Fueled by young standouts, Latrobe hockey seeks return trip to Penguins Cup final

By: Dave Mackall
Monday, October 28, 2024 | 10:05 AM

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Latrobe’s remarkable run at a Penguins Cup hockey championship a year ago was fueled by a hard-charging freshman who led the surprising Wildcats in scoring.

A year later, center Joey Crimboli hasn’t missed a beat.

He’s not the only one.

“There’s (at least) two guys who are phenomenal on our team,” Latrobe coach Adam Ferguson said, adding sophomore defenseman Preston Miller to the mix.

Like Crimboli, Miller, too, was a productive freshman during Latrobe’s encouraging run in the 2023 Penguins Cup playoffs.

“Just his size and ability alone makes him a formidable opponent,” Ferguson said of Miller.

The IceCats’ season ended with a 4-1 loss to eventual Class 2A champion South Fayette, which went on to defeat Flyers Cup winner Pennsbury and claim the Pennsylvania Cup title.

Crimboli, the son of a former NCAA hockey player, was leading Latrobe in scoring through three games this season. He entered last week atop the PIHL scoring leaders with seven points after registering a hat trick in a 5-1 victory over Baldwin on Oct. 17.

His father, Frank Crimboli, played four seasons from 1993-97 at Division III Fredonia State (N.Y.), and currently serves on Ferguson’s staff as Latrobe’s junior varsity coach.

“He kind of guides me through and helps me to push myself to be the best I can be,” said the 15-year-old Crimboli, who also plays for the Pittsburgh Stars travel club team of the USA Hockey-sanctioned Tier 1 Hockey Federation. “He shows me the path on what to do and not to do.”

Latrobe last season responded favorably under Ferguson in his first season as coach, finishing in third place in the PIHL Class 2A standings with a 13-7 record and 10 points behind front-running Thomas Jefferson.

The IceCats’ roster included 10 first-year players.

“We didn’t know what to expect,” Ferguson said.

The results exceeded his wildest dreams, and this year, he’s counting on more of the same.

Goaltender Brock Pflugh and center Dylan Morris, a pair of seniors, are among Latrobe’s other returning veterans.

While Morris’ fourth year on the varsity roster has earned him the team’s captaincy, Pflugh entered the season after having posted a 2.32 goals-against average and an 88.8% save percentage a year ago.

“Brock is a good leader, too, which you don’t often see from a goalie,” Ferguson said. “He’s an overall smart kid. He and Morris are both great kids. Dylan is a tough kid. He has a lot of potential.”

After a 12-day layoff in the early going, Latrobe (2-1) will attempt to extend its winning streak to three with a trip to Erie to face Cathedral Prep on Oct. 29. After another extended layoff of nine days, the IceCats are scheduled to travel to Hempfield on Nov. 7.

Though Crimboli is only a sophomore, he already finds himself in a leadership role with Latrobe, and he welcomes the challenge.

“I try to mirror what the seniors did for me coming in,” he said. “The upperclassmen gave me confidence, and I think that’s been a real boost for me. It’s definitely something in the back of my mind to be the best I can be and help everyone succeed. That mindset helps me to be a leader to the guys younger than me — and even the older ones.”

Tags: Latrobe