Coming down the final stretch of the regular season the Greater Latrobe Ice Cats were battling for the top seed in the playoffs. A three-game losing streak hindered Latrobe’s chances at the top seed and left them fighting for the third or fourth seed.
Latrobe capped off the regular season with a 6-1 victory over the Armstrong Riverhawks on 2/27 to break the losing streak heading into the playoffs. They finished the year with a record of 15-5 securing them the third seed heading into the AA Penguins Cup Playoffs. The boys are eyeing up a first-round tilt on 3/3 against their rival school, the Hempfield Spartans.
To create a deep playoff run, the coaching staff and leadership within the Ice Cats need to come together to pave the way for the organization. The Wildcats were coming to the end of the season on a slump, but after the final two games, they had quickly turned the tables. Senior defenseman Bryant Dumnich said, “Coming out of the slump I think just practice-wise, just getting back to the basics instead of just casual horseplay. I think after our loss to Fox Chapel we were definitely in a slump. With the coaches pushing us and the seniors pushing to be better, I think the team realized we had to kick it in overdrive.”
With all the focus and buzz this week on the Hempfield game, the Cats are not so quick to look over last year’s heartbreak and their goals for this year. The team wants a championship and they know they have what it takes to become Penguins Cup Champions. Hempfield is just the first obstacle in Latrobe’s path. “We are super pumped, last year we got knocked out by Franklin in the first round, but having Hempfield, the team is just pumped. We’re looking to be 4-0 against them, but we just gotta stay physical, it’s going to be a real hype game and we just want to make a run for the Pens Cup,” said Dumnich.
Coming into a highly anticipated matchup, both teams will be at their best. The teams faced off three times in the regular season with the Ice Cats claiming victory in all three matchups. Latrobe is favored due to their regular season success but the Spartans are one of the hottest teams in AA hockey coming into the playoffs as they closed the season with a 6-1 record in their final 7 games.
The last time these two teams met was on January 9th where Latrobe took the win by a score of 4-0. The goal differential in the three games this season from the two schools favored Latrobe by 10. Despite the mismatch on the score sheet, all three games this year were exciting, fast, and physical. These aspects will only be ramped up with both teams playing with their season on the line.
With Latrobe having a large senior class, this is the last time they will be playing on home ice together as a core. The upcoming game is jam-packed full of emotion. “We’re taking it day-by-day and practice-by-practice. We’re always trying to get better and push each other, and we really want to make a deep run,” said Dumnich
Each matchup featured at least six penalties as the games were very physical. To say the least, the Spartans and Wildcats simply do not get along. The Wildcats are amped up and ready to roll coming into the playoffs. “We know what to expect against them….we’re 3-0 in the regular season against them, and we just gotta keep doing the things we’ve been doing against them. They were on a heater when they got Nino DiPietro back, but we know they’re deep with forwards and we just gotta keep it out of our zone,” said Dumnich. It is going to be a battle on the ice. Special teams will play a huge role in this matchup. Both teams will spend a lot of time on the power play and penalty kill due to the physical nature of this rivalry.
Latrobe and Hempfield both share a rink, as they both play their home games at Kirk S. Nevin Arena in Greensburg. This will pack the arena on Monday night and will showcase an incredible atmosphere. “This one’s definitely gonna be a big game, it’s definitely gonna be heated, but I think we gotta be more physical and stay out of the box. It’s gonna be a big game with a big student section but we just gotta keep our focus on the game,” said Dumnich. Despite the edge on paper for the Ice Cats, nothing can be ruled out in the playoffs and in rival matchups making this game a toss-up.
The edge for the Ice Cats sparks from their goaltending and defense. Latrobe conceded 41 fewer goals this season compared to Hempfield. The scoring from both offenses match up very well. Latrobe scored 89 goals this season and Hempfield scored 85. Both offenses will be going back and forth all night trading scoring chances. It will be a true heavy-weight battle.
