South Fayette reigns with big finish in win
Kiski Area, Peters Township watch seasons end with disappointments
Three Pennsylvania high school hockey championships were at stake Saturday at the Robert Morris University Island Center, and the results for WPIAL teams were two disappointing losses and a historic 7-4 victory in Class 2A by South Fayette for the school’s first state hockey title.
The second game of the tripleheader saw South Fayette fall behind Pennsbury early on two early goals including a five-on three short-handed score, only to rally quickly on back-to-back power-play goals by Nolan Murphy on a five-on-three and Tyler Brandebura on a tip-in of Brayden Ilmer’s blast from the blue line.
South Fayette, seeking its first state title, took the lead nearly two minutes later when Jackson Brandebur found a wideopen Braydon Reighard for the go-ahead goal. Then early in he second period, Wes Schwarzmiller stole the puck at center ice and stickhandled his way to a goal.
The Falcons weren’t done and with a minute remaining in the second, Brendan MacAinsh stole the puck in his own zone and raced down the ice to score the equalizer, tying the game at 4-4 heading into the third,
The third period was scoreless until the final 3 minutes. The shots started falling for the Lions as they scored three goals in the final 3 minutes to clinch the 7-4 victory to become the Class 2A state champions for the first time.
Class 1A
Two-time defending champion West Chester East was the presumptive favorite against Kiski Area and the Vikings proved that early with Anthony LoGiurato’s goal 2:15 into the first period
Kiski held strong through the rest of the period with goaltender Evan Brice stopping all eight shots after LoGiurato’s goal, but the floodgates opened in he second with three goals by West Chester East in a span of five minutes.
Kiski answered with its first goal of the game on Ethan George’s unassisted goal at the 6:56 mark, but a minute later the Falcons furthered their lead when Danny Tirendi scored his second goal of the game.
East nearly doubled its shots on goal in the second period with 17, and the Cavaliers couldn’t keep up as they were mainly playing in their own zone. After two periods, it was 5-1 in the Vikings’ favor.
After a boarding call that was a five-minute major and misconduct, George was tossed from the game, and the Cavaliers suffered without their captain. In the waning minutes of the third period, the Vikings scored three goals — two of which came just a minute apart — to increase their lead to 8-1, which would stand as the final score.
Class 3A
A sell-out crowd at the 3 A final expected a barn burner but instead watched Peters Township and LaSalle play without a goal goal until 43 seconds remained in the first period when LaSalle’s Charlie Kennedy pounced on his own rebound and knocked it in for a 1-0 lead.
Peters Township was quick to answer. Koby Ringwald won the faceoff in the Explorers; zone, and Will Tomko netted a slap shot to tie the score early in the second period.
But the Explorers used the remainder of the second period to run up the score, scoring four unanswered goals to jump back in front 5-1 heading into the third.
Tomko struck again with 13 minutes remaining. Then Ben Kovac got a rebound off shot by Tomko scored to pull the Indins within two goals.
Michael Zarycki scored to put the Explorers back up three goals, 6-3. And an empty netter with a minute remaining sealed the deal.