked in the Nailers Cup bracket. The exclusive home for the 2012 Penguins Cup Playoffs is the MSA Sports Network!

Tags: Baldwin, Bethel Park, Bishop Canevin, Canon-McMillan, Carrick, Chartiers Valley, Erie Cathedral Prep, Ford City, Freeport, Greensburg Salem, Hampton, Harbor Creek, Indiana, John Marshall (WV), Keystone Oaks, Kiski School, Kittanning, Latrobe, West Allegheny, Westmont Hilltop