Mysonisagoalie

This rumor has been around for years. As someone already said, a third sheet of ice was to be constructed. The rumor I heard was the RMU Division 1 teams would leave the Island Sports Center and use this as their home ice in addition to a USHL team locating there. This was all before Covid so things changed. I don't know how successful a USHL team would be in Pittsburgh. Some of you may remember the Pittsburgh Forge who were in the NAHL from 2001-2003. They were sold and moved to Toledo. They were successful on the ice but I don't remember their game attendance being that great.

Larry Koch passed away on Thursday 1/23/25 at the age of 92. Some of you will remember him from coaching high school hockey for Bishop Canevin, South Park and North Catholic. You may also know his sons, Jim and Bob, who are also involved in western PA hockey. Larry was a great promoter of the sport and one of the first in the area to start learn to play programs. He used to run them at the South Park ice rink back in the late 1970's. I know a lot of people that got introduced to hockey because of his learn to play. My sympathies to the Koch family. Larry was truly a special person. May he rest in peace.

If I remember correctly, this is the first team to win a PA state championship. They are being inducted into the Baldwin Athletics Hall of Fame this evening. I think that Jim Cox is the only person to win a PA state championship as a player and then coach his alma mater to a state championship (Baldwin 1988 team).

Not about this season but I see the Tier 2 U-18 national championship is in Delmont in 2024.

RMU already announced that men's and women's hockey will be back for the 23-24 season. First home game for both teams is October 7th.

Does anybody remember the rink at St. Edmund's Academy in Squirrel Hill? It could not have been half the size of a normal rink. Tough on goalies as they had to be ready for a shot coming from anywhere.

I remember that rink as I played there as well. I think it was in the park next to the Lew Hays ball field where they play the Pony League World Series. I also remember a rink in Bridgeville that had concrete block walls instead of boards. I think it is a roller rink now.

If paid security guards won't toss fans, why would a referee want to do that? I was at a game a few years ago at the RMU Island Sports Center where there was a fight in the stands. The security at that game, an RMU police officer, refused to break up the fight. Instead, he called the Neville Township police department to come and take care of the situation. When I asked him why he did not want to get involved, his response was "I will not risk my badge over a high school hockey game." There are some good ones such as the Allegheny County sheriffs who work at Ice Castle and the security at Southpointe. The majority of the security guards at the games are nothing more than spectators who get paid to watch the game.

I turned on ESPN last night and saw they were broadcasting a high school football game. Two teams from Alabama were playing. After that game ended, they broadcasted a high school football game from Utah. Both games had fans in the stands including student sections. Cheerleaders were on the sidelines and there were marching bands. I wondered how these 2 states were able to live semi-normally but PA can't. Then I searched the internet to see who their governors were. Now I know.

Apparently there is a local high school hockey tournament going on right now. The Binnie's PEOC U-18 Invitational. Saw a Facebook post that West Allegheny is playing Penn Trafford in the championship game today. Anybody know anything about this tournament?

One of the prep coaches at Gilmour is from Pittsburgh so he has a connection to the area. I think their goalie coach is from this area as well.

In the beginning, the tournament was run by RMU. They handled everything. The first year that Penn State played in the tournament, the arena was nearly sold out. The Penguins saw the success and decided they wanted to run the show. It has been going downhill ever since.

It is also listed on the PIHL website.

The PIHL actually announced this April 9th in an email they sent out to the league membership.

From the latest PIHL email. Some good stories to be shared. Some uplifting stories related to the value of sportsmanship and the spirit of interscholastic sports from the past week in the PIHL: After making 51 saves in a 7-1 loss to Morgantown, McDowell Varsity goaltender gave a high-five to every player of both teams as they exited the ice after the game! A fundraiser by Canon-McMillan generated $567 for the "Jack's True Grit" scholarship fund, in memory of Cathedral Prep player Jack Shoenig! West Allegheny and Montour participated in National Wreaths Across America Day on Saturday by laying wreaths on tombstones at the National Cemetery of the Alleghenies! Pine-Richland conducted a "Share the Warmth" drive last week to collect items to donate to the Light of Life Rescue Mission on the North Side of Pittsburgh. The many blankets, socks, hats, gloves, and thermal layers gathered through the drive will be delivered by the PR players to the shelter next week to help the homeless during the cold winter months