PIHL Notebook – 02/16/2015

By: Bruce Markey
Monday, February 16, 2015 | 12:09 PM

Welcome to another edition of “PIHL Notebook,” your weekly companion to “The PIHL Power Play” on the MSA Sports Network. First up, “Melting the Ice” provides your weekly thermometer of streaking teams around the league. This is a rare off-week for MSA broadcasts with the WPIAL basketball playoffs tipping off, but this week’s “Scoreboard Watch” still offers plenty of intrigue, including four overtime battles, three of which carried playoff implications. So, let’s light the lamp on this edition of “PIHL Notebook.”

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

Class AAA: North Allegheny (6-0-2); Bethel Park (4-0-1); Seneca Valley (3-0-0); Peters Township (2-0-1)

Class AA: Erie Cathedral Prep (10-0-0); Armstrong (8-0-1); Shaler (4-0-0)

Class A: Quaker Valley (16-0-1); Hempfield (4-0-1); Serra Catholic (4-0-0); South Park (4-0-0); Franklin Regional (3-0-0); Thomas Jefferson (3-0-0)

Class B: Harbor Creek (16-0-0); Meadville (3-0-0)

Class C: Carrick (17-0-0); Wheeling Central Catholic (6-0-1)

SCOREBOARD WATCH:

Class AAA

2/12/15 – Upper St. Clair 1-1-1-1=4, Canon-McMillan 2-1-0-0=3 (OT) … The Panthers (9-11-1) were down 3-1 at 3:10 of the second period, but battled back to defeat the Big Macs (12-7-1) and keep hold, at least for now, of the seventh seed in the playoff bracket. Elliot Stevenson sent the game to overtime at 14:06 of the third, and Jack Gavett started the USC celebration at 3:29 of the extra frame. Canon-McMillan got two-point efforts from Jack Clendaniel (1 G, 1 A), Andrew Wuenstel (2 A) and Josh Miller (2 A). Upper St. Clair got the same total from Matt Boyd (1 PPG, 1 A) and Matt Koch (1 G, 1 A). Neither goaltender was especially sharp in this one with USC leading 29-16 in shots.

Class AA

2/9/15 – West Allegheny 2-1-2=5, North Hills 0-3-0=3 … West Allegheny (6-10-1) got two critical points in its quest to maintain the number five slot in the Western Conference, surviving a three-goal second period from North Hills (8-9-0) in the process. The winner went to Ryan Rohm, who snapped a 3-3 tie with a power play goal 3:10 into the third. The victorious Indians got two points apiece from Rohm (1 G, 1 A), Ryan Rohal (1 G, 1 A), Jaret Mielnicki (2 G, 1 PP) and Nicholas Skowron (2 A) while Anthony Dominick turned aside 35 pucks. North Hills got a goal and an assist from Brett Berner, two assists from his brother Matt and 32 saves from Kaden Mahsoob.

Class A

2/12/15 – South Fayette 0-0-1-1=2, Keystone Oaks 0-0-1-0=1 (OT) … It took just slightly longer than the standard 51 minutes of ice hockey, but the Lions (6-13-0) bought some critical breathing room in the race for the number two spot in the Western Conference of Tier 2 against the Golden Eagles (4-15-1). After nearly two-and-a-half periods of scoreless action, Spencer Barber got South Fayette on the board at 7:30 of the third. Jack Malka tied it for Keystone Oaks with two minutes left in regulation before Barber buried his second of the night for the win a mere 15 ticks into the fourth period. Kyle Sharp stopped 24 shots to pick up the victory while Jonathan Mead matched that total in the loss.

Class B

2/12/15 – Meadville 1-1-1-1=4, Morgantown 1-0-2-0=3 (OT) … This one went back and forth with the Mohigans (8-10-1) forcing the additional five minutes on a goal by Caleb Richards at 15:12 of the third period. The Bulldogs (9-7-1) did not make anyone wait too long for the winner, though, with Bryan Ray ripping it home just 1:01 into overtime. Richards, Kienan Battin and Cullen Gookin each finished with one goal and one assist for Morgantown. Cooper Leguard and Trevor Johnson each picked up two helpers for Meadville while Steven Shafer made 27 saves.

Class C

2/12/15 – Elizabeth Forward 1-1-0-1=3, OLSH 0-1-1-0=2 (OT) … The Warriors (9-9-1) kept hope alive in the Division II wildcard race by defeating the Chargers (10-7-0) in extra time. Elizabeth Forward carried leads into both period breaks, but OLSH pulled even courtesy of Ethan Sunder at 7:10 of the third before Devon Quiggle’s second goal of the night 4:28 into overtime decided things. Noah Santo stopped 31 shots to pick up the victory, but tip your cap to the 43 saves made by Jesse Broniszewski.

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, this Thursday at 8:00. Joining us this week will be Armstrong forward Christian Miller and Seneca Valley head coach Anthony Raco. Your home for the 2015 Penguins Cup Playoffs is the MSA Sports Network!