PIHL High School Hockey Notebook – 12/31/2012

By: Bruce Markey
Monday, December 31, 2012 | 10:44 AM

Welcome to another edition of “PIHL Notebook,” your weekly companion to “The PIHL Power Play” on the MSA Sports Network. Things are even quieter this week than last, but we still have your weekly thermometer of streaking teams in “Melting the Ice.” With game action on hold until the end of this week, we thought now would be the perfect time for a midseason snapshot of which teams currently qualify for the Penguins, Chiefs and Nailers Cup Playoffs. However, Santa Claus did bring us one Open Class game to recap after Christmas in the “Scoreboard Watch.” So, let’s light the lamp on this edition of “PIHL Notebook.”

MELTING THE ICE:

Class AAA: Bethel Park (5-0-0), Upper St. Clair (3-0-1)

Class AA: Moon (3-0-0), Chartiers Valley (3-0-0), Hampton (2-0-1)

Class A: Quaker Valley (10-0-0), Mars (5-0-1), Serra Catholic (5-0-0), Freeport (5-0-0)

Open Class: Blackhawk (9-0-0), Indiana (7-0-1), Ford City (4-0-0), Morgantown (3-0-1), Harbor Creek (3-0-0)

SCOREBOARD WATCH:

12/27/12 – Open Class – Non-Section – Altoona 4, Frazier 2 … The Mountain Lions (4-5-0) parlayed a three-goal second period to victory over the Commodores (2-9-0). Frazier struck first, though, when Nicholas Farrell (1 G, 1 A) lit the lamp at 9:40 of the first. Altoona took a while to tie things up, but Jacob Russo finally did at 12:04 of period two. Matt Dalto (1 G, 1 A) would net the winner just 1:13 later on a penalty shot while his team was shorthanded. Bryce Mathers kept the party going at 16:37, and Conner Schilling closed out the Altoona scoring at 2:37 of the third. Frazier would score again, but waited too long for it spark a legitimate comeback as Cullen McGinnis struck at 16:44. Noah Santo turned aside 29 shots in the losing effort while Catcher Cumming only had to make 17 saves at the other end.

MIDSEASON PLAYOFF PICTURE (Asterisk denotes first round bye)

CLASS AAA PENGUINS CUP

1. North Allegheny* (8-2-0)
2. Upper St. Clair* (5-1-1)
3. Canon-McMillan* (7-2-2)
4. Seneca Valley* (6-2-1)
5. Bethel Park (5-2-0)
6. Pittsburgh Central Catholic (7-5-0)
7. Peters Township (5-4-0)
8. Butler (5-4-0)
9. Shaler (5-4-1)
10. Norwin (6-5-0)
11. State College (4-4-0)
12. Mount Lebanon (2-7-0)

CLASS AA PENGUINS CUP

1. Latrobe* (6-1-0)
2. Hampton* (6-1-1)
3. Pine-Richland* (7-2-0)
4. Bishop Canevin* (6-1-2)
5. Chartiers Valley* (6-2-0)
6. Moon* (6-2-1)
7. North Hills (5-2-0)
8. Erie Cathedral Prep (4-2-0)
9. Plum (3-5-1)
10. West Allegheny (2-5-1)

CLASS A PENGUINS CUP

1. Quaker Valley* (10-0-0)
2. Freeport* (7-1-1)
3. Mars* (7-2-1)
4. Kittanning* (5-2-1)
5. Serra Catholic* (6-3-0)
6. Westmont Hilltop* (6-3-1)
7. Thomas Jefferson (6-4-0)
8. Deer Lakes (4-5-1)
9. South Park (3-7-0)
10. South Fayette (1-8-1)

OPEN CLASS NAILERS CUP

1. Blackhawk (9-1-0)
2. Harbor Creek (8-1-0)
3. Wheeling Park (8-1-0)
4. Morgantown (7-1-1)
5. Ambridge (4-4-1)
6. Beaver (4-5-0)
7. John Marshall (3-5-2)
8. Wheeling Central Catholic (3-6-1)

OPEN CLASS CHIEFS CUP

1. Indiana (9-1-1)
2. Ford City (7-1-1)
3. Hollidaysburg (7-2-0)
4. Baldwin (6-2-0)
5. Greensburg Salem (7-3-0)
6. Keystone Oaks (4-2-0)
7. Altoona (4-5-0)
8. Carrick (2-7-0)

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 Wednesday night at 8:00. Joining us this week (and this time we mean it) will be Thomas Jefferson forward Zach Uhlyar, Latrobe head coach John Winebrenner and Pine-Richland head coach Mike Bagnato. Your home for the 2013 Penguins Cup Playoffs is the MSA Sports Network!