Fox Chapel hockey adjusting on the fly after jump up in competition

By: Josh Rizzo
Saturday, October 18, 2025 | 11:01 AM

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Ryan Loebig knows the Fox Chapel hockey program will have a learning curve when it comes to playing in Class 3A in the PIHL. The Foxes will have to do everything a step faster than they did last season if they want to return to the Penguins Cup playoffs.

“I think so far it’s been the speed and physicality,” Loebig said. “The 3A teams we’ve played, they play fast and they make quick decisions. They are more physical as well.”

Fox Chapel is off to a 1-2 start, most recently losing a 5-3 decision to Central Catholic. The Vikings jumped on top of the Foxes in their last meeting, scoring four goals in the first period.

Loebig, who is in his second season leading the program, knows patience is important during the hockey season, which stretches from October until March.

“The whole year is a learning experience for the team,” Loebig said. “The first month, you are just starting out and seeing what kind of team you have. You can see the big things to fix or improve on. As the year continues to go on, you want to tighten up little areas until you have the best team at the end of the year.”

Fox Chapel battled back with three goals in the third period, but couldn’t get back within one. Tucker Cullen, Linden Trac and Spencer Goehring scored for the Foxes.

Trac leads the Foxes with a pair of goals thus far, while Cullen has a team-high three assists.

Fox Chapel is adjusting to a good bit of turnover from its team that lost to Cathedral Prep in the Penguins Cup last season.

“We had 10 players leave,” Loebig said. “We are using callups here and there.”

The Foxes didn’t have an opportunity to settle into a new season. Fox Chapel took a 12-0 defeat to start the year.

The loss to Thomas Jefferson was an eye-opener.

“I think it sets the table of how hard we are going to work,” Loebig said. “It showed the intensity we need to bring. We learned what a good team looks like and learned a lot of lessons.”

Fox Chapel’s win was in a shootout over Upper St. Clair, which reached the playoff semifinals last season. The Foxes had to move up to Class 3A because of the promotion/relegation system the PIHL uses.

Fox Chapel will take time to make adjustments.

“There was a big difference between the way we played our first game and our second,” Loebig said. “The speed, intensity and physicality all picked up. That’s what we harped on them. That’s what it is going to take to win at this level.”

Tags: Fox Chapel