By: Joe Sager
Friday, February 14, 2020 | 7:46 PM

The race for PIHL Penguins Cup Class AA playoff spots is finishing in a frenzy.

Quaker Valley is just happy to have some control in what could become an ultra-tight Northwest Division. Only two teams from each division earn playoff spots. The Quakers (7-7-3, 17 points) lead the division with one game left. A win over Mars in the finale Feb. 27 would secure a division title and a playoff berth for Quaker Valley.

“It kind of makes us less stressed out knowing that we control our own destiny,” Quaker Valley senior goaltender Colin Rice said. “We can really grind down in these last few practices and perfect our systems. We’ve played Mars before, and we know how they play. We’re certainly not underestimating them because they are a great team. We just have to work our butts off and be prepared for that game.”

Meadville (7-8-2), which also has one game left, is right behind with 16 points. Mars is the wild card with 12 points through 14 of its 18 games. Mathematically, the Fightin’ Planets could win the division title with victories in their last four games to reach 20 points. In that case, Quaker Valley could still reach the postseason if Meadville loses its finale. However, if Meadville wins, the Bulldogs snag second from the Quakers, who’d be eliminated.

“Given everything we’ve gone through and how young we are and outmanned we’ve been, to be in a position to win a division title is great,” Quaker Valley coach Kevin Quinn. “We have some time to get healthier and give ourselves an opportunity.”

Quaker Valley had more than a two-week break between its last game and the finale with Mars. The time off is welcome for the Quakers, who were battling through a rough patch. They dropped five of their last six games, including their last four in which they were outscored 34-3.

“I think we had a bit of a reality check,” Quinn said. “We had got by, at times, this year with our young team because excellent goaltending and timely scoring helped us win some games maybe we shouldn’t have. We’ve faced some good competition down the stretch, too. We’ve just been outmanned.

“We have to put it in the past and prepare for one game,” he continued. “Two years ago, we were 9-9 going into the playoffs and made it to the final. So, anything is possible.”

One of the setbacks in that streak came to Baldwin, which leads Class AA in the overall standings. The Quakers trailed 1-0 heading into the third but settled for a 3-0 defeat.

“We know what we can do if we play the right way. When we struggle scoring and we give up too many chances, we’ll be in trouble against good teams,” Quinn said. “I think that game against Baldwin was our best of the year. We have to look at that as the game we need to play if we’re going to beat any of these big schools.”

Quaker Valley has five seniors (Chris Barefoot, Ethan Cadwell, Josh Bemis, Haley Steffey and Rice), which presses its six sophomores and four freshmen into action.

“We played two schools on their senior nights, and Hempfield and Latrobe both had over 10 seniors. We dressed all those sophomores and freshmen. That’s what you get when you’re the smallest school and being forced to play up. We’re doing what we can. I feel pretty good about the fact that, if we can pull it off, we will have qualified for the playoffs all five years we’ve been in Class AA with a .500 or a sub-.500 record.

“We’re really just doing everything we can to compete while being forced to play up. It takes a toll on the younger guys, who have to go against older players. We still keep battling. I have been pretty proud of them.”

The Quakers hope to snap their streak and extend their season against Mars, another former Class A rival and powerhouse.

“We’ve definitely had our fair share of battles with them over the last few years. It’s always a fun game to play. There is so much intensity. I love it,” Rice said. “I’ve never been in this situation where we have to win to make playoffs. I just can’t wait for the game.”

Joe Sager is a freelance writer.

By: Joe Sager 
Sunday, January 26, 2020 | 6:20 PM

It took Team Blue a while to find some offensive chemistry in Sunday’s PIHL Class AA All-Star Game.

Once it did, the squad racked up four goals in the third period to post a 7-5 win over Team Gold at the RMU Island Sports Center.

“It was special to get the win,” Team Blue’s Trent Gray said. “We were struggling in the beginning of the game. We came together as a team, worked hard and got the win.”

Shane Nolan (West Allegheny) scored late in the first for a 3-3 tie. That was all for Team Blue’s offense until 3 minutes, 9 seconds into the third period.

Ethan Szymanski (South Fayette) gave Team Gold a 5-3 edge with a pair of goals, the second coming 1:19 into the third. That’s when Team Blue responded as Hudson Finn (Mars) broke the Team Blue shutout streak. Gray (Hempfield) tied it 23 seconds after that. Keith Reed (Baldwin) put Team Blue ahead 6-5 on a slapshot 2:13 later. Dustin Geregach (Montour) capped the scoring with 4:46 to play.

“It was nice to score and keep it going,” Gray said. “It was a fun time.”

Quaker Valley’s Josh Bemis and Jarred Stein (Latrobe) added goals for Team Blue. Plum’s Nick Pushic, Hempfield’s Christian Konieczka, Latrobe’s Cole Ferri (2) and Gray both had two assists. Ethan Tamborski (Penn-Trafford), Kevin Cakanac (Franklin Regional), Anthony Migliozzi (Montour) and Nolan had assists.

Hempfield’s Matt Traczynski scored twice for Team Gold. Trent Lunden (Franklin Regional) added a goal. Michael Felsing (Montour), Lane Ruffner (Latrobe), Alex Walker (Latrobe), Nick Bandi (West Allegheny) and Paul Zmuda (Baldwin) had assists.

Joe Sager is a freelance writer. 

By: Michael Love
Thursday, January 9, 2020 | 12:18 PM

The players selected for the PIHL all-star games Jan. 26 at the Robert Morris University’s Island Sports Center have been released.

The selections for each of the four games — Class AAA, Class AA, Class A and Class B — feature 24 forwards, 12 defensemen and six goaltenders.

The Class B game will kick off the day’s all-star action at noon. The Class A game will be at 2 p.m., followed by Class AA at 4 and Class AAA at 6.

Players for the Class AAA game were chosen from Canon-McMillan, Cathedral Prep, Central Catholic, Mt. Lebanon, North Allegheny, Peters Township, Pine-Richland, Seneca Valley and Upper St. Clair.

From Class AA: Armstrong, Baldwin, Franklin Regional, Latrobe, Hampton, Hempfield, Mars, Meadville, Montour, Moon, Penn-Trafford, Plum, Quaker Valley, Shaler, South Fayette and West Allegheny.

From Class A: Beaver, Bishop McCort, Blackhawk, Chartiers Valley, Fox Chapel, Freeport, Greensburg Salem, Indiana, Kiski Area, North Catholic, North Hills, Norwin, Sewickley Academy, South Park, Thomas Jefferson, Westmont Hilltop, Wheeling Catholic and Wheeling Park.

From Class B: Avonworth, Bishop Canevin, Burrell, Carrick, Central Valley, Connellsville, Elizabeth Forward, McDowell, Morgantown, Neshannock, Ringgold, Trinity and Wilmington

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By: Don Rebel
Sunday, January 12, 2020 | 7:44 PM

Here are the latest PIHL standings through Sunday, Jan. 12.

Exclusive coverage of the 2020 PIHL Penguins Cup hockey playoffs can be heard and viewed only on the TribLive High School Sports Network.

In Class AAA, the top eight teams qualify for the playoffs.

In Class AA, the top two teams from each of the four divisions qualify for the playoffs.

In Class A, the top two teams from each of the four divisions qualify for the playoffs.

In Class B, the top four teams from each of the two divisions qualify for the playoffs.

*Clinched a playoff berth

@Clinched a home playoff game

x Eliminated from playoff chase

%Not eligible for Penguins Cup playoffs

Team, Wins, Losses, Overtime/Shootout Loss = Total Points

Class AAA:

North Allegheny, 11-2-1 = 23

Seneca Valley, 9-4-0 = 18

Upper St. Clair, 8-3-1 = 17

Canon-McMillan, 8-4-1 = 17

Pine-Richland, 7-2-2 = 16

Peters Township, 7-5-0- = 14

Cathedral Prep, 5-6-1 = 11

Mt. Lebanon, 5-7-1 = 11

Bethel Park, 5-6-0 = 10

Butler, 2-11-1 = 5

Central Catholic, 2-10-0 = 4

Class AA

Northwest Division

Quaker Valley, 6-4-2 = 14

Meadville, 4-6-1 = 9

Mars, 3-6-0 = 6

Moon, 1-9-1 = 3

Northeast Division

Plum, 6-6-1 = 13

Armstrong, 5-7-0 = 10

Hampton, 2-10-0 = 4

Shaler, 2-10-0 = 4

Southwest Division

Baldwin, 9-0-0 = 18

Montour, 8-4-0 = 16

West Allegheny, 8-4-0 = 16

South Fayette, 3-9-0 = 6

Southeast Division

Latrobe, 11-0-0 = 22

Franklin Regional, 9-2-0 = 18

Hempfield, 7-4-0 = 14

Penn-Trafford, 6-4-0 = 12

Class A

Northwest Division

North Catholic, 10-1-1 = 21

Blackhawk, 4-8-1 = 9

Beaver, 1-12-0 = 2

Sewickley Academy, 0-13-0 = 0

Northeast Division

Indiana, 7-5-2 = 16

Fox Chapel, 6-4-3 = 15

Kiski Area, 7-4-0 = 14

Freeport, 4-9-0 = 8

Southwest Division

Thomas Jefferson, 12-1-0 = 24

South Park, 12-2-0 = 24

North Hills, 7-4-1 = 15

Chartiers Valley, 5-4-3 = 13

Southeast Division

Bishop McCort, 10-2-1 = 21

Norwin, 9-2-0 = 18

Greensburg Salem, 7-3-1 = 15

Westmont-Hilltop, 5-6-1 = 11

Wheeling Division

%Wheeling Park, 4-5-2 = 10

%Wheeling Central Catholic, 0-9-0 = 0

Class B

North Division

Neshannock, 10-2-0 = 20

Avonworth, 7-2-1 = 15

Wilmington, 3-7-0 = 6

Burrell, 3-8-0 = 6

Central Valley, 2-8-0 = 4

McDowell, 1-11-0 = 2

South Division

Ringgold, 11-0-0 = 22

Carrick, 10-1-0 = 20

Elizabeth Forward, 6-4-1 = 13

Connellsville, 6-7-0 = 12

Morgantown, 5-4-1 = 11

Bishop Canevin, 5-8-0 = 10

Trinity, 5-9-0 = 10

Don Rebel hosts the Rebel Yell podcasts for HSSN.

By: Shawn Annarelli 
Tuesday, December 24, 2019 | 6:01 AM

Colin Rice

School: Quaker Valley

Sport: Hockey

Class: Senior

Claim to fame: Colin Rice was on his first hockey team about a decade ago when he thought he could be a good goaltender. He asked his dad if he could try it and hasn’t left the crease since.

Rice has saved 44 of 49 shots in the Quakers’ last two games to lead them to wins.

Why do you love playing goalie? 

I like the feeling of being the last line of defense and keeping my team in the game with big saves, and I guess I like getting hit by pucks.

What’s the most challenging aspect of being the goalie? 

Definitely keeping your head in the game. You can’t let a bad goal get to you, because you’ve always got to look forward to the next shot, being in position and just being ready for anything.

You’re save percentage is up 6% this year. How have you improved in net? 

It’s mostly the mental aspect of the game. Last year was my first year starting, so when I let in the first goal (each game), I always thought about it. I’m leading more by example this year, and I think my mental game is stronger because of that. I also worked a lot in the summer on angles, controlling rebounds and facing breakaways, so I think because of that I’m playing better this year.

If you could change one rule in hockey, what would it be? 

I’d honestly make the nets bigger and goalie equipment smaller. More goals equal more entertainment.

Josh Bemis leads the team with 16 goals, 11 more than anyone else. What’s it like facing him in practice? 

It’s very competitive with us. Some days he just lights me up, and some days I stop a lot of his shots. I’ve played with him for five years. I know where he likes to shoot. He knows my strong points. It’s kind of a coin toss as to who will do better. He’s obviously a great player, and I love that he’s on my team.

What else do you enjoy doing? 

I like to play golf. I’m a big sports person. I like playing pick-up football and basketball whenever I can.

If you could play against anyone in hockey, who would it be? 

Sidney Crosby is the best player in the world. He does everything right, and he’s the epitome of what a good hockey player should be, from his shot to his skating, his unpredictability, his vision, and I think it’d be fun to go against him.

By: HSSN Staff
Tuesday, November 19, 2019 | 10:59 PM

Josh Bemis completed his hat trick with the game-winning goal in the first minute of the third period, leading Quaker Valley to a 4-3 victory over Penn-Trafford in PIHL hockey Tuesday night.

Max Quinn had a goal and an assist and Colin Rice made 32 saves for Quaker Valley (4-3-0). Nate Loughner had a goal and an assist for Penn-Trafford (3-3-0).

Bishop McCort 4, North Catholic 1 — Adis Ultanbekov had two goals and an assist and Bryce Bair added a goal and two assists to lead Bishop McCort. Dominic Dezort scored for North Catholic.

Cathedral Prep 3, Seneca Valley 0 — Seth Faulkner made 35 saves to record the shutout and Jake Kruszewski had a goal and an assist to help Cathedral Prep (4-3-1) hand Seneca Valley (6-1-0) its first loss in Class AAA.

Wheeling Park 15, Wheeling Central Catholic 3 — Spencer Abraham had four goals and an assist to lead Wheeling park to victory. Tyler Britton had a hat trick and Tyler Weekley added two goals and three assists for Wheeling Park (4-3-1). Caleb Karnell had all three goals for Wheeling Central Catholic (0-5-0).

 Shawn Annarelli

Tuesday, November 26, 2019 | 10:40 AM

Josh Bemis

School: Quaker Valley

Sport: Hockey

Class: Senior

Claim to fame: If there’s one thing Josh Bemis loves as much as hunting and fishing, it’s hockey. He is off to a hot start this season with nine goals, two assists and 11 points in seven games.

The Quakers’ leading scorer also recently completed a hat trick, his second of the season, in a 4-3 win over Penn-Trafford.

What was your most impressive goal against Penn-Trafford?

I’d say the third goal, which got us up 4-3 and secured the win. A shot on net popped out to the slot and bounced around through a few skates, hit a teammate’s skate and came out to me on the right side. I snapped it off as quick as I could before the goalie slid over. It went five-hole.

What do you feel is your best shot?

I’d say a quick snap shot to catch the goalie off guard. I don’t like to load up too much, because it gives the goalie time to think about where you’ll shoot. I like to go high glove coming down the left side of the ice if I can.

Who do you have a lot of chemistry with on the ice?

One of our defensemen, Max Quinn. We’ve had a lot of goals where he gets the puck up to me quick. He has great vision, and he’s good at finding me open. My linemates Luke Flowers and Ben Carlson are hard workers, and they grind out pucks in the corners and get it to me.

You lead the team in penalties in addition to goals and points. How much of an edge do you play with?

In general, I try to play with toughness and meanness. I’ll make some hits and play hard for the puck, so I play with intensity. Sometimes it comes back to bite you in the box.

After going 5-14 last season, the Quakers are off to a 4-3 start. How has the team turned its fortunes around?

I definitely think a lot of it goes to our goalie, Colin Rice. He has played absolutely ridiculous. Penn-Trafford had almost triple our shots on net, and Colin has been standing on his head this year. He makes saves that I didn’t know were possible. Coach (Kevin) Quinn definitely knows what he’s doing, too. He’s the best coach I’ve ever had, and he’s always on us about teamwork.

What would happen if you tried to play goalie?

That would be a mess. I played goalie one time when I was (younger), and it was brutal.

Who would you love to play hockey with for one day?

Connor McDavid, definitely. If I have free time in school, I’ll watch his game highlights. I try to mimic my game toward his. … It’d be pretty cool to skate with him.

WARRENDALE, Pa. — Josh Bemis scored twice as the Quaker Valley Quakers opened the 2019-20 PIHL regular season in the win column, defeating Meadville 4-1 at Baierl Ice Complex on Monday night.

Junior Ryan Scheppelmann scored a break-away goal for Meadville in the second to cut the lead to one, but it was short-lived as defenseman Max Quinn cashed in on the third Quakers goal early in the third period to give Quaker Valley a two-goal cushion. Chris Barefoot netted the final goal in an empty cage to seal the victory.

Meadville came out red-hot, eventually out-shooting the Quakers 42-23.

Senior Colin Rice started in net for Quaker Valley, stopping all but the Scheppelmann goal, finishing 41-of-42 on the night. Jordan McCurdy was the Bulldogs net-minder, stopping 19-of-22.

UP NEXT

Quaker Valley faces Moon at 9:10 p.m. on Thursday at Baierl Ice Complex. Meadville doesn’t suit up again until Oct. 14 in a matchup with those same Moon Tigers at Baierl Ice Complex. Game time is set for 7 p.m.

The two teams will have their second and final matchup at 7:35 p.m. Oct. 21 at the Meadville Area Recreation Complex, which will be the Bulldogs home opener

By PIHL, 11/06/19, 10:15PM EST

NAME: Chris Barefoot

TEAM: Quaker Valley Quakers

YEAR: Senior

POSITION: Forward

JERSEY #: 2

Q: What got you started in hockey and how old were you?
A: I was in 3rd grade and some of my friends were playing hockey, so I thought I'd give a try, considering my baseball career was not going to work out at the time. So I learned how to skate, and I participated in the developmental program at my school until I finally was able to join the team in 7th grade.

Q: What is the single best thing about playing for your PIHL team?
A: Getting to work with some amazing people, such as my coaches, who have always pushed me to be my best in every way, on and off the ice. Working with them and my teammates has been a big part of my life since starting hockey, and they have all made me a better person.

Q: What do you enjoy most about playing high school hockey in the PIHL?
A: Representing my school every time I step on the ice is a huge honor, especially being a team co-captain this year.

Q: What is the most-memorable hockey game you have ever been involved in with your PIHL team?
A: My most-memorable game was back in my freshman year, when I was playing on the varsity team against people 2, 3, or even 4 years older then me, and I finally was able to net my first goal for the team. That moment was huge considering I was never the most-skilled player on the ice and always just tried to get to the net anytime I was in the game. The mindset of just getting to the net lead me to that goal, where I was basically in the crease diving for the puck.

Q: Which opposing PIHL team do you really enjoy playing against, and why?
A: Playing against Mars is always a fun game just because of the history our two teams have. We've played them more than any other team, and no matter what the teams are looking like in any given year, the game is always tight and well played.

Q: Are there any routines or rituals you must stick to before every game, such as listening to a certain song?
A: Ever since my freshman year, me and our goalie Colin Rice were in a similar situation, where we were always just trying to get our chance to get on the ice. So we've developed some routines for both games and practice. We always sit in the corner of the locker room next to each other, go onto the ice and stretch together, and play a game to see if I can shoot the puck bar-down from center ice while on one knee.

Q: If you were put in charge of the entire sport of hockey and could change just one thing about the game, what would it be?
A: I would make the nets bigger and the goalie equipment smaller.

Q: Are you involved in any other organized sports or activities outside of high school hockey?
A: I play the drums in a number of musical ensembles. I have played for organizations such as the River City Brass Band and the Summer Pre-Collage program at Carnegie Mellon University, where I play all types of music from jazz, classical, and rock.

Q: What is something unique about you that most people would be surprised to know?
A: I'm a pretty good pool player. Billiards is something I've played for the past couple years, and I've enjoyed the game much more than I thought I would.

Q: What are your two favorite apps on your smartphone, and why?
A: Snapchat and 8ball pool. I'm always using Snapchat just as a means of communication, and 8ball pool because I love pool and it's gotten real easy to beat people in games.

Q: Would you rather be Superman or Batman, and why?
A: Superman, because he has real powers where as batman is just a rich guy in tight pants.

Q: What person outside of your family has done the most for you?
A: Coach Quinn has been a person who has always taught me to set clear objectives, not only in hockey but for anything that I want to achieve in my life. He's taught me that no matter what, never be lazy, always respect the people around me, and never ever make excuses for anything.

Q: What plans do you have for after you graduate from high school?
A: I want to go on to college to study music business and get into the music producing business, where I can use my love of music to help create the opportunity for as many people as possible to get into music and let them be heard.

By: Kyle Dawson
Sunday, October 6, 2019 | 11:56 PM

The 2018-19 season was a tough year for Quaker Valley hockey.

Four players scored 10 or more points and the team only won five of its 19 games. The Quakers did make the postseason, as the fifth-place team out of Class AA’s Northwest Conference, but the run ended in the preliminary round of the playoffs.

What success Quaker Valley did have last season was in large part because of the play of then-junior goaltender Colin Rice.

Rice, who faced 261 shots in 11 games, was 3-5 with a .870 save percentage and a 4.36 goals-against average.

It was a year, according to longtime coach Kevin Quinn, in which Rice didn’t get much help from his defense, and seemed to always be facing a ton of shots.

The defense was a focal point going into the 2019 season, and so far, so good, both in the defensive zone, and between the pipes.

Rice and the Quakers are 2-0, with wins over Meadville, a high-scoring, fast-moving playoff team from last season, and Moon, another team that made the postseason in Class AA last year.

The senior goaltender made 41 saves in Monday’s season opener against the Bulldogs, allowing just one goal, before following the performance with a 23-save effort against Moon Thursday. He allowed three goals that night.

For his efforts, Rice is the first TribLive High School Sports Network PIHL Player of the Week.

“Monday was special, because we were playing a perennial power in Meadville, and it was a division game, which this year are very important with how the playoffs work,” Quinn said. “Colin was exceptional. He made a save in the third period that is one of the better ones I’ve seen, laying on the ice and reaching his hand back to make a save that had the Meadville guys with their hands and sticks over their heads.”

Quinn said it was one of those nights where Rice was seeing everything, and he followed up Thursday with a solid game in net, despite seeing fewer shots on goal against.

“He did face a couple of chances that were big and made some big saves,” Quinn said.

Rice was complimentary of his team’s play in front of him in both games.

“We knew we had to be good defensively against Meadville and the guys in front of me made things easier. I can’t take full credit for that game,” Rice said. “Thursday was kind of a scrappy game for us, and our offense really stepped up.”

The senior was a backup for two seasons to start his high school career, ultimately becoming the starter last season.

Quinn said he has seen a ton of improvement from Rice since the end of last year.

“We were flat out not very good in front of him last year, and his confidence waned at times last year, but he’s off to a great start this year,” Quinn said. “He’s risen to the occasion in a game that is so important to have good goaltending. If you have the better goalie, it gives you a much bigger chance to win.”

Quinn said Rice moves around a good bit because he isn’t a big kid, but that he’s a “good skater that uses his athleticism to be quick in the net.”

“What I’ve noticed is he has made huge improvements on breakaways and on pucks around the net covering them up and controlling rebounds,” Quinn said. “We’re trying to get better in front of him.”

Rice described his style as more of a hybrid, with not as much butterfly as others.

“Some people might think I’m a little too aggressive at times, but I don’t mind being aggressive at times,” Rice said. “Being aggressive can help make the big saves.”

He said the improvement in the team’s defense has been obvious through the first couple of games, and he expects things to continue to get better.

“We know how important it is to be good in division this year and how big it would be to have a good start right from the get go,” Rice said. “We can’t give up freebies, and we have to try and win as many as we can.”

The Quakers and Rice will return to action Oct. 14 against division-foe Mars.

Honorable mention

In Class B, this year’s Division 2 after a name change, Avonworth’s Joshua Perry scored four goals and assisted on the Lopes’ other three goals in a 7-4 win over Burrell Monday. Burrell was the national runner-up in the Open Division last season, though it did lose a lot of athletes to graduation. Perry factored in on all seven goals.

For Bishop McCort, in Class A, Adis Ultanbekov scored four goals and assisted on one in a 5-4 win versus Kiski Area. His fourth goal was short-handed and was the game-winner, coming with 41 seconds left in the third period.

Brady Moseberger, Sewickley Academy’s goalie, allowed seven goals to North Catholic, but made 56 saves in a loss, while Matthew Bibbee of Blackhawk stopped 38 of 40 shots in a 5-2 win against Fox Chapel Thursday.

Michael Felsing, one of Montour’s best players from a championship season last year, had two goals and four assists in Montour’s 9-3 win against Armstrong before adding an assist in a 9-1 loss to Baldwin later in the week.

Finally, in Class AAA, Peters Township’s Mark Lehman posted a five-point night in a win against Mt. Lebanon.

By: Joe Sager
Friday, October 4, 2019 | 6:53 PM

PreviousNext

Quaker Valley’s hockey team hopes to rebound from a near postseason miss.

The Quakers, who own five PIHL Penguins Cup Class A titles (2006, ’08, ’12, ’13, ’14), reached the Class AA championship game two years ago. Last season, though, playing in a bigger classification and against bigger schools caught up to the team as it finished 5-14.

With another young roster this season, the Quakers have no choice but to mature quickly if they want to a playoff-free season. Quaker Valley has six games — all against formidable foes — in October. It plays just twice in November.

“It’s a young group that is eager to learn. We have a lot of games early, so it will be a learning trial by fire,” Quaker Valley coach Kevin Quinn said. “Hopefully, we get off to a good start. If you don’t, you put yourself in a pretty bad hole.”

The PIHL alignment calls for two teams from each of the four Class AA divisions to earn playoff spots. With traditional powers Mars, Moon and Meadville lumped in with the Quakers, they know the path to securing one of those postseason spots is difficult. Quaker Valley got off to a good start with a 4-1 win over Meadville, though.

“It’s huge to go out and get a jump on these teams,” Quaker Valley senior co-captain Josh Bemis said. “Once you start losing and get in that hole, it’s hard to dig yourself out. In Double-A, there are a lot of bigger schools with more depth. It’s definitely important to start the year in a positive way and jump ahead of these teams.”

Bemis is a key figure for Quaker Valley, along with classmates Chris Barefoot, Colin Rice and Ethan Cadwell. Bemis led the team in scoring (16 goals, 24 points) last year.

“Josh Bemis is a top-line player for us this year. He will be asked to put a lot of pucks in the net for us. He finds a way to score a lot. He will have a lot of pressure on him,” Quinn said. “Noah Mattie and Chris Barefoot have been playing on a line with him. Kyle Rice and Luke Melisko are both juniors, and I expect them to contribute.”

Offense is not the Quakers’ concern. They want to solidify their young defense with Bodhi Wilson, Hayden Earlewine, Andy Bablak, Max Quinn and Cadwell on the blue line.

“We’re young in the back end,” Kevin Quinn said. “We’ll see what we have here over the next few weeks because they will get thrown right into the fire.”

Quaker Valley can lean on Rice in goal to bail out the defense.

“Colin Rice played really well against Meadville and helped us get a win,” Kevin Quinn said. “The name of the game is goaltending and he played pretty well.

“We just have to do a better job defensively. When we’re good defensively, we’ll find ways to put pucks in the net,” he continued. “We have to be a much better team defensively this year if we plan on winning more games.”

The Quakers hope their strong start continues.

“Last year, we didn’t have exactly the best year and we did lose a couple seniors up front. We have a lot of kids coming up this year, some freshmen who are very skilled players,” Bemis said. “I think our team is going to do a lot better than we showed last year.

“I think our team, in general, has really good chemistry. It’s great having a team of kids that cares so much about the game and each other. We’re going out and having fun but working out butts off, too.”