Welcome to another edition of “PIHL News and Notes,” your source for all the scholastic hockey happenings you don’t hear about on “The PIHL Power Play.” We enjoy celebrating the careers of PIHL greats past and present, and in case you haven’t noticed, it’s been a while since we’ve had the opportunity to look at someone’s post-high school hockey endeavors.

Therefore, we would be remiss if we didn’t thank North Allegheny grad Tim Korenich for a special tip on an old friend of his who is doing well in the world of college hockey. We’ll give you the inside scoop on this star of the South, and speaking of South, we’ll also tell you about another PIHL alumnus who hopes to make an impact on the growing program at RMU.

Plus, we’ll tell you why the top of the Class AAA bracket is still in doubt, why Greensburg Central isn’t dead yet, and which underclassman has been at the heart of Hollidaysburg’s success. In addition, our Games of the Week will highlight a possible goaltending clinic in Class AA and a possible playoff preview in Class A. So join us once again as we tell you what else is happening in each classification…

PIHL CLASS AAA:

State College Plants (Top) Seed of Doubt

There was a time when we thought the Shaler Titans (13-0-1, #1 MSA) were unstoppable, and they still might be. In addition to its ongoing 14-game unbeaten streak, Shaler has the top-scoring offense in Class AAA (85 GF), the stingiest defense (21 GA), and, seemingly, a clear path to the number one seed in the Penguins Cup Playoffs as a prohibitive title favorite. But State College (9-3-1, #2 MSA) is making us think twice about who will be on top when the dust settles. Despite a 5-3 loss to Section 4 rival Norwin at home last Thursday, the Little Lions have moved ahead of Seneca Valley and Plum in point percentage (.731) and were tied with another section leader, Upper St. Clair, for the number two seed, after going 4-1-1 in their last six. Sure enough, the lone tie was a terrific 1-1 effort at Harmarville against Shaler Dec. 21, which spoiled the team’s perfect record. The Lions are eight points back of the Titans with still seven regularly scheduled games to go, a game in hand, and two weather-cancelled games to be made up from earlier this month. A date in Delmont with Penn-Trafford tonight is the midsection of five straight against Section 4 opponents, and looking further ahead, all their remaining opponents have a combined point percentage of .440. Furthermore, the Lions will have opportunities to seriously affect their playoff positioning when they visit USC Feb. 26 and then host Plum on Senior Night Mar. 4. In the meantime, Shaler resumes play tonight also with a Section 3 game versus Fox Chapel and also has a beatable schedule, with their remaining opponents posting a combined win percentage of .404, but if it’s any comfort to State College, five of those eight games are against teams currently in serious playoff contention.

Rohar Running Wild in Kentucky

North Allegheny (3-7-3) could certainly use some of the old Dylan Rohar magic this season, but the diminutive offensive star has moved on to a productive freshman season for the Kentucky Wildcats at the Division II level of the American Collegiate Hockey League. Official statistics on the ACHA website have Rohar tied for fifth on the team with 21 points (10 G, 11 A) through January 16, helping the Wildcats to an 18-6-0 record in the Southeast Division. Rohar might not be the biggest kid on the ice at five-foot-eight and 160 pounds, but with his skill level could still get a shot at the NHL in the mold of Mark Recchi. His North Allegheny days began with a solid 10-point freshman year (6 G, 4 A), but it was as a sophomore and junior when he really made a name for himself. He posted eight goals and a career high 24 assists to help the Tigers capture the 2006-07 Penguins and Pennsylvania Cup championships, then led the team with personal bests in goals (19), and points (38) as a junior, with the latter number ranking fifth in Class AAA. Rohar did not return for his senior season at N.A. so he could focus on the Junior Penguins, and the Tigers adapted to a more balanced attack with 16 different goal scorers. This season head coach Jim Black has yet to see anyone crack 10 points, but with him at the helm it’s likely to be a mere bump in the road for North Allegheny while Rohar looks forward to smooth sailing at Kentucky.

GAME OF THE WEEK:
Pine-Richland Rams (5-7-2) @ McDowell Trojans (5-5-3)
Thursday, January 28, 8:15 PM @ Erie Civic Center

We say: Entering All-Star weekend these Section 2 foes are basically side by side behind Seneca Valley and side by side in the playoff picture, but expect both to play with a sense of urgency. The Trojans are a mere tenth overall, and the Rams 11th, and both are just two or three points away from dropping out of the playoff picture. Don’t get fooled by its record, because P-R’s offense can bring it; Nolan Trombetta has four goals and eight points in his last four games, and defenseman Ryan Hanahan is riding a six-game goal streak. McDowell will need another big effort from Nick Mankosa, who made 32 saves in the last meeting, a 1-1 draw Nov. 23, and more execution up front from Steven Martin, who had a point in seven straight through last Monday.


PIHL CLASS AA:

Centurions Battle onto the Bubble

Thanks to a 4-2 victory on the road against Baldwin on Friday night, Greensburg Central Catholic (6-8-1) has won four straight and continued a monumental turnaround which sees the Centurions very much in the Penguins Cup Playoff picture. Consider this team lost seven in a row to start the season, but since then has earned points in seven of its last eight, losing only to defending state champion and Section 4 rival Latrobe on December 14, and even that was a paltry 3-1 margin. This surge has tied Greensburg Central with Thomas Jefferson as the first two teams out of the postseason bracket by point percentage, but for head coach Tom Ward’s crew this is merely a question of games in hand. The Centurions have played three more games than Baldwin and Franklin Regional, the six and eight seeds respectively, which will even out eventually. The current four-pack of wins started with an impressive 3-1 decision over West Allegheny on December 17, continuing with a home-and-home with Elizabeth Forward on January 11 and 14 which saw Greensburg Central outscore the Warriors 13-4. Junior defenseman Cory Brennan has keyed the offense, providing six goals, one of them shorthanded, and three assists in the first three games of the string. Sophomore forward Erick Francken has helped out with five goals, one with the man advantage, and three helpers. The goaltending of Jacob Gaddis should not be overlooked, either, as the senior posted a 1.67 GAA and stopped over 92 percent of the shots he faced through the second E.F. game. To keep the streak alive will be no easy task, though, with Bishop Canevin paying a non-section visit on Thursday.

Nigel Crighton: The Ultimate Penalty Killer?

When you’re on the power play against Moon, there is one major rule of thumb to follow – keep it away from Nigel Crighton. Prior to last Thursday’s 5-2 loss to Bishop Canevin the junior forward had four shorthanded goals on the year, number one in Class AA in that category, and accomplished a mildly rare feat in the previous contest. In a 7-5 loss to Wheeling Central Catholic at the Airport Ice Arena Jan. 11 he scored two shorties in the same game added a power play tally for the hat trick. He had gone his eight previous games without a shorthanded marker, but his explosiveness, hands and puck management have all made him invaluable to the Tigers’ PK unit, and in those eight games the Tigers allowed just five power play goals. In total less than 20 percent of the goals given up by Moon so far have come on the man-advantage. The team averaged 12.3 penalty minutes per game through last Wednesday (seventh highest in the class), so it’s not like the Tigers’ opponents haven’t had their chances. Chances are he’s not the one in the box either; he has only ten PIM’s on record and went seven of eight games without taking a penalty at one point. So how does Crighton stack up with the other top shorthanded scorers in the PIHL? In the “pure” classifications Shane Shiring of Shaler is the only other player with four on record as of press time, and the only Open Class player with more is Alex Robertson of Hollidaysburg, who has six on record.

GAME OF THE WEEK:
Thomas Jefferson Jaguars (5-7-1) @ Peters Township Indians (10-2-3, #3 MSA)
Monday, January 25, 8:30 PM @ Ice-o-Plex at Southpointe

We say: The first meeting between the Section 1 rivals on January 11 yielded a 5-2 road win for the Indians which saw senior forward Matthew White (2 G, A) and senior defender Paul Henney (G, 2 A) each post three points while senior backstop Tyler Borne made 23 saves. White is still the goals and points leader in Class AA with 22 and 39 respectively, so shutting him down will be essential to the Jaguars snapping their five-game losing streak. The good news for Thomas Jefferson is junior attacker Jacob Blair (16 G, 8 A) has remained hot, notching a hat trick in a loss at Erie Cathedral Prep last Tuesday to give him six goals and eight points in his last four contests.


PIHL CLASS A:

South Helps Colonials Head North

There have been instances this season when it appeared Quaker Valley really missed Colin and Furman South, the siblings who powered the Quakers to their first two Penguins Cups in program history in a three-year span. In the meantime, the latter has been privy to all the excitement surrounding the burgeoning program at Robert Morris University, which received much publicity for sweeping a home-and-home with top-ranked Miami, Ohio the first weekend of January. As a sophomore Furman South, Quaker Valley’s number three scorer all-time, is finally starting to become a presence in the Colonials’ lineup. After graduating from QV the former PIHL All-Star spent two years with the Bay State Breakers, a New England-based junior club, where he won team rookie-of-the-year and EJHL All-Star honors his first year, served as alternate captain the next, and amassed 30 goals, 63 points over both seasons. His freshman year at RMU was a learning experience, as he saw ice time in every game but did not register a point, ending with 22 shots on goal and two blocked shots. This year has been a different story; South currently has three goals, including one power play tally, and nine assists on 53 shots through 24 games, despite a minus-3 rating. Those 12 points are good for sixth on the team, and he is one of seven players with double digits in that category. Most recently he contributed two helpers in a 3-3 tie at Colgate Saturday night while posting a season-best plus-2 rating and tying a season best with six shots on goal, breaking a six-game point-less streak.

Knights and Talbots Fighting for First

The tightest battle for a section title in Class A is easily in Section 1 right now, with first-place Knoch (9-5-0, #7 MSA) just three points up on second-place Hampton (7-5-1, #8 MSA). The Knights are riding high after a 4-3 win at defending Penguins Cup champion Mars on Friday night, something rookie coach Joe Honzo is probably hoping will end the seesaw ride. After going 6-1-0 through Thanksgiving, Knoch has gone just 3-7-0 since, but has won two of the last three games. They have done it mostly with defense, with 28 goals allowed ranking second only to the Planets in Class A. Meanwhile, Hampton has shined offensively, tied for fifth-best in the class with 58 goals. The Talbots, coming off a 6-0 win over Somerset last Tuesday, now have points in three straight. Head coach Allan Walsh can say his group shook off the inconsistency early, going 2-4-0 through the November holiday and 5-1-1 since. Hampton’s current point streak began with a 2-1 decision at Knoch on December 21, a game which saw move-up goalie J.R. Lynch make 23 saves for the Talbots. The rematch will have to wait until February 22, but if should be worth the wait based on the first game. In the “players to watch” category, senior forward Alex Mueller (23 G, 12 A) continues to impress the Hampton faithful, posting his fifth hat trick of the season against the Golden Eagles. For the Knights, senior Ryan Naples has played all but 30 minutes so far while posting a 1.84 GAA, .923 save percentage and two shutouts through January 11. Both teams are in action at home tonight with Knoch taking on section opponent Deer Lakes while Hampton hosts Sewickley Academy in a non-section battle.

GAME OF THE WEEK:
Knoch Knights (9-5-0, #7 MSA) @ Kittanning Wildcats (13-1-0, #2 MSA)
Thursday, January 28, 6:15 PM @ Belmont Complex in Kittanning

We say: Both are section leaders, though the Wildcats are a bigger title favorite, but first they must find a way to beat the Knights, who could be a serious obstacle in the playoffs. Knoch made a powerful statement by upending Mars on Friday, and with that win, Ryan Naples has allowed just nine goals in four games since the last meeting between these schools, a 6-3 Kittanning triumph in New Kensington Dec. 14. Not to be outdone, Cory Norton has won four in a row for the ‘Cats and allowed just nine pucks behind him in that span. Knoch scored two of its nine power play goals in the last meeting, but if special teams are a factor, look out for Troy Schall, who is third in the class with five PPG’s and has 11 of his 38 points during the win streak.


PIHL OPEN CLASS:

Martin and Simon Give Spartans Something to Cheer About

Quigley (5-9-0) has dropped four straight and currently resides on the playoff bubble, one point behind Morgantown for the sixth spot in the Nailers Cup bracket. However, the Spartans have still brought plenty of excitement to the table in the form junior forward William Martin (18 G, 10 A through January 14) and sophomore defenseman Doug Simon (13 G, 8 A). Both have enjoyed two of the more impressive goal-scoring streaks the league has seen in 2009-10, and although at least one of them certainly ended in a 13-1 loss at Ringgold on Thursday night, Quigley has continued its offensive tradition. Beginning with a six-goal, nine-point outburst at Linsly on December 10, Martin scored a goal in six straight contests, lighting the lamp a total of 12 times, twice on the power play. Simon’s streak, while lacking a singular explosion, wins the longevity battle. Beginning with a win at Blackhawk on November 19, he tickled the twine eight games in a row, scoring twice on three occasions and notching a shorthanded goal. Simon dished out all eight of his assists during the same span, with multiple points in seven straight to begin the streak. Martin also recorded at least two points in the first five games of his string. Neither player will bring anything close to the 60-goal, 102-point performance of Grant Faulkner a year ago, but both give the Spartans leadership down the stretch, which continues tomorrow with a visit from Section 2 leader Keystone Oaks.

Young Lafferty Remains a Lynch Pin

When you’re playing your first season on the varsity squad in any sport, you’ll gladly take whatever opportunities you can get, and clearly one ninth-grader in particular has his head in the right place. Hollidaysburg freshman forward Sam Lafferty has been just as pleasant a surprise as the team itself in ’09-’10, taking advantage of an unusual amount of playing time for a kid his age to become the leading freshman scorer in the Open Class and the entire league going into All-Star weekend. Not all numbers were made official as of press time, but of this much we are certain: Lafferty, the only freshman on the Golden Tigers’ active roster, has 17 goals, second most on the team, 21 assists, which put him among the top five in the class, and 38 points, which puts him among the top ten scorers in the class. Plus, in a triumph of maturity, he only has ten penalty minutes, which is tied for second fewest among the top ten scorers. Lafferty has a point in all 15 games and registered a goal and two helpers in a thrilling 4-3 victory over fifth-ranked Ligonier Valley at Center Ice in Delmont last Thursday, his first three-point night since Dec. 3. Although he has cooled off a tad since opening the year with multiple points in nine straight and a seven-game goal streak during that stretch, he has averaged a very consistent 1.67 points per game since both streaks ended, and his total points-per-game average of 2.53 is among the top 15 in the class. Hollidaysburg (13-2-0, #2 MSA) visits Connellsville Thursday, against whom he already has four goals and eight points in two meetings.

GAME OF THE WEEK:
Altoona Mountain Lions (5-8-0) @ Greensburg-Salem Golden Lions (7-7-0)
Thursday, January 28, 7:15 PM @ Kirk Nevin Arena

We say: Altoona needs every point it can get to prevent Derry from overtaking them for the final spot in the Chiefs Cup bracket, although having knocked the Trojans off 7-2 on January 11 certainly helps. The Mountain Lions saw their two-game winning streak snapped at Kiski Area three days later, though, and will need senior Derek Mathews (28 G, 8 A) to continue his brilliant scoring to get back on the right track. For Greensburg-Salem, snapping a five-game skid can build a six-point edge on Altoona in the playoff seeding, and the Golden Lions bring a quartet of 20-point producers into this one. The hottest hand of late has been senior forward Mike Kepple (13 G, 10 A), with nine goals and 12 points in six straight games Dec. 8-Jan. 7.

Don’t miss the next episode of “The PIHL Power Play” this Wednesday on the MSA Sports Network! Sam Hall will join Adam Hoerner to chat with Gateway head coach Mark Marchi about returning the Gators to the postseason for the first time since 2005 and Quaker Valley helmsman Kevin Quinn about where the Quakers stand in the Class A hierarchy. Plus, Pine-Richland’s Bryan Watt will tell us if the Rams are still a contender in Class AAA, and Josh Rowntree will be along to help preview continuing network coverage of the PIHL Outdoor Charity Series. 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!