We made it! The final week of the 2019-20 Pennsylvania Interscholastic Hockey League is upon us. Here are the standings, schedules and scenarios that are in focus for the last week of the regular season.
All races are calculated to an out-right points win. Any ties for the final playoff position in each division are subject to a play-in game. Tiebreakers are: 1st: Head-to-head, 2nd: total wins, 3rd: least penalty minutes as per the PIHL rulebook. GL- Games Left, PR- Points available in remaining games, MP- Maximum points a team can gain.
CLASS-B
Standings
Clinching Scenarios
NORTH
Neshannock is the No. 1 seed in the North and hosts the No. 4 seed in the South in the first round.
Avonworth is the No. 2 seed in the North and hosts Elizabeth Forward in the first round.
Burrell clinches the No. 3 seed with a win over McDowell on Monday night OR any loss by Wilmington (H2H over Wilmington).
Wilmington clinches the No. 3 seed with a Burrell loss and a minimum three points in their final two games vs Avonworth and at Morgantown.
SOUTH
Ringgold clinched the No. 1 seed in the South and hosts the No. 4 seed in the North in the first round.
Carrick clinched the No. 2 seed in the South and hosts the No. 3 seed in the North in the first round.
Elizabeth Forward clinched the No. 3 seed in the South and plays at Avonworth in the first round.
Morgantown clinches a playoff berth with a win over Wilmington on Thursday.
Bishop Canevin clinches a playoff berth with a win over Elizabeth Forward on Monday and a Morgantown loss against Wilmington on Thursday.
QUALIFIER SCENARIOS
- If Morgantown loses in overtime and Bishop Canevin wins, Morgantown and Bishop Canevin play in a qualifier (16 points)
- If Morgantown loses in regulation and Bishop Canevin loses in regulation, Morgantown and Connellsville will play in a qualifier (15 points)
- If Morgantown loses in regulation and Bishop Canevin loses in overtime, Connellsville will play Morgantown via less PIMS. (15 points). Connellsville holds the most points in common games (Bishop Canevin split the series with both Connellsville and Morgantown, but Connellsville swept Morgantown), while Morgantown and Bishop Canevin tie in wins, the Mohawks currently have 121 fewer penalty minutes than the Crusaders.
Current Matchups
Morgantown/Connellsville/Bishop Canevin @ Neshannock
Elizabeth Forward @ Avonworth
Wilmington or Burrell @ Ringgold
Burrell or Wilmington @ Carrick
Schedule
Monday:
Avonworth @ Wilmington, 7:00 p.m. Hess Ice Rink
Elizabeth Forward @ Bishop Canevin, 9:00 p.m. Ice Castle Arena (Trackside)
McDowell @ Burrell, 9:00 p.m. Pittsburgh Ice Arena
Ringgold @ Carrick, 9:00 p.m. Ice Castle Arena (Roadside)
Thursday:
Carrick @ Elizabeth Forward, 6:15 p.m. Rostraver Ice Garden
Wilmington @ Morgantown, 8:15 p.m. Morgantown Ice Arena
Neshannock @ Central Valley, 8:45 p.m. Brady’s Run Ice Arena
Class-A
Standings
Clinching Scenarios
NORTHWEST
North Catholic clinched the Northwest division. The Trojans host South Park in the first round.
Blackhawk clinched the No 2 seed in the Northwest. The Cougars face Thomas Jefferson in the first round.
SOUTHWEST
Thomas Jefferson clinched the Southwest division. The Jaguars host Blackhawk in the first round.
South Park clinched the No. 2 seed in the Southwest. The Eagles face North Catholic in the first round.
NORTHEAST
Kiski clinched the Northeast division. The Cavaliers host Norwin in the first round.
Indiana clinched the No. 2 seed in the Northeast. The Little Indians face Bishop McCort in the first round.
SOUTHEAST
Bishop McCort clinched the No. 1 seed in the Southeast. The Crushers host Indiana in the first round.
Norwin clinched the No. 2 seed in the Southeast. The Knights face Kiski in the first round.
Final Matchups
South Park @ North Catholic
Blackhawk @ Thomas Jefferson
Indiana @ Bishop McCort
Norwin @ Kiski
Schedule
Monday:
Chartiers Valley @ North Hills, 7:15 RMU Island Sports Center
Beaver @ Sewickley Academy, 9:15 RMU Island Sports Center
Tuesday:
Bishop McCort @ Westmont Hilltop, 6:00 p.m. 1st Summit Arena @ CCWM
Greensburg Salem @ Norwin, 6:30 p.m. Center Ice Arena (East Rink)
Wheeling Park @ Wheeling Catholic, 7:50 p.m. Wesbanco Arena
Fox Chapel @ Kiski, 8:30 p.m. Center Ice Arena (East Rink)
Thomas Jefferson @ North Catholic, 9:10 p.m. UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex
Thursday:
Beaver @ Blackhawk, 6:45 p.m. Brady’s Run Ice Arena
Freeport @ Indiana, 7:30 p.m. S&T Bank Arena
Monday, March 2
Wheeling Catholic @ Wheeling Park, 7:00 p.m. Wesbanco Arena
Class-2A
Standings
Clinching Scenarios
NORTHWEST
Mars clinches No. 1 seed in the Northwest with wins over Moon and Quaker Valley.
Quaker Valley clinches the No. 1 seed with a victory over Mars. The Quakers need one point to clinch a play-in game.
Meadville cannot clinch the No. 1 seed outright, as both Mars and Quaker Valley play each other and hold the tiebreakers. The Bulldogs can clinch the No. 2 seed in the postseason in scenario No. 4 below:
TIEBREAKING AND QUALFIER SCENARIOS
- If Mars loses to Moon and defeats Quaker Valley in overtime, the Planets, Quakers and Bulldogs are tied at 18 points. Mars will be the division champions (H2H in games played) and Meadville and Quaker Valley will play a qualifier game.
- If Mars defeats Moon in any format and Quaker Valley in overtime, the Quakers and Bulldogs will play a qualifier game.
- If Mars defeats Moon, but falls to Quaker Valley in regulation, the Quakers will clinch the No. 1 seed and the Planets and Bulldogs will play a qualifier game.
- If Mars loses to Moon and defeats Quaker Valley in regulation, the Planets clinch the No. 1 seed and Meadville will be the No. 2 seed due to Mars having 9 wins in this scenario.
SOUTHWEST
Baldwin clinched the No. 1 seed in the Southwest. The Fighting Highlanders host one of Mars, Quaker Valley or Meadville in the first round.
West Allegheny clinches a playoff berth with a Montour loss of any kind against Penn-Trafford.
Montour clinches a qualifier game with a win at Penn-Trafford.
The winner of West Allegheny or Montour, whether it be in the final standings or qualifier game will face either Mars or Quaker Valley in the first round.
NORTHEAST
Plum clinched the No. 1 seed in the Northeast. The Mustangs host either Hempfield or Franklin Regional in the first round of the postseason.
Armstrong clinched the No. 2 seed in the Northeast. The River Hawks face Greater Latrobe in the first round of the postseason.
SOUTHEAST
Greater Latrobe clinched the No. 1 seed in the Southeast. The Wildcats host Armstrong in the first round of the postseason.
Hempfield and Franklin Regional are currently tied with 20 points. If the two teams have the same result against Hampton and Greater Latrobe respectively, there will be a qualifier game between the two of them. If one wins and one loses in their respective games, the team that wins will be the No. 2 seed in the Southeast and face Plum in the first round.
Current Matchups
West Allegheny/Montour @ Quaker Valley or Mars
Meadville, Quaker Valley or Mars @ Baldwin
Hempfield or Franklin Regional @ Plum
Armstrong @ Greater Latrobe
Schedule
Monday:
South Fayette @ Baldwin, 7:00 p.m. Ice Castle Arena (Trackside)
Mars @ Moon, 7:00 Baierl Ice Complex (Galaxy Rink)
Montour @ Penn-Trafford, 7:20 p.m. Center Ice Arena (East Rink)
Franklin Regional @ Greater Latrobe, 8:35 p.m. Kirk Nevin Arena
Hempfield @ Hampton, 9:10 p.m. Frozen Pond Arena
Tuesday:
Armstrong @ Shaler 9:00 p.m. Alpha Ice Complex (USA Rink)
Thursday:
Quaker Valley @ Mars, 9:10 p.m. Baierl Ice Complex (Galaxy Rink)
Class-3A
Standings
Clinching Scenarios
TIEBREAKERS
North Allegheny clinched the No. 1 seed overall and will host Bethel Park in the first round. The Tigers have the H2H tiebreaker over Upper St. Clair.
Upper St. Clair clinched the No. 2 seed overall and will face the No. 7 seed in the first round.
No. 3 Seed:
The winner of Peters Township and Cathedral Prep on Tuesday will be the No. 3 seed.
No. 4 Seed:
Peters Township will be the No. 4 seed with any loss to Cathedral Prep, as the Indians can finish no lower than the No. 4 seed due to head-to-head with Canon-McMillan and Pine-Richland.
IF PETERS TOWNSHIP DEFEATS CATHEDRAL PREP
Canon-McMillan holds the head-to-head tiebreaker over Cathedral Prep. Pine-Richland holds the head-to-head tiebreaker over Canon-McMillan and (with the necessary 2 wins) holds a slight PIM advantage over Cathedral Prep, 284-295. A tie in PIM’s would constitute a tiebreaker.
Canon-McMillan clinches the No. 4 seed with a win over Upper St. Clair AND Pine-Richland loses one of their two remaining games. The Big Macs hold the tiebreaker H2H over Cathedral Prep.
Pine-Richland clinches the No. 4 seed:
With wins over North Allegheny and Bethel Park, AND a Cathedral Prep loss 1.) in regulation to Peters Township OR 2.) in overtime to Peters Township AND the Rams take 11 or less more PIMS than the Ramblers throughout the remainder of the regular season. The Rams have the H2H tiebreaker over Canon-McMillan.
Cathedral Prep clinches the No. 4 seed:
Loss to Peters Township in Regulation: Canon-McMillan loses to Upper St Clair AND Pine-Richland loses to one of North Allegheny or Bethel Park
Loss to Peters Township in Overtime: Canon-McMillan loses to Upper St. Clair, AND EITHER Pine-Richland loses any of their remaining games OR Pine-Richland wins both of their remaining games and takes 12-or-more PIM’s than the Ramblers in their final two games.
THREE WAY TIE AT 26 POINTS:
Canon-McMillan gets the No. 4 seed (points earned in common games) and No. 5/6 seed will be Pine-Richland and Cathedral Prep, with the team with the fewer penalty minutes in the regular season getting the higher seed. Both teams would have 12 wins in this scenario.
THREE WAY TIE AT 25 POINTS:
Canon-McMillan gets the No. 4 seed (points earned in common games), Cathedral Prep gets the No. 5 seed 12 wins to 11 in this scenario) and Pine-Richland gets the No. 6 seed.
ROAD SEEDS:
Seneca Valley clinched a playoff berth and can finish no higher than No. 5 (win over Central Catholic, two losses by Pine-Richland and a loss by Canon-McMillan. H2H over Canon-McMillan)
Bethel Park clinched the No. 8 seed and will play at North Allegheny in the first round.
Current Matchups
Bethel Park @ North Allegheny
Seneca Valley @ Upper St. Clair
Pine-Richland @ Peters Township
Canon-McMillan @ Cathedral Prep
Schedule
Monday:
Bethel Park @ Mt. Lebanon, 7:10 p.m. Mt. Lebanon Ice
North Allegheny @ Pine Richland, 9:00 Baierl Ice Complex (Galaxy Rink)
Tuesday:
Cathedral Prep @ Peters Township, 7:00 p.m. Printscape Arena
Seneca Valley @ Central Catholic, 7:00 p.m. Alpha Ice Complex (USA Rink)
Upper St. Clair @ Canon-McMillan, 9:00 p.m. Printscape Arena
Thursday:
Pine-Richland @ Bethel Park, 9:00 p.m. Spencer Family Y.M.C.A.
