Norwin Star notebook: Hockey team gets back on track

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Sunday, November 21, 2021 | 11:01 AM

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The Norwin hockey team rebounded nicely from its first loss of the 2021-22 season.

After a 5-4 setback against North Hills, the Knights scored a 6-3 win over Westmont Hilltop to move to 4-1 on the season.

Joey Vecchio scored the tiebreaking goal in the third period and Jake Meier netted a pair of insurance goals to complete his hat trick.

Logan Fear added two goals for Norwin, which was two points behind Westmont Hilltop (5-2) in the PIHL Class A Southeast Division.

All-WPIAL soccer

A pair of Norwin boys soccer standouts were named to the All-WPIAL list in Class 4A.

Seniors Caleb Yuricha and Riley Zimmerman made the all-district team after leading the Knights to the WPIAL quarterfinals and a 14-2-1 mark this season.

Field stars

The WPIAL recently announced its district all-stars for the field hockey season.

Senior defender Alayna Francis of Norwin made the Class 3A list.

Gribbles return to court

Norwin alum Alayna Gribble is back for one more season at St. Joseph’s. Gribble stopped playing at Pitt in 2019 after multiple concussions.

She averaged 8.2 points and was second on the team last season with 23 3-pointers.

“I have more freedom than I had at Pitt,” Gribble said. “I have a green light, and I am not afraid to take big shots.”

Olivia Gribble, meanwhile, is back for her sophomore season at Division III Marietta (Ohio).

Other Norwin products to watch on the hardwood this winter include sophomore Jayla Wehner (Marian) and senior Magen Polczynski (Westminster).

North Huntingdon’s Melina Maietta, a Greensburg Central Catholic grad, is a freshman at Pitt-Greensburg. She transferred from Coastal Carolina.

College scene

Men’s soccer

Penn State Behrend: Senior Cameron Eckberg (Norwin) was an All-Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference First Team selection. A rarity, Eckberg was a defender who led his team in goals. He netted eight goals this fall.

Football

Allegheny: Sophomore wide receiver Declan O’Brien (Norwin) had five catches for 89 yards and a touchdown as the Gators (3-7) outgunned Oberlin, 42-38.

Women’s soccer

Davis & Elkins: Freshman defender Maddie Rose (Norwin) was an All-Mountain East Conference honorable mention selection. She had three goals and five assists in 17 starts.

Slippery Rock: Senior defender Emily Arnold (Norwin) was named to the All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division Second Team. She appeared in all 18 games, starting 15 of them, and helped the Rock post eight shutouts.

Women’s basketball

Grove City: Freshman guard Mara Polczynski (Norwin) had 10 points and seven steals but the Wolverines fell to Penn State Behrend, 85-65, in the Penn State Behrend Tip-Off Tournament. In an 83-65 win over Alfred to open the season, Polczynski had eight assists in her first college game.

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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