Westmoreland County Senior Spotlight: Greensburg Salem’s Carter Cherok

By: Anthony DiFilippo
Monday, January 1, 2024 | 11:18 AM

Last year, Greensburg Salem’s hockey team went 17-3 and rode that momentum all the way to the PIHL Class A semifinals, where a 3-1 loss to eventual champion Kiski Area ended the season.

The setback wasn’t all bad. It gave Greensburg Salem motivation to see a team it played closely win it all, senior Carter Cherok said.

“We felt that losing to that Kiski team kind of gave us hope, knowing that they took the run that they took,” Cherok said. “That really gave us hope that we could make a run with our squad too.”

Last year’s squad graduated top contributors Colten Humphrey, Sam Spigarelli, Logan Morrison and Owen Tutich.

That resulted in a bigger emphasis being put on freshmen this season, and while there were bumps, the Golden Lions won six of their eight games heading into the holiday break.

“I think we’re doing a pretty good job,” Cherok said of filling the gaps. “We have a lot of freshmen coming up. We’re doing the best we can to foster their skills and try to be good role models to them.”

Second only to Tutich last year, Cherok has tallied the most points for Greensburg Salem with 26, and that’s also sixth in Class A.

Even with those numbers, he is hungry for more production and a stronger overall game.

“I think that it’s OK, (but) there’s always room for improvement,” Cherok said of his personal performance. “It’s not all about if I can find the back of the net, really. I’m just working on everything I can to play a more sound defensive game too.”

At 8-4-1, Greensburg Salem occupies the sixth and final spot for the playoffs.

Despite being on the edge, Cherok didn’t stray away from setting high goals for the remainder of his final season.

“Taking it all the way and winning the Pens Cup is our end goal,” Cherok said. “Even with some of the struggles that we had, I really strongly believe that this team can do it.”

Cherok has not made a decision on college yet, and he said he would pick a school based on its academics over hockey but would like to continue playing if the right pieces fell into place.

This week, Cherok took some time for a Senior Spotlight Q-and-A:

How did you get started with hockey?

From what my parents have told me, when I was a little kid, I was glued to Penguins games and watching Sidney Crosby and (Evgeni) Malkin. They just told me that they signed me up for the programs since I loved watching it so much. That’s really how I got into it.

How do you take on the role of being a senior leader?

We want to do the best with them, not just on the ice. We’re trying to communicate with them. They’re still trying to learn parts of the game that they don’t really get yet. We want to be good role models to them. We go to dinners frequently. We do what we can to answer any questions they have, whether it be school, life, hockey. We work our best towards that.

How would you describe the team performance this year?

I think there’s room for improvement. We’re doing the best we can to find those full games. We haven’t really been playing full games. We’ve had a good period here and a bad period there. Sometimes we dig ourselves some holes. I really think we can still make a run. Even if we have some issues with this team, I really have faith in these guys.

What do you consider your role to be on the team?

A lot of guys see me as a shooter. A lot of my teammates always yell at me that I don’t shoot the puck enough. For me, I like to see it as a 200-foot game. We’ve really got to cover our end defensively. We can’t leave our goalie out to dry or our (defense) out to dry. I think that’s something that we’re lacking, our defensive game. You have to play both ways. If not, you’re not going to go far. You’re not going to win that Pens Cup.

What’s one thing that people don’t know about you?

I have a pretty big Lego collection in my bedroom. I’m a big Star Wars guy. I really like Darth Vader. I’m hoping for Christmas this year I get a Lego Death Star. I’m just really into Legos and Star Wars.

Tags: Greensburg Salem