PIHL Notebook – 02/14/2017

By: HSSN Staff
Tuesday, February 14, 2017 | 12:47 PM

As the regular season draws to a conclusion, some teams have already finished their schedules, while other squads have just a few contests remaining. With the Penguins Cup and D2 playoffs on the horizon, here’s a glance at the latest news and notes from around the PIHL.

Melting the Ice (the longest unbeaten streak in each classification)

AAA: Central Catholic (9-0-0) – With Erie Cathedral Prep’s 10-game unbeaten stretch snapped last night in a defeat to North Allegheny, the Vikings now boast by far the longest streak in the classification. The Vikings have already clinched the top spot in Class AAA, and have a pair of tune-ups remaining for the postseason – tonight against Canon-McMillan, and a showdown against Erie Cathedral Prep on Monday. If the Vikings can get past the Big Macs, the season finale will be fitting, as the Ramblers were the last team to hand Central Catholic a defeat, on Dec. 5.

AA: Plum (6-0-1) – The trio of top teams from the West Division have all enjoyed lengthy unbeaten streaks at times this campaign, but for the second straight week, the East-leading Mustangs hold the distinction. Plum extended its surge in dominant fashion last night, courtesy of a 12-0 thrashing of West Allegheny. The Mustangs have played their best hockey since the turn of the calendar to 2017, and with two games remaining, they have an opportunity to match or surpass Moon for the most points in the entire classification.

A: Franklin Regional (16-0-0) – The Panthers have been idle since last week’s edition of the PIHL Notebook, so they remain at the top of Class A, at least for now. Tonight, Franklin Regional faces a big challenge, at home against Indiana. In their most recent outing, the Panthers defense final looked human, yielding four goals, but the offense produced enough to keep the squad undefeated. After tonight, Franklin Regional is scheduled for its season finale against surging Bishop McCort in a makeup contest.

D2: Meadville (18-0-1) – Barring an upset for the ages, the Bulldogs will wrap up their regular-season slate unbeaten. Meadville concludes its schedule this Thursday, traveling to play last-place John Marshall. In the past week, the Bulldogs have produced a pair of nine-goal outings, an impressive 9-1 triumph against Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, followed by a shutout of Connellsville last night. Carrick, which has its own nine-game winning streak currently, as well as Kennedy Catholic and Burrell are among the biggest challengers for Meadville heading into the playoffs.

Under Review (weekly team spotlight)

Moon – The Tigers are hoping that history does not repeat itself, as they are looking to erase the bad memories of last season’s playoffs. In 2016, Moon claimed the top spot in the West Division of Class AA, but was upset by Baldwin in the first round. These campaign, the Tigers again will earn the top seed from their division, but this team appears poised to make a postseason run.

Moon has accumulated 31 points, by way of its 15-2-1 record. The team has lost just once since October, a 3-2 setback to Plum earlier this month. Since then, though, the Tigers rebounded with a 5-4 win against Penn-Trafford, and an impressive 4-2 victory against Quaker Valley last night.

An array of attributes have contributed to the Tigers’ success, including team speed, physical play, strong defense, and timely goaltending. Also, Moon has displayed its scoring depth, as eight players have reached double figures in points. Surprisingly, blueliner Joey Sell leads the offense, with 29 points, including a team-best 21 helpers. Gritty forward Nicholas Hart is second with 24 points, while another defenseman, Logan Rosser, and speedster Brayden Lange have each accumulated 23 points.

Between the pipes, Julian Wolstencroft has been among the best in the classification, as his 12-1-0 record indicates. The All-Star netminder also boasts a 2.18 goals against average, as well as a save percentage of .889. Lukas Konescni has been strong in his time in the crease, too, with a mark of 3-1-1, including a shutout.

Just one regular-season contest remains, against West Allegheny next Monday. The real test for Moon will come in the playoffs, though, as Joseph Sell’s team looks to prove it is capable of playing winning hockey in the Penguins Cup postseason.

Quotable (excerpt from a recent center stage)

“We just want to go round by round, team by team; go as far as we can go. If we play the right way, we feel that we can take it all.”

Camron Smith of Montour, following his four-goal outburst to lead the Spartans to their win against Beaver last Thursday. The interview can be seen in its entirety here:

Top-Shelf Trivia

What was the most recent Penguins Cup representative to repeat as Pennsylvania Cup champions? The answer will be revealed in next week’s notebook.

Last week’s trivia answer: Yes, Wheeling Catholic won the D2 Championship in 2008, and John Marshall won it in 2011.

Slapshots on Slate (upcoming MSA Sports broadcasts)

Thursday, Feb. 16: Mount Lebanon vs Greater Latrobe at Kirk Nevin Arena in Greensburg at 7:15, with Matt Vandriak and Rennie Detour – A Class AA cross-divisional matchup pits two playoff bound teams in the Blue Devils and the IceCats. Seeding and momentum will be at stake in this contest, as Mount Lebanon is currently second in the West Division, while Greater Latrobe is tied for fourth in the East. This represents the only regular-season encounter between the teams in 2016-17.

That’s it for this edition of the PIHL Notebook, but check back every Tuesday for the latest installment. Also, the Chatham University PIHL Power Play Show will air tomorrow night at 8 p.m, as hosts Josh Rowntree and Kevin Zielmanski welcome a pair of coaches, Chris Chiusano of Sewickley Academy, and Dave Anderson of Hampton.