PIHL Class A Penguins Cup capsule for March 21, 2022

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Sunday, March 20, 2022 | 5:50 PM

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Monday’s game

Class A

4-Norwin (15-4-2) vs. 7-McDowell (14-8)

8:45 p.m. Monday at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex, Cranberry

Coaches: Mike Robinson, Norwin; Alex Luddy, McDowell

How they got here: Norwin — beat Westmont Hilltop in quarterfinals (3-2), and Fox Chapel in semifinals (5-4, OT); McDowell — beat North Catholic (3-2) in quarterfinals, and Quaker Valley in semifinals (5-3)

Ice chips: Norwin advanced to its second PIHL final and first since 1984, with a 5-4 semifinal win over top-seeded Fox Chapel in overtime. Sophomores Mario Cavallaro and Alex Thomas each had two goals, with Cavallaro scoring the winner 2 minutes, 9 seconds into overtime. Three of the Knights’ eight playoff goals have come on the power play. Norwin beat McDowell earlier in the season, 6-3. In that game, Logan Fear and Ty Shigo each had two goals and an assist. … McDowell powered its way into its first title game since 1980 with a 5-3 victory over Quaker Valley in the semifinals. Class A scoring champ Nico Catalde, a junior with 39 goals and 33 assists, scored twice, as did senior Kurt Johnson. The Trojans held off North Catholic in the quarterfinals, 3-2. Luddy and his staff came from another Erie program, Cathedral Prep. Like Norwin, McDowell has never won a PIHL title. The winner moves on to play for the state championship.

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

Tags: Erie McDowell, Norwin