Peters Township wins PIHL championship
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Chase Stauffer (38) gets a congratulatory hug from Cooper Slavin (26) after he scored the game-winning goal in Peters Township’s 6-2 victory against Seneca Valley in the PIHL Class AAA championship game. The score was deadlocked at two when the Indians exploded for four, third-period goals, the first from Stauffer.
By Eleanor Bailey/Almanac Sports Editor/ebailey@thealmanac.net
By Eleanor Bailey/Almanac Sports Editor/ebailey@thealmanac.net
Peters Township celebrates with the Penguins Cup after beating Seneca Valley, 6-2, in the PIHL Class 3A championship game. The Indians went on to win the state championship by defeating Malvern Prep, 5-4, in the title game played March 26 at the Ice Line Arena in West Chester.
By Eleanor Bailey/Almanac Sports Editor/ebailey@thealmanac.net
Austin Malley is tripped up by Seneca Valley’s Alex Neff during PIHL Class AAA championship action. Neff was penalized but Peters Township was unable to take advantage on the power play. The Indians did, however, score three goals in the third period to defeat the Raiders, 6-2, and win their seventh Penguins Cup.
By Eleanor Bailey/Almanac Sports Editor/ebailey@thealmanac.net
Adam Hoffman (63) rides Andrew Massucci (86) into the boards while they battle for the puck during PIHL Class AAA championship action. Peters Township defeated Seneca Valley, 6-2, for its seventh Penguins Cup trophy.
By Eleanor Bailey/Almanac Sports Editor/ebailey@thealmanac.net
Ryder Mertens (21) controls the puck against Seneca Valley defenders Graham Moreau (4) and Zachary Regalski (84) during PIHL Class AAA championship action. Mertens scored a goal to help Peters Township to victory, 6-2, and its seventh Penguins Cup trophy.
CRANBERRY – Four goals in the third period to ice a victory is nothing new for the Peters Township High School hockey club.
“We love fresh ice,” said Chase Stauffer.
“We knew we were the best third-period team in the league. We have been the whole year. So we knew when we came out that we were the better team on fresh ice. We took advantage of it.”
Stauffer ignited a four-goal attack that led the Indians to their seventh Penguins Cup trophy and a 6-2 victory over Seneca Valley in the PIHL Class AAA championship game played Monday at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex.
At the 4:07 mark, Stauffer scored on the power play. He was assisted by Colin Kimberling and Cooper Slavin.
“I did not know it went in at first until my teammates started celebrating,” said Stauffer. “There are no words for this. It’s unbelievable.”
Going the distance is not unreal for the Indians. They train for the moment. Head coach Rick Tingle “works” and “skates” his players hard in practice said Clif Bumford, who has been an assistant for 10 years and part of three PIHL titles.
“We are a third-period team,” Bumford emphasized. “We don’t want to be because we put ourselves in that situation to be a third-period team. We train to be a third-period team so we are ready if we need it.”
The Indians were ready immediately upon taking to the ice. They scored two, first-period goals, staking a 2-0 advantage over the Raiders.
William Tomko scored an even-strength goal, off an assist from Ben Kovac, at 4:06 of the first period.
Austin Malley put up another PT goal two minutes later. Koby Ringwald assisted.
Seneca Valley narrowed the gap at 9:51. Patrick Dolan scored on a power play. Jonathan Leishman assisted.
Both teams had scoring opportunities in the second period when each picked up back-to-back penalties. Neither team capitalized on the power play but the Raiders tied the match, 2-2, at 14:16.
Jacob Komaniak scored an even-strength goal. Tobias McKee and Ethan Lindberg assisted.
“The momentum switched back and forth there,” Bumford said of the four penalties, two each for both teams that came within three minutes of each other.
“As long as we are not taking penalties we are in good shape. We put the foot on the gas and went at them.”
After Stauffer’s game-winner, PT did not relent. The Indians racked up even-strength goals by Austin Malley and Ryder Mertens at 11:15 and 14:22 of the third period.
Ben Kovac and William Tomko assisted on Malley’s tally while Slavin dished off the puck to Mertens.
The Indians added an empty-netter at 16:07. Luke Casciola got the goal and Ringwald was credited with another assist.
In the nets, Nolan Hilbert faced 22 shots, turning back 20. The Indians put 30 shots on goal.
With the win, the Indians (17-5-1) advanced to the state championship game on March 26 at the Ice Line Arena in West Chester. Their foe was Malvern Prep, the Flyers Cup winner and 2021 state champion.
The Raiders finished the season at 13-8-2 overall.
Tingle chose not to meet with the media after the game.