Team Blue uses late surge to win PIHL Class AA All-Star Game

By: Joe Sager
Sunday, January 26, 2020 | 6:20 PM

It took Team Blue a while to find some offensive chemistry in Sunday’s PIHL Class AA All-Star Game.

Once it did, the squad racked up four goals in the third period to post a 7-5 win over Team Gold at the RMU Island Sports Center.

“It was special to get the win,” Team Blue’s Trent Gray said. “We were struggling in the beginning of the game. We came together as a team, worked hard and got the win.”

Shane Nolan (West Allegheny) scored late in the first for a 3-3 tie. That was all for Team Blue’s offense until 3 minutes, 9 seconds into the third period.

Ethan Szymanski (South Fayette) gave Team Gold a 5-3 edge with a pair of goals, the second coming 1:19 into the third. That’s when Team Blue responded as Hudson Finn (Mars) broke the Team Blue shutout streak. Gray (Hempfield) tied it 23 seconds after that. Keith Reed (Baldwin) put Team Blue ahead 6-5 on a slapshot 2:13 later. Dustin Geregach (Montour) capped the scoring with 4:46 to play.

“It was nice to score and keep it going,” Gray said. “It was a fun time.”

Quaker Valley’s Josh Bemis and Jarred Stein (Latrobe) added goals for Team Blue. Plum’s Nick Pushic, Hempfield’s Christian Konieczka, Latrobe’s Cole Ferri (2) and Gray both had two assists. Ethan Tamborski (Penn-Trafford), Kevin Cakanac (Franklin Regional), Anthony Migliozzi (Montour) and Nolan had assists.

Hempfield’s Matt Traczynski scored twice for Team Gold. Trent Lunden (Franklin Regional) added a goal. Michael Felsing (Montour), Lane Ruffner (Latrobe), Alex Walker (Latrobe), Nick Bandi (West Allegheny) and Paul Zmuda (Baldwin) had assists.

Joe Sager is a freelance writer.

Tags: Baldwin, Franklin Regional, Hempfield, Latrobe, Mars, Montour, Penn-Trafford, Plum, Quaker Valley, South Fayette, West Allegheny