Sports
Penguins Cup Playoffs Recaps From Monday 3/7
March 8, 2016
Final Four Monday not only saw four teams fighting for title game spots in Class AA at the Robert Morris University Sports Complex on Neville Island, but also in the Division II Semi's at the Baierl Ice Complex in Warrendale. when the smoke cleared, Bishop Canevin and Mars won a couple of Double-A dandies while Beaver and Carrick posted a pair of Semifinals shutouts. Here are recaps from all four Final Four contests that set the stage for the Class AA Penguins Cup Championship and the PIHL Division 2 Finals. A special thanks to Brandon Showers, Mike Azadian, Josh Rowntree and Matt Vandriak for their help on these recaps. PIHL PENGUINS CUP CLASS AA Semifinals:
WPIAL Alum Q&A – Heather Davis
Playing four sports in high school is a tremendous accomplishment, while playing two sports at the college level is equally, if not even more impressive. Heather Davis achieved both of these feats during her time at Ford City High School and Waynesburg University. While at the now defunct Ford City, Davis starred in basketball, as well as golf, volleyball and track. On the hardwood, she was a four-year letterwinner, and earned all-section distinction as a senior in 2011-12. That season, she helped guide the Sabers to a 16-7 mark, including a playoff bid in Class AA. Additionally, she was named the MVP of the Cager Classic All-Star Game.PIHL Notebook – 03/07/2016
March 7, 2016
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 eight teams will complete for the 2016 Penguins Cup championships. All eight 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 AAA PENGUINS CUP SEMIFINALSThis Week on the MSA Sports Network – 03/06/2016
March 6, 2016
With all of the battles for district winter sports gold in the rear view mirror, we focus on the chase for state championships on the mat and on the hardwood along with the Final Four of the high school hockey postseason this week here on the MSA Sports Network. We have the Second Round and Quarterfinals of the boys and girls 2016 PIAA State Basketball Playoffs, the Preliminaries, Quarterfinals, Semifinals and Finals for Class AAA and Class AA of the 2016 PIAA Individual Wrestling Championships and the PIHL Penguins Cup Playoff Semifinals, plus Inside the WPIAL Wrestling Circle, The WPIAL Roundball Report and a special night for The PIHL Power Play Show ALL here at MSAsports.net Monday, March 7th:
2016 WPIAL Class AAA Wrestling Day Two Recap & Results
March 5, 2016
Some of the best wrestlers in the state of PA, as well as the country, were on display on Saturday at Penn Hills for the AAA WPIAL Championships and they did not disappoint. 11 out of the 14 top seeds in each weight class found themselves on the top of the podium, with the lone exceptions being at 106, 132, and 285.2016 PIAA Wrestling Class AA Southwest Regional Results
The top Class AA wrestlers around Southwestern Pennsylvania spent Friday and Saturday in Canonsburg doing battle for the top five spots in the upcoming 2016 PIAA Class AA Individual Wrestling Championships next week. Here are the results from Canon-McMillan High School.
2016 WPIAL Class AAA Wrestling Day One Recap
March 4, 2016
The AAA WPIAL Championships started Friday at Penn Hills with news of wrestlers missing. A pair of scratches to seeded wrestlers adjusted two different weight classes. The first was at 132 pounds, where number five seed Ryan Yocum of Trinity was a scratch. The other was at 152 pounds where Micah Kusturiss of Canon McMillan, who was a four seed, was a scratch due to an ankle injury.
2016 WPIAL Boys and Girls Swimming Results From Day Two
The North Allegheny Tigers Boys and Girls remain dominant. Coming into the second day of the WPIAL swim championships at Joseph E Trees pool at the University of Pittsburgh the Girls had a 29.5 lead, and kept the lead all day despite Mount Lebanon closing to within 11 points with two events to go. The Tigers would hold on and win by 34.5 points and remain champions for the 8th straight year. The Tiger Boys had it easy. They led by 62 points at the start of the day, and just kept growing their lead. Their 5th straight title was never in question as they won easily by 147 points. Mount Lebanon in Boys just could not gain any ground on the Tigers all day.Scholastic Notebook – 03/04/2016
There is always a lot of talk at this time of year about hangovers. Not from too much imbibing. But from winning a WPIAL basketball championship. There is a belief that teams that win WPIAL championships have so much trouble getting back up and ready for state playoff games. Is the WPIAL hangover real? Is it hogwash? Well, the evidence shows there isn’t much to this hangover theory for WPIAL boys champions, except for Class AAAA. A check of the past 10 seasons shows the only class where the WPIAL champion has trouble in the PIAA playoffs is Class AAAA. And that could be because the WPIAL champ has to play tough competition. A look back at the past 10 years showed:Penguins Cup Playoffs Recaps From Wednesday (3/2) & Thursday (3/3)
March 3, 2016
One game on Wednesday and seven more on Thursday helped close out the first two rounds of the high school hockey playoffs in Southwestern Pennsylvania. The stage is now set of the postseason Final Four as four teams from each classification are set to play next week for a spot in the championship game. Here are summaries from the Class AAA, Class AA, Class A and Division 2 Quarterfinals games played on both Wednesday and Thursday in the PIHL Penguins Cup Playoffs. A special thanks to Don Rebel, Josh Rowntree, Sean Meyers, Mike Azadian, Lou Rood and Matt Vandriak for their help on these recaps. PIHL PENGUINS CUP CLASS AAA Quarterfinals:
2016 WPIAL Boys & Girls Swimming Results From Day One
Day 1 in the AAA Girls and Boys Swimming Championships were much of the same old, same old. Once again, the North Allegheny Tigers boys and girls have jumped out to healthy leads after the first day of activity at Joseph Trees Pool at the University of Pittsburgh. Although, in surprising fashion, neither Tigers swim teams were able to capture gold in the opening team event, the 200 Yard Medley Relay. Those gold medals went to the Upper St. Clair girls (Maeve Lersch, Maddie Yoos, Ynrya Bohan and Lindsey Choate) and Upper St. Clair boys (Jack Fitzpatrick, Kevin Liu, Braedon Wong & Brandon Novak) and in the most stunning revelation, the North Allegheny boys didn’t even medal in the event, finishing fourth.Penguins Cup Playoffs Recaps From Tuesday 3/1
March 2, 2016
Day one of the PIHL Penguins Cup Playoffs roared in like a lion as three of the seven visiting teams pull off victories for the lower seeds. Day two on Tuesday was like the start of march, coming in like a lamb as the home teams and higher seeds were a perfect five for five. Here are recaps from the two AAA Quarterfinals games, one Division II Quarterfinals matchup and a pair of Class A First Round contests. A special thanks to Rob Longo, Randy Gore, Josh Rowntree, Matt Vandriak and Kevin Zielmanski for their help on these recaps. PIHL PENGUINS CUP CLASS AAA Quarterfinals:Penguins Cup Playoffs Recaps From Monday 2/29
February 29, 2016
It happens every four years. Leap Year. An extra day in the month of February. The PIHL took advantage of that rare 29th day in the second month of the year with a February start to the high school hockey postseason. A pair of First Round games in Class AA along with Quarterfinals contests in Class AAA, Class AA, Class A and Division II. Here are recaps from all seven opening night contests as the curtain rises in the 2016 Penguins Cup Playoffs. A special thanks to Steve Nagler, Kevin Zielmanski, Don Rebel, Matt Vandriak, Bob Orkwis, Greg Kuntz and Josh Rowntree for their help with these recaps. PIHL PENGUINS CUP CLASS AAA Quarterfinals:
WPIAL Alum Q&A – Sheldon Jeter
Over the weekend, the Beaver Falls boys' team captured its 10th WPIAL basketball title. The Tigers have built a dynasty, especially in recent years, as the team has been consistently in title contention in both Class AA and AAA. This installment of the WPIAL Alum Q&A focuses on the player who likely stands out as the face of the Tigers' recent run of success, Sheldon Jeter. Jeter, a 2012 graduate, enjoyed a terrific four-year run at Beaver Falls, including three years as a starter. In his time with the Tigers, he netted just shy of 1,500 points, and twice was an first-team All-State selection.PIHL Notebook – 02/29/2016
Welcome to another edition of “PIHL Notebook,” your weekly companion to “The PIHL Power Play” on the MSA Sports Network. Beginning this week we break the regular format, and with good reason as the 2016 Penguins Cup Playoffs beginning tonight. Where, when and against whom is your favorite team playing? Which players should you keep an eye on in each game? Fear not, we have your questions answered below in encapsulated form. So, let’s light the lamp on this special playoff preview edition of “PIHL Notebook.” Class AAA Quarterfinals: #1 North Allegheny Tigers (13-5-2) vs #8 Bethel Park Black Hawks (8-10-2) AT Baierl Ice Complex in Warrendale on Tuesday, March 1st at 7:00pmThis Week on the MSA Sports Network – 02/29/2016
There is MORE district gold to be won on the mat and in the pool, plus the start of the state playoffs on the hardwood and the Penguins Cup playoffs on the ice this week here on the MSA Sports Network. We have the tip off of the boys and girls 2016 PIAA State Basketball Playoffs along with the start of the 2016 PIHL Penguins Cup hockey postseason. We also have the 2016 WPIAL Individual Wrestling Class AAA Championships and the PIAA Class AA Southwest Regionals and the 2016 WPIAL boys and girls Swimming Championships, plus Inside the WPIAL Wrestling Circle and The PIHL Power Play Show and The WPIAL Roundball Report back to its normal Wednesday night ALL here at MSAsports.net Monday, February 29th:2016 WPIAL BOYS BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS Results
February 28, 2016
A pair of #4-seeds knocked off the top seed in the Semifinals, then followed with a title game win. That was the path taken by Pine-Richland in winning their first ever basketball championship in Quad-A and also by Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic, who stunned heavy favorite Monessen in the Semi's before knocking of two-seed Sewickley Academy in the finals. Highlands could not follow the same path after stunning Triple-A top-seed New Castle in the Final Four, the Golden Rams fell to last years runner-up and now ten time champion Beaver Falls.
2016 WPIAL GIRLS BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS Results
Two new champions were crowned and two others were hoisting gold again as the district playoff concluded the The Petersen Events Center at the University of Pittsburgh. Bishop Canevin was ranked #1 most of the season but slipped to the fourth seed late in the season. However the Crusaders cruised to a second title in four years. South Fayette won a first ever girls basketball crown in Class AAA. Norwin needed a big comeback and overtime in the finals, but the Knights won a second straight Quad-A championship. Then there is Vincentian Academy. The Royals won the rubber match against section rival and top-seed Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic to capture a fifth consecutive district gold ball.
Penn-Trafford’s Joey Ference Repeats as WPIAL AAA Diving Champ
Second verse, same as the first for Penn-Trafford’s Joey Ference, who came into Saturday’s Boys Class AAA Diving Championships as the favorite, and the senior left with his second straight gold medal posting the only score above 500, as he finished his 11-dive set with 546.90 points. Ference admitted afterwards that he was a little bit disappointed that he didn’t come close to his score of 589.40 from last year, or the WPIAL record of 610.00, but in the end, Ference realized a gold medal is a gold medal and a second consecutive first place finish in the Championship.
2016 WPIAL Class AA Individual Wrestling Results
The talent in AA Wrestling was on display this weekend, as many wrestlers repeated as WPIAL champions. Saturday’s finals at South Fayette High School featured 9 returning WPIAL Champions, including 5 of which who had already won multiple WPIAL crowns before taking the mat for the finals. The most impressive of which was George Phillippi of Derry. At 138 pounds, Phillippi became the 26th wrestler all time to win four WPIAL championships. He did by defeating Evan Myers of Southmoreland 9-3. For Myers, who is a senior, this is the third straight season he finished as a WPIAL runner-up.
