Seneca Valley had an outstanding regular season in 2022-23, was the No. 3 seed in the PIHL Class 3A playoffs and had an outstanding opportunity to win its first title since 2018.
But that all ended when the Raiders were upset by Pine-Richland, 2-1, in the first round of the tournament.
“They deserved that game because they had way better effort than us,” Seneca Valley coach Anthony Raco said. “I try to emphasize that effort is an individual choice and, if you have 20 guys that individually chose to put effort over anything else, then everything else can come with that.”
So far, Seneca Valley is completely bought into that philosophy,
Coming into the week, the Raiders (10-3-0) have sole possession of first place in the classification, three points ahead of North Allegheny and Peters Township. Seneca Valley has won nine of its last 10 games and is 4-2 in one-goal games overall.
“I think the things we’re doing well, our goal production is pretty good and our penalty kill (90.9%) is the highest in the classification,” Raco said. “It’s something that I don’t want to rely on, but we have that penalty kill with a strong percentage that’s going to help you win games.”
It helps that the team’s best penalty killer, senior goaltender Cenzo Ditullio, plays in the net like a ball-hawking defensive back, which is what he is in the fall for the Seneca Valley football team. The PIHL Class 3A Player of the Month for November has a decision is every Raiders game this season, a 2.07 goals-against average and a .912 save percentage with one shutout.
“He’s a multisport athlete and he just has a lot of leadership attributes about him,” Raco said. “I think that helps and prepared him to to take on a role like that. He’s taken it, he’s not stressing about it and he’s taking it one save at a time.”
Jake Komaniak leads the team with seven goals and 12 assists and in tied for 13th in the classification in points. Team captain Ethan Lindberg leads with seven assists and is second on the team with 11 pints for an offense that is averaging 3.61 goals per game.
Still, with the parity in the classification, the team’s hold on first place in tenuous. The Raiders will have an opportunity to extend their winning streak to five on Thursday when they play at Upper St. Clair.
“In terms of first place, we’re really not looking into that,” Raco said. “If you’ve seen any of these teams play, you know it’s so wide-open, but to be able to get home-ice advantage, that’s important so you can get the matchups you want. That’s something we talk about with the guys all the time.”
Starring role
Raco won’t only be coaching Seneca Valley this month. Last week, he was selected to be the head coach of one of the two Class 3A teams at the annual all-star event, which will be held on Jan. 28 at Robert Morris University’s Clearfield Arena.
“I just like being part of it and seeing the kids in a game where they don’t have a lot of stress put on them and play with players they’re familiar with,” Raco said. “It’s fun just getting the guys together and having a fun experience and let the guys cut loose a little bit.”
Seneca Valley had five players chosen to the team, but that doesn’t mean they will all be playing together. Raco and North Allegheny coach Andrew Seiss will draft players, which means there is no guarantee of playing with teammates.
Movin’ on up
There is a standard metric in place for PIHL teams to change classifications, but that doesn’t always mean the team will be competitive when it moves up or down.
Case in point, North Hills.
Last season the Indians were a senior-laden team that went 18-1-1 and won the Class 1A Gold Division. This year, in Class 2A, they are 0-12-0 and one of three teams — Westmont Hilltop and reigning Class 1A champion Kiski Area being the others — pointless in the top three classification.
That does not mean, however, that teams cannot find success the year they move up.
Norwin, which won the Class 1A title in 2022 and made it into the Penguins Cup semifinals in 2023, is 7-4-2 and in the heart of the playoff hunt in its first year in Class 2A.
Keith Barnes: kbarnes.pg@gmail.com and Twitter @kbarnes_pghsprt
PIHL RANKINGS
Records through Jan. 7
Class 3A
1. Seneca Valley 10-3-0
2. North Allegheny 8-3-1
4. Peters Township 8-4-1
5. Mt. Lebanon 7-4-1
5. Pine-Richland 7-4-0
Class 2A
1. Thomas Jefferson 9-2-0
2. South Fayette 8-1-2
3. Latrobe 10-3-0
4. Norwin 7-4-2
5. Fox Chapel 8-5-0
Class 1A
1. Quaker Valley 11-0-1
2. Indiana 11-1-2
3. Chartiers Valley 12-0-0
4. Avonworth 10-2-0
5. North Catholic 9-3-1
First Published: January 7, 2024, 9:53 p.m.
