WEST CHESTER — Seneca Valley missed getting back into the game by inches.

Saint Joseph's Prep was able to put the game away as a result. It scored twice on breakaways in the third period to wrap up a 4-0 win Saturday in the Pennsylvania Class AAA hockey state title game at the Ice Line Quad Rinks.

“We were down 2-0 late in the second period and had a 2-on-1 break,” SV coach Anthony Raco said. “The puck wound up sitting on their goal line ... I thought it went in.

“We couldn't get a man to the puck to poke it across before they covered it up.”

The Raiders (15-7) would have pulled within a goal had the puck crossed the line.

“If we're down one, we have momentum going into the third period,” Raco said. “Down two, we had to pinch in our defensemen and play more aggressively. They got two breakaways the other way and put them in.”

Marc Colavita scored a hat trick for Saint Josephs Prep (26-4-1), scoring the first goal of the game just 42 seconds into the contest. Tyler Boucher gave Prep a 2-0 lead with a tally 9:50 in.

Colavita's two breakaway goals were scored just 23 seconds apart early in the final period. Seneca Valley found itself trailing 4-0 less than three minutes into the frame.

“That kid (Colavita) scored over 40 goals for them during the season,” Raco said. “He's a big kid, 6-foot-3 or so, and even though he has the long stick, he's extremely quick as well.

“Both of those breakaways, he scored with his backhand.”

Raco said Saint Joseph's Prep was a fast-skating team and “a really skilled team. Their defensemen are quick at breaking out of their own end and starting plays.”

The Raiders were outshot 34-19 and failed to convert on five power play opportunities. One of Colavita's goals was scored shorthanded.

Seneca Valley goalie Logan Johnson, one of eight seniors on his team, made 30 saves. He entered the Penguins Cup playoffs with a 1.72 goals-against average and a .930 save per entage.

“Logan has been with us all four years and this was his first year as a starter,” Raco said. “I had high expectations for him going into the season and he far exceeded them.

“He became the first goalie to ever hoist the Penguins Cup for this school. He has a lot to be proud of.”

Michael Spokane scored 10 goals this season to lead Seneca Valley and no Raider was anywhere near the top 10 in the PIHL in scoring. Senior defenseman Hunter Mueller led the team in scoring with 16 points.

Mueller is moving on to the NAHL next season and will play for a team in Wisconsin. Noah Watkiss hopes to play junior hockey as well.

Giovanni Sarachine plans to play club hockey at Youngstown State. Other seniors on the team are Jonathan Flaugh, Shane Raible, Reese Garvin and goalie Alexander DeDionisio.

“You hear Mike Sullvan, the Pittsburgh Penguins coach, say it all the time ... You have to play this game the right way to win and that means playing together.

“These guys certainly did that.”