PIHL High School Hockey Notebook – 02/19/2013

By: HSSN Staff
Tuesday, February 19, 2013 | 1:19 AM

Welcome to another edition of “PIHL Notebook,” your weekly companion to “The PIHL Power Play” on the MSA Sports Network. As usual, have your weekly thermometer of streaking teams in “Melting the Ice,” and this week it’s a very select group. Plus, the “Scoreboard Watch” highlights a trio of upsets which ended long winning streaks along with a clash of titans in Class A. So, let’s light the lamp on this edition of “PIHL Notebook.”

MELTING THE ICE (Records listed indicate current unbeaten streak):

Class AAA: Peters Township (10-0-0), Upper St. Clair (3-0-1)

Class AA: Bishop Canevin (7-0-0)

Class A: Quaker Valley (19-0-0)

Open Class: Harbor Creek (6-0-2), Indiana (7-0-0), Morgantown (6-0-1), Greensburg Salem (6-0-0), Ford City (5-0-0), Hollidaysburg (5-0-0)

SCOREBOARD WATCH:

2/11/13 – Class AAA – Non-Section – Shaler 2, North Allegheny 1 … Charles Johnson got the Tigers (14-3-2) on the board just 2:25 into the contest, but the Titans (8-7-2) had the game wrapped up before the first period ended. Austin Martz tied it for Shaler 12:57, and Luke Grossman tallied the winner at 16:37. North Allegheny fired 44 shots at Theodore Vincent Evans, but Shaler only mustered 20 on Bradford Thornburgh.

2/12/13 – Class A – Section 2 – Quaker Valley 4, Mars 0 … Ryan Dickson (2 PPG, 2 A) and Ryan Lottes (1 G, 3 A) factored into all four goals for the Quakers (19-0-0), Dickson accounting for the winner at 8:27 of the first. Quaker Valley tacked on all of its insurance in the second, but the Planets (15-3-1) still got spectacular goaltending from Christian Knapp, who made 51 saves to the 22 for Parker Sherry in recording the shutout.

2/13/13 – Class AA – Non-Section – Pine-Richland 3, Latrobe 2 … The Rams (12-4-1) got goals from Kyle Cunningham and Tyler Mikita in the first before Zach Richey netted the eventual winner at 5:37 of the second. Good thing, too, because the Wildcats (14-2-0) got a late rally with third period goals from Robert Vasinko and Brendan Johns, but they got no closer. Ryan Cole set up two goals for Pine-Richland while Brendan Bagnato stopped 20 shots. Josh Singley also registered a pair of helpers for Latrobe while Shane Brudnok made 24 saves.

2/14/13 – Open Class – Non-Section – Wheeling Park 6, Blackhawk 3 … The Patriots (15-3-0) made a huge statement on the road to the Nailers Cup Playoffs in defeating the Cougars (17-2-1) for the first time since the latter’s season opener. It was a tight game through 17 minutes at 1-1, and still tied at 3-3 when the Zamboni did its work, but Wheeling Park poured it on in the third. Michael Grove scored the first five goals for the winning side, including the shorthanded winner 18 seconds into the final stanza, and Morgan Smith finished things off at 15:21. Blackhawk got two points each from Daren Braudis (1 G, 1 A), Nicholas Gray (1 PPG, 1 A) and Josh McCuean (2 A), but Grant Rombold only managed 29 saves. Noah Clune turned aside 20 pieces of vulcanized rubber to earn the victory.

That wraps up this edition of “PIHL Notebook,” but check back every Monday through March for more news from around the league. In the meantime, Adam Hoerner and Josh Rowntree host another episode of “The PIHL Power Play” on a special night and time, this THURSDAY at 8:30pm. Joining us this week will be Indiana goaltender Austin Moody, Ambridge head coach Jamie Dougherty and Greensburg Salem head coach Michael Steinhauser. Your home for the 2013 Penguins Cup Playoffs is the MSA Sports Network!