Sewickley Academy hockey surges to reach postseason once again

By: HSSN Staff
Monday, February 19, 2018 | 11:00 PM

Reaching the PIHL Class A Penguins Cup playoffs was a breakthrough for Sewickley Academy's hockey team last season.

Getting back to the postseason proved to be another challenge. The Panthers came up big down the stretch to secure their second berth in a row.

“We've been able to get everybody going on the same page, and we've been able to get some big wins,” Panthers senior forward Michael Hertzberg said. “It's nice to get some momentum going into playoffs.”

The top 12 teams earn Class A playoff berths. Heading into the last week of the season, six teams were within four points of each other for the final five spots, which made for a hectic dash to the finish line.

“We know, as long as we're winning games, there's nothing else we can do. Everything will, hopefully, fall into place,” Panthers junior forward Matthew Hajdukiewicz said.

Sewickley Academy vaulted itself into the playoffs with critical wins over South Fayette (4-2) and Kiski Area (5-3) — teams hovering just below the Panthers in the standings. Sewickley Academy rallied from a 2-1 deficit to beat the Lions. They scored three times in the third period to defeat the Cavaliers.

“That one was important, as well as the one against South Fayette. We took it away from them, which was nice,” Hertzberg said.

Last year's Penguins Cup appearance marked the program's first since 2007. It took off the 2011-12 season and played the next three in the Independent School Hockey League. The Panthers returned to the PIHL in 2015-16 and finished 3-18-1. They made big strides last season with an upset of Bishop McCort in the first round of the playoffs and finished 10-10-0. This season, they were 12-7-0 heading into their final game and wrapped up a playoff spot and soared into eighth place with a 5-3 win over Greensburg Salem. Sewickley Academy hopes for a deeper playoff run this season.

“Knocking off the top team in Bishop McCort, I don't think anybody expected us to do that last year,” Hajdukiewicz said. “We have a lot more confidence this year, having that experience behind us and knowing we can go out and beat anybody on any given night.”

Coach Chris Chiusano, in his second season, is happy with the progress he's seen.

“I see steps in a lot of positive directions this year. Player development and skill-wise, I think a lot of guys are starting to come along. We've got a younger group of guys — ninth graders — that we're working with to try to develop, too,” he said. “Just that winning attitude and confidence that comes with winning games is something we're seeing. A couple years ago, there was just a different mentality. I can see the difference now. Guys are upset when we lose. A couple years ago, that might not have been the case, necessarily.

“When I first came in a couple years ago, my goal was to get this organization back on track, not only in terms of wins and losses but also the thought process, how they approach games and compete and take pride in things. They've taken some pretty good strides. There's more work to be done, but there's been good progress.”

Goaltender Cole Luther and Hertzberg, who led the squad with 36 points, have been perennial all-stars for the team. They are seniors but have received plenty of help from younger players.

“We have some depth now. We have a freshman goaltender (Thomas Sykes). We have a couple good sophomores. Chris Martian, for one, will be a key component to the team over the next couple years,” Chiusano said. “Our junior class is the core of the team. We have eight or nine juniors that contribute on a given night. It's a nice mix.”

Joe Sager is a freelance writer.

Tags: Sewickley Academy