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2016 Penguins Cup AAA Preview

Posted by Jeff Mauro at Feb 23, 2016 4:00PM PST ( 0 Comments )
  CLASS AAA Penguin Cup Preview ~ 2015-2016        
  PA HOCKEY www.pahockey.net                        
                           
                           
  2016 PA HOCKEY CLASS 'AAA' PLAYOFF PREVIEW                
                           
                           
  When you look at Class AAA with 11 schools, every team who madde the playoffs has been pretty battle tested to face the competition    
  on a night in night out basis. It's anyone's ballgame in AAA and if you don't believe me, I will bet that at least one upset will happen   
  if not more. NA is playing very well and looks to be the favorite, but Central has played very well in the 2nd half. Cathedral Prep could   
  sneak in a steal the show and Butler is a nice team looking to go one step further than a year ago. Peters, Seneca, Canon Mac and Bethel 
  are all on the road and represent programs with recent history of Penguins Cup success over the past five years. Let the games begin   
  and may the best team win a represent West Pa in the Pennsylvania High School Hockey Championship in its 41st year .    
                           
                           
> IT IS ANYONE'S BALLGAME IN AAA                  
                           
1 NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS                    
                           
  HEAD COACH: MIKE BAGNATO                        
  TOP PLAYERS: ERIK CHIDESTER - JOE ZAPPIA -  JOE HUBERT -                   
  OUTLOOK:North Allegheny is a team who got embarrased a year ago and has been playing with a chip on its shoulder in the 2nd half of this season to prove otherwise    
                           
                           
                           
2 CENTRAL CATHOLIC VIKINGS                    
                           
  HEAD COACH: BILLY CONNELLY                        
  TOP PLAYERS RETURNING: SAM DELUCIA - JAKE TEPE - RYAN HAAG - NATE CAVA            
  OUTLOOK:  Central has played desperate hockey in the 2nd half of the 2015-16 season and has gotten timely goaltending which is a great recipe for playoff success  
                           
                           
3 CATHEDRAL PREP RAMBLERS                    
                           
  HEAD COACH: CRAIG BARNETT                        
  TOP PLAYERS:  JACK BECKER  - JOE KELLY - JAKE KUCHARSKI - DILLON ELLIOTT            
  OUTLOOK:  Cathedral Prep won the Class AA title a year ago and has continued its run in Class AAA. This is a dangerous team of veterans and youth and could   
  take the AAA title by storm                         
                           
                           
4 BUTLER GOLDEN TORONADOES                  
                           
  HEAD COACH: PAT HAMMONDS                        
  TOP PLAYERS RETURNING: JON FAIR - CONNOR SCOTT - TREVOR GILLIAND - BEN RODGERS          
  OUTLOOK:  Butler made the dance a year ago and has experience and some top end talent to take this team to the promised land in 2016    
                           
                           
5 PETER TWP INDIANS                        
                           
  HEAD COACH: RICK TINGLE                        
  TOP PLAYERS: WILL BARNES - CONNOR GIELEROWSKI - MATT AMELIO - ZACH GIELEROWSKI          
  OUTLOOK: Peters Twp has the deepest hockey program in all Class AAA and will need goaltending and to pick up scoring to move forward in the Penguins Cup AAA chase 
                           
                           
6 SENECA VALLEY RAIDERS                        
                           
  HEAD COACH: ANTHONY RACO                        
  TOP PLAYERS RETURNING: CHRIS LIPNICKY - ALEX CRILLEY - SHANE GALIS - ALYSSA PETERSON        
  OUTLOOK:  Seneca Valley is a very good team with depth who will need to rise to the occasion to pull upsets in the Penguins Cup field        
                           
                           
7 CANON MCMILLAN BIG MACS                    
                           
  HEAD COACH: JOE RODELLA                        
  TOP PLAYERS RETURNING: LUC LAVELLA - JAKE MCLELLAND - JACK CLENDENIAL - CONNOR HARTNETT      
  OUTLOOK:  The Big Macs ran the table with one goal games through the 2015 playoffs before falling short to Holy Ghost a year ago and has its work cut  out in 2016  
                           
                           
                           
8 BETHEL PARK BLACKHAWKS                    
                           
  HEAD COACH: JIM 'MORT' MCVAY                        
  TOP PLAYERS:  ANTONIO ESPOSITO - TYLER KRUSZEWSKI - EVAN OAKLEY - TRE LOWE            
  OUTLOOK:  Bethel Park may be one of Class AAA's most dangerous teams and if Tre Lowe gets hot, the Hawks could be in for a magical run     
                           
                           
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2016 Penguins Cup AA Preview

Posted by Jeff Mauro at Feb 23, 2016 4:00PM PST ( 0 Comments )
                                   
  CLASS AA Penguin Cup Preview ~ 2015-2016          
  PA HOCKEY www.pahockey.net                        
                                     
  2016 PA HOCKEY CLASS 'AA' PLAYOFF PREVIEW                  
                                     
  The Penguins Cup AA Field has just about everything one could want to provide drama in the Spring for High School Hockey.     
  If you look at the number of teams that could have a hand in determining a new champion, it makes one think and ponder who     
  will eventually emerge from this group. Mars and Moon are both very good teams, one with history and one with limited success  
  and Armstrong and Latrobe are very similar and will need goaltending to put them over the top. Add in Canevin, QV and possibly  
  a school like Plum or Hampton, well this is just too close to pick a winner. I like teams in the playoffs who have been to the     
  dance so Armstrong, Mars, Latrobe, Canevin and QV are in the mix, but as I said a new champion will be crowned, so look out for   
  Moon.                                  
                                     
                                     
> WHO WILL BE THE TOP TEAMS IN CLASS AA ?            
                                     
1 MOON  TIGERS                            
                                     
  HEAD COACH: SCOTT KUBATKA                          
  TOP PLAYERS: RYAN DURKIN - LUKE JAMES - NICK HART - JARED MAXIM                
  OUTLOOK:  Moon has been developing this team for a few years and behind the goaltending of Durkin has as good a chance of any team in the Penguins Cup AA Field     
                                     
                                     
1 ARMSTRONG RIVERHAWKS                    
                                     
  HEAD COACH: DOUG ANTHONY                          
  TOP PLAYERS: JAKE GROSS - ZACK KUTCH - NICK LONG - JACE REARIC                
  OUTLOOK: Armstrong has the deepest lineup in the Penguins Cup AA Field and the only thing holding them back from glory may be goaltending     
                                     
                                     
                                     
2 LATROBE WILDCATS                        
                                     
  HEAD COACH: JAKE WERNER                          
  TOP PLAYERS: BRENDAN JOHNS - DANNY JOHNSON - JACK SHULTHEIS - ALEX SINGLEY            
  OUTLOOK: Latrobe has won four Pa State AA Titles and this group is the deepest lineup for the Wildcats in a few years and will need to play defense and get goaltending  
  in the playoffs to advance                               
                                     
                                     
2 MARS PLANETS                          
                                     
  HEAD COACH: STEVEN MYERS                          
  TOP PLAYERS: BEAU HEAKINS - TYLER SPRENG - KEATON HANNA - NOAH RAYMUNDO            
  OUTLOOK: Nobody has dominated the Class A scene much like Mars, which yielded State Championships in 2010 amd 2011.  The Planets have adjusted to Class AA  
  and appear to be a frontrunner to claim a AA title                         
                                     
                                     
3 PLUM MUSTANGS                          
                                     
  HEAD COACH: VINNIE SOMMA                          
  TOP PLAYERS RETURNING: NATHAN 'the FLOWER' PUHALA - ANTHONY BORRIELLO - DILLON JOYCE        
  OUTLOOK:  The Mustangs have beaten some top AA Teams in the regular season and will need some magic in the playoffs to make a run     
                                     
                                     
3 CANEVIN CRUSADERS                        
                                     
  HEAD COACH: KEVIN PAWLOS                          
  TOP PLAYERS:  JAKE KUZMA - THOMAS KRIVAK - ALEC BOSNIC - LUCAS KRIVKOSKI            
  OUTLOOK: Canevin won the 2011 Pa Title with a very deep team some top end talent and timely goaltending and to happen in 2016, they will need to follow their   
  history and secure the title                             
                                     
                                     
4 HAMPTON TALBOTS                        
                                     
  HEAD COACH: MATT RANALLO                          
  TOP PLAYERS: JUSTIN WINEBRENNER - JUSTIN ADAMSKI - DANNY WHITE - ALEX MICHEL          
  OUTLOOK: Hampton looked like a team destined for Penguins Cup greatness early in the season and has fallen off over the final two months of the regukar season  
                                     
                                     
4 QUAKER VALLEY QUAKERS                    
                                     
  HEAD COACH: KEVIN QUINN                            
  TOP PLAYERS: CONNOR QUINN - BEAU TOMCZAK - RYAN QUINN - NOAH SHULTZ              
  OUTLOOK: Kevin Quinn knows how to  compete for the Penguins Cup and this young team has jelled in the 2nd half of the season and could be a darkhorse to advance   
                                     
                                     
5 FOX CHAPEL FOXES                        
                                     
  HEAD COACH: RICK VILLANI                            
  TOP PLAYERS:BEN FRIEDLAND - JASPER URRICHIO - JONATHON RICE - CHAD VELTRI            
  OUTLOOK: Fox Chapel has five players who can match up with any team in Class AA and the problem becomes when their depth is tested and to put together a run  
  will fall into the hands of goaltender Veltri who is very capable                       
                                     
                                     
5 BALDWIN HIGHLANDERS                      
                                     
  HEAD COACH: CRAIG ALBERT                          
  TOP PLAYERS RETURNING: PAUL KNERR - MAX MILAN - KENNY DEE                
  OUTLOOK:  Baldwin has had an up and down season in Class AA and will have to prove a lot against a very deep AA field in 2016      
                                     
                                     
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2016 Penguins Cup A Preview

Posted by Jeff Mauro at Feb 23, 2016 4:00PM PST ( 0 Comments )
  CLASS A Penguin Cup Preview ~ 2015-2016          
    PA HOCKEY www.pahockey.net                        
                                       
    2016 PA HOCKEY CLASS 'AA' PLAYOFF PREVIEW                  
                                       
  Quaker Valley and Mars are no longer dominating the Class A Penguins Cup scene and there will be a new champion to crown in 2016  
  A quartet of schools have stepped forward to stake claim in the regular season and appear to be on their way to the         
  semi - finals including West A, McCort, Montour and Freeport. Of those four All four teams have very good goaltending and       
  seem to be ready to scrap for the Penguins Cup. After watching all four schools, Freeport has top flight scoring but lacks depth and McCort    
  has stingy defense and has some nice top end scoring but lacks depth. Montour and West Allegheny have the depth and can       
  score goals to go with it and his match up won twice by West Allegheny could spell a 3rd match up for all the marbles.        
                                       
                                       
                                       
1 WEST ALLEGHENY INDIANS                      
                                       
  HEAD COACH: JAKE LUTHL                              
  TOP PLAYERS: JESS LIGAS - SEAN WEBER - NICK SKOWRON - ANTHONY DOMINICK               
  OUTLOOK: West Allegheny has a ton of seniors and some snipers to make a run a the Penguins Cup which will get interesting in the semis           
                                       
                                       
1 BISHOP MCCORT CRIMSON CRUSHERS                  
                                       
  HEAD COACH: JOHN BRADLEY                            
  TOP PLAYERS: BOSTON BRADLEY - CHRIS MILLER - CONNOR BUNN - BRETT SEITZ              
  OUTLOOK: The Crushers own 5 State Titles and this is a team poised to make a run if goaltending and defense hold up under playoff pressure           
                                       
                                       
2 MONTOUR SPARTANS                          
                                       
  HEAD COACH: DUSTIN KERR                              
  TOP PLAYERS: BRANDON EISEL - ANTHONY HARTWICK - HAYDEN CHIEFFO - CAMRON SMITH            
  OUTLOOK: The Spartans are big they are physical and can skate three lines which is quite an advantage in Class A and is a very good choice for the crown   
                                       
                                       
2 FREEPORT YELLOW JACKETS                      
                                       
  HEAD COACH: MEL REICHENBAUGH                          
  TOP PLAYERS: MATT HOUSTON - ROBBIE REICHENBAUGH - STONE HABERSTROH - MICHAEL FRAZETTA        
  OUTLOOK: Freeport has beaten all of the top teams in Class A with the exception of Montour who they would not have to face until the finals           
                                       
                                       
                                       
3 FRANKLIN REGIONAL PANTHERS                    
                                       
  HEAD COACH: BRIAN KURTZ                              
  TOP PLAYERS: KOLDEN COOK - NICK CARRETTA - JAMIE MAURO - DAKOTA MCINTYRE              
  OUTLOOK: Franklin Regional looked good in the first few months but inability to beat top teams makes them not an apetizing choice to advance           
                                       
                                       
                                       
3 SOUTH FAYETTE LIONS                        
                                       
  HEAD COACH: FRANK CERTO                            
  TOP PLAYERS: JOHN LIPOVICH - SPENCER BARBER - JORDAN TIMMONS - JACOB STACK             
  OUTLOOK: South Fayette has an interesting team when they all assemble but must show up and play defense in the playoffs do it on the road      
                                       
                                       
                                       
4 SERRA CATHOLIC EAGLES                        
                                       
  HEAD COACH: BOB GERGERICH                            
  TOP PLAYERS: TYREK BARKLEY - JUSTIN HUMMERT - ROMAN KRAEMER - MICHAEL ULISHNEY             
  OUTLOOK: Serra has had a long tradition of Penguins Cup History and Kraemer wont go down in these playoffs without a fight           
                                       
                                       
4 THOMAS JEFFERSON JAGUARS                      
                                       
  HEAD COACH: BILL CROUSEY                            
  TOP PLAYERS: DAN HARROLD - MATT KREIGER - DOMINIC TAMBURI                  
  OUTLOOK: TJ has some top flight players who could make an interesting quaerter final match up in round two             
                                       
                                       
5 WESTMONT HILLTOP HILTOPPERS                    
                                       
  HEAD COACH: DON LAMISON                             
  TOP PLAYERS: MICHAEL LAMISON - AUSTIN DEGRANGE - NICK MCQUILLAN                 
  OUTLOOK:  The Mighty Hilltoppers are a young squad and maybe a year away from making noise again in Class A            
                                       
                                       
5 KISKI CAVALIERS                            
                                       
  HEAD COACH: CHUCK STITES                            
  TOP PLAYERS: NICK WALLACE - NICK HURLEY - ALEX FERRARO                    
  OUTLOOK: For Kiski to make the playoffs with a short bench is a pretty big accomplishment                     
                                       
                                       
                                       
5 SOUTH PARK EAGLES                          
                                       
  HEAD COACH: DEREK PODALAK                            
  TOP PLAYERS: JUSTIN HICKEY - TANNER ORR - JAKOB HICKEY                    
  OUTLOOK: South Park has hung tough in Class A this season and lacks the depth to advance very far                 
                                       
                                       
                                       
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Pa Hockey Top 25 - 2015-2016

Posted by Jeff Mauro at Jan 14, 2016 4:00PM PST ( 0 Comments )

Pa Hockey's - Western Pa Top 25 Players of 2015-2016  
       
       
AA Luke Gross  Armstrong Smooth Skater who is a playmaker and a scorer and will lead the Riverhawk charge to the Penguins Cup
AA Paul Knerr Baldwin Pure goal scorer with size and speed to pace the Highlanders 
AAA Tre Lowe  Bethel Park  This kid is athletic and can flat out play goaltender and gives the Hawks a chance to win every night 
A Chris Miller  Bishop McCort  Tall wirey defenseman with very good puck skills and strong defensive play for Crushers 
A John Bradley  Bishop McCort  Goaltending is where it starts for the Crimson Crushers and Badley is a very strong keeper 
AAA Jonathon Fair  Butler  Very good athlete for the Golden Toranadoes and one of Western Pa's best defenseman
AAA Trevor Gilliland  Butler  The potential for this kid is that he has size, playmaking ability and his team scores and they win 
D2 Nathan Norkevicus Carrick I could not let this kid slip through the cracks and he just stops pucks and is very good at doing so 
AAA Sam Delucia  Central Catholic  This player has come a long way in a short time and his size, his spirit and will to win will make CC a tough out in the playoffs 
AA Chad Veltri Fox Chapel  When he shows up to play Fox Chapel can beat anyone in Class AA and he is one of  the better goaltenders to come around in the past few years 
A Robbie Reichenbaugh Freeport  They should let Robbie know he is not running track but his improved playmaking gives the Yellow Jackets a chance to win consistantly
AA Justin Weinbrenner  Hampton  Size and scoring ability are a major asset for Justin and this kid could move on a play hockey at the next level
AA Brendan Johns  Latrobe  Latrobe has been a nice surprise in 2015-2016 and Brendan has led the puch to the top of Class AA
AA Noah Raymundo Mars  Offensive defenseman in High School Hockey are a rarity and one with 16 goals midway through the season has paced the Planets 
AA Ryan Durkin Moon  Moon is a contender for the Penguins Cup and Durkin gives them a chance to win and put the Tigers on the map for the first time ever 
AAA Erik Chidester  North Allegheny  Chidester lacks the size of the prototypical forward but his edge control of his skating is beautiful to watch and when he scores which is a lot the Tigers are winners 
AAA Zack Gielarowski Peters Twp  Booming shot, great leader and probably the top defensman in Western Pennsylvania is why Peters is at the top of AAA
AA Connor Quinn Quaker Valley  Staggering stats were a norm in Class A ………this kid has raised his play to another level in Class AA and Quakers are a dangerous team when playoff bell rings 
AAA Christopher Lipnicky  Seneca Valley  Skating ability and sniper shot make Chris a very strong player in a AAA circles and Raiders will need it to advance in playoffs 
A Roman Kramer  Serra Catholic  Not sure if anyone in Western Pa can shot the puck like Kramer who adds nice size and has improved his defensive play for Serra 
A Jordan Timmons  South Fayette The apple does not fall far from the tree as Timmons scores in bunches and make South Fayette an interesting playoff team in March  
A Matt Kreiger Thomas Jefferson Smooth and powerdul skater who every time he touches the puck can score for TJ
A Sean Weber  West Allegheny  Indians have risen to the top of Class A and Weber is their undisputed leader who can skate and score and will have to distribute the puck to make West A Champions 
A Nick Skowron West Allegheny  This player has size and plays very efficient defense for West Allegheny and is a reason their team is at the top of Class A
A Kyle Wensel  Wheeling CC Here is another player who has moved up in classification and still continues to put up very good numbers now at Class A …..smart player who can shoot the puck 
       
       
       
Note: Well over 100 names were considered for the Top 25 and each of the Top 25 brought a little something extra to distinguish themselves
       
       
Pa Hockey's - Western Pa Top 5 "Coaching Performances " -2015-16
       
A John Bradley  Bishop McCort  Development and patience has the Crushers in a position to get back to the Penguins Cup and Bradley has built this ship over the past few years 
AAA Billy Connelly Central Catholic  Connelly continues to develop players and has the Vikings in a very good position as the playoffs near in Class AAA
A Mel Reichenbaugh Freeport It's amazing what parents can try to do to a team but Freeport is challenging for a division title despite efforts by some to implode it ….Nice Job Mel !
AA Steve Meyers  Mars  Move to Class AA has not stopped the Planets and they have as good a chance as any team to win Penguins Cup 
AA Vinnie Somma  Plum  Coaching is sometimes not like playing but Somma has his Mustamgs knocking on the door with some nice wins over contenders in AA
       
       
Pa Hockey's - Western Pa Top 5 "Future Young Studs " -2015-2016 (Top Freshman)
       
AA Jace Rearic  Armstrong  For a young kid playing Varsity for the first time he has the composure and scoring ability of a more mature player…..he will put some numbers up before he is done playing 
AAA Pat Kelly Cathedral Prep  Ramblers move to AAA has been a very smooth transition and this kid is following in the footsteps of older brothers Jack and Joe 
A Olda Virag  Franklin Regional  Jaromir Jagr is # 68 and so is Olda …..come watch him play and he does a lot of things that JJ does and has the Panthers in good position in Class A 
A Billy Rapone  Greensburg Salem Sometimes playing on one of the worst teams in the league has its benefits and Rapone can score and play defense …..very smart player 
AA Justin Adamski Hampton  Classy player who shows up to play every night and when he does Hampton has a good chance to win 
       
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Pennsylvania Elite 8 Hockey Rankings

Posted by Jeff Mauro at Jan 8, 2016 4:00PM PST ( 0 Comments )
 
  
               
    PA HOCKEY          
    ELITE 8 STATEWIDE RANKINGS          
    2015-2016  "AAA AA & A" DIVISION # of Pennsylvania         
    FINAL - WEEK 16 State Crowns        
CLASS DIVISION TEAM   W L T PTS
               
AAA 1 HOLY GHOST PREP                         1 15 1 1 31
AAA 2 LASALLE                         4 11 2 1 23
AAA 3 NORTH ALLEGHENY                          2 12 4 1 25
AAA 4 PETERS TOWNSHIP                         5 10 3 4 24
AAA 5 ST JOSEPH'S PREP                          - 9 6 3 21
AAA 6 BUTLER                           - 10 6 1 21
AAA 7 CENTRAL CATHOLIC                          - 10 5 2 22
AAA 8 MALVERN PREP                         2 8 5 2 18
               
AA 1 CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH                          - 13 0 0 26
AA 2 CENTRAL BUCKS WEST                          - 11 1 1 23
AA 3 LATROBE                         4 14 5 0 28
AA 4 MARS                         2 13 4 2 28
AA 5 ARMSTRONG                          - 14 4 1 29
AA 6 DOWNINGTOWN EAST                         2 11 2 3 25
AA 7 MOON                          - 13 4 2 28
AA 8 WILLIAM TENNENT                         1 11 1 1 23
               
A 1 MONTOUR                          - 17 1 1 35
A 2 WEST CHESTER EAST                         1 14 1 1 29
A 3 WEST CHESTER RUSTIN                         2 11 2 2 24
A 4 WEST ALLEGHENY                          - 16 2 0 32
A 5 FREEPORT   14 4 1 29
A 6 BISHOP MCCORT                         5 13 4 1 27
A 7 SPRINGFIELD                           - 14 2 0 28
A 8 FRANKLIN REGIONAL                          - 15 4 0 30
A 8 PALMYRA                          - 16 1 0 32