Penguins Cup: Dominant Seneca Valley hockey holds off Peters Township for 2nd PIHL title in a row

March 17, 2026 Last Updated: March 17, 2026 10:45 PM Sports

Seneca Valley’s Ethan Riffe (42) and Vinci Villella (92) celebrate after scoring against Peters Township in the PIHL Penguins Cup Class AAA championship Tuesday, March 17, 2026, at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle

Rob McGraw

CRANBERRY TWP — Tough to argue with the numbers.

Early on, Peters Township didn’t present much of a quarrel.

For a good portion of Tuesday night’s PIHL Class 3A Penguins Cup final, Seneca Valley exhibited why it arrived as the standard in several statistical categories. Despite a late push, the top-seeded Raiders secured their second Western Pa. boys hockey title in a row with a 5-4 win over the No. 2 Indians at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex.

Seneca Valley advances to play Flyers Cup champion Holy Ghost Prep in the state title game 5 p.m. Saturday at Ice Line Quad Rinks, in West Chester. It’s a rematch of last year’s championship, which the Raiders won for the first time.

“We knew exactly what we needed to do,” John Sroka III said. “Last year, we brought it. ... We came in here, and we got on them hard. That was our whole game plan from the start, and we pumped five goals into them.”

Five different players pinned up a goal to stake the Raiders (18-0-1-0-2) to an insurmountable 5-0 lead about a period and a half in. Seneca Valley skated onto the ice having posted the most goals per game (4.6) and allowing the fewest (0.95) in the classification.

They also had the most penalty kills in the grouping (62) and netted more goals in the second period (37) and third period (35) than anyone else.

Not that they required many in the latter stages this time around.

Tyler Maxwell’s first goal of the playoffs, a wrister that appeared to be deflected, whizzed by Indians goalie Anthony Herman 1:27 into the contest. Sroka and Ethan Riffe Jr. both assisted on the score.

With 4:39 remaining in the initial period, Sroka deked out a defender on the left side before feeding it across to Riffe, who deposited it over Herman’s right shoulder.

Seneca Valley’s Tyler Maxwell (24) shoots the puck against Peters Township in the PIHL Penguins Cup Class AAA championship Tuesday, March 17, 2026, at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle

Rob McGraw

From close range, Braden Morin zipped another in, inflating his side’s lead to 3-0 with 5:41 to go before the first intermission. Morin entered with a team-high 15 goals on the season.

Sroka piled on 2:59 into the second period, thanks to some help from Cooper Hoehn.

Over four minutes later, Sroka fooled a defender near the blue line, then forged all the way ahead to the right goal-line, where he planted his left leg, turned his back to Herman and swept a spinning backhand shot his way. It caromed off the goalie’s leg, but Vinci Villella prodded it in.

“We just really capitalized on a lot of chances we had,” Seneca Valley coach Tyler Mesisca said.

Peters Township (14-5-0-1-1) finally got it going with Brady Holleran’s goal with 6:24 remaining in the same period. Less than a minute later, Cole Neupaver wristed one past Seneca Valley goalie Nichols to make it 5-2.

Nichols, who entered with a 0.79 goals allowed average and a .954 save percentage, finished with 37 saves, but wasn’t threatened at all during an Indians first-period power play that featured a handful of Raiders clears.

Shortly after, the Raiders gained a man advantage, but Neupaver broke free from deep in his own end. Nichols kicked away Neupaver’s try before expertly absorbing a rebound attempt for his most impressive save of the night.

Holleran backhanded one off Nichols’ skate down low with just under three minutes to play. With 1:32 to play, Holleran who poked another past Nichols, giving his side hope of a memorable comeback.

“We knew that, at the end of the ice cut, the next time we were on the ice, they were gonna be a whole different team because it was their season on the line,” Sroka said.

A tense final minute and a half passed without another score.

“We knew what it felt like,” Sroka said. “We’re experienced. ... We beared down. They came out hard. They gave us their best game, but we found a way.”

Referees attempt to break up a fight between Seneca Valley and Peters Township in the PIHL Penguins Cup Class AAA championship Tuesday, March 17, 2026, at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle

Rob McGraw

Seneca Valley celebrates its 5-4 victory over Peters Township in the PIHL Penguins Cup Class AAA championship Tuesday, March 17, 2026, at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle

Rob McGraw

Seneca Valley celebrates its 5-4 victory over Peters Township in the PIHL Penguins Cup Class AAA championship Tuesday, March 17, 2026, at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle

Rob McGraw

Seneca Valley celebrates its 5-4 victory over Peters Township in the PIHL Penguins Cup Class AAA championship Tuesday, March 17, 2026, at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle

Rob McGraw

Seneca Valley goalie Chris Nichols (40) stops a puck from Peters Township in the PIHL Penguins Cup Class AAA championship Tuesday, March 17, 2026, at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle

Rob McGraw

Seneca Valley’s Carter Hoehn (29) shoots the puck past Pters Township in the PIHL Penguins Cup Class AAA championship Tuesday, March 17, 2026, at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle

Rob McGraw

Seneca Valley’s Ethan Riffe (42) attempts to score against Peters Township in the PIHL Penguins Cup Class AAA championship Tuesday, March 17, 2026, at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle

Rob McGraw