The Shaler Area Ice Hockey team finished with a record of 16-3-1 in the PIHL Gold A division. The Titans carried this performance into the playoffs where they won the first two rounds before falling to Greensburg Salem 2-1 in the semifinals.
Throughout the regular season, the Titans earned the honor of being the highest scoring team in division by outscoring their opponents 131-69. Senior center Jacob Kunc lit up the scoresheet, averaging an impressive 3 points per game while Junior Darius Malecki and freshman Chase Irwin added to the party by averaging over a point per game each.
The high scoring Shaler offense does not take away from their strong defense led by seniors Jacob Helfer and Tyler Garisich. The defensive unit’s efforts helped the Titans only allow an average of 3.45 goals per game. Last but not least, senior goalie Shane Ciganik averaged a respectable .875 save percentage to help give Shaler’s run-and-gun offense a chance.
Before the playoff push, the seniors had quite the going-out party with a 8-1 thrashing of Greensburg Salem on senior night. Seniors Jacob Kunc, Luca Wallander, Tyler Garisich, and Jacob Helfer all added to the tally against Greensburg Salem. This game was especially cathartic for Helfer.
“I was trying so hard the whole year to score just one goal. It was a struggle. It felt like every goalie was just so good against me, but as soon as that puck went in, it was like a weight off my shoulders. Nothing would have been worse than constantly hearing that I was the only full varsity player without a goal and in no way could I have asked for a better moment. Packed student section, most of my family was there, and almost a buzzer beater goal. It will no doubt go down as my best personal hockey moment,” Helfer said.
To begin the playoff campaign, the Titans faced off against Beaver Falls where they cruised to a comfortable 4-0 victory thanks to a flurry of goals in the second period. All the while, Shane Ciganik posted a shutout performance to take care of business for the Titans in the 1st round.
Shaler would then face off against Avonworth in the quarterfinals of the playoffs. The victory was highlighted by a four goal performance from sophomore forward Matthew Stelitano.
“Scoring 4 goals was something I’ll never forget. Having my teammates support was really special to me as my grandma passed away the night before,” Stelitano said.
The Titans would meet their demise in the semifinal bout against Greensburg Salem. The lone goal scored by sophomore Dylan Mardsen wasn’t enough as the Titans lost by a final score of 2-1.
Although the playoff loss was disappointing, the Shaler hockey team has a bright future to look forward to. Many returning players such as Chase Irwin, Matthew Stelitano, and Jacob Skerlong had bright showings throughout the season. In net, sophomore Jackson Fox is poised to take over as starting goalie next year. If these players can perform as well as they did last season, the Shaler hockey team should have no problems picking up where they left off in the hunt for a championship.
