PIHL Notebook – 03/10/2014

By: HSSN Staff
Monday, March 10, 2014 | 3:07 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 2014 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. Team stats, playoff results, keys to victory – we have it call at your fingertips. So, let’s light the lamp on this special postseason edition of “PIHL Notebook.”

CLASS A PENGUINS CUP SEMIFINALS:

#1 Quaker Valley Quakers (22-1-0) vs #4 Freeport Yellowjackets (15-5-2) AT Robert Morris University Island Sports Complex on Neville Island on Monday, March 10th at 6:45pm on MSAsports.net

QUAKER VALLEY

Number of Penguins Cups (Last Time Won): 4 (2013)

Team Stats: 149 GF, 41 GA, 322 PIM

Key Players: Jimmy Perkins (43 G, 10 PP, 29 A); Connor Quinn (33 G, 9 PP, 37 A); Ryan Lottes (10 G, 28 A); Parker Sherry (17-1-0, 1.88 GAA, 0.918 SV%, 2 SO)

Playoff Results: Quarterfinals – South Fayette 8-1 (Connor Quinn 2 G, 2 A)

Keys to Victory: Use the deep talent pool that got them here. Do not take the Jackets lightly. Keep the commitment to team defense, keyed by the play of Lottes all year long. Shadow Cole Hepler.

FREEPORT

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

Team Stats: 122 GF, 54 GA, 357 PIM

Key Players: Cole Hepler (32 G, 11 PP, 22 A); Matt Huston (5-4-1, 2.78 GAA, 0.900 SV%)

Playoff Results: Quarterfinals – Westmont Hilltop 6-2 (Hepler 2 G, 2 A, Michael Frazetta GWG, 2 A; Huston 24 SV)

Keys to Victory: Get the secondary scoring involved. Do not assume Hepler will have room to operate. Capitalize on any power play chances. Think defense first because the Quakers would likely win a run-and-gun shootout. Collapse around Huston and do not allow rebound goals.

Previous Meetings: 11/11/13 – QV 3, FR 1 (Perkins 2 G; Sherry 26 SV); 2/23/14 – QV 5, FR 4 (Alex Quinn 1 G, 4 A)

#2 Mars Fighting Planets (18-5-0) vs #3 Thomas Jefferson Jaguars (16-5-2) AT Robert Morris University Island Sports Complex on Neville Island on Monday, March 10th at 8:45pm on MSAsports.net

MARS

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

Team Stats: 141 GF, 63 GA, 373 PIM

Key Players: Nick Makozy (24 G, 6 PP, 17 A); Craig Mazzotta (15 G, 24 A); Beau Heakins (15 G, 4 PP, 24 A); Tyler Spreng (13-4-0, 2.97 GAA, 0.868 SV%, 3 SO)

Playoff Results: Quarterfinals – Serra Catholic 10-0 (Craig Mazzotta (2 G, 3 A)

Keys to Victory: Capitalize on the man advantage. Mars has 24 powerplay goals this season, including 3 in the Quarterfinals. Take away center of ice from speedy TJ forwards.

THOMAS JEFFERSON

Number of Penguins Cups (Last Time Won): 3 (2000)

Team Stats: 124 GF, 63 GA, 335 PIM

Key Players: Zach Uhlyar (27 G, 24 A); Nick Tamburi (23 G, 21 A); Tommy Kimmick (21 G, 23 A, 4 PP); Brendan Mason (17 G, 25 A); Nick Repepi (12-5-2, 2.84 GAA, 0.904 SV%, SO)

Playoff Results: Quarterfinals – Deer Lakes 5-4 (Zach Uhlyar 2 G, 1 A)

Keys to Victory: TJ has to get more from their second line. Mars is fairly deep and will focus on TJ’s top line of Uhlyar, Tamburi and Kimmick. Repepi needs to control rebounds, as he struggled with that in the Quarterfinals. Mostly, TJ needs to play with confidence. They’ve beaten Mars twice this season.

Previous Meetings: 10/29/13 – TJ 6, Mars 2 (Kimmick 1 G, 3 A; Repepi 34 SV); 11/22/13 — Mars 5, TJ 2 (Mazzotta 2 G, A; Spreng 19 SV); 1/16/14 — TJ 6, Mars 1 (Uhlyar 2 G, A; Repepi 31 SV)

 

CLASS AA PENGUINS CUP SEMIFINALS:

#1 Bishop Canevin Crusaders (21-2-0) vs #4 Hampton Talbots (14-8-1) AT Robert Morris University Island Sports Complex on Neville Island on Tuesday, March 11th at 9:00pm on MSAsports.net

BISHOP CANEVIN

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

Team Stats: 145 GF, 45 GA, 314 PIM

Key Players: Randy Unger (27 G, 48 A); Nikita Meskin (20-2-0, 2.03 GAA, 0.915 SV%, 4 SO)

Playoff Results: Quarterfinals – North Hills 7-2 (Unger GWG, 3 A; Meskin 20 SV)

Keys to Victory: Use the scoring depth that produced four 20-goal scorers. Play the system that produced the top offense and defense in the class. Forecheck hard, get a good cycle going and pepper Raidna with shots.

HAMPTON

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

Team Stats: 106 GF, 71 GA, 333 PIM

Key Players: Zach Kosick (25 G, 8 PP, 16 A); Cam Raidna (13-7-1, 3.02 GAA, 0.892 SV%, 4 SO)

Playoff Results: Quarterfinals – Plum 3-2 OT (Michael Stritzinger GTG & GWG; Raidna 33 SV)

Keys to Victory: Kosick will get a lot of attention from the Canevin defense. Guys like Eric Leya, who scored 21 goals, need to get involved. The Talbots like the Crusaders’ scoring depth, so a tight-checking game and a huge game from Raidna are needed to get this team into the finals.

Previous Meetings: 11/25/13 – BC 4, HA 3 (Unger GWG, 2 A; Alec Bosnic 2 G, 1 A); 12/19/13 – BC 8, HA 3 (Liam Walsh 4 G; Garrett Godlewski 1 G, 3 A)

#2 Erie Cathedral Prep Ramblers (17-4-2) vs #3 Armstrong River Hawks (17-5-1) AT Robert Morris University Island Sports Complex on Neville Island on Tuesday, March 11th at 7:00pm on MSAsports.net

ERIE CATHEDRAL PREP

Number of Penguins Cups (Last Time Won): 2 (1997)

Team Stats: 144 GF, 65 A, 477 PIM

Key Players: Ben Eliason (23 G, 39 A, 5 PP); Trevor Faulkner (18 G, 32 A, 4 PP); John Colvin (18 G, 18 A, 3 SH); Grant Kennedy (16-4-2, 2.84 GAA, 0.883 SV%, SO)

Playoff Results: Quarterfinals – Chartiers Valley 7-4 (William Kelly 4 A; Joe Kelly 2 G; Kennedy 35 SV)

Keys to Victory: Slow down Grafton and Miller. Hunter Grafton and Christian Miller had 8 points in a 7-3 Armstrong win and 5 points in a 7-4 Erie Prep win. They have to be controlled on the outlet and love to transition to odd-man rushes. Erie Prep is deeper and needs to prove it.

ARMSTRONG

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

Team Stats: 130 GF, 83 GA, 358 PIM

Key Players: Hunter Grafton (21 G, 41 A, 3 SH); Christian Miller (46 G, 15 A, 11 PP); Taylor Smouse (15-5-1, 3.84 GAA, 0.842 SV%)

Playoff Results: Quarterfinals – Latrobe 7-3 (Christian Miller 2 G, 2 A; Nick Long 2 G, 2 A; Taylor Smouse 25 SV)

Keys to Victory: Find more than Miller and Grafton. Nick Long was great in the Quarterfinals. They need to protect their goaltender better, as Smouse can be broken. Armstrong needs to try to take penalties. Erie Prep was second-most penalized team in AA and Armstrong has the best powerplay man in the PIHL in Miller.

Previous Meetings: 11/21/13 – Armsrtong 7, Erie Prep 3 (Hunter Grafton 3 G, 3 A); 1/13/14 –Erie Prep 7, Armstrong 4 (Ben Eliason 2 G, A)

 

CLASS AAA PENGUINS CUP SEMIFINALS:

#1 Bethel Park Black Hawks (18-3-0) vs #6 Pine-Richland Rams (13-8-1) AT Robert Morris University Island Sports Complex on Neville Island on Wednesday, March 12th at 6:45pm

BETHEL PARK

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

Team Stats: 85 GF, 39 GA, 166 PIM

Key Players: Christian Siak (29 G, 13 A, 5 PP); Derek Lesnak (12 G, 23 A); Zach Davis (12-1-0, 1.92 GAA, 0.900 SV%, SO)

Playoff Results: First Round – BYE; Quarterfinals – State College 4-1 (Jake Worcester 2 G, 2 A)

Keys to Victory: Keep up the forecheck. Bethel Park’s forecheck gave State College fits in the Quarterfinals, not allowing the Little Lions to establish any puck possession for nearly two periods.

PINE-RICHLAND

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

Team Stats: 99 GF, 65 GA, 218 PIM

Key Players: Nick Matelan (24 G, 19 A, 9 PP); Ryan Cole (16 G, 20 A); Isaac Stephen (6-6-1, 3.11 GAA, 0.873 SV%, SO)

Playoff Results: First Round – Mount Lebanon 5-4 OT (Kyle Cunningham 2 G, 1 A, GWG); Quarterfinals – Butler 4-2 (Matt Cole 1 G, 1 A)

Keys to Victory: Use the underdog mentality. The Rams are, without question, not favored in this one. But that doesn’t mean they can’t pull off the upset. Bethel Park is clicking on the powerplay, so staying out of the box is a key. They must contain playmaker Derek Lesnak, who can play forward or defenseman.

Previous Meetings: 1/27/14 – BP 3, PR 1 (Derek Lesnak 1 G, 1 A)

#2 Peters Township Indians (17-4-0) vs #5 Penn-Trafford Warriors (14-8-0) AT Robert Morris University Island Sports Complex on Neville Island on Wednesday, March 12th at 8:45pm

PETERS TOWNSHIP

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

Team Stats: 95 GF, 47 GA, 194 PIM

Key Players: Adam Alavi (20 G, 16 A); Brian Baker (8-3-0, 2.22 GAA, 0.919 SV%, 1 SO)

Playoff Results: First Round – BYE; Quarterfinals – Seneca Valley 4-1 (Alavi 2 G incl. GW; Baker 25 SV)

Keys to Victory: The Warriors took nearly twice as many penalty minutes, so play if the Indians simply play the physical style the program is known for, they may very well draw some power play chances. Peters also lacks a big-time number one unit, so rolling all available lines and keeping the energy up is a must.

PENN-TRAFFORD

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

Team Stats: 108 GF, 68 GA, 365 PIM

Key Players: Jacob Miller (23 G, 31 A); Jonah Graffius (20 G, 6 PP, 21 A); Eric Phelps (8-4-0, 3.24 GAA, 0.890 SV%)

Playoff Results: First Round – Upper St. Clair 4-0 (Miller GWG, 1 A; Phelps 15 SV); Quarterfinals – North Allegheny 5-4 OT (Miller 3 G incl. GW, 1 PP, 1 A)

Keys to Victory: Shadow Alavi. Peters is deep, but only one other player hit the 10-goal mark. Stay aggressive on special teams. Penn-Trafford has two shorthanded goals and three on the power play this postseason. Score first. The Warriors have more firepower, so getting Peters to play from behind could be a deciding factor.

Previous Meetings: 2/25/14 – PN 6, PT 5 (Graffius 4 G incl. GW, 1 PP, 1 A; Phelps 35 SV)

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, this Thursday at 8:00 PM, to recap the semifinals and preview the championships at Consol Energy Center on Monday, March 17. Your home for the 2014 Penguins Cup Playoffs is the MSA Sports Network!