Chase for playoffs heats up for A-K Valley hockey teams

Nov. 30—The Knoch hockey team lost its first three games of the 2025-26 season.

Close setbacks to McDowell, 6-5, and Neshannock, 6-4, and a 5-0 defeat at the hands of Ringgold had the Knights searching for a spark that would point them in the right direction.

That spark came in the first of three straight home games at Frozen Pond Arena. The Knoch offense erupted for seven goals in a 7-4 victory over Elizabeth Forward on Oct. 13, and it set off the current streak of eight straight victories that vaulted Knoch to the top of the Varsity Division 2 Gold Division with 23 points.

"When we started the year, we only had 12 skaters, but we put up a good fight," Knoch coach Nick Minton said.

"Then we had some injuries and only had nine skaters for Ringgold. But everyone could see the potential for this team. Our kids kind of went on a recruitment spree, and we were able to get some kids to join the team. We added a few more pieces, and we got to where we're at now with 15 skaters. Just having the extra bodies and having that skill from our first to third lines has helped lead us to that winning streak."

The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Hockey League has completed two months of the regular season, and the chase for the Penguins Cup varsity playoffs continues to heat up with games throughout the first three weeks of December.

There are 18 games this month involving teams in the Alle-Kiski Valley starting Monday with a Class AAA matchup between Fox Chapel and Pine-Richland at 7 p.m. at the Baierl Ice Complex in Warrendale.

Knoch, a co-op with players also from Moniteau, Slippery Rock, Oil City, Portersville Christian and Karns City school districts, had one of the busiest schedules in the PIHL over the first two months with 11 games between early October and a 5-4 win over Connellsville on Nov. 24.

Senior Synjun Mchattie (Slippery Rock) tallied a hat trick for the Knights in the victory which saw the Falcons rally for three third-period goals to make things interesting in the waning moments.

Mchattie leads Knoch with 16 goals. Senior Brady Linamen (Knoch) also is one of the offensive leaders in D2 with 13 goals and 12 assists.

Senior Cam Christie (Knoch) and junior Zach Weiland (Knoch) have contributed to the Knoch success with 10 and nine assists, respectively.

Knoch plays just one game in December, but it is a key matchup Dec. 15 at Frozen Pond against a Burrell team that has fought its way to a tie for second in the D2 Blue Division with Ringgold with 17 points.

"That is a big rivalry, and the kids are looking forward to that one," Minton said.

"The Pond should be packed."

The Bucs, with four games in December starting with Thursday's 8:10 p.m. matchup with Central Valley at Pittsburgh Ice Arena, own five regulation wins in 10 games with a pair of overtime losses, 4-3 scores to both Neshannock and Ringgold.

Burrell, a D2 playoff semifinalist last year, averaged 7.6 goals in its five wins.

Senior forward Ryan Burkett leads the Bucs with eight goals. He scored a pair against Ringgold, one on a first-period power play and the second late in the third period to tie the game and send it to OT.

Deer Lakes sits second to Knoch in the D2 Gold Division with two games in hand on the Knights.

The Lancers, 6-2-1-0 with 20 points, have won three straight, including an overtime triumph over Sewickley Academy, since a 7-0 loss to Knoch on Nov. 10.

Deer Lakes, like Burrell, plays four games in December and starts that stretch Dec. 8 against defending D2 champion Morgantown (4-3-1-1, 15 points in D2 Gold) at the Alpha Ice Complex.

The Lancers are fronted by the offensive prowess of senior forward Mason Cervone who has 11 goals to go along with three assists. He tallied a hat trick in Deer Lakes' 8-3 win over Central Valley on Oct. 20.

Fox Chapel hopes to make up ground in Class AAA with four games in December.

The Foxes have seven points with three wins in nine games. They own a 4-3 shootout win over Upper St. Clair, a 5-4 overtime victory over Franklin Regional and a 5-2 regulation win over South Fayette.

Junior forward Tucker Cullen has had the scoring touch for Fox Chapel with seven goals and five assists.

He tallied a hat trick in the win over Franklin Regional and scored twice against South Fayette.

Freeport and Plum also are hoping to get on runs to make climbs up the ladder in their respective Class A Divisions.

The Yellowjackets still are seeking their first win in regulation, but they have five points in seven Varsity Blue games with a 3-2 shootout victory over Meadville, a 5-4 overtime win over Montour, and a 4-3 OT loss to Beaver.

Senior forward Aiden Bauman owns a team-best six goals while producing five assists. He scored twice in the win over Montour with one coming while the team was shorthanded.

Bauman also found the back of the net twice against Beaver.

Plum has eight points in eight Varsity Gold games.

The Mustangs started the season with a 7-2 regulation win at Greensburg Salem and a 2-1 overtime triumph over North Hills.

Plum snapped a five-game losing streak Nov. 24 with an 8-3 win in the rematch with Salem. The Mustangs trailed 2-1 after the first period but erupted for six goals in the second to take control.

Junior forward AJ Leah recorded a hat trick in the second period alone and finished the game with four goals. He is tied for the team lead with six goals, and he also owns six assists.

Junior Colby Bartos also scored against Salem to give him six goals on the season.

Michael Love is a TribLive reporter covering sports in the Alle-Kiski Valley and the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. A Clearfield native and a graduate of Westminster (Pa.), he joined the Trib in 2002 after spending five years at the Clearfield Progress. He can be reached at [email protected].