The Latrobe Ice Cats have launched themselves into one of the top spots in AA hockey with an impressive 10-game win streak. After a shaky start to the season, opening with a 2-2 record through their first four games, Latrobe is now sitting pretty with a 12-2 record. The Cats hold the second spot in the standings behind the Penn Trafford Warriors. Despite the Warriors having 3 more points than Latrobe, the Cats have the same number of wins as Penn Trafford with 2 games in hand and a head-to-head victory over them.
The competition for Latrobe over this ten-game span has not been light. The Cats had to take down the rival school the Hempfield Spartans three times. The boys also picked up wins over Penn Trafford and Fox Chapel, the first and third-place teams in the division.
Many aspects of the game have keyed in on the recent success of Latrobe. The Cats offense has been firing on all cylinders. During this win streak, they have scored 7 or more goals in four of the ten games. Goaltending and defense have also been on point as the Ice Cats have conceded 2 or fewer goals in seven of the games on this streak.
A large factor in the offensive outpouring for Latrobe has been from sophomore forward Joey Crimboli. Crimboli leads the Ice Cats in points with 33 this season. That mark also places him third throughout the entire AA division. Joey has already surpassed his team-leading 30 points from his freshman year with a little under half of the season still to play.
Joey has attributed his mindset this year to a big part of his success. “My mindset has just been to do whatever is best for the team on and off the ice and just to work as hard as possible,” said Crimboli. The rest of the team has bought into this mindset as well, creating chemistry and leading to offensive success. “We’ve been working harder in practice with higher intensity so I would say that has led to more production from the boys,” said Crimboli.
Leadership has also played a role in keeping the team centered and focused over the last few weeks. Seniors and captains on the team have done a great job keeping the younger, and first-year players on the team immersed in the task at hand each game. Crimboli said, “I feel that I have been able to grow my confidence with the assistance of my upperclassmen and teammates. We all have great chemistry and we want to win it all this year.”
The lockdown defense from Latrobe has been a big part of these last ten wins, but it is the team’s last line of defense that has been dominant. Senior goalie Brock Pflugh has an impressive record this year of 10-2 with a goals-against average of 2.00 and a save percentage of .920. Pflugh has his experienced defense in front of him, led by Bryant Dumnich and Kaleb Trice, to thank for a piece of his strong play. “Defensively we have done a great job clearing any rebounds out of the crease. The coaches also implemented a new forecheck we use when we get a lead,” said Pflugh.
Pflugh has had incredible play over the last ten games and it has cemented him as one of the best goalies in AA hockey. Pflugh is tied for first in wins this season with Ian Brown from Cathedral Prep and is tied for third in save percentage among all goalies in the AA division.
Pflugh has focused on playing with composure over this win streak to help him succeed. “During the win streak, I have focused on playing with poise and keeping my movements controlled. Maintaining control allows me to be in the best position possible to make a save,” said Pflugh.
In the last two games for Latrobe vs Hempfield and Baldwin, Pflugh recorded his first two shutouts of the season. Brock is riding off this confidence moving through the rest of the year. He said, “I’m feeling very confident after those two shutouts. Not just in myself but the team in front of me. The whole team has elevated their play which makes my job much easier.”
The Cats are in a tight battle for the top seed in the playoffs as the end stretch of the season is approaching. Still riding on this 10-game heater, confidence is through the roof for the boys as they fully believe they have what it takes to not only grab the top seed but win it all in the playoffs this season.
