PIHL playoffs
Indiana, Chartiers Valley headed for showdown in Class 1A final.
Indiana is the last remaining undefeated team in the PIHL this year.
And now, the Little Indians are one win away from the first Penguins Cup title in the storied history of the program.
Tanner Angello and Korbin Wilson scored first period goals and goaltender Seamus O’Connor made it stand up with 24 saves as Indiana (190-0) knocked off fifth-seeded northeast Division co-champion Freeport (15-4-1), 4-0, in the PIHL Class 1A Penguins Cup semifinals at Robert Morris University Island Sports Complex.
“My ‘D’ is real good at keeping them outside and we’ve had a lot of strong defense throughout the year,” O’Connor said. “I’m not surprised that this was any different.”
Orlando Clark added a pair of goals for Indiana, including a power play tally with 7:42 remaining in regulation to seal a trip to the final at 9 p.m. Monday at Island Sports Center. The Little Indians would have played in the final against Thomas Jefferson last year, but the postseason was cut short by the COVID19 pandemic lockdown.
“I think everybody has a chip on their shoulder,” Indiana coach Jordan Haines said. “The guys who moved on, they moved on and we only lost two seniors, but I think everybody was unhappy with the situation, but that’s the world we live in and we’ve got to move forward.”
Freeport was unable to create any pressure in the Indiana zone, which limited the team to long-range, low-percentage shots and the occasional rebound.
“We got outworked a little bit … and all our shots were perimeter shots,” Freeport coach Kelly Mason said. “We talked about going to the net and getting to the net and, when we came in [the locker room] after the second period, half the shots we put on him were rebounds. Normally, I like our chances against a team like that, but you’re not going to be on every night.”
It didn’t help that Freeport was also playing uphill throughout. Agnello set the stage for the blowout when he ripped a slapshot past Yellowjackets netminder Tyler Lang just 4:44 into the game to put the Little Indians ahead 1-0.
“The goal for us was to jump out quickly on them and it didn’t go our way,” Mason said. “That was some bad luck there.”
Indiana did give Freeport a few opportunities to get back into it. The Little Indians took three minor penalties, but their special teams were outstanding and the Yellowjackets barely got off a shot much less crack O’Connor’s wall.
Other game
Chartiers Valley 5, Kiski Area 2: The second-seeded
Cavaliers (15-4-1) appeared to have this game under control with a 2-0 lead heading into the waning seconds of the first period.
That lead didn’t last. Ryan Kantner knocked home a shot with 25.9 seconds remaining in the first period for the first of his two goals to halve the lead, then Greg Kraemer netted a natural hat trick in the second period to turn a two-goal Colts deficit into a two-goal lead and send No. 3 seed Chartiers Valley (14-4-1) to the final for the first time since losing to Johnstown in 1990.