All-Star game allows coaches to do some advance scouting

Tri-State Sports & News Service

With 20 teams playing in Class 1A this year, the PIHL was in a quandary of how to schedule its games.

Because of the sheer volume, the league decided that there would be two 10-team divisions where each school would play its divisional opponents twice for an 18-game season.

With this many teams, the league also opted to have the top seven teams in each division qualify for the playoffs.

Because of this, most of the early round postseason matchups will be between schools that have never seen each other during the regular season. It’s also why so many of the coaches at the all-star game Sunday were taking notes.

“I’d be lying if I didn’t say that I definitely had my eyes opened to see what some of these players on these other teams have and doing a little research of my own,” East Division-leading Franklin Regional coach Brian Kurtz said. “In an all-star setting it’s not a good read, but for myself it’s something that’s going to be an advantage.”

Kurtz wasn’t the only coach of a first-place team keeping his eye on players from the other side.

“It’s kind of a challenge, even when we were voting on the all-star team and you’re voting for guys you maybe haven’t seen before,” Chartiers Valley coach Paul Bonetti said. “I tried to get out there and scout a lot of games. I saw Kiski and Indiana last week and I’ve seen Franklin Regional, but there’s certain teams you never get to see.”

Franklin Regional

It’s one thing to be the only undefeated team in the PIHL, but Franklin Regional (15-0-0) has taken its dominance to a new level.

After the Panthers crushed Greensburg Salem, 13-0, Monday, they notched their fifth consecutive shutout, more than any other team in the PIHL has this season. Franklin Regional has not given up a goal since Edward Williams of Indiana beat all-star goaltender Daniel Soltesz at 4:45 of the third period of the Panthers 7-2 victory against the Little Indians Dec. 15, a span of 50 calendar days and 267 minutes and 15 seconds of game play.

Soltesz also stopped all nine shots he faced in the third period of the Class 1A all-star game Sunday.