Norwin notebook: Fox Chapel ends hockey team’s season

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Saturday, March 25, 2023 | 11:01 AM

Top-seeded Fox Chapel avenged a loss to Norwin in a semifinal rematch and ended the Knights’ season March 12 with a 7-3 win to advance to the PIHL Class A Penguins Cup final.

Norwin was the defending champion.

Fox Chapel jumped out to a 3-0 lead early in the second period on goals by Sam Smith in the first period and Wiseman and Alex Macek early in the second period. It was Smith’s and Macek’s first goals of the playoffs.

“A three-goal deficit is not a good feeling,” Norwin coach Mike Robinson said. “We battled back and had the fight, but the bounces didn’t go our way. It’s hockey.”

Norwin, which dropped 7-3 and 9-2 decisions to Fox Chapel during the regular season, didn’t fold the tents. Unassisted goals by high-powered forward Alex Thomas and Dominik Costantino trimmed the lead to 3-2 heading to the third period.

Memorable win

Before falling to undefeated Section 3 champ Cedar Crest in the PIAA Class 6A semifinals, Norwin reached the state final four for the first time since 2015 with a 50-30 win over WPIAL champion and arch-rival North Allegheny in the quarterfinals.

Sophomore Kendall Berger had a game-high 18 points, junior Ava Kobus added 12, and junior forward Lauren Palangio had 10 points and 12 rebounds.

“This has to be one of our better wins we’ve ever had,” Norwin coach Brian Brozeski said.

The Lady Knights continued to play lockdown defense, holding another opponent below 40 points. North Allegheny didn’t have a field goal in the fourth quarter.

“There were a lot of people here watching us, and we didn’t want to let them down,” Berger said. “After they hit that 3-pointer at the end of the quarter, we didn’t want them to score again. Our defense was outstanding.”

Tennis, anyone?

The Norwin boys tennis team opened the season with a 5-0 victory over Mt. Pleasant.

The Knights picked up singles wins from Brady Johnson, Chase Rose and Max Snyder, while doubles teams of Nick Cormas and Cole Kubistek and Liam O’Brien and Nick Patter also were victorious.

Pons shop

Army made an offer to Norwin junior football wide receiver/defensive back Jackson Pons.

Volleyball ranks

The Western Pennsylvania Volleyball Coaches Association revealed its preseason top-10 poll for each WPIAL classification.

Penn-Trafford was ranked No. 4, Norwin No. 5 and Hempfield No. 8 in Class 3A.

The association pointed out that five teams are competing this season as indepedents in WPIAL territory. They are Mt. Lebanon, Summit Academy, McKeesport, Propel Street Andrew and Aquinas Academy.

Dlugos in all-star event

Greensburg Central Catholic senior Nate Dlugos, of Irwin, was selected to play for the American Football Worldwide Elite Team, which will travel to Italy to take part in educational tours before playing a football game against a 20U team representing the host country.

The game will be April 8 at Vigorelli Stadium, in Milan.

Dlugos, a 6-foot-1, 175-pound wide receiver and defensive back, was one of 30 seniors picked from across the country. He is a Williams College (Mass.) commit.

Dlugos was GCC’s most valuable player last season as the Centurions to a Class A Eastern Conference title. He was a first-team all-conference receiver and a second-team defensive back.

Seeking champions

The Westmoreland County Coaches Association will celebrate the 100th anniversary of its track and field championships on April 27 at Latrobe Memorial Stadium.

The association is calling on past champions to hand out medals at this year’s meet.

Those interested should email the WCCA at westmorelandcountycoaches@gmail.com.

College scene

Updates on Norwin athletes playing in college.

Softball

Westminster: Sophomore Sydney Lokay hit her first collegiate home run, a shot to left field, as the Titans blanked Wooster, 2-0.

Baseball

Mercyhurst: Sophomore outfielder Eric Chorba homered, and sophomore Jake Bazala pitched 5.2 innings of one-run baseball to earn his second win of the season, as the Lakers edged Salem (W.Va.), 3-2. Chorba also doubled, tripled and drove in a run as a 13-0 win over Salem.

Seton Hill: Griffins coach Marc Marizzaldi does not fret when his team goes into extra innings. That is because he has faith in his recruits. Senior Owen Sabol is one of those players. Sabol delivered a two-out single to right to lift Seton Hill to a 3-2 win over LeMoyne in 11 innings.

Wrestling

Bucknell: Junior Kurt Phipps went 1-1 at the NCAA Division I Championships in Tulsa. Okla. He lost to 8-0 to No. 8 seed Aaron Nagao in the first round at 133 pounds. Phipps received an at-large bid into the tournament after he placed seventh at the EIWA Championships.

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

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