Goals:
Penguins:
Tanner Pearson (8:29)
Kings:
Jake Muzzin (3:22)
Matt Luff (10:06)
Goals:
Penguins:
Tanner Pearson (8:29)
Kings:
Jake Muzzin (3:22)
Matt Luff (10:06)
Goals:
Penguins:
Matt Cullen (6:58)
Bryan Rust (13:04)
14-1, State Champions, and improving the academic performance of your student-athletes.
Not bad for a first year on the job.
Thus is the resume of Aliquippa head football coach Mike Warfield, who joined Matt Drzik and Greg Benedetti on the Saturday Sports Slam on December 15 to reflect on the golden season that he and his football players at Aliquippa had. He spoke of the season’s top performers, the outlook for 2019, and the plans for the offseason.
To hear the interview with Mike Warfield, click on the player below!
WBVP/ WMBA
Ambridge- Liam Buck
Beaver- Peter Kazas
BeaverAmbridge |
46
53 Final |
Moon
West Allegheny |
46
53 Final |
Central Valley
Blackhawk |
59
56 Final |
New Brighton
Beaver Falls |
41
59 Final |
New Castle
Hopewell |
71
47 Final |
Riverside
Lincoln Park |
40
69 Final |
Wilmington
Quaker Valley |
54
61 Final |
OLSH
Shenango |
74
24 Final |
Mohawk
Sewickley Academy |
34
77 Final |
The Central Valley Middle School gymnasium, which was once the Monaca High School gym, will be named after long-time Monaca coach Dave Nichol in February. Coach Nichol led the baseball and basketball programs at Monaca High School for decades. Nichol is being honored not only for his coaching career but also for his dedication as an educator and administrator at the high school. He was very involved in the Monaca Recreation Department for years. In addition to this upcoming honor, Nichol has already been recognized as a member of the Monaca Community Hall of Fame, Beaver County Sports Hall of Fame, and the WPIAL Hall of Fame. The gym will be dedicated in a special ceremony on Friday, February 8th in conjunction with a doubleheader basketball game. More details of the ceremony will be announced at a later date.
After a long, arduous season that saw games played from late August to mid-December, it was the Aliquippa Quips that walked into Robert’s Roadside Inn on Wednesday night, with gold around their necks and smiles on their faces.
Though it was a festive night with Robert’s wings, Pizza Joe’s (Beaver) pizza, subs from My Hero Sub Shop in Rochester, and a celebratory cake donated by the Nichol family, there was still time in between bites and plates to reflect on the Quips’ season and their championship victory over Middletown.
Head coach Mike Warfield spoke about how one of the keys to the game was to stop the running game that Middletown had utilized all season:
He also spoke about one of the season’s (and game’s) biggest players, Avante McKenzie, and how his maturity showed through during the playoffs:
McKenzie was one of several high-end receivers for the Quips, who also had the talents of Will Gipson and MJ Devonshire to work with. Derek Moye, the former Steeler and Nittany Lion standout, is now an assistant with Aliquippa and spoke highly of his receivers:
Overall, the night was one of celebration, and one that Aliquippa mayor Dwon Walker says the community needed:
More pictures from last night’s celebration can be found below:
Marcus Kruger, Brent Seabrook, Andreas Martinsen, Brandon Saad each had a goal and an assist for Chicago, which rebounded after blowing 2-0 and 3-2 leads to win for just the second time in 12 contests. Alex DeBrincat scored a power-play goal.
Toews became the 16th active player to reach 700 career points with the same franchise. He assisted on Saad’s empty-netter for his 701st point.
Kruger snapped a 3-all tie when he beat Casey DeSmith from the front of the crease 3:49 into the third period. Martinsen set up Kruger’s fourth goal of the season with a centering pass from below the goal line.
Toews also had an empty-netter before Saad made it 6-3 with his ninth goal at 19:39.
Bryan Rust scored three times for Pittsburgh in his second career hat trick. The 26-year-old forward, who entered with one goal in 29 games this season, missed on several other prime chances.
Corey Crawford made 40 saves for Chicago. DeSmith blocked 23 shots in his sixth straight start and 10th in the last 12 games.
Matt Murray, who started the season as Pittsburgh’s No. 1 goalie, was activated from injured reserve and served as DeSmith’s backup. Murray missed 11 games with a lower-body injury.
The Blackhawks shook up their roster on Wednesday morning by recalling forward Dylan Sikura and defenseman Carl Dahlstrom from Rockford of the AHL and sending forward Alexandre Fortin to the minors. Sikura and Dahlstrom played.
Chicago is 4-12-2 under coach Jeremy Colliton, who replaced Joel Quenneville on Nov. 6.
The Blackhawks opened the scoring for the first time since Nov. 18 and led 2-1 after one period. Opponents had scored first in Chicago’s last 11 games, outscoring the Blackhawks 25-5 in the first period during that span.
Martinsen skated across the crease and was credited with his first goal of the season on a deflection of Dahlstrom’s shot at 14:14. The goal capped a flurry around the Pittsburgh net after Kruger fired a shot off the crossbar and DeSmith lost his stick.
Seabrook put Chicago ahead 2-0 3:37 later when he fired a shot from the right point over DeSmith’s glove.
Rust cut it to 2-1 with 1:20 left in the first when he skated from the left corner and beat Crawford on the glove side.
Rust’s second goal, at 5:46 of the second, tied it at 2. After Seabrook’s turnover, Crawford made a pad save on Derek Grant’s drive from the slot, but Rust buried the rebound.
DeBrincat’s power-play goal with 4:32 left in the period regained the lead for Chicago. After taking Patrick Kane’s feed, DeBrincat skated around Olli Maatta and beat DeSmith on the stick side with a shot just under the crossbar.
Rust tied it at 3 with 56.8 seconds left when his cross-ice pass from the left side of the net deflected off Seabrook’s stick and past Crawford.
NOTES: Rust has 37 goals in 211 career games. He scored three times against Ottawa in December 2016. … Seabrook played in his 1,037th NHL game to move past Bobby Hull and into second place in games played as a Blackhawk. Stan Mikita leads with 1,396. … Pittsburgh G Tristan Jarry was returned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the AHL to make room for Murray, who practiced Tuesday and participated in the game-day skate Wednesday. “We thought we’d get him a good solid workout again today and then engage him over the next couple of games here,” coach Mike Sullivan said. Murray last played at Ottawa on Nov. 17 when he allowed three goals on 10 shots in the first period, then was relieved by DeSmith in a 6-4 loss. … Pittsburgh F Matt Cullen returned after missing 11 games with a lower-body injury. … Chicago C Artem Anisimov was placed on injured reserve (concussion protocol) retroactive to Dec. 9, when he left a 3-2 loss to Montreal in the third period. … Blackhawks D Erik Gustafsson (illness) missed his second game, while Penguins F Patric Hornqvist (upper body) missed his third.
UP NEXT
Penguins: Host Boston on Friday to open three-game homestand over four days.
Blackhawks: Host Winnipeg on Friday.
3rd period goals:
Chicago:
Marcus Kruger (3:49)
Jonathan Toews ( EN 8:58)
Brandon Saad ( EN 19:49)
2nd period goals:
Pit:
Bryan Rust (5:46)
Bryan Rust (19:03)
Chicago:
Alex DeBrincat (PP 15:28)