Peters Township advances in PIHL playoffs
And then there was one. Peters Township proved the last local survivor in the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Hockey League playoffs as Bethel Park, Mt. Lebanon, Canon-McMillan, South Fayette and Chartiers Valley dropped out of the tournament.
The Indians now play for the right to compete in the AAA championship when they take on Seneca Valley at 9 p.m. March 15 at the Robert Morris University Island Sports Complex on Neville Island. The winner advances to the finals set for 8:30 p.m. March 29 at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry.
PT edged rival Canon-McMillan, 2-1, at Southpointe to advance to the Final Four.
Stephen Rex scored the gamewinner at 3:07 in the second stanza. Torrey Schwartz and Jeremy Anthos assisted. Drew Wilbert stopped 21 of 22 shots on goal for the Indians.
Rex is one of PT’s top scorers this season along with Conner Gielarowski and William Barnes. Each has 10 or more goals. Matthew Michalowski is the top playmaker. Though a defender, he has racked up 14 assists, two ahead of Gielarowski and Cal Raymore.
Meanwhile, Bethel Park dropped out of the playoffs after falling in overtime to North Allegheny, 3-2. At 5:50 in the extra frame, Erik Chidester tallied the game-winning goal ending the Hawks’ season at 8-9-4 overall.
Austin Reed and Jason Bauer scored for the Hawks while Will Douds (2), Christopher Toth and Vince Vetuccio registered assists.
In Class AA, Mt. Lebanon succumbed to Hempfield, 5-2. Anthony Sandora and Ryan Gist scored the goals for the Blue Devils. Wyatt George picked up assists on both scores.
In Class A action, South Fayette exited the playoffs after two rounds. The Lions beat Serra Catholic, 4-1, but succumbed to Thomas Jefferson, 5-4, in overtime.
In the victory, Daniel Pollock scored twice. Jake Stack and Jack Evanish registered single tallies. Dante Cecere, Matthew Marquis and Logan McConnell dished up the assists.
In the loss, Brandon Poage tallied two goals. Nolan Sarnowski and Cecere also scored. With assists were: Poage, Cecere (2), Stack (2), Evanish and Glenn Manni.
Also, in Class AA, Chartiers Valley led a four-goal advantage slip away as the Colts lost to Westmont Hilltop, 6-5, in overtime. Trailing, 5-1, the Hilltoppers exploded for four goals in the third period and scored the gamewinner at 1:14 of the extra frame.
For the Colts, Luke Vaughn scored twice. Jake Casto, Trevor Stevenson and Noah Fodor accounted for the other goals. Alexander Evans collected three assists while Stevenson dished up a pair. Casto also garnered an assist.