Sports
Scholastic Notebook – 03/07/2014
March 7, 2014
Another postseason tournament starts this weekend for the New Castle boys basketball team and the Red Hurricanes. While New Castle has achieved a number of historical feats the past few seasons, the start of the PIAA playoffs means New Castle will take another shot at joining a most special group. But to become a member, New Castle will have to look just perfect. For the third year in a row, New Castle will take a perfect record into the PIAA tournament after winning a WPIAL title with an undefeated record.
PIAA Individual Wrestling – Day One Recap
March 6, 2014
The WPIAL could not have opened the tournament much better in AAA at Hershey on Thursday, with a whopping 31 of 42 wrestlers advancing in the winners bracket and another six wrestlers winning in the consolations to give the WPIAL 37 of 42 wrestlers still alive after day one. The wrestlers advancing into the quarterfinals were: • 106 – Devin Brown, Franklin Regional • 113 – Spencer Lee, Franklin Regional • 113 – Luke Landefeld, North Allegheny • 120 – Luke Pletcher, Latrobe • 126 – Sam Krivus, Hempfield • 126 – Dalton Macri, Canon McMillan • 126 – A.C. Headlee, Waynesburg • 132 – Tyler Smith, Franklin Regional • 132 – Cameron Coy, Penn Trafford • 132 – Ty Buckiso, Peters TownshipPIHL Penguins Cup Recaps – Thursday, March 6th
Four hectic days of high school hockey postseason play came to an end, as did the Quarterfinals Round on Thursday evening. The final three contests of the week were Round of Eight contests in Class AAA, where a new champion will be crowned after the 2013 champs fell in their playoff debut. here are the summaries from the three PIHL Penguins Cup Class AAA Quarterfinals played on Thursday. Thanks to Josh Rowntree, Randy Gore and Matt Vandriak for their help on these recaps. PIHL PENGUINS CUP CLASS AAA Quarterfinals:Baldwin Beats Harbor Creek for PIHL Open Class Championship
The Baldwin Highlanders (22-2-1) claimed their fourth PIHL Championship in school history and first in the Open Class as they jumped out to an early lead and never looked back in a 7-4 victory over the Harbor Creek Huskies (22-2-0) at the RMU Island Sports Center Olympic Arena on Wednesday night. Anthony Alaimo and Brian Dee each scored two goals in the game for the Highlanders, which finish the season unbeaten in their last 20 games and on a 13-game winning streak. Baldwin got off to a hot start, as Anthony Alaimo scored just 47 seconds into the game on a deflection of a Max Milan centering pass. Baldwin led 2-0 after the first period, getting a late goal from Milan in the final minute of the period.PIHL Penguins Cup Recaps – Wednesday, March 5th
The Quarterfinals in Class AA and Class A were played out on Monday and Tuesday while Class AAA played out the opening round. While the other three round two games are slated for Thursday, the spotlight shined on top-seed Bethel Park against upset-minded State College. Here is the recap from the lone Penguins Cup Playoff game on Wednesday. PIHL PENGUINS CUP CLASS AAA Quarterfinals:PIHL Penguins Cup Recaps – Tuesday, March 4th
March 4, 2014
After a frantic start on Monday with no surprises but with two of the seven contests going into overtime, we had our first two lower seeds advance. While both Class AA and Class A saw the top four seeds advance to the Final Four next week, Class AAA wrapped up Round One with a #9-seed and a #10-seed moving on. Here are summaries from each of the high school hockey playoff games on Tuesday...all of which were heard here on the MSA Sports Network. A special thanks to Greg Kuntz, Mike Azadian, Sean Meyers, Josh Rowntree, Adam Gusky and Adam Hoerner for their help on these recaps. PIHL PENGUINS CUP CLASS AAA First Round:PIHL Penguins Cup Recaps – Monday, March 3rd
The curtain rose on the 2014 PIHL Penguins Cup Playoffs on Monday with a combined seven games. Here are summaries from two Class AAA, three Class AA and two Class A Preliminary Round, First Round and Quarterfinals contests, five of which can be heard archived here on the MSA Sports Network. A special thanks to Bob Orkwis, Josh Rowntree, Adam Hoerner, Steve Nagler , Mike Azadian and Sean Meyers for their help on these recaps. PIHL PENGUINS CUP CLASS AAA Preliminary Round:This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 03/03/2014
March 3, 2014
We switch gears from the district postseason to the state playoffs and the start of the high school hockey chase for the Penguins Cup this week here on the MSA Sports Network. We have complete coverage from Hershey of the PIAA Class AAA and Class AA Individual Wrestling Championships along with the start of the PIAA state basketball playoffs and the PIHL Penguins Cup scholastic hockey playoffs and men's college basketball postseason play, plus Inside the WPIAL Wrestling Circle, the PIHL Power Play Show on location at a special time and The WPIAL Roundball Report ALL here at MSAsports.net Monday, March 3rd:PIHL Notebook – 03/03/2014
Welcome to another edition of “PIHL Notebook,” your weekly companion to “The PIHL Power Play” on the MSA Sports Network. First up, “Melting the Ice” provides your weekly thermometer of streaking teams around the league. Meanwhile, this week’s “Scoreboard Watch” includes some key match-ups with playoff seeding and berths on the line. So, let’s light the lamp on this edition of “PIHL Notebook.” *Note: As with last week, we have not forgotten the 2014 Penguins Cup Playoffs begin tonight. That is covered elsewhere on the site while we recap the end of the regular season below.* MELTING THE ICE (Records listed indicate current unbeaten streak): Class AAA: Canon-McMillan (5-0-0); Butler (5-0-0); Bethel Park (4-0-0)2014 WPIAL BOYS BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS RESULTS
March 2, 2014
A sellout to watch two heavyweights, a double overtime thriller, a back-and-forth dandy and an old fashioned blowout were the backdrops this weekend for the boys title games at the Palumbo Center as New Castle, Central Valley, Seton-LaSalle and Lincoln Park (3 top-seeds and a #2-seed) captured district basketball gold.Here are ALL of the results from the 2014 WPIAL Boys Basketball Playoffs. ALL of the games were broadcast on the MSA Sports Network and you can go back and listen to any game you want at any time. 2014 WPIAL CLASS AAAA CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: New Castle Red Hurricane 55 - Hampton Talbots 49 (MSA) WPIAL CLASS AAAA Semifinals:2014 WPIAL GIRLS BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS RESULTS
"What does it take to be #1?" well in the 2014 WPIAL gilrs basketball postseason, it takes a #1-seed as Blackhawk, Seton-LaSalle and Vincentian Academy went wire from wire on top, capped with district championship gold this weekend at the Palumbo Center. The lowest seed to win a 2014 district hoops crown was 7th-seed Penn-Trafford, who used a comeback for the ages to capture their first title. Here are ALL of the results from the 2014 WPIAL Girls Basketball Playoffs. ALL games were broadcast on the MSA Sports Network can can be listened anytime you want. 2014 WPIAL CLASS AAAA CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: Penn-Trafford Warriors 56 - Hempfield Spartans 45 (MSA)FINAL 2013-2014 PIHL High School Hockey Standings
Here are the FINAL 2013-2014 standings for the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Hockey League...including the FINAL Penguins Cup (AAA, AA & A) high school hockey playoff clinchings. You can follow the PIHL high school hockey season with weekly broadcasts, the PIHL Notebook every Monday and the PIHL Power Play Show on Wednesday nights at 8:00pm right here on the MSA Sports Network. # - Clinched Section Championship * - Clinched PIHL Playoff Spot x - Eliminated From Postseason Chase TEAM - OVERALL RECORD - POINT TOTAL2014 WPIAL Class AAA Individual Wrestling Championship Results
Wrestling in his home gymnasium, Solomon Chishko of Canon McMillan looked to become the 24th wrestler to win a 4th WPIAL individual title. To do so, Chishko would have to beat another defending WPIAL Champion, Josh Maruca of Franklin Regional. Chishko dominated the action on their feet and thanks to four takedowns, cruised to a 9-4 victory.
Penn-Trafford Pulls Off Dramatic Comeback to Take Girls AAAA Crown
March 1, 2014
In one of the greatest comebacks in championship history, the Penn-Trafford Warriors (20-6) outscored the Hempfield Spartans 26-5 in the final quarter to rally from a ten-point deficit to claim a 56-45 victory to claim their first WPIAL title. The Warriors went 16-of-21 from the line in the fourth quarter and held Hempfield (17-9) without a field goal as the Spartans went 0-10 in the final frame. Emma Mull hit a three to tie the game at 43. Maria Palarino went coast-to-coast with a rebound to put the Warriors up 45-43. Penn-Trafford scored the final 11 points, all at the line, to claim the title.PIAA Southwest Wrestling Regional Results
The top Class AA wrestlers around Southwestern Pennsylvania spent Friday and Saturday in Johnstown doing battle for the top five spots in the upcoming PIAA Class AA Individual Wrestling Championships. Here are the results from the Cambria County War Memorial.
New Castle Storms to 3rd Straight WPIAL Unbeaten Title
There is a major storm brewing for Western Pennsylvania late this weekend, but it pales in comparison to the storm that has been crushing the WPIAL for three basketball seasons now. The New Castle Red Hurricane continued their dominance of District 7 boys hoops with a 55-49 victory over the rival Hampton Talbots Saturday evening at a jam-packed A.J. Palumbo Center at Duquesne University.
Blackhawk Holds Off South Park In Girls AAA Championship
The Blackhawk Lady Cougars used torrid perimeter shooting early and clutch free throw shooting late to defeat South Park 62-55 to capture the WPIAL Class AAA Championship at the A.J. Palumbo Center. Halle Denman netted a game-high 21 points for the Lady Cougars, while her teammates Chassidy Omogrosso, a Duquesne recruit, and Bridgette Shaffer also scored in double figures, with 17 and 14, respectively. The Lady Eagles, the defending WPIAL and PIAA champions, were paced by Allison McGrath’s 19 points. Top-seeded Blackhawk (23-2), which never trailed in the contest, gained an early lead when Shaffer knocked down a three-pointer, the first of six shots the Lady Cougars hit from behind the arc in the first half.
Vincentian is Wise in Winning Third Straight WPIAL Crown
In a rematch of last year’s WPIAL A Championship game, the Vincentian Academy Royals defeated the Serra Catholic Eagles by the score of 66-46. Royals’ sensational junior Brenna Wise scored 25 points, 15 of which came in the pivotal 3rd quarter when Vincentian Academy effectively pulled away from the Eagles. Wise added 13 rebounds and 7 blocks to her dominating performace.
Seton-LaSalle Boys Topple GCC For First Basketball Title in 25 Years
In a classic matchup that saw 16 lead changes, the Seton-LaSalle Rebels (25-1) won their second WPIAL championship and the first since 1989 with a 52-51 victory over the Greensburg Central Catholic Centurions (22-3) in the McDonald’s/WPIAL Class AA title game at the A.J. Palumbo Center.WPIAL Class AAA Wrestling Championships – Day Two
Coming into the AAA WPIAL individual tournament, 160 pounds stood as the deepest weight class in the tournament, with eight wrestlers having the ability to win on any given night. On Friday night the results proved this to be true, as three of the top four seeds were upset. The first came when top seed Dom Scalise of Latrobe lost to TeShan Campbell of Penn Hills 4-0. Campbell picked up 3 back points late in the third period while riding out Scalise to pick up the victory. The next seeded wrestler to do gown was number four seed Devin Austin, who lost a hard fought 7-4 match to Jonathan Avon of North Hills. Finally number two seed Brendan Burnham of Pine Richland gave up a late takedown to Waynesburg freshman Colin McCracken to drop a 4-3 decision.
