PIHL Notebook – 03/07/2017

By: Bruce Markey
Tuesday, March 7, 2017 | 4:00 PM

The PIHL playoffs officially kicked off with a slew of contests last night, and the play-in and first round action continues for the next three nights, as well. As a result, this edition of the PIHL Notebook will provide a glimpse into the upcoming matchups. Class AAA and AA will consist of  four first-round games, while Class A includes four play-in tilts. Lastly, Division 2 will feature two first-round bouts. MSA Sports will broadcast nearly all of the contests highlighted below, as well as the semifinals and championships.

Class AAA First Round

No. 1 Central Catholic Vikings (16-4-0) vs No. 8 Butler Golden Tornado (7-10-3) – Thursday, March 9 at Alpha Ice Complex at 9 p.m.

Leading scorers: Central Catholic – Ryan Kingerski (18 G, 19 A, 37 P); Butler – Samuel Gross (9 G, 11 A, 20 P)

Leading goaltenders: Central Catholic – Nate Cava (15-3-0, 2.86 GAA, .918 SV%); Butler – Nicholas Farmerie (7-8-3, 3.70 GAA, .859 SV%)

Previous meetings: 11/29/16 – Butler 6, Central Catholic 5; 12/19/16 – Central Catholic 5, Butler 2

No. 4 Erie Cathedral Prep Ramblers (10-7-3) vs No. 5 Seneca Valley Raiders (10-8-2) – Thursday, March 9 at Mercyhurst Ice Center at 8:30

Leading scorers: Erie Cathedral Prep – Jacob Emerson (16 G, 15 A, 31 P); Seneca Valley – Giovanni Sarachine (7 G, 10 A, 17 P)

Leading goaltenders: Erie Cathedral Prep – Brandon Dumas (4-5-3, 2.85 GAA, .894 SV%); Seneca Valley – Dylan Sloat (6-6-2, 2.37 GAA, .906 SV%)

Previous meetings: 10/20/16 – Seneca Valley 4, Erie Cathedral Prep 2; 2/2/17 – Erie Cathedral Prep 5, Seneca Valley 2

No. 2 North Allegheny Tigers (13-4-3) vs No. 7 Bethel Park Black Hawks (8-8-4) – Thursday, March 9 at Baierl Ice Complex at 7:20

Leading scorers: North Allegheny – Dawson Richard (15 G, 24 A, 39 P); Bethel Park – Jason Bauer (18 G, 17 A, 35 P)

Leading goaltenders: North Allegheny – Ryan Heil (10-3-3, 1.97 GAA, .919 SV%); Bethel Park – Nicholas Guimond (8-7-4, 3.38 GAA, .846 SV%)

Previous meetings: 12/12/16 – Bethel Park 5, North Allegheny 2; 2/9/17 – North Allegheny 3, Bethel Park 3

No. 3 Canon-McMillan Big Macs (11-8-1) vs No. 6 Peters Township Indians (10-8-2) – Thursday, March 9 at Ice-O-Plex at Southpointe at 9:20

Leading scorers: Canon-McMillan – Vincent Lavorgna (22 G, 17 A, 39 P); Peters Township – Conner Gielarowski (10 G, 12 A, 22 P)

Leading goaltenders: Canon-McMillan – Nico Pidro (8-7-1, 3.56 GAA, .888 SV%); Peters Township – Wesley Kaylor (8-3-1, 2.53 GAA, .899 SV%)

Previous meetings: 11/15/16 – Canon-McMillan 6, Peters Township 3; 2/21/17 – Canon-McMillan 5, Peters Township 3

Class AA First Round

No. 1 West Moon Tigers (16-2-1) vs No. 4 East Greater Latrobe IceCats (10-9-1) – Thursday, March 9 at Baierl Ice Complex at 9:20

Leading scorers: Moon – Joey Sell (8 G, 26 A, 34 P); Greater Latrobe – JT. Schmizzi (27 G, 23 A, 50 P)

Leading goaltenders: Moon – Julian Wolstencroft (13-1-0, 2.08 GAA, .893 SV%); Greater Latrobe – Ryan Pal (6-8-1, 3.91 GAA, .864 SV%)

Previous meeting: 11/18/16 – Moon 4, Greater Latrobe 3

No. 2 East Hampton Talbots (11-5-3) vs No. 3 West Quaker Valley Quakers (12-7-0) – Wednesday, March 8 at Frozen Pond Arena at 7

Leading scorers: Hampton – Daniel White (15 G, 24 A, 39 P); Quaker Valley – Beau Tomczak (18 G, 15 A, 33 P)

Leading goaltenders: Hampton – Kam Bott (6-4-2, 3.44 GAA, .845 SV%); Quaker Valley – Philip Gagne (6-4-0, 2.70 GAA, .880 SV%)

Previous meeting: 12/5/16 – Quaker Valley 4, Hampton 3

No. 1 East Plum Mustangs (16-2-1) vs No. 5 East Shaler (9-9-1) – Thursday, March 9 at Pittsburgh Ice Arena at 8:30

Leading scorers: Plum – Nolan Pulhala (39 G, 23 A, 62 P); Shaler – Mitchel Fuchs (18 G, 14 A, 32 P)

Leading goaltenders: Plum – Sergio Benitez (12-1-1, 1.86 GAA, .921 SV%); Shaler – Wyatt Wolf (8-9-1, 3.58 GAA, .881 SV%)

Previous meetings: 11/8/16 – Plum 6, Shaler 1; 1/30/17 – Plum 9, Shaler 1

No. 2 West Mount Lebanon Blue Devils (13-4-2) vs No. 3 East Hempfield (10-8-1) – Thursday, March 9 at Ice Castle at 6:40

Leading scorers: Mount Lebanon – Wyatt George (26 G, 8 A, 34 P); Hempfield – Jared Gerger (27 G, 12 A, 39 P) / Christian Gorscak (15 G, 24 A, 39 P)

Leading goaltenders: Mount Lebanon – Maxim Clouser (10-3-1, 2.55 GAA, .901 SV%); Hempfield – Nolen Ferree (9-5-1, 3.17 GAA, .884 SV%)

Previous meeting: 12/1/16 – Mount Lebanon 4, Hempfield 3

Class A Play-In Round

No. 4 West Chartiers Valley Colts (11-5-2) vs No. 5 East Westmont Hilltop Hilltoppers (10-6-2) – Tuesday, March 7 at Ice Castle at 7

Leading scorers: Chartiers Valley – Alexander Evans (17 G, 19 A, 36 P); Westmont Hilltop – Michael Lamison (10 G, 15 A, 25 P)

Leading goaltenders: Chartiers Valley – Brandon Edwards (11-5-2, 3.24 GAA, .893 SV%); Westmont Hilltop – David Cavrak (10-6-2, 2.94 GAA, .871 SV%)

No. 4 East Kiski Area Cavaliers (11-6-1) vs No. 5 West Montour Spartans (10-7-1) – Tuesday, March 7 at Center Ice Arena at 7

Leading scorers: Kiski Area – Austin LaPiana (30 G, 15 A, 45 P); Montour – Camron Smith (34 G, 10 A, 44 P)

Leading goaltenders: Kiski Area – Alexander Ferraro – (11-6-1, 2.82 GAA, .902 SV%); Montour – Mason Skeath (7-5-1, 3:16 GAA, .846 SV%)

No. 2 East Indiana Little Indians (14-4-0) vs No. 7 West South Park Eagles (7-10-1) – Tuesday, March 7 at S&T Bank Arena at 8:30

Leading scorers: Indiana – Pat O’Neal (35 G, 38 A, 73 P); South Park – Jakob Hickey (22 G, 10 A, 32 P)

Leading goaltenders: Indiana – Madison Barker (9-3-0, 3.33 GAA, .841 SV%); South Park – Sean Rectenwald (5-6-0, 4.02 GAA, .886 SV%)

No. 3 East Bishop McCort Crimson Crushers vs No. 6 West Sewickley Academy Panthers – Tuesday, March 7 at Cambria War Memorial at 8:30

Leading scorers: Bishop McCort – Brett Seitz (11 G, 13 A, 24 P); Sewickley Academy – Michael Hertzberg (16 G, 14 A, 30 P)

Leading goaltenders: Bishop McCort – Boston Bradley (9-5-0, 1.88 GAA, .928 SV%); Sewickley Academy – Cole Luther (9-9-0, 4.05 GAA, .913 SV%)

Division 2 First Round

No. 4 Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Chargers (12-8-0) vs No. 5 Ringgold Rams (9-9-2) – Thursday, March 9 at the RMU Island Sports Center at 8:45

Leading scorers: Our Lady of the Sacred Heart – Devyn Wosotowky (19 G, 9 A, 28 P); Ringgold – Todd Nathan (18 G, 11 A, 29 P)

Leading goaltenders: Our Lady of the Sacred Heart – Cameron Witkowski (9-6-0, 4.26 GAA, .828 SV%); Ringgold – Evan Cook (8-8-1, 4.24 GAA, .878 SV%)

Previous meetings: 10/24/16 – Ringgold 5, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart 3; 12/8/16 – Our Lady of the Sacred Heart 4, Ringgold 2

No. 3 Central Valley Warriors (12-7-1) vs No. 6 Elizabeth Forward Warriors (5-14-2) – Tuesday, March 7 at Brady’s Run – Beaver at 8:15

Leading scorers: Central Valley – Cameron Drake (32 G, 35 A, 67 P); Elizabeth Forward – Wesley Scott (52 G, 19 A, 71 P)

Leading goaltenders: Central Valley – Roberto Wilhelm (7-3-1, 4.78 GAA, .855 SV%); Elizabeth Forward – Bryce Hanna (3-11-1, 9.87 GAA, .725 SV%)

Previous meetings: 10/6/16 – Central Valley 11, Elizabeth Forward 7; 10/10/16 – Central Valley 9, Elizabeth Forward 5

Quotable (excerpt from a recent center stage)

“It was a bit tougher to get in the hard areas where you need to score the goals. In front of the net, it’s working, getting slashed, you just got to go through it to score those goals.”

Zach Sarnowski of Shaler, detailing the increased physicality of playoff hockey. Sarnowski had the overtime winner in the Titans’ 6-5 victory against North Hills in the Class AA play-in round. The full interview can be seen below:

Top-Shelf Trivia:

Aside from Franklin Regional, which PIHL team allowed the fewest goals this regular season? The answer will be revealed in next week’s notebook.

Last week’s answer: 2003

That will do it for this week’s installment of the PIHL Notebook, but make sure to check back every Tuesday for the latest edition. Also, the Chatham University PIHL Power Play Show will air tomorrow at 8 p.m. Hosts Josh Rowntree and Kevin Zielmanski will welcome a pair of coaches, Shaler’s Matt Ranallo and South Fayette’s Frank Certo.