What to watch for in high school sports on April 24, 2021: It’s West vs. East in state hockey finals
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Friday, April 23, 2021 | 11:07 PM
North Allegheny’s Austin Peterson celebrates his goal with Matt Irvin and Karl Fuchs during the third period the PIHL Class AAA Penguins Cup final against Mt. Lebanon on Monday, April 19, 2021, at RMU ISland Sports Center.
It has been 10 long years since the three Penguins Cup champions swept the state titles.
In 2011, Upper St. Clair in AAA, Bishop Canevin in AA and Mars in A won the Pennsylvania Cup state hockey championships, marking the fifth time in 11 years that the Penguins Cup winners swept state gold.
Since then, only in 2013 did as many as two PIHL champions bring Pa. Cups back to Western Pa.
The Flyers Cup champions have swept twice and won two of the three state titles five times. There were no hockey state championships last year due to covid-19.
The Class A title game is set for 11:30 a.m., the AA finals at 2 p.m. and the AAA championship at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry.
You can watch all three games here on HSSN.
Been there, done that
In the AAA finals, North Allegheny faces Malvern Prep. Both programs are trying to win their third Pa. Cup state championship.
The Tigers won in 2013 and 2007 while the Friars won state crowns in 2004 and 1990.
In Class AA, Baldwin will challenge Haverford. The Fords won gold once, nearly 30 years ago in 1992. The Highlanders have two titles, in 1988 and in the very first state championship game in 1975.
The puck drops in the morning in Class A as Indiana faces West Chester East. The Vikings have won the most titles of the six finalists, with three state championships including back in 1982 before the school district split and was known as West Chester HS.
The Little Indians are the only team in search of their first Pa. Cup state championship.
Running north
After the boys had the spotlight on Friday, it’s the girls’ turn on Saturday on Day 2 of the 56th annual Butler Invitational.
Over 50 schools will be represented at the meet, which begins at 12:15 p.m.
We are three weeks from the WPIAL Track and Field team championships May 12 at Peters Township and less than a month from the district individual championships May 20 at Slippery Rock University.
More High School Hockey
• 4 Quaker Valley girls hockey players compete in national championships• Franklin Regional hockey coach disappointed after being ousted
• Pine-Richland hockey caps special season with 4th state championship
• Penn-Trafford playoff run ends with loss in Penguins Cup finals
• Westmoreland high school notes: Latrobe hockey heads to West Chester
