Plenty of changes to upcoming season
Every year the PIHL has some kind of shakeup to its alignment.
Sometimes it’s a team or two moving up or down in classification. Other times programs come back after playing a year or two of junior varsity schedules as their numbers replenish and reintegrates themselves among the varsity competitors.
So, when the puck drops Monday to open the 51st season of high school hockey in the area, there will once again be a new feel to the league.
Though there are no changes in Class 3A — the same 11 teams that competed last year will do so in a single division once again this year — it’s the only one that remained whole.
In Class 2A, the number of teams dropped from 14 to 11 and, as a result, the league also dropped the two-division format. Instead, the classification will be run exactly as Class 3A, with 11 teams playing each other twice for a total of 20 games with the top eight qualifying for the Penguins Cup playoffs.
But the biggest shakeup is in Class 1A
Gone are the four fourteam, playoff-eligible divisions with a separate division for Wheeling Catholic and Wheeling Park. Now there are two divisions, one with 12 teams the other 11 and all games are played within the division with no crossover until the playoffs.
Class 3A
Peters Township knows it’s already behind the eight ball and the puck hasn’t even dropped for its first game.
“If you look at stats, we’re the least likely team to win the Penguins Cup or the state championship,” Peters Township coach Rick Tingle said. “No one has repeated as Penguins Cup champion in 20 years.”
Technically, he’s right. No team has won the Penguins Cup in consecutive years since Bethel Park took three in a row from 2000-02.
Although North Allegheny did win back-to-back contested titles in 2019 and 2021 with the 2020 COVID-19 shutdown season in the middle.
This team, though, could have the offensive firepower and goaltending to do it.
Peters Township brings back its leading scorer from last year’s Penguins Cup and state championship squad in sophomore William Tomko, who had 19 goals and 32 points as well as its No. 2 scorer, Ben Kovac (12-17-29), senior forward Ryder Mertens (8-15-23) and Koby Ringwald (3-10-13).
In addition, the Indians also have senior goaltender Nolan Hilbert, who was between the pipes in the state final against Malvern Prep and junior Kyle Thomas, who saw the bulk of the work during the regular season.
But though Peters Township may be as ready as any team has been to repeat, there are plenty of obstacles along the way.
North Allegheny had the best record in the classification last year and will be hungry after losing to rival Seneca Valley in the semifinals.
The Tigers also lost leading scorer Connor Chi to graduation, but will have allstar senior defenseman Trey Gallo and senior forward Matt Irvin, who was second in the classification in scoring (12-21-33), back to lead the way.
Don’t sleep on Pine-Richland, which lost a bit of scoring, but will still have senior goaltender Daniel Mooney back for his senior year.
Class 2A
It may not be as rare to repeat in Class 2A as it has been in Class 3A, but it isn’t a lock, either.
Thomas Jefferson is the reigning champion, but no team has repeated in the classification since Latrobe took three in a row from 2008-10.
What has happened on several instances is that the Class 2A champion would get bumped up to Class 3A the following season and didn’t have an opportunity to defend its title.
That’s what happened to Baldwin after it won the Penguins Cup and state titles in 2021.
This year, Thomas Jefferson
was not moved up, so it will have an opportunity to defend against all comers.
“Honestly, I feel that a lot of the guys that are returning learned a lot about leadership from the guys we had last year,” Thomas Jefferson coach John Zeiler said. “I feel that those guys really set a good example and it rubbed off on our returning players.”
Thomas Jefferson has several key players coming back including junior forwards Jake Stock, Andrew Oliver and Ryder Mcguirk. They will have a new goaltender this season as Aidan Dougherty is expected to take over between the pipes.
But this will be a wholly different classification.
Gone are West Allegheny, Shaler, Montour and Indiana, which all dropped down to Class 1A. The only addition, though, will be Bishop McCort, which rejoins the PIHL this season.
Class 1A
Norwin has a really rough celebration after winning its first Penguins Cup. Just a few days later, the Knights
were crushed, 10-0, by West Chester in their first state championship game appearance.
Despite the loss, this is a team that is already looking forward to defending its title.
“I think, right now, they’re still in pretty good spirits because we knew what we were getting into at states last year,” Norwin coach Mike Robinson said. “That didn’t take away anything that we accomplished because our goal was to win the Pens Cup.”
Franklin Regional was the previous Class 1A team to repeat when it won backto-back titles in 2016-17.
Norwin should once again be formidable considering most of its top players from last year are now only juniors. Among the 11th graders the Knights bring back are 21-goal scorer Alex Thomas, double-digit goal scorer Mario Cavallaro and goaltender Owen Burmeister.
Fox Chapel could also be a team that can fill the nets and compete for the title with forward Danny Downey and Mason Heininger.