Welcome to our first regular installment of “PIHL News and Notes” for the 2009-10 season, your source for all the scholastic hockey happenings you don’t hear about on “The PIHL Power Play.”

This week readers new and old will be treated to the debut of our Game of the Week capsules, as we will take time every Monday to highlight some of the biggest and most important matchups you may—or may not—hear about on our airwaves every Wednesday night from December through March. In the meantime we will continue bringing you unique in-depth coverage of the PIHL, and this week we will explore signature victories for a couple of struggling teams, while telling you why two-time state champ Latrobe, in stark contrast, continues to lead the pack. In addition, we will fill you in on the continued success of one Class AA star and on which former Class AA star is turning heads for a new team. So join us as we take a look at what else is happening in each classification…

PIHL CLASS AAA:

Gators Sink Teeth into Pens Cup Hopefuls

Not much is expected of Gateway, as has been the case in recent seasons, and from Seneca Valley’s perspective, the only thing they probably expected was two more easy points when the struggling Gators traveled to BladeRunners in Warrendale last Tuesday night to take on the Raiders, the unbeaten front-runner of AAA-Sec. 2. But thanks to a two-goal effort from senior forward Andrew Plate, who has registered ten in his first seven games, along with a season-best 33 saves from fellow senior Jeffrey Siwik, Gateway (2-5-0) upended Seneca (6-1-0) 5-4, breaking a four-game skid and handing the reigning silver medalists their first loss. Furthermore, this isn’t the first time Mark Marchi’s kids have shown spunk against a tough opponent. Plum needed an Adam Hoener hat trick to defeat Gateway 5-3 Nov. 9. The Gators got 40 shots on Matthew Wregget and two more tallies from Plate in a 7-4 loss to Upper St. Clair Nov. 12. They ran into typically hot goaltending from Lindsay Holdcroft in a tough 2-1 loss to North Allegheny at Delmont Nov. 20. Gateway is in fourth place in Section 4 heading into its home date with Pine-Richland next Monday, and its goal differential is minus-6 (23 goals for, 29 goals allowed). Those numbers don’t sound impressive on the surface, but keep in mind last year Gateway only won one of its first seven and was outscored 58-16 in that span, so at long last, this senior class might be helping the Gators turn a corner.

The Battle is on in Section 1

We are used to seeing the likes of Bethel Park (5-2-0), Upper St. Clair (4-3-0) and Mount Lebanon (3-4-1) battle it out every season for the section title. But with Canon-McMillan (4-3-0) enjoying another solid year and Wheeling Park (4-2-1) catching everyone by surprise, this is one race that promises to be hotter than ever. A mere three points separate the first-place Black Hawks from the last place Blue Devils, so nobody can take a night off in this battle. Bethel dropped its first two contests, but has rattled off five straight to put itself in the driver’s seat, thanks mostly to solid goaltending from move-up Dillon Ondrako (3-1-0, 1.50 GAA, 0.943 save %). The Patriots, meanwhile, have already beaten last year’s three victories, having won that many on their current win streak alone with senior Giovanni Catalano (5 G, 4 A) recording six points in that span. For the Big Macs, we said the goaltending was something to keep an eye on, and while Detroit transfer Brandon Smolarek has looked impressive, junior Ryan Palonis (3-2-0, 1.50 GAA, 0.923 save %, 1 SO) has carried the load so far. The defending section champion Panthers find themselves tied for third with Canon-McMillan and James Kline (4 G, 8 A) averaging two points a game thus far as a senior. The Blue Devils have been hot and cold, going unbeaten before losing four straight, but senior Douglas Patrick (11 G, 6 A) gives them a reason to be confident the turnaround is coming.

GAME OF THE WEEK
Plum Mustangs (3-2-2) @ Shaler Titans (6-0-0)
Friday, December 4, 8:30 PM @ BladeRunners Harmarville

We say: Shaler took the season series last year with 2-1 and 5-4 victories and will try for the sweep again on Friday night. The defending Penguins Cup champions have asserted themselves early this season, boasting the best defense in Class AAA with a mere nine goals allowed, not to mention the third-best attack with 34 goals. The senior leaders have stood out for Shaler thus far in forward Zac Lynch (9 G, 3 A) and goaltender Oscar Prom (4-0-0, 1.97 GAA, 0.911 save %, 1 SO). The Mustangs had been riding a four-game unbeaten streak before running into the Titans on November 24 and losing 7-0. Plum is still trying to find its way offensively without Vince Somma, but junior forward Cody Cenci (3 G, 5 A) and senior defenseman Adam Hoener (7 G, 2 PP, 1 SH) are doing their best to help.


PIHL CLASS AA

Latrobe Not Perfect, but Still Dominant

On February 21, 2008 Greensburg Central Catholic defeated Latrobe (6-1-0) in the penultimate contest of the ’07-’08 PIHL regular season. The Centurions should be very proud of that victory, because it would be a long time before anyone knocked off the Wildcats again. Latrobe would capture two straight Penguins Cup and Pennsylvania Cup titles and enjoy a perfect ’08-’09 record. The Wildcats opened the 2009-10 campaign with two straight wins, but finally fell to Peters Township 4-3 on October 29, ending the historic winning streak at 33 games, playoffs included. Not that Latrobe fans need to worry. Their team bounced back nicely with four more victories, is currently tied for the Class AA lead with 51 goals and boasts the top defense with just 16 goals allowed. The depth of the current offense might soon have some sarcastically saying, “Jeff Joe who?” Witness 17 points each from senior Jayson Angus (7 G, 10 A) and freshman Noah Batis (4 G, 13 A), not to mention 16 apiece for juniors Matthew Batis (11 G, 5 A) and Zach LaDuke (10 G, 6 A). With perennial All-Star Nick Loyacona no longer between the pipes, it has been goaltending by committee for a couple of JV call-ups, and so far so good for Shane Brudnok (3-1-0, 2.08 GAA, 0.893 save %) and J.T. Douglas (3-0-0, 2.56 GAA, 0.865 save %). Next up, Latrobe gets a shot at revenge when they host Peters Township on December 10.

Franklin Regional Not Shirk-ing Offensive Responsibility

Senior forward Steven Shirk let everyone know about his work ethic eight months ago when he ended a playoff upset in Meadville drenched in perspiration, his face bloodied. Shirk has put a lot of blood and sweat into getting his Panthers (4-2-0) off to a strong start in this young 2009-10 campaign, and nobody at Franklin Regional is shedding tears over his play. The Panthers won their first three games behind a combined nine goals and 14 points from Shirk, who notched a hat trick in a hard-fought 7-5 win over Thomas Jefferson in the opener Oct. 26 and exploded for five more while single-handedly dismantling Section 4 rival Greensburg Central Catholic 6-2 Oct. 29. Peters Township and Bishop Canevin did a nice job bottling him up, as he was held to zero goals and a single assist in back-to-back losses, but an 8-0 blowout of Wheeling Central Catholic last Monday seemed to be just what Shirk needed. He broke out of his mini-slump by contributing his third power play goal of the year and one assist. After six games Shirk leads Franklin Regional with ten goals, tied for second most in Class AA, and five of those tallies have come on special teams. His 17 points are second on the team and tied for fourth in the class, as he continues flourishing under new coach and former Woodland Hills bench boss Roland Pastucha. If Shirk can keep his 2.83 points-per-game pace, he could hit the 60-point plateau after finishing with 54 in ’08-’09.

GAME OF THE WEEK:
Bishop Canevin Crusaders (7-1-0) @ Peters Township Indians (6-0-1)
Thursday, December 3rd, 9:05 PM @ Ice-O-Plex at Southpointe

We say: Both schools faced Meadville recently, with Canevin winning 4-1 one week ago and Peters settling for a 4-4 tie last Wednesday. That’s not the only thing the Crusaders and Indians have in common, either; each team leads its section, and each team has given up less than 20 goals on the year. Vince Nicolella and Frank Vance are leading the charge for Canevin with ten goals apiece, but they’ll have to solve either Matthew Madore or Christopher Shell, tied with each other for fourth in Class AA with a 2.14 GAA.


PIHL CLASS A:

South Fayette Gets Rid of the Goose Egg

The last time the South Fayette Lions won a PIHL regular season varsity game the NHL was on strike, Ben Roethlisberger was the NFL Rookie of the Year, and George W. Bush was one day away from beginning his second presidential term. Indeed, a lot has changed since South Fayette beat Ferndale 3-0 on Jan. 19, 2005 for its second and final win of the season, including the fact that, after a four-year absence, the Lions’ varsity squad has been jump-started thanks to a collaborative effort from a number of youth instructors. After dropping its first five in a streak that featured consecutive shutout losses to Knoch and Mars to start the season, South Fayette (1-5-0) got out of the cellar in A-Sec. 3 by taking out its frustrations on winless Somerset (0-7-0) last Tuesday at BladeRunners in Bethel Park. Junior forward Brian Bodine scored goals number two and three, including a shorthanded marker, and added two assists, while JV call-up Ryan Schultz made the most of his opportunity with two goals of his own, and sophomore netminder Ryan Puccetti stopped all 20 Golden Eagle shots for his first varsity shutout, as the Lions blanked Somerset 4-0 for their first win since rejoining the league. Bodine is now tied with Kevin Bolasco for the team lead in points with six, and he has two of the team’s nine special teams goals (15 GF overall). South Fayette rounds out its four-game homestand with two very big challenges: Quaker Valley on Tuesday and an even greater Penguins Cup favorite, Serra Catholic, on Thursday.

Center Looks to be “The Trojan Horse” in Section 2

After picking up just four victories last season, few would have picked Center (5-1-0) to be in the thick of the Section 2 race with defending Penguins Cup champion Mars after a month of hockey, but that is exactly where the Trojans are after starting the season with four straight victories. The “strength of schedule” argument is sure to surface in situations like this, and with three of its opponents combining for two wins so far, Center can surely understand the discussion. However, the signature wins so far have to be the 12-4 triumph at Sewickley Academy to open the season, followed three days later by a 3-2 decision against Quaker Valley. Serra Catholic handed the Trojans their only defeat by an 8-1 count on November 16, but they headed into Thanksgiving break on a high note with an 8-1 win of their own at Somerset three days hence. Center has been solid at both ends, outscoring the opposition by a solid 2-1 margin (40 GF, 20 GA) so far. The offense has been a team effort, with senior Shane Reger (8 G, 9 A) putting up double digits along with juniors Tyler Kocis (7 G, 6 A) and Brandan Garay (6 G, 5 A). Center has also cut its goals allowed per game average in half so far, backed by solid goaltending from junior Nathan Wormald (3.33 GAA, 0.858 save %, 1 SO). The Trojans have a chance to grab first place and make a big statement when they visit Mars tomorrow night at BladeRunners Warrendale for a 6:30 face-off.

GAME OF THE WEEK
Hampton Talbots (2-4-0) @ Freeport Yellowjackets (1-5-0)
Thursday, December 3, 6:15 PM @ Belmont Ice Complex

We say: When Hampton and Freeport met during the 2008-09 season, they skated to a 5-5 tie in a game heard on the MSA Sports Network. With both teams currently trying to close the sizeable gap Knoch has built in the Section 1 standings, expect more fireworks on Thursday night in game one of a home-and-home. The Talbots snapped a three-game skid right before the holiday break with a 5-3 win over Deer Lakes on November 23 thanks to a hat trick, including one power play goal, from senior Alex Mueller (11 G, 6 A). Meanwhile, the Yellowjackets have struggled to get their usually high octane offense going, scoring just six goals in five straight losses after netting seven in the season opener. Seniors Shane Gallagher (2 G, 6 A) and Neil Decroo (4 G, 1 A) will need to find another gear and take advantage of home ice to get back into the section race. Freeport will also visit Hampton next Monday night.


PIHL OPEN CLASS:

Sokol Transfer Paying Dividends for Ringgold

After totaling 18 goals and 36 points in 37 regular season contests over two seasons at Greensburg Central Catholic, Bobby Sokol has transferred to Ringgold (7-1-0) for his junior year and is quickly becoming one of the elite scorers in the Open Class. The Rams boast the top offense in the PIHL with 69 goals, and Sokol leads all scorers with 20 goals and 31 points. Amazingly, he was held off the score sheet in a 5-3 win at Blackhawk on November 12, but otherwise he has been nothing short of dominant. Consider he has recorded no less then three points in the other seven games, not to mention recorded five hat tricks, including four straight to open the season. Sokol has registered two six-point nights with four goals and two assists in the season opener against Linsly then a three-and-three performance at Quigley on November 16. He was also solid in Ringgold’s only loss, scoring twice and setting up another in a 6-5 overtime loss against Keystone Oaks on November 9. Sokol has not done it alone, though. Junior Kevin Claybaugh (8 G, 16 A) has been the key set-up man while fellow junior Nicholas Scabilloni (11 G, 7 A) has helped keep the red lamp turned on. Sokol and the Rams have a tough test coming up on Friday when they visit John Marshall in a Section 1 rematch of a November 5 contest which saw the Cadets fall 5-4.

Can Anyone Tame the New-Look Tigers?

As we told readers in our season preview, the landscape of the Open Class has certainly changed, and it has continued to do so since the puck dropped on year number six of PIHL Commissioner Ed Sam’s noble experiment. It has changed so much, in fact, that the only remaining perfect team is not defending Open Cup champion Ford City, and not defending Nailers Cup champion Quigley, but rather, the vastly improved Hollidaysburg Golden Tigers (8-0-0). Granted, the Tigers have usually had plenty of talent to speak of in their brief history, but after a pedestrian 7-11-2 finish last season and yet another first-round exit, Hollidaysburg had a lot to prove. This year it has proven, on both ends of the ice, that it is perhaps a surprise Open Cup contender under second-year head coach Jeff Adams. The Tigers’ offense has terrified opposing goalies to the tune of 65 goals, which is second in the class and first among Northeast Conference (Chiefs Cup-eligible) teams. Leading point-getter Alex Robertson (17 G + 13 A = 30 pts.) scored multiple goals in his first seven outings and has multiple points in all eight of Hollidaysburg’s wins as he currently sits right behind Bobby Sokol of Ringgold in the scoring race. Defensively, the 21 goals Hollidaysburg has yielded are tied with Trinity and Kiski Area for the fewest in the class. Starting goalie Bryan Wilk and move-up Matt Gregory each have four wins and a goals-against average well under 3.00. Whichever one starts next should get an interesting test Thursday against a Connellsville team that knows how to score…but hasn’t done so much lately.

GAME OF THE WEEK:
Kiski Area Cavaliers (3-3-0) @ Ligonier Valley Mounties (5-3-0)
Friday, December 4th, 6:15 PM @ Center Ice in Delmont

We say: The Cavaliers may be four points behind the Mounties, but Kiski has two games in hand and a chance to climb to within one victory of first-place Lig Valley in Open Class Section 4. The Mounties, though coming off a loss, are averaging 4.5 goals per game, led by Dace Ludwig’s 17 goals, good for second in the class. Kiski is also trying to rebound from a loss and needs to get its offense going, but meanwhile, the Cavs already own a win over Ligonier Valley in the opener, in which leading scorers Brandon Donnelly and Anthony Williams teamed for two goals and four assists.

Don’t miss the fifth season premiere of “The PIHL Power Play” this Wednesday here on the MSA Sports Network as Don “The Boss” Rebel and Josh “The Intern” Rowntree join Adam Hoerner to drop the puck. Our debut edition for 2009-10 will include a chat with Center head coach Jim Dolence about his team’s fast start and reaction to the upcoming game against Mars. Also on the guest list is Fox Chapel bench boss Cory Rome to discuss how he is moving the program forward without Jim Damp and Charlie Williams. Plus, Norwin senior Neil Stewart will tell us how the Knights can get back into the playoff picture. It’s all happening on Wednesday night from 8:00 to 9:00 on your exclusive home for the 2010 Penguins Cup Playoffs, the MSA Sports Network!