All-Star Game Recaps
The annual All-Star Event for the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Hockey League was held at the RMU Island Sports Center on Sunday, February 8, 2015. The day featured four All-Star Games, covering each of the four Varsity Classifications in the PIHL: Division 2, Class A, Class AA, and Class AAA.
The Division 2 game got the day started. It pitted Team Black against Team Gold, where both squads comprised a mix of players from teams in Class B and Class C. Defense and goaltending rarely earn much respect in any all-star game, but strong performances in both of those areas helped propel Team Gold to a 7-2 victory. Morgantown's Jacob Hough was the leader of that group, stopping all 10 shots he faced in the second period. Nathan Norkevicus of Carrick and Wesley Kaylor of Peters Twp B only allowed 1 goal each in the first and third period, and Connor Gielarowski, also of Peters Twp B, scored twice to lead the Gold offense.
The Class A game matched the Western Conference all-stars against the Eastern Conference all-stars. What was competitive, cross-conference play throughout the season went by the wayside for the All-Star Game, where Team West bulldozed its way to a 7-3 win. Brady Parkinson of Thomas Jefferson was the brightest of the stars, recording a hattrick for the West. The goaltending trio of Montour's Jake Muzik, Keystone Oaks' Jonathan Mead, and Quaker Valley's Parker Sherry kept the East at bay by yeilding just one goal each.
It was once again Team West against Team East in the Class AAA game, but the East came out on top in this one, 7-2. Leading the charge for the East was Fox Chapel goaltender Chad Veltri with 14 saves on 14 shots in the third period. Ben Friedland, also of Fox Chapel, paced the offense with a pair of goals, and Greater Latrobe's Brendan Johns pitched in with a goal and 2 assists for Team East. The East took command early and never looked back, grabbing a 5-0 lead before Team West could find the back of the net.
The final game of the day returned to the pairings of Team Black versus Team Gold in the Class AAA contest. Team Gold found the early 1-0 lead, but Team Black ran up 7-straight goals in the final two periods to take home a 7-1 win. Luc Lavella and Colman Slaid, both of Canon-McMillan, each had a goal and 2 assists for Team Black. On the back end, Team Black goaltenders Joel Kishner of Mt. Lebanon and Joe Hubert of North Allegheny stopped every shot they faced to quiet Team Gold.
On the day, 166 of the top student-athletes in the PIHL took to the ice and several hudred of fans -- including other PIHL players and coaches -- were in attendance. Each of the four winning teams finished with exactly 7 goals, though very few will actually remember who won those games. It was the spirit of competition and sportsmanship that stood out the most, as the PIHL showcased its very best on and off the ice.
