2016 PIHL All-Star Game Recaps

By: HSSN Staff
Sunday, January 31, 2016 | 7:37 PM

The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Hockey League showcased its top are high school hockey players on Sunday with the league’s annual all-star games event. Four games featuring the top players in Class AAA, Class AA, Class A and Division II were broadcast from the Brady’s Run ice Arena in Beaver County on MSA Sports. The video and audio streams are also archived. Here are recaps from all four contests.

PIHL CLASS AAA ALL-STAR GAME:
Team Gold 11 – Team Black 5
By Steve Nagler

With an ice full of stars, Seneca Valley’s Alex Crilley shined the brightest and lead his Gold team to an 11-5 defeat of the Black at the Beaver County Ice Arena. 

Crilley netted a hat trick and also added a pair of assists en route to being the game’s #1 star.  Crilley’s first tally came at the 12:08 mark of the first period which erased a 1-0 deficit for Gold, after Shaler’s Austin Martz got the game’s first goal for Black early in the first period.  That goal for Black was the only goal that Gold goaltender Connor Hartnett (Canon McMillan) would surrender in the first period. 

Gold’s Evan Oakley (Bethel Park) would give his team their first lead late in the first period as he deflected a booming shot from the right point by Peters Twp’s Zach Gielarwoski.  Black’s Jake Snopes (Peters Twp) would score the first of his two goals early in the 2nd period to tie the game, 2-2, but the Gold team would explode from there, scoring the next six goals to take an 8-2 lead. 

Gold would score three goals in a :31 second span to blow the game wide open.  Black would respond, however, scoring three straight goals in a 3:42 span early in the 3rd period to show some life but goals by Gold’s Matt Amelio (Peters Twp), Jack Drury (Pine Richland) and Crilley put the game away. 

Gold outshot Black by a 40-28 total.

3 Stars:
3 – Evan Oakley (Bethel Park):  2 G
2 – Jake Shopes (Peters Twp):  2G
1 – Alex Crilley (Seneca Valley):  3G, 2A

1st PERIOD
Team Black – Austin Martz *Shaler* (Jake Tepe, Jay Oravetz), 3:39
Team Gold – Alex Crilley *Seneca Valley* (Patrick Woomer, Easton Alger), 12:08
Team Gold – Evan Oakley*Bethel Park* (Zach Gielarowski, Joe Kelly), 15:03

2nd PERIOD
Team Black – Jake Shopes *Peters Twp* (Trevor Gilliland, Jonathan Fair), 2:56
Team Gold – Alex Crilley 2 *Seneca Valley* (Jake McClelland, Nic Raible), 5:02
Team Gold – Jake McClelland *Canon McMillan* (Sam Delucia), 10:28
Team Gold – Sam Gross *Butler* (Nic Raible), 10:49
Team Gold – Connor Scott *Butler* (Jake McClelland, Alex Crilley), 10:59
Team Gold – Evan Oakley 2 *Bethel Park* (Joe Kelly, Easton Alger), 14:07

3rd PERIOD
Team Gold – Stephen Stayduhar *Shaler* (Jack Drury, Alex Crilley), 0:42
Team Black – Antonio Esposito *Bethel Park* (Jack Clendaniel, Luc Lavella), 2:18
Team Black – Jake Shopes 2 *Peters Twp* (Ben Rodgers), 4:36
Team Black – Austin Martz 2 *Shaler* (Beck Heil), 6:00
Team Gold – Matt Amelio *Peters Twp* (Erik Chidester, Joe DiTullio), 8:56
Team Gold – Jack Drury *Pine Richland* (Matt Amelio), 15:50
Team Gold – Alex Crilley 3 *Seneca Valley* (Jake McClelland, Easton Alger), 16:13

GOALTENDERS 
GOLD
Connor Hartnett (Canon McMillan):  8 shots, 7 saves
Zachary Schnur (Butler):  7 shots, 6 saves
Joe Huber (N. Allegheny):  13 shots, 10 saves

BLACK
Caden Shell (Peters Twp):  8 shots, 6 saves
Alyssa Peterson:  15 shots, 10 saves
Tre Lowe (Bethel Park):  17 shots, 13 saves

Shots:
GOLD – 40
BLACK – 28

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PIHL CLASS AA ALL-STAR GAME:
Team Black 8 – Team Gold 7
By Bob Orkwis

Fox Chapel’s Ben Friedland saved his best for last in the PIHL Class AA All-Star Game at the Beaver Ice Arena when he scored his 5th goal of the game with: 02 remaining to give Team Black and 8-7 victory over Team Gold. The senior forward broke up a play in his own defensive zone with just over: 10 left in the third period and then created a turnover and came into the Team Gold zone down the right wing. Friedland tried to throw the puck in front of the net to line mate Brendan Johns from Latrobe but the puck hit a defenseman and caromed past Johns’ teammate goaltender Ryan Pal to give Team Black the victory. Friedland, Johns and linemate Max Milan from Baldwin were the most dominant line in the game, combining for six goals and seven assists in the win. All three play travel hockey together with the Esmark Stars and Johns is a regular linemate with Friedland on that team.

Team Gold scored the first goal of the game when Daniel White from Hampton found the net at the (5:50) mark of the first period. White, a junior forward, finished with a goal and an assist in the contest. Team Black would rattle off the game’s next four goals. Friedland netted his first at (8:25) and then set up Milan at (12:58) and Team Black led 2-1 after the first period. Friedland notched the hat trick with the first two goals of the second period and Team Black had a 4-1 lead. But Team Gold had the answer, scoring four unanswered goals to lead 5-4 after two periods. Junior forward Nate Mickey from Penn-Trafford pounced on a loose puck in front of the Team Black net and beat Mars goaltender Tyler Spreng at (9:18) to make the score 4-2. Sixteen seconds later it was 4-3 when Friedland’s Fox Chapel teammate Jasper Uricchio skated down the right wing and beat Spreng in close with a backhander to make it a one goal game. Senior forward Luke Gross from Armstrong tied the game at 4-4 a minute and twenty seconds later and then Moon’s junior forward Nick Hart beat Spreng on a breakaway at the (11:55) mark to put Team Gold on top 5-4. All told, the Team Gold scoring barrage took (2:37).

Team Black ended the onslaught at the (5:45) mark of the third period when Bishop Canevin senior Alec Bosnic beat Pal to tie the game at 5-5. Team Black regained the lead at (9:39) when Friedland scored his fourth goal of the game by snapping a wrist shot passed Pal from just inside the blue line. Team Gold tied the game once again, when Noah Shultz from Quaker Valley converted a feed from his Quaker teammate Peter Hall to beat senior Ryan Wetherington from Mt. Lebanon to make the score 6-6. Team Black jumped back on top 7-6 when Quaker Valley’s Connor Quinn fed a puck back to the left point and Baldwin senior Kenny Dee sent a shot through heavy traffic that eluded Pal. Mickey scored his second goal of the game with (1:01) remaining when he converted a feed from Uricchio passed Wetherington to tie the game at 7-7. It looked like the game was headed to a 3-on-3 seven minute sudden death overtime before Friedland beat the clock with his fifth goal to cap of his huge game and give Team Black the 8-7 victory.

Box Score
Score-by-Periods
Team Black       2-2-4=8
Team Gold:       1-4-2=7 

Shots-on-Goal
Team Black       11-12-14=37
Team Gold:       9-13-7=29 

Scoring Summary
1st Period
Team Gold – Daniel White (Hampton) – Luke Gross (Armstrong), Donovan Wichowski (Armstrong) (5:50)
Team Black – Ben Friedland (Fox Chapel) – Brendan Johns (Latrobe) (8:25)
Team Black – Max Milan (Baldwin) – Friedland (12:58)

2nd Period
Team Black – Friedland (2) – Johns, Gannon Warrick (North Hills) (2:50)
Team Black – Friedland (3) – Milan, Johns (7:20)
Team Gold – Nate Mickey (Penn-Trafford) – Justin Adamski (Hampton), Andrew Koziara (Hempfield) (9:18)
Team Gold – Jasper Uricchio (Fox Chapel) – Unassisted (9:34)
Team Gold – Gross – White, Nick Hart (Moon) (10:38)
Team Gold – Hart – Unassisted (11:55)

3rd Period
Team Black – Alec Bosnic (Bishop Canevin) – Noah Raymundo (Mars), Warrick (5:45)
Team Black – Friedland (4) – Johns (9:39)
Team Gold – Noah Shultz (Quaker Valley) – Peter Hall (Quaker Valley), Paul Knerr (Baldwin) (13:01)
Team Black – Kenny Dee (Baldwin) – Connor Quinn (Quaker Valley) (14:01)
Team Gold – Mickey (2) – Uricchio, Trey Kirksey (Moon) (15:59)
Team Black – Friedland (5) – Johns, Josh Jan (Hampton) (16:58)

Penalties
Team Black – None
Team Gold – None

Goaltenders
Team Black
1st Period – Chad Veltri (Fox Chapel) – 9 Shots, 8 Saves
2nd Period – Tyler Spreng (Mars) – 13 Shots, 9 Saves
3rd Period – Ryan Wetherington (Mt. Lebanon) – 7 Shots, 5 Saves 9
Team Gold
1st Period – Nathan Puhala (Plum) – 12 Shots, 10 Saves
2nd Period – Ryan Durkin (Moon) –   11 Shots, 9 Saves
3rd Period – Ryan Pal (Latrobe) – 14 Shots, 10 Saves

Management Science Associates 3 Stars of the Game
3) Brendan Johns (Latrobe) – 5 Assists
2) Nate Mickey (Penn-Trafford) – 2 Goals
1) Ben Friedland (Fox Chapel) – 5 Goals, 1 Assist

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PIHL CLASS A ALL-STAR GAME:
Team Black 4 – Team Gold 3 in Overtime
By Mark Schaas

Normally in all-star games, the offense outshines the defense, but that was not the case as the Team Black All-Stars pulled out a 4-3 overtime win over the Team Gold All-Stars on Sunday afternoon at the Beaver County Ice Arena.

Freeport junior Robert Reichenbaugh stole the puck at the blue line and scored just 47 seconds into the 3 on 3 overtime to give Team Black the win. Nikita Slivehenko of Wheeling Park forced overtime, scoring with 1:53 left in regulation.

Defense ruled over the first twelve minutes of the game. Goaltenders Matt Huston of Freeport and Cole Luther of Sewickley Academy both shut the door. It was Sean Weber(West Allegheny) that broke the ice on a steal and breakaway from center ice to give Tram Black a 1-0 lead. That advantage lasted just 64 seconds as sophomore Michael Hertzberger of Sewickley Academy knotted the game at one.

Team Gold had the advantage in the second, led by West Allegheny goalie Anthony Dominick. The senior turned away all 15 shots he faced to pick up the game’s 3rd star, despite only playing a period. The game format has players facing their regular season teammates on the opposition. Domenick had to rob weber on a couple of occasions. Tanner Orr(South Park) gave Team Gold the 2-1 lead, set up by West Allegheny’s Jess Ligas.

Teab Black dominated most of the third as Webe, the game’s second star, scored his second goal  three minutes into the period. Junior Jake Hickey (South Park) gave Team Black the lead when he picked uop his second assist of the night, setting up Montour’s Ian McLean for the go-ahead goal. Slivehenko, who played a great defensive game, turned up his offensive skills to send the game into the 3 on 3.

Reichenbaugh was named the first star with the game winner.

Scoring Summary;
Team Black  1 – 0 – 2 – 1 = 4
Team Gold 1 – 1 – 1 – 0 = 3

Overtime: 
Team Black:  Robert Reichenbaugh (unassisted)  :47

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PIHL DIVISION II ALL-STAR GAME:
Team Gold 10 – Team Black 6
By Cory Campano

In a game held in Beaver, it was the hometown Beaver Bobcats players who stood out most. Most notably Evan Komlenic and Antoni Chirgott tallied 7 goals combined, while playing against each other. Kolmenic for the Black Team and Chirgott for the Gold Team. The game started slow, but picked up pace halfway through the first period as both teams were able to find the net twice. Cory Steinle (Blackhawk goaltender) started in net for D2 Gold, but was only able to face 3 shots and make 2 saves before a lingering hip injury forced him to exit the contest.

Antoni Chirgott (Beaver) scored 3:49 into the game on a nifty move and backhand finish. Evan Komlenic (Beaver) then responded shortly after with the next two goals of the first period for the Black Team.  Cameron Drake (Central Valley) scored with just over 2 minutes left to tie the game at 2. After the first period, shot totals showed 10 for Gold and 8 Black. Steinle was replaced by Nathan Norkevicus (Carrick goaltender) following his injury and Nathan filled in quite nicely only giving up one goal the rest of the period. Jesse Broniszewski (OLSH goaltender) started and played the whole first period for the Black Team and made 8 saves.

The second period had a lot of pace to it, but was not so even. D2 Gold outscored their opponent 4 to 1 in this period and it looked like they had a chance to run away with it. Chirgott scored his second just 15 seconds in on another fancy play. Next it was Evan Komlenic again. He scored to tie the game at 3 and completed the hat trick just minutes into the second period. His goal did not seem to spark his team though as D2 Gold scored 3 goals before the period was over and took a 6 to 3 lead into the third. Chirgott got his hat trick on a great pass from Patrick O’Neal (Indiana) and then Cooper Leguard (Meadville) and Tanner Palocsik (Beaver) each got one past D2 Black 2nd period goalie, Sam Kineston (Meadville goalternder). Kineston faced 11 shots and made 7 saves in the period. Norkevicus played the majority of the second period for D2 Gold, making 11 saves on 12 shots, before Noah Santo (Elizabeth Forward goaltender) stepped in and saved the 4 shots he faced.

The Black Team saw itself fall behind 7 to 3 after Robert Piccerillo (Blackhawk) scored just 45 seconds into the 3rd. Now, down 4 goals, D2 Black needed to dig deep and find a way back into the game. Three straight goals from Robert Swinderman (Blackhawk), Tyler Wolf (Carrick) and Komlenic again brought it to within a one goal game.  D2 Gold then took it one step further with three goals of their own to close out the game with a victory. Spencer D’Hondt (Central Valley) started it and Piccerillo and Drake each got their second of the game. Santo finished out the contest for D2 Gold making 7 saves in the third period while James Soisson (Beaver goaltender) faced 17 shots and made 13 saves in a action packed finale to a great all star game. D2 Gold took the title 10-6 and outshot D2 Black 38 to 34.

BOX SCORE:
Gold : 2 – 4 – 4 = 10
Black : 2 – 1 – 3 = 6

Period 1
– Gold: Antoni Chirgott (Beaver) unassisted
– Black: Evan Komlenic (Beaver) A: Devyn Wosotowsky (OLSH)
– Black: Evan Komlenic (2) (Beaver) A: William Piacitelli (Kennedy Catholic), Robert Swinderman (Blackhawk)
– Gold: Cameron Drake (Central Valley) A: Ryan Hartman (Beaver)
GOALIES:
Gold: Cory Steinle (Blackhawk) GA: 1 S: 2 and Nathan Norkevicus (Carrick) GA: 1 S:4
Black: Jesse Broniszewski (OLSH) GA: 2 S: 8

Period 3
– Gold: Robert Piccerillo (Blackhawk) A: Cameron Drake (Central Valley), Ryan Hartman (2) (Beaver)
– Black: Robert Swinderman (Blackhawk) unassisted
– Black: Tyler Wolf (Carrick) A: Matthew Hickey (Elizabeth Forward)
– Black: Evan Komlenic (4) (Beaver) A: John Cahill (Beaver)
– Gold: Spencer D’Hondt (Central Valley) A: Tanner Palocsik (2) (Beaver)
– Gold: Robert Piccerillo (2) (Blackhawk) A: Joe Line (OLSH)
– Gold: Cameron Drake (2) (Central Valley) A: Cooper Leguard (Meadville)
GOALIES:
Gold: Noah Santo (Elizabeth Forward) GA: 3 S: 7
Black: James Soisson (Beaver) GA: 4 S: 13

3 STARS:
1. Evan Komlenic
2. Antoni Chirgott
3. Cameron Drake