PIHL Penguins Cup Class A finals preview: Montour vs. South Fayette

By: Jerin Steele
Monday, March 18, 2019 | 7:17 PM

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PIHL Penguins Cup Class A championship

Montour (20-1) vs. South Fayette (19-2)

6 p.m. Tuesday at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex, Cranberry

How they got here: Montour: def. Thomas Jefferson, 6-5, in overtime in the semifinals; def. South Park, 6-3, in the quarterfinals; and def. Greensburg Salem, 14-1, in the first round. South Fayette: def. West Allegheny, 2-1, in the semifinals; def. North Hills, 5-2, in the quarterfinals; and def. Blackhawk, 10-0, in the first round.

Goals for/against: Montour, 207/56; South Fayette, 98/29

About Montour: After missing the postseason in Class AA a year ago, the Spartans have been dominant this season and are seeking their first Penguins Cup title. Montour scored 181 goals in the regular season, 22 more than any other team, and has continued its offensive barrage in the playoffs by averaging eight goals per game. Anthony Migliozzi scored on the power play two minutes into overtime to propel the Spartans to victory in the semifinals. Montour trailed Thomas Jefferson, 5-3, with 11 minutes remaining in the third period, but goals from Ethan Diffendal and Ryan Eisel forced overtime. Richard Froehlich won the Class A scoring title with 80 points and had seven assists in the postseason. Michael Felsing has four goals and 10 points in the playoffs, and Eisel has six goals and nine points.

About South Fayette: Like Montour, South Fayette is seeking its first Penguins Cup championship. The Lions made the final in 2016, but lost 4-1 to Franklin Regional. South Fayette will counter Montour’s stout offense with a stellar defense. The Lions allowed a Class A-fewest 26 goals in the regular season and surrender only 20 shots per game. Lions goaltender Bruce Hardman has six shutouts. He was 13-1 in the regular season with a .942 save percentage and has a .948 save percentage in the postseason. Alexander Keller scored the game-winner in the second period for South Fayette in the semifinals. Ian Kumar led the Lions with 18 goals and 29 points in the regular season. He has three goals in the playoffs. Tristan Cribben has four goals and six points in the playoffs, and John Trinkala has a pair of goals and five points.

Jerin Steele is a freelance writer

Tags: Montour, South Fayette