HARMAR TWP, Pa. — Central Catholic’s Ryan and Jacob Kingerski have been playing with each other for as long as they can remember.
Sunday, they got to play against each other. Both players were selected to play in the PIHL Triple-A All-Star Game and as luck would have it, Ryan, a forward and Jacob, a defenseman, were put on opposing teams.
The two seniors are the leading scorer and leading scoring defenseman for the Vikings and they figured to play a key role in the All-Star Game, as well. Ryan didn’t disappoint, with a goal and an assist, but it was Jacob’s Black Team that came away with a 3-2 shootout victory.
They do battle in practice daily, but the game marked the first time they’ve gotten to play against each other in a competitive contest.
“The night it came out, we were watching to see what team we were on,” Ryan said. “Finally, we saw that we were on opposite teams. It was about a week before, so there was some good competition.”
Ryan clearly dominated the scoresheet, but which brother got the best of the head-to-head matchup? As expected, that depends on who you ask.
“I think I did better,” Ryan said. “I kind of walked him a couple times.”
“I don’t know,” Jacob said. “We’ll have to watch the tape for that one.”
With the competitive juices flowing, both brothers gave some pointers to their newfound brothers about attacking one another.
“I said, “Just watch him, because he’s quick, fast and has good hands,'” Jacob recalled.
“You have to try to beat him with speed,” Ryan said of Jacob. “He’s a pretty good defenseman.”
Ryan Kingerski (left) tries to get through Jacob Kingerski on the way to the puck. — BRIAN MITCHELL
Head-to-head match-ups aside, the Kingerski duo is having a special season together for the Vikings and are a big part of the team’s 13-3 record and first-place position in the Triple-A standings.
“We have a lot of chemistry,” Ryan said. “We’ve played a lot together since we were little. Sometimes, I can just find him.”
Jacob said that he thinks he’s assisted on a good number of Ryan’s team-high 16 goals and says that sometimes, it’s just easier to make a pass to someone that you know exactly where they’ll be.
“I look for him a lot,” Jacob said. “I always know where he’s going to be. I don’t even have to look up the ice, I can just always find him.”
The Kingerski brothers and the rest of Central Catholic are hoping to put the finishing touches on a regular season championship, as the Vikings lead North Allegheny by three points with four games to play. They’ll return to Alpha Ice Complex when they host Armstrong Tuesday at 9:00 p.m.
