PIHL Class AA Penguins Cup Championship

No. 3 Penn-Trafford (15-5-0-0) vs. No. 1 Hempfield Area (16-3-1-0) – Monday 6:15 p.m. at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry

About the Warriors: Penn-Trafford enjoyed a strong regular season, which was highlighted by a 10-game winning streak. The Warriors sputtered a bit down the stretch, however, losing three of their final four tilts, including a 5-0 setback against Cathedral Prep in the finale. Despite that blemish, PT still outscored the opposition by a margin of 90-59. Sean Goodman paced Penn-Trafford with 23 goals and 38 points, while Ben Zierski dished out a team-leading 21 assists. Brock Bienemann and Zach Grkman were also vital offensive contributors, each producing 19 points. Tyler Funk earned the lion’s share of time in goal, registering an 8-2-0 record with a 2.90 goals-against average and a .909 save percentage. In the opening round of the Class AA playoffs, the Warriors outpaced No. 6 Shaler Area 6-3. Goodman and Bienemann were the catalysts, as each notched two goals and two helpers, while Funk made 30 saves and also picked up two assists. In the semifinals against seventh-seeded Greater Latrobe Tuesday, Penn-Trafford tallied the first four goals enroute to a 6-2 triumph. Jordan Tucek registered a hat trick, Zierski and Bienemann accumulated five and four assists, respectively, and Funk made 40 stops. Brian Zagorac is in his second season as the PT bench boss.

About the Spartans: Hempfield Area was at or near the top of the Class AA standings all season, ultimately winning a tiebreaker with Armstrong to garner the top seed. The Spartans commenced the season with a six-game winning streak, and later had a 10-game surge. Hempfield boasted a stellar goal differential during the campaign, outpacing foes by a margin of 131-45, leading the classification in both goals for and goals against. Guerin Gardner led the prolific offense with 26 assists and 42 points, while Nino DiPietro paced Hempfield with 18 goals in just 13 games. JJ Williams, Nick Crupie, Colby Herron, Mats Martz, Jonathan Holtzman, and Andrew Bryant also topped 25 points. Evan Saltsgiver has served as the top goalie for Hempfield Area, compiling a record of 10-3-0, with a 2.66 GAA and .909 save percentage. Hempfield Area commenced the postseason with a 4-2 home victory against No. 8 seed Cathedral Prep, as the Spartans outshot the Ramblers 46-14. Hempfield left no doubt against fourth seed Bethel Park in the semifinals, reigning supreme 6-2. Crupie tallied two goals and an assist, while Williams dished out three helpers and Saltzgiver made 34 saves. Mike Albright, who was previously an assistant at Greater Latrobe and Franklin Regional, is in his inaugural campaign leading the Spartans.

About the Matchup: This clash represents the rubber match for the season, as the Warriors prevailed 6-4 at home in the first meeting on Nov. 10, while the Spartans took the second battle 7-3 on Dec. 22. Penn-Trafford has never captured a Penguins Cup Championship, already the Warriors reached the title game two years ago. Likewise, Hempfield Area is in pursuit of its first hockey crown.