PIHL Notebook – 12/13/2016

By: HSSN Staff
Tuesday, December 13, 2016 | 1:32 PM

With the calendar turned to December and snow falling, it truly feels like hockey season in Western Pennsylvania. To that point, the PIHL Power Play Show made its 2016-17 debut last week, and now the PIHL Notebook is back, too. The initial installment of this weekly update must first acknowledge the groundwork laid by its former author, Adam Hoerner. With Adam hanging up the skates, though, the notebook will keep many of the same features, but will also include a few new wrinkles going forward.

Melting the Ice (the top winning streaks in each classification)

AAA: Bethel Park (6-0-1) – With first-place North Allegheny tasting defeat to Bethel Park last night, the Black Hawks boast the longest unbeaten streak in the highest classification. Bethel Park won an overtime affair against Canon-McMillan back in October, and has lost since then. In that time, the Black Hawks have defeated Pine-Richland, Armstrong, Butler, Seneca Valley and the aforementioned Tigers. Bethel Park also has a tie with Erie Cathedral Prep during that span.

AA: Quaker Valley (7-0-0) – The season began in dubious fashion for the Quakers with a pair of defeats, but since then, QV has been on a roll. The Quakers run started with a win against West Allegheny on Oct. 24, and has also included W’s against Mars, Bishop Canevin, Penn-Trafford, West Allegheny again, North Hills and Hampton. The surge has allowed the Quakers to pull into a tie for first-place in the West Division, as they have matched Mount Lebanon’s 14 points.

A: Franklin Regional/Indiana (9-0-0) – The Panthers and Indians will soon be on a collision course, but until then, both squads have enjoyed perfect starts. Franklin Regional has won each contest easily, except for a 3-1 tilt against Westmont Hilltop in late October, and the Panthers passed their latest test last night in a win against first-place Kiski Area. Likewise, the Little Indians have the look of a title contender, keyed by an offense that has netted at least five goals in every game.

D2: Meadville (12-0-0) – To say that the Bulldogs have been dominant would be an understatement, as Meadville’s streak has reached a dozen. The team has outscored its opposition by more than 100 goals thus far, with the lone competitive game coming in a 5-4 triumph against Carrick in the second matchup between the squads. Contests against Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, Kennedy Catholic and Burrell appear to be the stiffest challenges remaining in the Bulldogs’ pursuit of a perfect regular season.

Under Review (weekly team spotlight)

Armstrong River Hawks – The merger between Kittanning and Ford City took affect on the ice before the other varsity sports joined forces in the districts, and since that time, the River Hawks have been one of the best in the PIHL. This season included a drastic change, however, as Armstrong made the jump to Class AAA.

Thus far, it’s been a challenge, but the team is still in the thick of the postseason hunt. With the top eight teams qualifying for the playoffs, Armstrong currently resides in seventh place, and many of the teams close to the River Hawks in the standings have played more games. Although Armstrong’s -18 goal differential is troublesome, the River Hawks are just one game below .500, at 4-5.

Goals are usually at a premium in Class AAA, and that’s reflected in the River Hawks’ scoring leaders. Through nine games, nobody has reached double figures in scoring, as Jace Rearic and Zachary Kutch have nine points apiece.

While the River Hawks have not been lighting up the scoreboard, they are piling up penalty minutes. Armstrong leads the classification with over 200 minutes in the box, and unusually, the top eight scorers on the team each have 14 or more PIM.

Between the pipes, three players have seen action, with Jacob Lorigan earning the lions share of the time. He’s appeared in six games, compiling a 2-4 mark with a goals against average of 4.64. Additionally, Ryan Bowser is 2-1 in four appearances, with a 3.97 GAA.

The River Hawks have 11 games remaining, including two contests before the calendar turns to 2017. The River Hawks will travel to play Canon-McMillan tonight, and host Central Catholic on Dec. 22 at the Belmont Ice Rink.

Quotable (excerpt from a recent MSA Center Stage)

“The first game we didn’t really capitalize, we missed a lot of passes. The second game, we were feeling good, we were coming out strong and we just capitalized on those shots.”

Hempfield’s Jared Gerger after his team defeated Shaler 5-3 on Dec. 8, gaining a measure of revenge for an earlier loss to the Titans. The full interview can be seen here:

Top-Shelf Trivia

Which team captured the first Penguins Cup, in 1975? The answer will be revealed in next week’s notebook.

Slapshots On Slate (upcoming MSA Sports broadcasts)

Thursday, Dec. 15: Penn Trafford at Mount Lebanon at the Mount Lebanon Ice Center at 7:10 with Don Rebel and Kevin Zielmanski – The Warriors will look to pull off the road upset, as they try to stay in the hunt of the playoff race in the Class AA East. Penn-Trafford currently has just four points, six behind a trio of teams. Meanwhile, the Blue Devils reside in a tie for first place in the West, boasting a record of 7-2-0, riding a five-game win streak.

Monday, Dec. 19: Central Catholic at Butler Golden Tornado at Frozen Pond Arena (Ice Connection) at 7 with Josh Rowntree and Lee Mohn – The Vikings sit in favorable position for the playoffs with 12 points in just nine games, while the Golden Tornado are currently on the brink, as the team is in a three-way tie for the eighth and final spot, but have played the most games of the trio. The teams met in late November, with Butler scoring twice in the final period to pick up the W, 6-5.

That’s all for this inaugural edition of the 2016-17 PIHL Notebook, but check back every Tuesday for the latest installment. Also, the PIHL Power Play Show tomorrow will feature an interview with PIHL Commissioner Craig Barnett. Josh Rowntree and Kevin Zielmanski host the show, which airs at 8 p.m.