Pine-Richland hockey trio heading to All-Star game

By: HSSN Staff
Sunday, January 21, 2018 | 7:42 PM

The Pine-Richland hockey team has been battling its way to success this season, going 7-4-2 in PIHL Class AA as it readies for the home stretch.

Three Rams players —Will Studt, Nicholas Lindauer and Daniel Stauffer—were selected for the PIHL Class AA All-Star game, which is 2:45 p.m. Sunday at Robert Morris' Island Sports Center.

This will be Studt's second straight PIHL All-Star game appearance (he was a Class AAA choice last season). The junior forward leads the Rams in points (24) and assists (13) for an offense that has the third-most goals in Class AA.

“Will's done a fantastic job this year of really focusing on the game and not letting the little things that opponents do to him get under his skin,” Pine-Richland coach Jim Black said. “Will and I had a talk about that at the beginning of the year, but it's just more his own maturity showing through.

“He's really just come to play each and every single game for us. It's been exciting to watch, and it's exciting to see that he's being rewarded and that his hard work is paying off.”

Lindauer, another junior, has nine goals and 20 points, including two power-play goals and a short-handed score.

“He's just an all-around player,” Black said.

“The experience he got last year has really paid off for this year, where he's comfortable out there now with every shift. He can control the play and really make his linemates better players. As a second-year guy at the varsity level, he just continues to contribute in a big way.”

Stauffer, a sophomore goalie, missed a month with an injury but has come back strong with an .888 save percentage. He has surrendered 23 goals in eight games.

“Dan has done a great job coming in,” Black said. “He brings a calmness to the team. He's a kid that can make the big save for you and really keep you in the game. He's just not one to get rattled. He doesn't let a goal bother him. He maintains great focus.

“When you have a guy back there at the goaltending position that is calm and confident, the team plays differently in front of you. They're not worried about making mistakes, so they don't make as many mistakes. They know Dan can make the big save for them, so they can just go out there and play their game.”

Kevin Lohman is a freelance writer.

Tags: Pine-Richland