Tough loss ends special season for Burrell hockey

By: Jerin Steele
Tuesday, March 19, 2024 | 6:27 PM

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Burrell’s run in the PIHL Division 2 playoffs ended in heartbreaking fashion Monday night with a 6-5 loss to Neshannock in the championship game at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry, but it wasn’t hard for the Bucs to find highlights from a stellar season.

The current group of Bucs hadn’t won a playoff game prior to this season and was up against a Lancers team that had been in the championship game three out of the last four seasons.

Though they fell short, they brought the program back to the heights enjoyed in 2018 and ’19 when they made consecutive appearances in the D2 finals.

“I’m proud of them,” Bucs coach Luke Kopchak said. “I wish the outcome would’ve been different (Monday night), but they gave it their all and I am sad to see some of them go.”

The Bucs battled the Lancers all the way through and appeared to score the go-ahead goal late in the third period when Tyler Danko deflected a pass from Aidan Petroff into the net at the back post. After originally being signaled as a legal goal, it was disallowed.

While the Bucs were celebrating on the ice, the officials gathered and after a discussion, the puck was deemed to have been put in with a distinct kicking motion.

A couple of minutes later, Brian McConahy scored the winner for Neshannock.

It was a bitter ending to an otherwise successful postseason.

Burrell beat Morgantown, 8-2, in the first round and then took down Alle-Kiski Valley rival Deer Lakes, 5-2, in the semifinals.

Petroff scored four goals in the playoffs, including two in the championship game.

Jared Wall scored three times in the postseason, and Danko had two goals.

Chantz Watkins, Forrest Baird and Julian Kemp had a goal apiece in the championship game.

Kemp’s goal was an impressive individual effort as he sprawled to thwart a Neshannock clearing attempt, quickly got to his feet and ripped a shot into the net.

The Bucs showed impressive depth in the regular season with 10 players scoring at least 10 points. Six of them had 30 or more points.

Petroff led the way with 44 points. Mike Moraczyzk was right behind him with 41. John Lukac and Danko had 38 apiece, Luke Mink had 30 and Watkins had 24.

“It’s a special group,” Kopchak said. “It’s my third year with the majority of them. Every year, they’ve grown.”

Burrell graduates seven seniors in Danko, Lukac, Watkins, Cody Martin, Connor Gloer, Logan Smail and Nathan Sabatini. A strong core returns, including Petroff, Moraczyzk, Baird, Mink and goalie Kooper Price, who had three shutouts in the regular season.

Jerin Steele is a freelance writer

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