Someone will take home some hardware tonight as the PIHL will crown two champions at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry Township.
Up first, Moon will take on Burrell in the Division 2 title game. That game has a 5:30 p.m. faceoff.
The top-seeded Tigers advanced to the title game with a 9-2 rout of Central Valley in the quarterfinals and a close 2-1 victory over Connellsville in the semifinals. Burrell, the No. 2 seed, cruised past Kennedy Catholic, 7-5, and then got out to a big lead over Ringgold before holding off a late charge from the Rams.
Following that, Meadville will face Bishop McCort in the Single-A Penguins Cup final. The winner will face Bayard Rustin in the Single-A State Championship on Saturday.
The Bulldogs, in their first season back in Single-A following a stint in Division 2, knocked off Westmont Hilltop and South Fayette on their way to the title game. The Crushers, meanwhile, are unbeaten in league play this season, and cruised into the championship with a 7-2 victory over Indiana in the semifinal.
On Tuesday in Double-A, Quaker Valley will look to keep its string of upsets rolling against top-ranked Armstrong. The Quakers beater Latrobe, 1-0, and Pine-Richland, 3-1, to advance to the final after coming into each game as the lower seed. They get a tough draw in the final. The high-powered Armstrong offense hasn’t run into much trouble in he postseason the RiverHawks beat Franklin Regional, 8-2, and Upper St. Clair, 11-4, in their two playoff games. The winner in Double-A will take on Downingtown East in the state final.
In Tuesday’s nightcap, reigning Triple-A champs Peters Township will defend its title against Seneca Valley. The Raiders had one of the top defenses in the PIHL this season and gave up just three total goals in victories over Bethel Park and Cathedral Prep. Peters is also a sound defensive squad, with a pair of 2-1 victories over Plum and North Allegheny in the postseason. The Triple-A Penguins Cup winner will face the winner of Holy Ghost Prep and St. Joseph’s Prep in the state title game.
