PIHL High School Hockey Notebook – 03/25/2013
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Monday, March 25, 2013 | 5:32 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. With the Penguins and Pennsylvania Cup champions crowned, there is just one more order of business we must attend to. It’s time to unveil the annual “All Icers Team” as voted on by the MSA Sports Network staff. It’s quite a crew we have assembled for you this year, including a 100-point scorer, some stellar goaltenders and several medalists. So, let’s light the lamp on the final 2012-13 edition of “PIHL Notebook.”
2012-13 MSA SPORTS NETWORK “ALL ICERS” – FIRST TEAM:
Shane Brudnok, Latrobe … The Wildcats boasted the best defense in Class AA with 31 goals allowed during the regular season. It’s why they won the Penguins and Pennsylvania Cups. At the heart of it was Brudnok with a 15-3-0 record, 1.73 GAA, 0.919 save percentage and three shutouts. He won nine straight starts from November 3 to February 11 and topped 30 saves on three occasions, including 37 in a 6-3 win over Erie Cathedral Prep on January 30. His shutouts included 22 saves against Gateway on December 3 and 20 versus North Hills on January 28. As for the playoffs, Brudnok blanked two out of three Penguins Cup opponents with a miniscule 0.67 GAA and stout 0.973 save percentage. He only had to stop eight shots in the state title game, but nonetheless earned another shutout. In 41 career appearances, Brudnok is 28-12-1 with a 2.19 GAA, 0.902 save percentage and nine shutouts.
Stefan Horgas, State College … Horgas dominated the Class AAA scoring race with 52 goals and 77 points. How hard was he to stop? Failing to record a point in just one game should sufficiently answer that question. As for the games when he did, 12 of those featured at least three goals. There were several standout performances, but Horgas’ season-high came against Hempfield on January 24 with four goals and four assists. He continued to produce in the playoffs with two goals and three helpers in three outings. In his 62 games with the varsity squad, Horgas gets credit for a staggering 96 goals, 24 of them on special teams (12 PP, 12 SH), and 62 assists.
Dillon Kessy, Pine-Richland … Kessy ranked third in Class AA with 57 points (29 G, 28 A) while helping lead the Rams to the gold medal game against Latrobe. He was only held off the scoreboard twice and recorded five hat tricks. Kessy topped out at six points twice, January 28 versus West Allegheny (5 G, 1 A) and February 25 versus North Hills (4 G, 2 A). As for the postseason, he did not fail to show up, tallying two goals and two helpers in three contests. In 59 regular season appearances, Kessy has a nice even 50 goals and 50 assists, including eight power play goals.
Christian Miller, Kittanning … Miller led Class A with 45 goals 82 points, with teammate Hunter Grafton trailing the latter category by just one. In 22 games, Miller managed to record a point 19 times, including seven hat tricks. His best performance was seven points, which he did thrice, November 1 versus South Park (5 G, 2 A), January 2 versus Thomas Jefferson (2 G, 5 A) and January 28 versus South Fayette (4 G, 3 A). The postseason brought four goals in two appearances. Miller has played in 41 games to date, managing 84 goals and 67 assists.
Adam Pilewicz, Quaker Valley … One could probably make a case to include all five of Quaker Valley’s 50-point getters on this list, but forced to pick just one, the consensus choice was Pilewicz. He led the Quakers with 34 assists and tied for a team-high 59 points. He failed to score just twice in 21 contests, and his three hat tricks isn’t a bad total for a playmaker. His best night of the season was six points (2 G, 4 A) versus South Fayette on December 17. As for the playoffs, Pilewicz was impressive with a goal and six assists in four outings, including the state title game. In 41 career appearances, this young man has 33 goals, nine on the power play, and 48 assists.
Trevor Recktenwald, Peters Township … Recktenwald tied for the Class AAA lead with 39 assists while ranking second to the above mentioned Horgas with 67 points. His name appeared on the stat sheet in all 18 games he played, including four hat tricks. He managed seven points on three separate occasions, November 16 versus McDowell (3 G, 4 A), November 19 versus Shaler (3 G, 4 A) and January 14 versus Mount Lebanon (4 G, 3 A). He also tallied three goals and three assists in three playoff appearances, and that includes the Indians being shut out in the final round. In 58 varsity contests, Recktenwald has 57 goals, 18 on special teams (12 PP, 6 SH), and 74 assists.
2012-13 MSA SPORTS NETWORK “ALL ICERS” – SECOND TEAM
Anthony Franks, Chartiers Valley … Franks paced Class AA with 32 assists and 66 points, setting up many of counterpart Cullen McMahon’s class-leading 40 goals. Franks loved to score in bunches, registering multiple points every time he hit the score sheet, and failing to do so only five times. He notched five hat tricks while putting up seven points on two occasions, December 17 versus North Hills (5 G, 2 A) and January 8 versus Moon (3 G, 4 A). He also recorded two goals and one assist in two playoff games. In 37 career varsity games, Franks has 44 goals, including 13 on special teams (7 PP, 6 SH), and 53 assists.
Christian Knapp, Mars … Only Quaker Valley allowed fewer goals in Class A than the 43 Mars let up, and it got the Planets into the Penguins Cup Final, where of course the Quakers emerged victorious. Still, you can’t take anything away from Knapp, who posted a 12-1-1 record, 1.56 GAA, 0.932 save percentage and three shutouts in his first season of varsity competition. He went unbeaten in his first 12 starts, and his defense only let him see more than 30 shots once, that being a 4-0 loss at QV on February 12 in which he still managed 51 saves. Other notable appearances include a 26-save shutout of South Park on December 18 and 28 stops in a 3-2 win at Thomas Jefferson on February 1. He was certainly respectable in the playoffs with a 2-1-0 mark, 2.67 GAA and 0.893 save percentage.
Dan Merz, Norwin … Merz placed second in Class AAA with 40 goals and third with 66 points. He as blanked only once in 20 games, and picked up six hat tricks. He reached six points on two occasions, January 7 versus Shaler (2 G, 4 A) and February 25 versus Hempfield (3 G, 3 A). His lone playoff appearance was certainly productive with two goals and one assist. In just 39 varsity appearances, Merz has recorded 62 goals, 19 on in odd-man situations (10 PP, 9 SH), and 48 assists.
Will Power, Hollidaysburg … Did you really think we would let this list go without the only 100-point scorer in the entire PIHL? Will Power is the answer to that trivia question thanks to 61 goals and 44 helpers to lead the Open Class, not to mention everyone else. He was on the scoreboard in all 20 regular season appearances, including a goal in all of them. There were 13 hat tricks and a trio of nine-point efforts. The latter included December 18 versus Ringgold (3 G, 6 A), February 7 versus Carrick (7 G, 2 A) and February 13 versus Connellsville (3 G, 6 A). The Chiefs Cup Playoffs brought another five points (3 G, 2 A) in two contests. In a mere 38 games, Power has totaled 103 goals, 17 on special teams (8 PP, 9 SH), and 73 assists.
Parker Sherry, Quaker Valley … The best defense in the entire league belonged to the Quakers with a mere 21 goals allowed through the regular season, and of course they parlayed that into a nearly perfect campaign save for the Pennsylvania Cup. Sherry was nothing short of a brick wall in his first year starting varsity, going 12-0-0 with a 1.04 GAA, 0.942 save percentage and five shutouts. Standout performances include a 22-save blanking of Mars on February 12 and 28 stops in a 6-3 win at Serra Catholic two nights later. Despite letting in five goals in the state title game, Sherry continued his brilliance in the Penguins Cup Playoffs, going 3-0-0 with a miniscule 0.67 GAA, 0.969 save percentage and one shutout.
Bradford Thornburg, North Allegheny … The Tigers led Class AAA with 37 goals allowed, and their defensive signature is stamped across their state championship run. Obviously Thornburgh was a huge part of that, seeming to come out of nowhere to post an 11-4-1 record, 1.98 GAA, 0.909 save percentage and three shutouts. His best stretch was a 6-0-1 run from December 13 through February 5. His defense only let him see 30 shots on one occasion, a 5-4 loss to Bethel Park in the regular season finale. Aside from that, he peaked with 28 saves in a 2-1 win at Seneca Valley on December 18. His most impressive shutout was a 17-save performance at Mount Lebanon on November 13. Thornburgh went 3-0-0 in the Penguins Cup Playoffs with a shutout in the championship game, 1.29 GAA and 0.957 save percentage. He also stopped 35 out of 37 shots in the state title game. His career numbers in 20 starts boast a 15-4-1 record, 1.78 GAA, 0.912 save percentage and six shutouts.
That wraps up this season of “PIHL Notebook” and our hockey coverage in general. Thanks to all of our loyal readers and listeners all season long. We will return in October with the annual season preview. Your source for the best PIHL coverage is the MSA Sports Network!
Tags: Chartiers Valley, Hollidaysburg, Kittanning, Latrobe
