Austin Dzadovsky erupts for 5 goals as Avonworth beats Mars for 1st Penguins Cup title
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Tuesday, March 18, 2025 | 3:00 AM
Avonworth’s Austin Dzadovsky celebrates his second goal of the game against Mars during the PIHL Penguins Cup Class A championship game Monday at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex.
Avonworth’s Conner Ralston celebrates his second-period goal against Mars during the PIHL Penguins Cup Class A championship game Monday at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex.
Avonworth celebrates Austin Dzadovsky’s first goal of the game against Mars during the PIHL Penguins Cup Class A championship game Monday at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex.
Avonworth’s Austin Dzadovsky celebrates the third goal of the game against Mars during the PIHL Penguins Cup Class A championship game Monday at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex.
Avonworth’s Austin Dzadovsky celebrates his fourth goal of the game against Mars during the PIHL Penguins Cup Class A championship game Monday at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex.
Avonworth’s Jimmy Shields celebrates his first-period goal against Mars during the PIHL Penguins Cup Class A championship game Monday at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex.
Avonworth’s Austin Dzadovsky beats Mars goaltender Adam Goul with the backhand for his second goal of the game in the second period of the PIHL Penguins Cup Class A championship game Monday at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex.
Avonworth’s Conner Ralston celebrates Jimmy Shields’ goal against Mars in the first period during the PIHL Penguins Cup Class A championship game Monday at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex.
Avonworth celebrates Austin Dzadovsky’s fourth goal of the game against Mars during the PIHL Penguins Cup Class A championship game Monday at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex.
With 2:39 left in the second period, Austin Dzadovsky chased down his miss behind the back of the net. After he recovered the puck, he snuck it in behind Mars’ goalie Adam Goul for his record-tying fifth goal of the game.
“I was just going out to play,” Dzadovsky said, “play my butt off and just play for my boys. … It was probably one of the most fun games of hockey I ever played.”
In an unexpected Class A Penguins Cup final between two underdogs Monday night, No. 3 Avonworth looked like it had fun as it dismantled No. 5 Mars, 7-1, capturing its first championship.
By the end of the first period, the Antelopes had built a 3-0 lead, with Dzadovsky netting two goals. Avonworth’s first goal came from the corner by Jimmy Shields, who was assisted by a Cooper Powell off-the-boards pass. Conner Ralston was credited with the secondary assist.
Fifteen seconds later, Dzadovsky scored on the rebound of a Brendan Hennigan misfire for his first goal. Not even four minutes into the period, the Antelopes had a 2-0 lead. But the avalanche was just building.
With 2:44 left in the opening period, Dzadovsky stole a pass at the Avonworth blue line. As two Fightin’ Planets defenders intended to check Dzadvosky, he split them to make his way to the front of the net. He was greeted by Shay Clark, whom he niftily evaded and scored on the backhand.
Mars (19-4-1-0) had a chance to trim its deficit on a power play before the end of the first, but Avonworth killed the penalty. That failure to convert was compounded 33 seconds into the next period, as Dzadovsky, once again, found the back of the net for the hat trick and the 4-0 lead.
The junior forward went on to score two more times in the second, accounting for five of the last six goals for the Antelopes (18-3-0-2).
“Austin (Dzadovsky) is a true leader, a warrior,” Avonworth coach Chris Chiusano said. “He came prepared to play tonight. He maybe didn’t show up on the score sheet during the regular season quite as much. I think a lot of people overlooked that. But Austin’s a gamer. Just an incredible player, incredible leader. Fantastic kid.”
The Fightin’ Planets’ first and only goal came in the opening minutes of the third period by Ben Bowser. Gavin Stevenson and Jack Weaver picked up the assists. Up to that point, Danny Mack had made saves on all 16 of Mars’ shots on goal.
En route to its first Penguins Cup championship, Avonworth scored a playoff-high 25 goals. That offensive production isn’t normally expected for an “underdog” team, but Chiusano and his players used that to their advantage.
“The entire time we were underdogs,” he said. “We didn’t get a whole lot of press, didn’t get a whole lot of notoriety. I think people just kind of kept overlooking us and thought we were a lot of flash and no substance. And I think they read it wrong.”
The Antelopes will play Garnet Valley in the Pennsylvania Cup Final at 12:45 p.m. Saturday at Robert Morris University Island Sports Complex.
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