PIHL High School Hockey News and Notes – 12/25/2010

By: Bruce Markey
Saturday, December 25, 2010 | 12:00 AM

Welcome to another edition of “PIHL News and Notes,” your continuing source for all the scholastic hockey happenings you may not hear about on “The PIHL Power Play.” With the Christmas break upon us and no games to preview this week, what’s a columnist to do? Fear not loyal readers, because it’s time for our annual look at teams flying “Under the Radar” as we look ahead to the second half of the 2010-11 season.

We’ll tell you why Hempfield’s offense could get them into the Class AAA playoffs, and why Pine-Richland is better than its current record suggests in Class AA. We’ll also tell you whether Central Valley has a chance to follow in the footsteps of its football team, and why it would be a bad idea to forget about Morgantown in the Nailers Cup bracket. So join us once again for a look at what else is happening in each classification…

PIHL CLASS AAA:

Norwin Knights

Coming off an 8-1 rout of Baldwin on December 17, Norwin (4-6-1) earned points in three of its four December games and currently holds the eleventh spot in the playoff bracket. The recent string also included a 2-2 tie with a solid Pittsburgh Central Catholic team a 4-3 shootout with Hempfield (more on them in a moment). The offense has been the story for the most part as sophomore Dan Merz (10 G, 12 A) and senior Neil Stewart (10 G, 11 A) have already broken 20 points while sophomore Marc Swankler (8 G, 6 A) and junior Kevin Saksa (4 G, 10 A) have provided plenty of support. Between the pipes, it’s fair to say juniors Scott Cromling (2-4-0, 4.12 GAA, 0.884 SV %) and Ryan Boccabella (2-2-1, 3.61 GAA, 0.883 SV %) could be happier with their numbers after thoroughly dominating last season. January would be a great time for them to regain last year’s form with a pair of Section 4 games against Penn-Trafford, whom the Knights already defeated, and State College, who handed them a 7-4 loss on November 12. The coming month also includes a trip to North Allegheny and a visit from a surging Plum team.

Hempfield Spartans

Hempfield (3-5-1) is on the outside looking in at the postseason picture as of this writing, but the Spartans have reason for optimism as one of only four teams to hit the 50-goal mark in Class AAA thus far. They also allowed 51, but consider part of that came from a 15-7 loss to Section 4 rival State College on December 9. This group has already shown it can hang with the big boys, losing 6-5 to both Canon-McMillan and McDowell to open the 2010-11 campaign. Other highlights include a 4-4 tie with Pittsburgh Central Catholic and a 9-5 section win over Penn-Trafford. Back to the offense, attribute most of it to senior dynamo Kyle Rosendale (25 G, 13 A), the class leader in goals and points. Support has come from juniors Clay Plyler (11 G, 8 A) and Austin Williams (2 G, 10 A) along with senior Nate Gerger (7 G, 11 A). The Spartans have a chance to pick up some quick points to start January with trips to Baldwin and Shaler. They need them, too, with Fox Chapel and North Allegheny next on the horizon.

PIHL CLASS AA:

Elizabeth Forward Warriors

Don’t look now, but Elizabeth Forward (6-3-1) has earned points in its last five contests and is currently nestled into the sixth spot in the Class AA playoff bracket. Not bad for a team sharing a section with top seeds Bishop Canevin and Chartiers Valley. The recent string has included a 7-7 tie with Peters Township on December 9 and a 5-4 win at Erie Cathedral Prep on December 20 to close out the first half. Senior Justin Delmaster (13 G, 19 A) has paced the Warriors and the class with 32 points while fellow senior Dustin Briggs (12 G, 9 A) and four others have reached the 10-point plateau. Meanwhile, junior goaltender Anthony Schepis (4-2-1, 3.81 GAA, 0.851 SV %) has been solid if not spectacular, but he may need to find another gear this month. After a trip to Gateway, the Warriors host Latrobe before resuming Section 3 play with a visit to Chartiers Valley – the Colts won 8-4 on November 11 – and their first meeting with Bishop Canevin at home.

Pine-Richland Rams

Pine-Richland (4-6-0) may appear to be a shell of its former self. The Rams’ 42 goals scored and 40 allowed are far from the top of Class AA, and indeed the move down for this season alone tells you this program is rebuilding. Not so fast, though. After all, they do hold the eighth spot in postseason seeding at the moment, and despite losing two straight, PR has been a tough out more often than not. They started strong with three straight victories, including 4-1 over Elizabeth Forward in the season opener. Bishop Canevin was given all it could handle in a 3-2 win on November 15, and Pine-Richland hung with West Allegheny in 5-2 and 4-2 losses along the way. Offensively, seniors Julian Rizza (10 G, 11 A) and Ryan Hanahan (6 G, 9 A) have led the way while young goalie Brendan Bagnato (5-4-0, 3.13 GAA, 0.878 SV %) has shown flashes worthy of Stony Hildreth and Dan Szymanski. The Rams have an action-packed January with a Section 1 visit to Thomas Jefferson, a visit from Chartiers Valley and a chance to avenge a 7-1 loss to Montour on December 20.

PIHL CLASS A:

Central Valley Warriors

Central Valley (4-7-1) has been relatively even keel thus far, but one has to wonder if the football team has sparked something within them for the second half after talking with senior Tyler Kocis on “The PIHL Power Play” last week. The Warriors are coming off a 6-0 win at Beaver on December 20, giving them a 2-2-1 mark for the month. The tie was a 5-5 thriller against South Fayette on December 9 while a 3-1 loss to Mars a week later stands out, and in fact was point to by Kocis as their signature game thus far. Speaking of Kocis (27 G, 7 A), did we mention he leads the class in goals? He needs more support, though, with only fellow senior Ryland Hughes (6 G, 7 A) cracking double digits. As for the goaltending, youngster Jacob Cowie (3-3-1, 5.23 GAA, 0.832 SV %, 1 SO) has seen the bulk of the minutes, but senior Nate Wormald (1-4-0, 3.40 GAA, 0.908 SV %, 1 SO) has the better stat line. Both will have to be on their game this month, which begins with a Section 2 visit to Quaker Valley – the Quakers won 11-4 on October 28 – and a visit from Westmont Hilltop.

Freeport Yellowjackets

We told you about Freeport (3-7-0) in our “Game of the Week” segment last Monday, but this is one team which bears closer examination. Having the seventh-best defense in Class A may not sound impressive at first blush, but when you look at the raw numbers – 37 goals allowed in 10 games for a team with only three victories – one can appreciate how hard this team has been fighting. The Yellowjackets picked up all their wins in a bunch, beating Sewickley Academy 3-2 in overtime on November 1 then ousting Knoch 5-2 and 5-3 in back-to-back meetings. Freeport’s closest calls when losing came 2-1 at Central Valley in the season opener and 2-0 to Section 4 opponent Westmont Hilltop on October 28. Junior goalie Cody Lee (3-7-0, 3.67 GAA, 0.880 SV %) has been busy to say the least, facing 309 shots so far. The offense has struggled, with nobody over 10 points yet. The schedule-makers did not do Freeport any favors in January, with the Westmont Hilltop rematch plus two games each with South Fayette and Hampton.

PIHL OPEN CLASS:

Morgantown Mohigans

It may seem odd to include Morgantown (6-3-0) with our “Under the Radar” teams, but with Harbor Creek and Wheeling Central Catholic remaining perfect, one can understand if the Mohigans have been overlooked in the Nailers Cup field thus far. We should all start paying attention, though. They are coming off a 4-3 loss to the aforementioned Huskies, but ripped off four straight wins prior by a 35-11 margin. The defense has been the real star of the show, with 25 goals allowed ranking third in the class, thanks in large part to the goaltending of senior Justin Dicks (3-3-0, 2.51 GAA, 0.927 SV %, 1 SO) and junior Zach Taylor (3-0-0, 2.65 GAA, 0.864 SV %, 1 SO). Morgantown’s ninth-ranked offense may not set any records, but Brandon Richards (12 G, 14 A) is enjoying a stellar senior campaign with five other players reaching double figures so far. January will bring a trio of Section 1 battles, starting with a trip to John Marshall and a visit from the Maroon Knights, along with two games against Blackhawk.

Ligonier Valley Mounties

Ligonier Valley (4-5-1) currently holds the sixth spot in the Chiefs Cup seeding and has not won or lost more than two straight up to this point. The offense won’t win them any championships this season with 39 goals, but the defense might, ranking just behind Morgantown with 27 allowed. Senior Matt Erlichman (4-5-1, 2.63 GAA, 0.903 SV %) has been the iron man between the pipes, allowing more than four goals only once. The Mounties are coming off a 2-1 loss to Hollidaysburg last Monday, but earned points in two straight before that, trouncing Altoona 9-2 on December 9 and tying Ford City 2-2 four nights later. Senior Dace Ludwig (15 G, 6 A) and sophomore Steve Paouncic (7 G, 4 A) are the only players to reach 10 points, but three others have nine. The second half begins with a visit to Ford City on January 6 then brings a quartet of Section 4 contests, including frontrunner Kiski Area and defending Open Cup champion Ringgold.

Don’t miss the next episode of “The PIHL Power Play” with Adam Hoerner and Josh Rowntree coming up Wednesday on the MSA Sports Network. Upper St. Clair senior C.J. Murray will be along to tell us why the Panthers don’t need Santa Claus to bring them hope for a 2011 Penguins Cup title. In addition, Pittsburgh Central Catholic head coach Bob Kennedy will check in on a solid season for the Vikings while Pine-Richland bench boss Mike Bagnato will discuss his team’s return to its old stomping grounds. It’s all happening on Wednesday night from 8:00 to 9:00 on your exclusive home for the 2011 Penguins Cup Playoffs, the MSA Sports Network!