By: Don Rebel


Sunday, March 2, 2025 | 8:59 PM

While the basketball playoffs take a few days off between the district and state postseason, the puck drops in a big way on the high school hockey playoffs Monday.

Actually, the chase for the Penguins Cup began last week in Class A.

There were six first round games played last Monday and Tuesday.

Five of the six games were shutouts as Shaler, Mars, Quaker Valley, North Hills and North Catholic all blanked their opponents on their way to the PIHL quarterfinals.

The only game where a shutout wasn’t registered was close as Avonworth rolled past Blackhawk, 6-1.

All four Class A quarterfinals are set for Monday as the top two teams in the regular season, Chartiers Valley and Moon, received first-round byes and hit the ice for the first time in this year’s Penguins Cup playoffs.

Defending champion and top-seeded Chartiers Valley (19-1-0-0) will take on No. 8 North Catholic (12-7-2-0) at the Mt. Lebanon Ice Arena at 7:10 p.m.

In a first round win over Montour, the Trojans were led by two goals and one assist by Beckett Dunn, and goaltender Wyatt Cleveland stopped all 27 shots in the 4-0 win.

No. 2 Moon (17-2-0-1) goes up against No. 7 North Hills (9-8-4-0) at the RMU Sports Complex on Neville Island at 7:15 p.m.

The Indians eliminated Plum, 6-0, as Jonathan Trosky and Dillon Cobaugh each scored twice, and Parker Talerico registered the shutout with 44 saves.

No. 3 Avonworth (15-3-0-2) is challenged by No. 6 Quaker Valley (18-1-1-1) at the RMU Sports Complex on Neville Island at 9:15 p.m.

Conner Ralston scored twice in the Antelopes’ win over Blackhawk, 6-1.

Charles D’Antonio picked up a hat trick and Landon Buterbaugh stopped all 17 shots he faced in the Quakers’ rout of West Allegheny, 10-0.

Finally, No. 4 Shaler (16-3-1-1) battles No. 5 Mars (17-3-1-0) at the Baierl Galaxy Arena in Wexford at 9 p.m.

Jackson Fox stopped all 27 shots he faced to lead the Titans over Indiana, 2-0, while Adam Goul only needed to stop 10 shots for the shutout as the Fightin’ Planets skated past Meadville, 9-0.

Class 3A Penguins Cup quarterfinals

It was a struggle in a tight 3A race for defending champion Pine-Richland, but the Rams finished tied for the eighth and final playoff spot with Peters Township and qualified via the head-to-head tiebreaker.

No. 8 Pine-Richland (8-10-0-2) begins its title defense against top-seeded Seneca Valley (13-5-2-0) at the Baierl Galaxy Arena in Wexford at 7 p.m.

During the regular season, these two ice rivals squared off twice with the Raiders sweeping the Rams, 7-2, in October and 4-3 in December.

There are two other 3A quarterfinals Monday.

The No. 4 Thomas Jefferson battles No. 5 Upper St. Clair (9-9-1-1) at the Ice Castle in Castle Shannon at 7 p.m.

Second-seeded Mt. Lebanon (13-4-1-2) takes on No. 7 South Fayette (7-9-3-1) at the Mt. Lebanon Ice Arena at 9:10 p.m.

Penguins Cup 2A quarterfinals

All four 2A quarterfinals are set for Monday, including the top two seeds playing in rubber game contests.

No. 8 Canon-McMillan (5-12-1-2) will take on top-seeded Fox Chapel (16-3-0-1) at the Alpha Ice in Harmarville at 6:30 p.m.

The Big Macs won the first game back in October, 6-5 in a shootout, while the Foxes won the second clash in January via shutout, 5-0.

No. 7 Armstrong (7-11-2-0) challenges No. 2 Cathedral Prep (14-4-2-0) at LECOM Sports Park in Erie at 8 p.m.

The River Hawks won in Erie in early January, 4-3, and the Ramblers picked up a shutout win in Kittanning two weeks later, 3-0.

The other two games on Monday include:

No. 4 Penn-Trafford (14-4-1-1) battles No. 5 Bishop McCort (9-10-0-1) at Palmer Ice Arena in Delmont at 7 p.m.

No. 3 Latrobe (15-5-0-0) goes up against a familiar face in No. 6 Hempfield (8-10-1-1) at Kirk Nevin Arena in Greensburg at 7:15 p.m.

PIHL Division 2 playoffs

Three games will open up the PIHL Division 2 high school hockey playoffs, including the defending Division 2 champions starting their search for a repeat.

No. 4 Neshannock (12-3-2-2), champion a year ago, will host No. 5 Connellsville (11-6-1-2) at Hess Arena in New Castle at 7:15 p.m.

These two teams met in the 2023 quarterfinals, with the Falcons knocking out the Lancers.

Also set for Monday:

No. 2 Burrell (15-2-2-1) will be home to No. 7 Elizabeth Forward (10-8-2-0) at Pittsburgh Ice Arena in New Kensington at 8 p.m.

No. 3 Deer Lakes (14-4-1-1) will face No. 6 Carrick (10-7-0-3) at Alpha Ice in Harmarville at 8:30 p.m.

Tags: Armstrong, Avonworth, Burrell, Canon-McMillan, Carrick, Chartiers Valley, Connellsville, Deer Lakes, Elizabeth Forward, Fox Chapel, Hempfield, Latrobe, Mars, Moon, Mt. lebanon, Neshannock, North Catholic, North Hills, Penn-Trafford, Pine-Richland, Quaker Valley, Seneca Valley, Shaler, South Fayette, Thomas Jefferson, Upper St. Clair