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Team effort enables South Fayette to hoist the Penguins Cup

By Eleanor Bailey almanac Sports Editor ebailey@thealmanac.Net 4 min read
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By Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac

Wes Schwarzmiller (89) and Tyler Brandebura (86) react in jubilation after Trevor Dalessandro scored a goal giving South Fayette a 2-0 advantage over Armstrong in the second period.

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Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac

Dylan Walsh (14) hoist the Penguins Cup while his teammates Wes Schwarzmiller (89), Robert Chiappetta (8) and Eli Petter (88) celebrate South Fayette’s 2-0 victory over Armstrong in the PIHL Class 2A championship game.

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By Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac

Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac

Trevor Dalessandro prepares to put a shot on goal against Armstrong netminder Allen Schraeder. Dalessandro slipped the puck in for South Fayette’s second tally of the game.

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By Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac

Wes Schwarzmiller (89) and Tyler Brandebura (86) react in jubilation while Armstrong players look on in disbelief after Trevor Dalessandro scored a goal giving South Fayette a 2-0 advantage over Armstrong in the second period.

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Photos: Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac

Tyler Brandebura (86) beats Armstrong defender Aiden Morando and puts a shot on goal against Allen Schraeder. Brandebura scored Souith Fayette’s first goal at 12:28 in the second period.

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Wes Schwarzmiller (89) celebrates with his teammates Brady Fleck (3) and Brayden Imler (2) after South Fayette defeated Armstrong, 2-0, to win the PIHL Class AA championship.

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Wes Schwarzmiller (89) celebrates with his teammates Brady Fleck (3) and Brayden Imler (2) after South Fayette defeated Armstrong, 2-0, to win the PIHL Class AA championship.

CRANBERRY TOWNSHIP — The South Fayette hockey team has a Three Musketeers attitude.

The Lions are all for one and one for all. And, that kinship gained them a Penguins Cup as they blanked Armstrong, 2-0, in the PIHL Class 2A championship game played March 21 at the UPMC-Lemieux Sports Complex.

“We love this group so much,” said SF head coach Matt Schwartz. “They love playing together and practicing together. Every time we win, it brings us that much closer together.”

The Lions indeed used a team effort to topple the top-seeded River Hawks. They successfully skated off four penalties, two that gave Armstrong a two-man advantage late in the first period. They received a pair of goals from their underclassmen. They benefited from solid goaltending. Then they upped the defensive ante in the third period to preserve the shutout.

“I am so proud of our guys,” Schwartz said. “They had a ton of big penalty kills. Our goaltending was fantastic. It was a really good defensive effort.

“Everybody bought in,” he continued. “Every guy on our team, we needed them all to win.”

After the scoreless first period, Tyler Brandebura scored the only goal the Lions would need for victory. The even-strength goal came at 12:28 of the second period.

“I am so pumped,” said the sophomore forward. “We worked so hard all season just to get here and to put that goal in, I felt so much excitement. I was so happy to get our team up and eventually win this thing.”

Trevor D’Alesandro had a desire equal to Brandebura. He scored in every playoff game but his goal at the 15:20 mark in the second stanza, provided an insurance goal for the Lions.

“Trevor has been a beast for us,” said Schwartz. “He’s such a clutch player.”

D’Alessandro said that his effort was for the upper classmen, particularly the seniors.

“I was just able to get past one of their defensemen. We were trying to pass it and it came back to me,” he said.

“It means a lot because many of our seniors have worked really hard. I think they deserve this more than anything.”

“We wanted to win this for our seniors,” agreed Brandebura. “They worked so hard for us.”

Wes Schwarzmiller was one of those seniors. The team’s leading scorer has been a member of the varsity club since his freshman year and he remembered last year’s devastating loss in the PIHL semifinals.

“I am so excited,” he said. “This is so awesome. This year we finally got to hoist the trophy.”

Thanks to Allen Schraeder, the Lions certainly did. The senior turned away all 22 shots he faced in goal.

“Our goalie, Allen, posted the shutout,” said Schwarzmiller. “It was the best game I have ever seen him play.”

Schwarzmiller also credited the entire defense for blocking a ton of shots, especially Jackson Brandebura, Brady Fleck and Brayden Imler.

“Everybody on defense did an exceptional job,” he said. “Even our wingers and centers played big. We got the puck out when we needed to.”

With the win, South Fayette improved to 18-3-2 overall and advanced to the Class AA state championship game played March 25 at the Robert Morris University Island Sports Center. With the loss, Armstrong finished the season at 19-4-0 overall.”I can’t wait to go play in the state championship,” Schwarzmiller said. “It will be so much fun.”

”That’s the goal, to win a state title,” said Schwartz.

Schwartz also noted it will take another team effort to achieve that objective.

”We had a lot of guys step up to the plate,” he said of the PIHL final. “They went to the dirty areas. They did what they had to do.

”I’m just elated and couldn’t be more proud of my team.”

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