PIHL High School Hockey Notebook – 03/11/2013

By: HSSN Staff
Monday, March 11, 2013 | 3:10 PM

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Welcome to another edition of “PIHL Notebook,” your weekly companion to “The PIHL Power Play” on the MSA Sports Network. Over the next three days, we will find out which six teams will complete for the 2013 Penguins Cup championships. All six semifinal games will be heard on these airwaves, and we have you primed in the space below with our traditional team capsules. So, let’s light the lamp on this special postseason edition of “PIHL Notebook.”

CLASS A PENGUINS CUP SEMIFINALS:

#1 Quaker Valley Quakers (23-0-0) vs #6 Kittanning Wildcats (14-8-1) AT Robert Morris University Island Sports Complex on Neville Island on Monday, March 11th at 8:00pm on MSAsports.net with Josh Rowntree and Mark Schaas on the call

QUAKER VALLEY

Number of Penguins Cups (Last Time Won): 3 (2012)

Team Stats: 172 GF, 21 GA, 195 PIM

Key Players: Jimmy Perkins (33 G, 26 A); Jonathan Pijar (8-0-0, 0.82 GAA, 0.940 SV %, 3 SO)

Playoff Results: First Round – Bye; Quarterfinals – Deer Lakes 6-0

KITTANNING

Number of Penguins Cups (Last Time Won): 1 (1991)

Team Stats: 136 GF, 65 GA, 145 PIM

Key Players: Christian Miller (45 G, 37 A); Cameron Langham (12-5-1, 2.29 GAA, 0.912 SV %, 2 SO)

Playoff Results: First Round – Bye; Quarterfinals – Freeport 5-2

Previous Meetings: 2/22/13 – Quaker Valley 3, Kittanning 2 (OT); 2/28/13 – QV 5, KIT 2 – Ryan Dickson scored a pair for the Quakers in the first meeting, including the winner, while Cameron Langham made a staggering 63 saves for the Wildcats. Dickson again notched the deciding goal in the rematch as part of a three-point night (2 G, 1 A) while Langham stopped another 38 pucks.

#2 Mars Fighting Planets (18-3-1) vs #4 Westmont Hilltop Hilltoppers (15-7-1) AT Robert Morris University Island Sports Complex on Neville Island on Monday, March 11th at 6:00pm on MSAsports.net with Bob Orkwis and Lee Mohn on the call

MARS

Number of Penguins Cups (Last Time Won): 3 (2011)

Team Stats: 129 GF, 43 GA, 315 PIM

Key Players: Craig Mazzotta (22 G, 19 A); Christian Knapp (12-1-1, 1.56 GAA, 0.932 SV %, 3 SO)

Playoff Results: First Round – Bye; Quarterfinals – Serra Catholic 8-2

WESTMONT HILLTOP

Number of Penguins Cups (Last Time Won): 0 (N/A)

Team Stats: 105 GF, 67 GA, 175 PIM

Key Players: Brandon Leech (7 G, 21 A); Sebastian Ragno (9-7-1, 3.00 GAA, 0.883 SV %, 2 SO)

Playoff Results: First Round – Bye; Quarterfinals – Thomas Jefferson 4-3 (OT)

Previous Meetings: 12/11/12 – Mars 2, Westmont Hilltop 2 (OT); 2/5/13 – Mars 2, Westmont Hilltop 0 – Nicholas Berteotti scored the tying goal for the Planets in the first meeting while Sebastian Ragno of the Hilltoppers outdueled Christian Knapp 22 saves to 20. The rematch saw Craig Mazzotta net the winner. Knapp's 14 saves were enough to earn the shutout, though Ragno was again impressive with 33 stops.

CLASS AA PENGUINS CUP SEMIFINALS:

#1 Bishop Canevin Crusaders (17-1-2) vs #4 Pine-Richland Rams (15-4-1) AT Robert Morris University Island Sports Complex on Neville Island on Tuesday, March 12th at 7:00pm on MSAsports.net with Mike Sackley and Alex Richert on the call

BISHOP CANEVIN

Number of Penguins Cups (Last Time Won): 6 (2011)

Team Stats: 102 GF, 36 GA, 228 PIM

Key Players: Patrick Large (21 G, 22 A); Nikita Meskin (9-1-1, 1.80 GAA, 0.922 SV %, 2 SO)

Playoff Results: First Round – Bye; Quarterfinals – Plum 5-3

PINE-RICHLAND

Number of Penguins Cups (Last Time Won): 3 (2008)

Team Stats: 123 GF, 37 GA, 209 PIM

Key Players: Dillon Kessy (29 G, 28 A); Brendan Bagnato (13-3-1, 1.89 GAA, 0.889 SV %, 3 SO)

Playoff Results: First Round – Bye; Quarterfinals – Erie Cathedral Prep 6-2

Previous Meeting: 10/29/12 – Bishop Canevin 2, Pine-Richland 1 – Patrick and Austin Large each scored and set up the other, with Patrick netting the winner. Nikita Meskin made 27 saves while Brendan Bagnato stopped 19 pucks in the losing effort.

#2 Latrobe Wildcats (17-3-0) vs #3 Chartiers Valley Colts (15-4-1) AT Robert Morris University Island Sports Complex on Neville Island on Tuesday, March 12th at 9:00pm on MSAsports.net with Sam Hall and Mike Azadian on the call

LATROBE

Number of Penguins Cups (Last Time Won): 3 (2010)

Team Stats: 123 GF, 31 GA, 204 PIM

Key Players: Josh Singley (21 G, 30 A); Shane Brudnok (15-3-0, 1.73 GAA, 0.919 SV %, 3 SO)

Playoff Results: First Round – Bye; Quarterfinals – Hampton 2-0

CHARTIERS VALLEY

Number of Penguins Cups (Last Time Won): 1 (1986)

Team Stats: 121 GF, 54 GA, 314 PIM

Key Players: Anthony Franks (34 G, 32 A); Noah Stevenson (10-3-1, 3.04 GAA, 0.882 SV %, 1 SO)

Playoff Results: First Round – Bye; Quarterfinals – Moon 4-1

Previous Meeting: 11/19/12 – Chartiers Valley 5, Latrobe 2 – Nicholas Demarino and Anthony Franks each posted one goal and two assists for the Colts, with Demarino picking up the deciding tally. Adam Ferguson registered a goal and an assist for the Wildcats, but Noah Stevenson earned the victory with 27 saves.

CLASS AAA PENGUINS CUP SEMIFINALS:

#1 Peters Township Indians (18-4-0) vs #5 State College Little Lions (16-7-0) AT Robert Morris University Island Sports Complex on Neville Island on Wednesday, March 13th at 5:45pm on WJPA-FM 95.3 with Mark Uriah and Josh Rowntree on the call

PETERS TOWNSHIP

Number of Penguins Cups (Last Time Won): 4 (2005)

Team Stats: 123 GF, 50 GA, 178 PIM

Key Players: Trevor Recktenwald (28 G, 39 A); Brian Baker (14-3-0, 2.23 GAA, 0.917 SV %, 1 SO)

Playoff Results: First Round – Bye; Quarterfinals – Pittsburgh Central Catholic 7-3

STATE COLLEGE

Number of Penguins Cups (Last Time Won): 0 (N/A)

Team Stats: 119 GF, 67 GA, 260 PIM

Key Players: Stefan Horgas (52 G, 25 A); Zach Woytowich (8-3-0, 2.80 GAA, 0.892 SV %, 1 SO)

Playoff Results: First Round – Mount Lebanon 6-1; Quarterfinals – Seneca Valley 4-3 (OT)

Previous Meeting: 12/4/12 – Peters Towship 4, State College 2 – Adam Alavi scored twice for the Indians, including the winner, and added one assist. Three-point efforts also went to Alex Debolt (3 A) and Trevor Recktenwald (1 G, 2 A) while Brian Baker stopped 27 shots. Zach Woytowich made 25 saves in the losing effort.

#2 Bethel Park Black Hawks (17-5-0) vs #3 North Allegheny Tigers (16-4-2) AT Robert Morris University Island Sports Complex on Neville Island on Wednesday, March 13th at 7:45pm on MSAsports.net with Matt Vandriak and Steve Nagler on the call

BETHEL PARK

Number of Penguins Cups (Last Time Won): 7 (2012)

Team Stats: 107 GF, 47 GA, 132 PIM

Key Players: Chris Siak (36 G, 12 A); Austin McGinty (14-5-0, 2.26 GAA, 0.893 SV %, 4 SO)

Playoff Results: First Round – Bye; Quarterfinals – Upper St. Clair 5-1

NORTH ALLEGHENY

Number of Penguins Cups (Last Time Won): 1 (2007)

Team Stats: 102 GF, 37 GA, 208 PIM

Key Players: Cody Black (10 G, 20 A); Bradford Thornburgh (11-4-1, 1.98 GAA, 0.909 SV %, 3 SO)

Playoff Results: First Round – Bye; Quarterfinals – Canon-McMillan 2-1 (OT)

Previous Meetings: 11/6/12 – North Allegheny 7, Bethel Park 1; 2/28/13 – BP 5, NA 4 (OT) – The Tigers opened the regular campaign with a huge win over the defending champions with Dominic Zangaro ripping off four points (2 G, 2 A), including the deciding goal. Joe Griffin netted a hat trick while Bradford Thornburgh made 22 saves. The Black Hawks got revenge in the season finale with Brody Taylor scoring twice, including the winner. Chris Siak lent support with a three-goal performance while Austin McGinty stopped 25 shots.

That wraps up this edition of “PIHL Notebook,” but check back every Monday through March for more news from around the league. In the meantime, Adam Hoerner and Josh Rowntree host another episode of “The PIHL Power Play” on a special night and time, Thursday at 8:30 PM, to recap the semifinals and preview the championships. Your home for the 2013 Penguins Cup Playoffs is the MSA Sports Network!