PIHL Notebook – 2015 MSA SPORTS ALL-ICERS

By: HSSN Staff
Monday, March 23, 2015 | 4:53 PM

Welcome to another edition of “PIHL Notebook,” your weekly companion to “The PIHL Power Play” on the MSA Sports Network. With the 2015 Penguins and Pennsylvania Cup champions crowned, there is just one more order of business we must attend to. It’s time once again to unveil the annual “All Icers” teams as voted on by the MSA Sports Network staff. This year, we take a different approach. Rather than name all-inclusive first and second teams, we have selected one group of six players for Class AAA, Class AA, Class A and Division II. This gives more kids a chance to be recognized, which is the whole point of this exercise after all. So, let’s light the lamp on the final 2014-15 edition of “PIHL Notebook.”

2014-15 MSA SPORTS NETWORK “ALL ICERS” – CLASS AAA:

Austin Tonkavich – Canon-McMillan

Regular Season: 17 GP, 21 G, 14 A, 3 PP, 2 SH, 4 GW, 2.06 PTS/GM
Penguins Cup Playoffs: 3 GP, 6 G, 2 A, 1 PP, 2 GW, 2.67 PTS/GM

Notes: Recorded a point in 13 out 17 appearances, with multiple points in 11 games. Posted seven multi-goal games, including three hat tricks, with his best outing being a five-point effort (4 G, 1 A) against Mount Lebanon on November 10. Postseason performance included a four-point effort (3 G, 1 PP, 1 A) in the semifinals over North Allegheny, two points (1 G, 1 A) in the finals over Butler, with the game-winner in both.

Austin Cassidy – Upper St. Clair
Regular Season: 21 GP, 30 G, 18 A, 5 PP, 3 SH, 3 GW, 2.29 PTS/GM
Penguins Cup Playoffs: 1 GP, 0 PTS

Notes: Led the class in goals and points during the regular season. He recorded a point in 15 out of 21 appearances, with multiple points in 13 games. He posted eight multi-goal games, including five hat tricks, with three of those efforts ending with four goals. His season-high six points (4 G, 1 PP, 2 A) included the winner on February 2 against Penn-Trafford. Despite going pointless against Peters Township in the playoffs, Cassidy’s dominant regular season numbers earn him a spot on this list.

Zach Gielarowski – Peters Township
Regular Season: 20 GP, 13 G, 18 A, 4 PP, 1 SH, 3 GW, 1.55 PTS/GM
Penguins Cup Playoffs: 2 GP, 1 G, 1 A, 1 GW, 1.00 PTS/GM

Notes: Led the defending state champs in scoring from the blue line. He got his name on the score sheet in 16 out of 20 appearances, with multiple points in 10 games. He mustered four two-goal games, with his best performance being a four-point night (2 G, 1 PP, 1 SH, 2 A) on December 16 against Penn-Trafford. His postseason numbers all came in a quarterfinals defeat of Upper St. Clair.

Joseph Hubert – North Allegheny
Regular Season: 15 GP, 785 MIN, 9-2-4, 1.88 GAA, 0.920 SV%, 2 SO
Penguins Cup Playoffs: 2 GP, 77 MIN, 1-1-0, 3.31 GAA, 0.868 SV%, 1 SO

Notes: The lead backstop for the top defense in the class was first among starters in goals against average. His two shutouts featured 25 saves against Mount Lebanon November 3 and 24 stops against Seneca Valley on February 23. He posted a season-high 28 saves against Upper St. Clair on October 27 and again in tying Bethel Park on January 22. His postseason highlight was stopping all 21 shots faced in a quarterfinals defeat of Pittsburgh Central Catholic.

Dustin Davis – Butler
Regular Season: 22 GP, 21 G, 11 A, 6 PP, 2 SH, 3 GW, 1.45 PTS/GM
Penguins Cup Playoffs: 3 GP, 1 A, 0.33 PTS/GM

Notes: He was a streaky scorer, registering all of his points in 13 of his 22 appearances. He picked up multiple points nine times, including six multi-goal games and two hat tricks. Put up a quartet of four-point efforts, including three goals plus an assist against Canon-McMillan on November 6 and again versus Upper. St. Clair on January 12. Playoff production limited to one assist against Peters Township in the semifinals.

William “Tre” Lowe III – Bethel Park
Regular Season: 22 GP, 1,119 MIN, 14-6-2, 2.01 GAA, 0.905 SV%
Penguins Cup Playoffs: 1 GP, 51 MIN, 0-1-0, 3.00 GAA, 0.850 SV%

Notes: Played all but one period of regular season hockey while leading Class AAA starters in victories. He allowed more than three goals only twice in 22 games and stopped 30 or more shots on three occasions. His season-high came early when he made 39 saves on 40 shots against Canon-McMillan on October 9. He did combine with backup Josh Finn to post a shutout against Mount Lebanon on February 26, turning aside nine pucks in two periods of action.

 2014-15 MSA SPORTS NETWORK “ALL ICERS” – CLASS AA:

Christian Miller – Armstrong
Regular Season: 19 GP, 39 G, 23 A, 8 PP, 3 SH, 4 GW, 3.26 PTS/GM
Penguins Cup Playoffs: 3 GP, G, 2 A, 1.00 PTS/GM

Notes: The leading goal scorer and point producer in Class AA, Miller finished a stellar career that started at Kittanning. The senior sniper scored 169 goals and assisted 105 more in his regular season career. At Armstrong, he became a terrific all-around player who excelled on the power play, leading AA with 8 goals. He was part of a group that led the Riverhawks to the not-yet-formed school’s first Championship appearance this season, a game which Armstrong lost to Cathedral Prep, 4-2. Miller only failed to record a point once all season and had multiple points in 16 of 19 games. He twice had seven-point games, with a seven-goal effort against Bishop Canevin and a six-assist game against Latrobe.

Jack Kelly – Cathedral Prep
Regular Season: 18 GP, 13 G, 18 A, 2 SH, 1.72 PTS/GM
Penguins Cup Playoffs: 3 GP, G, 5 A, 2.00 PTS/GM

Notes: Kelly quietly established himself as the defensive presence of the Pennsylvania Cup AA Champion Ramblers. Kelly accounted for 31 points on the year, but his physical play set the tone for one of the PIHL’s most aggressive teams. It was the playoffs where Kelly thrived though, scoring a goal and assisting six more, including two in the Penguins Cup Championship and one the State Championship Game victory. During the regular season, he twice had four-point games, scoring two goals and assisting two more in wins over North Hills and Norwin. Remarkably for a defenseman, he only failed to record a point in three games.

Brett Berner – North Hills
Regular Season: 19 GP, 34 G, 22 A, 6 PP, 5 SH, 4 GW, 2.95 PTS/GM
Penguins Cup Playoffs: 2 GP, 5 G, 3 A, 2PP, 2 SH, 4.00 PTS/GM

Notes: Brett Berner knew how to put on the burners in 2014-2015. One of the PIHL’s quickest and most skilled forwards, Berner finished second in AA in points and goals. Additionally, he finished second in AA in shorthanded goals with five and was a trusty and dangerous PK man. In the playoffs, Berner took his game to new heights, scoring five times and assisting three more in just two games. Berner notched a point in every game this season and had two six-point nights in wins over Norwin and Baldwin.

Ryan Durkin – Moon
Regular Season: 19 GP, 13-6-0, 2.36 GAA, 0.916 SV%, 3 SO
Penguins Cup Playoffs: 1 GP, 0-1-0, 3.00 GAA, 0.880 SV%

Notes: Not many goalies in the PIHL were as important to their team as Durkin. His 0.916 save percentage and 2.36 goals against average was the best in the classification amongst qualifying goaltenders. He also led AA with three shutouts. Durkin may also have been the PIHL’s most improved goaltender. In 2013-2014, he went just 1-8-1 with a 5.51 goals against average and stopped under 80% of the shots that he faced. Durkin’s impressive start to the season catapulted Moon to a second place finish in AA’s Western Conference. In his first 13 games, Durkin was 10-3-0 and allowed just 22 goals 

Alex Ficorilli – Shaler
Regular Season: 19 GP, 33 G, 21 A, 5 PP, 3 GW, 2.84 PTS/GM
Penguins Cup Playoffs: 2 GP, 3 G, PP, 1.50 PTS/GM

Notes: Shaler’s drop to Class AA was a massively successful one in their first season and Ficorilli was a big reason why. The powerful forward scored 33 goals, third most in AA and assisted 21 more. He and teammate Austin Martz formed one of the top tandems in the PIHL in a season that saw Shaler finish in first place in AA’s Eastern Conference. Ficorilli scored three goals in the Penguins Cup Playoffs, as Shaler fell 4-3 in overtime to Armstrong in the Semifinals. Ficorilli was held off of the score sheet just twice all season and had a five-game streak in which he accounted for 21 points.  

Brendan Johns – Latrobe
Regular Season: 17 GP, 26 G, 17 A, PP, 2 GW, 2.53 PTS/GM
Penguins Cup Playoffs: 2 GP, G, A, PP, GW, 1.00 PTS/GM

Notes: Perhaps the most physical presence on the ice in AA, the tall and strong Brendan Johns thrived in 5-on-5 play. Of his 26 regular season goals, only one was on special teams. Of all of his goals though, the biggest came in the playoffs, as Johns scored the overtime game-winning goal in a 4-3 defeat of West Allegheny in the first round. Johns finished fifth in AA in points with 43 and was kept off of the score sheet just three times. His four goal, one assists effort against Bishop Canevin on November 10 was certainly a high point in an up-and-down year for the powerhouse Ice Cats.

2014-15 MSA SPORTS NETWORK “ALL ICERS” – CLASS A:

Mitchell Rupprecht – Deer Lakes
Regular Season: 21 GP, 69 G, 41 A, 15 PP, 3 SH, 6 GW, 5.24 PTS/GM
Penguins Cup Playoffs: 2 GP, 4 G 1 A, 1 PP, 1 GW, 2.50 PTS/GM

Notes: The number one offense in the class, and second in the league only to Carrick, boasted the top goal and point scorer league wide in Mr. Rupprecht. He posted multiple points in all 21 games, including multiple goals in all but two of them. He scored at least three goals on 11 occasions, hitting double digits in points in consecutive games. He registered 10 points (6 G, 4 A, 1 PP) against Franklin Regional on November 10, but topped himself with 13 points (10 G, 3 A, 3 PP, 1 SH) Greensburg Salem on November 17. His postseason was highlighted by a four-point effort (3 G, 1 PP, 1 A) against Montour in the quarterfinals which included the winner.

Adam  Pilewicz – Quaker Valley
Regular Season: 20 GP, 46 G, 53 A, 6 PP, 2 SH, 8 GW, 4.95 PTS/GM
Penguins Cup Playoffs: 3 GP, 4 G, 5 A, 3.00 PTS/GM

Notes: Recorded a point in 19 of his 20 appearances, putting up at least two in all of those. He recorded eight hat tricks, including a pair of matching three-goal, five-assist efforts against South Park on October 30 and Gateway on December 18. Scored a season-high six goals and added one helper against Thomas Jefferson on February 27. His postseason was highlighted by five points (3 G, 2 A) against Westmont Hilltop in the quarterfinals.

Connor Quinn – Quaker Valley
Regular Season: 20 GP, 46 G, 50 A, 3 PP, 7 SH, 5 GW, 4.80 PTS/GM
Penguins Cup Playoffs: 3 GP, 5 G, 3 A, 1 PP, 2 SH, 2 GW, 2.67 PTS/GM

Notes: Like Pilewicz, Quinn notched multiple points 19 times, and he also matched his teammate’s hat trick total of eight. He broke four goals on five occasions with a season-high point total of nine (4 G, 5 A, 1 SH) coming against Gateway on December 18. His best goal output was five while adding one assist against Mars on February 5. His playoff effort included four points (2 G, 2 A, 1 SH) and the winning goal against Westmont Hilltop in the quarterfinals.

Paul Maust – Mars
Regular Season: 18 GP, 29 G, 22 A, 9 PP, 2 SH, 1 GW, 2.83 PTS/GM
Penguins Cup Playoffs: 3 GP, 5 G, 3 A, 1 PP, 2 GW, 2.67 PTS/GM

Notes: Got his name on the score sheet in 17 of his 18 appearances minus the opener, collecting multiple points in all but two of those. He notched four hat tricks, putting up seven points (3 G, 4 A, 2 PP, 1 SH) against McDowell on February 9. He scored a season-high four times while picking up one assist, also against McDowell, before that on December 8. Mr. Maust saved his best for last, though, collecting four points (3 G, 1 PP, 1 A) which included the winner in the Penguins Cup championship game to defeat Quaker Valley.

Luke Rosendale – Hempfield
Regular Season: 20 GP, 32 G, 20 A, 1 PP, 5 SH, 1 GW, 2.60 PTS/GM
Penguins Cup Playoffs: 2 GP, 2 G, 3 A, 1 SH, 2.50 PTS/GM

Notes: Picked up at least one point in 17 of his 20 appearances, with at least two coming in 13 of those. He brought the hats out of the stands five times, including eight-point efforts against McDowell (4 G, 4 A) on October 9 and Gateway (5 G, 3 A, 1 PP, 1 SH) on December 4. His playoff run included a shorthanded goal and two assists against Thomas Jefferson in the quarterfinals.

Zachary Luniewski – Deer Lakes
Regular Season: 22 GP, 36 G, 61 A, 4 PP, 1 SH, 5 GW, 4.41 PTS/GM
Penguins Cup Playoffs: 2 GP, 2 G, 2 A, 1 PP, 2.00 PTS/GM

Notes: Led the league in assists, recording at least one point in 21 of his 22 appearances. That included 18 multi-point games, including seven multi-goal outputs. His best was easily 11 points (3 G, 8 A), including the winner against Franklin Regional on November 10. His playoff highlight was a three-point effort (2 G, 1 A, 1 PP) against Montour in the quarterfinals.
 

2014-15 MSA SPORTS NETWORK “ALL ICERS” – DIVISION II:

Nick Rocco – Harbor Creek
Regular Season: 20 GP, 30 G, 20 A, 3 PP, 5 SH, 5 GW, 2.50 PTS/GM
Division 2 Playoffs: 1 GP, 2 A, 2.00 PTS/GM

Notes: Rocco’s 50 points, 30 goals and five shorthanded goals were tops in Class B. He, with teammate Logan Conboy (18 G, 28 A) formed the top scoring tandem in the Classification for a Huskies team that only lost two regular season games and finished in first place. Rocco failed to record a point in only two games this season, both of which were Harborcreek losses. He had 11 multi-goal games in 2014-2015, including a four-goal game against eventual Division 2 Champion Indiana on January 5. Amazingly, Rocco was only charged with two penalties the entire season. In Harborcreek’s lone playoff game, he assisted two goals in the Huskies 6-5 loss to Carrick.

Luke Lewandowski – Indiana
Regular Season: 19 GP, 24 G, 19 A, 4 PP, SH, 4 GW 2.26 PTS/GM
Division 2 Playoffs: 3 GP, 2 G, 2 A, 2 PP, 1.33 PTS/GM

Luke Lewandowski can be described in one word: versatility. The third leading producer in points, with 43 on the season, not only saw time at center, but played meaningful minutes on defense for the Division 2 Champion Little Indians as well. His 24 goals and 2.26 pointes per game were third best in Class B through the regular season. But Lewandowski was even better in the playoffs, scoring two goals and assisting two more while playing with teammate TJ Petro on defense at times. His power play goal in the Division 2 Championship opened the scoring and helped lead the Little Indians to their first overall Championship. Lewandowski was only held without a point twice, with both games coming within the first three games of the season.

Anthony Manuel – Carrick
Regular Season: 20 GP, 34 G, 31 A, 7 PP, SH, 4 GW, 3.25 PTS/GM
Division 2 Playoffs: 4 GP, 4 G, PP, 1.00 PTS/GM

Notes: Manuel was the scoring leader of the most prolific offense that the PIHL has seen in well over a decade, as Carrick cruised to a 20-0 regular season and scored over 10 goals per game. His 34 goals tied teammate Vince Maccarone for the most in Class C and his 31 assists were second in Class C to teammate Mark Granatire. Manuel was a stud in the Division 2 Playoffs, scoring four goals, including two in Carrick’s 5-2 Championship Game loss to Indiana. He did not fail to record a point in any regular season game and his seven power play goals were most in Class C. Additionally, Manuel was only assessed three penalties in 20 regular season games and had six games in which he scored 3 or more goals.

T.J. Petro – Indiana
Regular Season: 19 GP, 10 G, 21 A, PP, 2 SH, 2 GW, 1.63 PTS/GM
Division 2 Playoffs: 3 GP, G, SH, 0.33 PTS/GM

Notes: An incredibly quick, durable and dynamic defenseman, Petro racked up 31 points for the Division 2 Champion Little Indians, the eighth best mark in Class B. Petro only scored 10 goals in the regular season, but notched 21 assists, the second best number in the Classification. Amazingly, Petro only recorded one point in the Division 2 Playoffs, but it was a massive one. Down 2-1 to unbeaten Carrick, Petro would steal a shot attempt and go coast-to-coast for a dazzling shorthanded goal, evening the game at 2-2 and swinging the momentum to the Little Indians, who would run away with a 5-2 win.

James Unger – Carrick
Regular Season: 17 GP, 11 G, 17 A, 2 PP, SH, GW, 1.65 PTS/GM
Division 2 Playoffs: 4 GP, 2 G, 5 A, GW, 1.75 PTS/GM

Notes: It is not too ordinary that a player, eighth in scoring on his team, makes the All-Icers. But James Unger was no ordinary player. On a team filled with scoring talent, Unger may have been Carrick’s most important player. The long, puck-moving defenseman had a stellar season, scoring eleven goals and assisting 17 more in just 17 games. But Unger’s talents shined brightest in the postseason, scoring two goals and adding five assists, as Carrick reached the Division 2 Championship Game. In a 13-1 regular season win over Elizabeth Forward, Unger scored his lone hat-trick of the season. Three games later, he had five assists in a 17-1 blasting of OLSH.

Robbie Halvin – Beaver
Regular Season: 15 GP, 8-5-0, 2.45 GAA, 0.930 SV%, SO
Division 2 Playoffs: 2 GP, 1-1-0, 1.51 GAA, 0.957 SV%

Notes: No one player took a team on their back and carried them to major success like Halvin, who led Class B with a 0.930 save percentage. His 2.45 goals against average was second best amongst qualifying goaltenders in Class B. Halvin was magnificent in the back half of the season, winning seven of his final nine starts. In the playoffs, he allowed just three goals on 66 shots in two games, leading the Bobcats to the Division 2 semifinals. In a 4-3 win over eventual Champion Indiana on February 15, Halvin stopped a season high 51 shots on 54 attempts.
 

That wraps up this season of “PIHL Notebook” and our hockey coverage in general for the season. Thanks to our loyal listeners and readers, the players and coaches who participated, and our sponsors for making it all possible. We will return in October with our annual season preview. Your source for the best PIHL coverage is always the MSA Sports Network!