Baldwin swept season series, 5-4/OT on Nov. 5 and 6-3 on Nov. 11.
Upper St. Clair: The Panthers only five blemishes on the season were to No. 2 Greater Latrobe twice, Pine-Richland, and two losses to No. 5 Baldwin. Their offense has been potent, only being held to less than four goals three times all season. Quinn Giacobbe and Devin Rohrich are studs, as well as breakout freshman Anthony Carone.
Why I like Upper St. Clair: Revenge. Baldwin has been the thorn in the side of an otherwise phenomenal season for the Panthers. To lose three times in a season to an arch-rival that is lower in the standings is something, to say the least.
Baldwin: A streaky Fighting Highlanders club has been up and down all season, struggling to find an identity offensively, breaking out for consecutive games of offensive prowess only to go ice-cold for equal amounts of time.
Why I like Baldwin: They are playing Upper St. Clair at Ice Castle.
Mars defeated Franklin Regional 3-2 in overtime on Nov. 26
Mars: The Fighting Planets season lead the team to twin five-game win streaks, leaving them second only to Pine-Richland in the standings. Jackson Krock and William Foley lead the offense while Daniel Mitchell and Lindsey Scott gave the team a boost in the cage.
Why I like Mars: A strong, veteran team that knows how to win tight games always fares well in the postseason, and Mitchell provides an added level of security in the net.
Franklin Regional: The Panthers come into the postseason winners of seven of their last ten after a rocky start to the season. Oldrich Virag is a game-changer and four-year starter Daniel Soltesz has the experience of winning championships in the postseason.
Why I like Franklin Regional: This isn’t the same Panthers team of old, and the current group is looking to carve out their own identity. Another run for Soltesz could be the feather in the cap of a solid four-year career.
Pine-Richland defeated Hempfield 7-3 on Jan. 10
Pine-Richland: The Rams 18-0-1 record make it seem like they’ve had it easy all season – they haven’t. The overtime loss to Hampton on Jan. 28 was one of their six games where two-or-less goals decided the contest. Separation with the teams in the postseason picture has been rough. But this squad is experienced and hungry.
Why I like Pine-Richland: The No. 3 team in the state according to MyHockeyRankings is the top team in the PIHL in that regard, and they are tough to bet against. Danny Stauffer is as focused as they come, and they are deeper than the rest of the teams.
Hempfield: The Spartans are lead by Jared Gerger and Matthew Traczynski, who each scored 20 or more goals on the year. The squad has dropped 6-of-9 on their way to the postseason, however, and giving up 5 goals on 12 shots to Quaker Valley in the 4/5 matchup is doesn’t look good.
Why I like Hempfield: The offensive outbursts that the Spartans are capable of could give them the chance to upset here, but they have to sure up their goaltending and defense.
Hampton defeated Greater Latrobe 6-4 on Nov. 26
Greater Latrobe: Goaltending has lead the way for the Wildcats, as Gage Handwork (2) and Gregory Irons (3) combined for five shutouts on the season. The only game they gave up more than 4 goals on the season was the matchup with Hampton. Alexander Walker can change a game whenever he’s on the ice.
Why I like Greater Latrobe: The 2018 postseason run ended in heartbreak, as Quaker Valley scored the only goal in the overtime contest. The returning players haven’t forgotten, and are ready for retribution.
Hampton: The Talbots were the only team to defeat Pine-Richland during the entire 2018-19 season, but immediately dropped an overtime contest to Quaker Valley and at Moon when they had a chance to clinch the bye. Streaky at best, the squad shows signs of promise, but have been wildly inconsistent.
Why I like Hampton: Looking to rebuild after last years postseason debacle, the Talbots have given everyone reason that they are a contender, and all you have to do is win three straight in the postseason.
