Burrell swept season series 12-3 on Oct. 16, 9-1 on Jan. 14
Burrell: The Bucs haven’t even been challenged by a team that finished outside of the top four. One of the deepest squads in division-2, the defending runner-up are lead by the same names as last year.
Why I like Burrell: Because I can’t find a reason to not.
Trinity: The battle for the final seed was a tough one, as Knoch controlled their own destiny but ran into teams that needed wins to keep their positions. Trinity made a statement against Morgantown, but were unable to get through McDowell the following game.
Why I like Trinity: I think this team is on the rise- in the future. A signature win potentially puts this team in a position to develop playmakers in the future.
Split season series, Connellsville won 8-0 on Nov. 27, Carrick won 5-1 on Feb. 7
Connellsville: The Falcons finished the season winning 12-of-14 en-route to a 4th place finish. Lead by Ryan Brown and Gregory Hensh on offense, Connellsville has a high-octane offense that can give any team a run for their money.
Why I like Connellsville: The only blemish on their home schedule this season came at the hands of Ringgold- in overtime. That includes a 6-1 statement victory over Burrell on home ice, the only loss handed to the Bucs this season. The loss to Carrick occurred with starter Sebastien Skarzenski out of the lineup, and the Falcons allowed 5-of-10 in the loss.
Carrick: Equally as impressive is Carrick, as the squad won 9-of-12 to close the season, including a 5-1 win over Connellsville on Feb. 7. The wins weren’t without question though – most were against the bottom teams in the division. Gavin McKain and Michael Farkal lead the team in scoring in the regular season.
Why I like Carrick: While the Falcons may have been without Skarzenski in the Feb. 7 matchup, the remainder of their potent offense made the trip to Ice Castle and were neutralized. If Carrick can repeat, they head to the Island.
Neshannock swept season series, 6-5 on Nov. 15 and 2-1 on Jan. 21
Neshannock: The Lancers lost four games all season, two to Burrell and one each to Ringgold and Connellsville, and all but one of the Burrell losses were by two goals or less. A tough beat, Carsen Burkhart has a 16-3 record and a .912 sv% to match Robert Pozzuto, Thomas Walls, and Terence Rice’ 25-point campaigns.
Why I like Neshannock: The Lancers are one of only two teams to give Burrell fits this season, and are a serious threat to win the Division-2 crown.
Morgantown: The Mohawks started the season 1-5-0-1 only to go 5-2 over their next seven and ultimately finish the season on a 1-4-0-1 slide. Morgantown’s offense is strong enough to give any team a fit as Quentin Smith, Carter Kline and Braden Phillips are each over the 1.8o points-per-game plateau – Smith is just a shade under 3 at 2.94.
Why I like Morgantown: Two one-goal losses to the Lancers give the Mohawks enough reason to be considered as a major threat to the Lancers, and this shouldn’t be overlooked as a possible upset.
Teams split the series, Central Valley won 5-3 on Nov. 5 and Ringgold won 6-0 on Jan. 17.
Ringgold: The Rams finished the season winning 12-of-14, dropping contests to Burrell and Neshannock. Justin Day, Noah Schroeder and Bradley Bujdos finished the season at over a 2 points per game pace. Evan Cook saw all of the action for Ringgold, finishing with a .902 sv%.
Why I like Ringgold: The Rams took care of business where they needed to, and their only losses were to Burrell, Central Valley and Neshannock. Cook is dynamic in net, and Bujdos continued to get stronger as the season progressed.
Central Valley: The Warriors started out the season 5-1 only to drop 11-of-14 to close the season. Christian Bohan and Matthew Vrankovich lead the team with 19 points, and feisty starter Roberto Wilhelm kept the Warriors in contests all season.
Why I like Central Valley: As long as Central Valley keeps the big three in check and can get into the head of Cook, the Warriors have a shot at moving to the Island Sports Center next week.
