Norwin notebook: Knights take part in PIHL all-star game

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Saturday, April 9, 2022 | 8:01 AM

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Five Norwin hockey players suited up for the PIHL Class A All-Star Game on April 3 at Alpha Ice Complex in Pittsburgh.

Sophomore Alex Thomas had an assist, and sophomore Owen Burmeister made 10 saves in net for Team Gold, but Team Blue won the game, 9-4.

Senior Logan Fear skated for Blue.

Two other members of the Knights’ Penguins Cup championship team, Ty Shigo and Jake Meier, also played for Team Gold.

Roundball time

The Roundball Classic basketball games return this year, and a number of local players made the all-star rosters. Nine all-senior games will be played May 19-21 at Geneva College in Beaver Falls.

Norwin’s Lance Maha will coach the 6A Silver boys team.

Area boys selected include Michael Fleming and Ty Stecko of Norwin, while Brianna Zajicek will represent the Norwin girls.

Baseball slugfest

Norwin baseball earned its first section win of the season. And the Knights will take it, even though the final score looks like it belongs in football season.

The Knights outslugged Baldwin, 17-13.

Jake Kendro went 3 for 4 with a home run, double and six RBIs, while Jack Whelan and Sebastien Rosado-Guindin also homered in the wild win.

Norwin fell behind 7-3 after three innings but scored nine times in the fourth.

After it pegged five more in the fifth to take a 17-7 lead, Baldwin plated four in the bottom of the inning before tacking on three more in the seventh.

Norwin went on to sweep its section-opening series with an 8-2 win in Game 2.

Softball wins

Angelina Pepe, Mallory Wensel and Josey Michalski all joined the “Bomb Squad,” as the softball team calls its home-run hitters, as the Knights thumped Butler, 12-1, for its first win of the season.

It came in the Section 2-6A opener.

In addition to being the winning pitcher, Pepe doubled, homered and drove in three runs, Wensel went 3 for 3 with a homer, and Michalski had three hits, including a homer, and three RBIs.

Volleyball moves up

The Norwin boys moved up to No. 3 in the latest Western PA Volleyball Coach Association Class 3A rankings.

The Knights (3-0) picked up a trio of wins, over No. 5 Hempfield (3-2), Armstrong and Latrobe (3-0), to open the season on a high note.

In the win over Latrobe (26-24, 25-15, 25-14), senior right-side hitter Kevin Skweres had 19 kills, sophomore libero Lucas Churchfield was 11 of 12 passing, and senior setter Luke Mumpower had three blocks.

Tennis wins

Norwin boys tennis took down rival Penn-Trafford, 4-1.

Brady Johnson, Luke Snyder and Bret Vilage picked up singles wins, while Mitch Kenney and Nicholas Cormas won at No. 1 doubles.

First pitch

Norwin baseball players Noah Czajkowski and Ty Stecko will throw out the first pitch on May 1 for a Norwin Knights at PNC Park fundraiser.

It is a 1:05 p.m. game with the Pirates hosting the San Diego Padres.

All tickets are $31 and include $10 of loaded value to be used at the park. A portion of all ticket sales will go to Project Playground. For more information, contact Lauren Steiner at lsteiner@norwinsd.org or 724-861-3007.

College scene

Checking in on Norwin alums playing at the college level:

A switch from basketball to lacrosse looked rather effortless to Westminster’s Magen Polczynski.

The senior from Norwin has 10 goals and five assists in three games since switching uniforms.

Her 15 points leads the team. Most of the other players have appeared in five games.

She had a six-goal, nine-point game against La Roche, and scored a hat trick when the Titans met Franciscan.

Polczynski averaged 9.4 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.1 steals over a 28-game basketball season that saw the Titans finish 18-10 and play in the ECAC Tournament.

Softball

Saint Vincent: The Bearcats remained unbeaten, moving to 11-0, with a doubleheader sweep of Grove City. In a 5-4 win in the opener, sophomore Alex Dillner went 2 for 3 with a double and a pair of runs, and sophomore Leah Yoder had two hits and two RBIs.

Westminster: Freshman Sydney Lokay had two hits in a 10-2 victory over Washington & Jefferson.

Men’s volleyball

St. Francis (Pa.): Freshman Joey Ferragonio has played in 14 sets over five matches and has delivered 12 kills, three assists and 11 digs for the Red Flash (12-10).

Bill Beckner Jr. is a TribLive reporter covering local sports in Westmoreland County. He can be reached at bbeckner@triblive.com.

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