'Inline' for a championship
Scott Van Horn's accomplishments in hockey are piling up faster than Sidney Crosby's career goal total.
But this just may have been his best showing yet.
Van Horn, a 16-year old resident of Cranberry Township and incoming sophomore at Seneca Valley High School, recently helped Team Pennsylvania capture first place at the State Wars Inline Hockey Tournament outside of Chicago.
A goaltender, Van Horn stopped 43 of 47 shots in three games in the 16-year old Class AA level to lead his team to the gold medal.
"I was really proud to be part of that team and to represent Pennsylvania," Van Horn said.
Van Horn believed his chances of making the team were slim when the squad's tryouts fell on the same weekend as tryouts for Seneca Valley's ice hockey team in May. He was not able to make it to Harrisburg for the Team Pennsylvania tryout.
"We sent a letter explaining the situation along with references to the team director," said Scott's father, Todd.
"I was just hoping I'd make the team, but, not being at the tryouts, I didn't think I would," Scott said.
But a few days later, the younger Van Horn received a call that he was on the team ... and its only goaltender.
The team's first game at State Wars, which included teams from 28 different states, came on Aug. 5 against New York.
Van Horn's team lost that game, 4-1, as well as the next two games against Arizona (4-0) and California (4-2).
"Even though we lost all three games, I thought Scott played well," said Pennsylvania assistant coach Mike McCue. "The guys in front of him let him down a bit."
All teams involved in the tournament began at the Class AAA level. After playing three games, half the squads were left in AAA while the rest moved down a level to AA, with Pennsylvania being one of them.
"We were pretty bummed out after losing our first three games," said Scott. "But once we got that first win, our momentum got a boost."
That first win came 5-1 over Connecticut in the team's first Class AA game.
It was followed by wins over Colorado (2-1) and Wisconsin (3-2) in the championship game.
Van Horn will split time in net this winter between SV's junior varsity and varsity ice hockey teams. He's already made the Pittsburgh Huskies, an amateur ice hockey team that begins play next month. And he's also looking to play offense for one of SV's varsity inline teams.
Possibly his loftiest goal is to make Team Pennsylvania next summer and skate out on offense.
"The transition shouldn't be too difficult," Van Horn said. "I skate out on in-line teams all the time."
"I know Scott's played offense for in-line teams at Seneca Valley, but it's still difficult to do," McCue said of Van Horn switching from goalkeeper to offense on what amounts to a state all-star team. "This year, we had 46 skaters tryout for the team and we kept 10.
"But Scott's a different kind of kid," McCue added. "And I give him credit for wanting to do it."
