North Allegheny and Latrobe Win 2013 Pennsylvania Cup State Hockey Titles

By: Bruce Markey
Monday, March 25, 2013 | 12:42 PM

Last year, the Pennsylvania Cup Championships were played the day after the PIHL Penguins Cup Finals and Quaker Valley was the only west team to win. This year, there were two days between the PIHL and PA Cup championships and Quaker Valley was the only west team that did NOT win. Here is a recap of all three PA Cup Finals played Saturday at the Ice Works in Aston, PA, outside of Philadelphia.

PENNSYLVANIA CUP CLASS AAA:  North Allegheny Tigers 6 – LaSalle College Explorers 2

In the three PIHL Peguins Cup victories for the North Allegheny Tigers, they gave up a total of four goals. On Saturday in the state championship game, Joseph Griffin matched that total all by himself. Trailing 2-0 in the second period, Griffin scored a natural hat trick to put the Tigers on top, then iced the game with his fourth goal late in the game as North Allegheny captured their second PA Cup crown with a 6-2 victory over the defending state champion Explorers of LaSalle College. Griffin also scored both goals in the Tigers 2-0 Penguins Cup title game victory Wednesday over Peters Township. Griffin assisted on a Dominic Zangaro goal early in the third period while both Griffin and Matthew Fantaski added empty net goals late. The PA Cup is the second in school history and first since 2007.

PENNSYLVANIA CUP CLASS AA:  Latrobe Wildcats 4 – Parkland Trojans 1

Thinking that their 'Stock' was sinking after Latrobe Dominated Parkland, yet trailed 1-0 midway through the second period, the Wildcats surged back with four unanswered goals to win their first PA Cup since 2010 but their fourth state crown in six years after also winning in 2008 and 2009. Latrobe dominated a scoreless first period and came out flying in the second period, outshooting Parkland at one point 23-3, however the Trojans third shot resulted in the games first goal. But having played so well yet trailing 1-0, the Wildcats did not panic as Chris Johnson tied the game two minutes later. The with two-and-a-half minutes left in the period, Dalton Hunter scored to put Latrobe ahead for good. Joshua Singley assisted on both second period tallies for the Wildcats. The dominated for the orange and black continued in the third period as Adam Ferguson made it 3-1 five minutes into the period, then Hunter put the game away with his second goal just over four minutes later. For the game, Latrobe out shot Parkland 41-9 in what could have been a laugher. but was closer on the scoreboard thanks to the tremendous play of Trojans goaltender Robert Stock.

PENNSYLVANIA CUP CLASS A:  West Chester East Vikings 6 – Quaker Valley Quakers 5

A frantic comeback attempt just fell short as Quaker Valley saw their long hockey winning streak come to an end. Trailing West Chester East 5-1 after two periods, the Quakers scored four third period goals, but it wasn't enough as they lost in the Pennsylvania Cup Class A state hockey championship game 6-5, thus ending their 46-game winning streak. After Jimmy Perkins scored 9 and a half minutes into the game to give the Quakers a 1-0 lead, West Chester East scored the next five goals including three goals in a 5 and a half minute span in the first period and two more goals in the final 3 and a half minutes of the second period. After Perkins scored his second goal early in the third period, the Vikings scored what proved to be the game winner with just over 10 minutes left to go up 6-2. The Quakers would not go quietly though as Alex Quinn and Ryan Dickson scored goals 51 seconds apart midway though to pull QV to within two at 6-4. Quinn scored again, but there were only 24 second left in regulation to make it 6-5. the equalizer never came and the Quakers nearly two year win string came to an end.

Tags: Latrobe