Greensburg Salem hockey looks to build behind young talent

By: Antonio Rossetti
Monday, December 2, 2024 | 2:04 PM

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Greensburg Salem made a valiant run through the Penguins Cup playoffs last season. The Golden Lions were a play away from being crowned champions before Chartiers Valley defeated them 2-1 in overtime.

It’s a new year as the Golden Lions lost the core from last year’s team to graduation, including leading scorers Carter Cherok, Hunter Webb, Chase Kushner and Mikey Kingerski.

Anthony DeFazio II, a 2013 Greensburg Salem grad who played for the Golden Lions in addition to the Allegheny Badgers and Westmoreland Eagles, took over as coach this fall.

“It’s been so cool from Day 1 to be back with them and to be around the team, just being on the bench again,” DeFazio said. “It’s been a really awesome experience, and they’re great players. They make my job easy, and they’re very coachable. They listen to what we say, and they work hard, which makes it a whole lot easier on me.”

The Golden Lions started 2-4 with a roster that has just one senior and two juniors.

“It’s definitely a challenge to deal with inexperience, but the benefit of that is they have time to grow together,” DeFazio said. “This group is going to be together for the first couple years, so they really have the opportunity to take a big step every year and work toward a goal. … We put in all the work for this season right in front of us, but we all have the expectation and the knowledge that this team is only going to get better.”

DeFazio is happy with what he’s seen from the team. One player who has stood out is junior captain Luke Dieter, who has four goals and two assists through six games.

“Luke has just been such a steady force on the team,” DeFazio said. “He played as a freshman a couple years ago, so he comes in with a lot of playing experience. The way he holds the team together, Luke has been pivotal for us. He’s really driving the guys hard, keeping everybody together as a team but also reminding them of the standards that we’ve set within the organization. He makes them play the way that they expect them to play.”

Sophomore Jake Fink also returns after accumulating 17 points in 18 games last season. He leads the team in scoring with eight goals and four assists.

“The thing with Jake is it’s not just his words, it’s his actions,” DeFazio said. “He’s always busting his butt. He’s always the first one to get to the puck. He’s always willing to take the hit to make the play. He’s always out there doing the right thing, and then you add in all the skill and obviously that’s what leads to the puck going into the back of the net.”

Dieter, Fink and Jeremiah Faulk are the captains of the team. With a lot of the defensive corps not having a lot of experience with checking and varsity hockey, DeFazio complimented the leadership of his captains.

“They’ve been big for us all year, just showing the younger guys how it’s done, showing them how you play at that pace, and how you play with all that physicality that happens at the varsity level,” DeFazio said. “They’ve been instrumental and have been big role models for our younger guys to look up to, which has been very helpful.”

In net, senior Tristan Gonzales and freshman Hayden Henry have platooned. DeFazio said Gonzales has done a great job with leading, and Henry has adjusted well to the speed of the varsity level.

DeFazio wants the young team to get better as the season progresses and use previous teams’ successes as a guide.

“They set that bar really high, and that’s definitely something that we want to strive for, and we want to meet those expectations as well,” DeFazio said. “We also know that we’re up against some challenges this season, and for us to continue to develop, to continue to get better and continue to fight as a team, that’s going to be really important for us as we move forward.”

Tags: Greensburg Salem