Flashback to a year ago and through 13 games, the Pine-Richland hockey team had 17 points and was in second place in the PIHL Class 3A standings and was a lock to make the playoffs.
Last year’s squad went on to capture the Penguins Cup with a win over North Allegheny and brought home the school’s fourth state title with a 5-4 OT win against LaSalle College High School.
This season, the Rams have amassed 11 points and are dead last in Class 3A.
But, as coach Justin Yoklic explained, “There’s still a lot of hockey left to be played.”
“Clearly, we’re not in a position the team wants to be,” he added. “There’s a lot more urgency now than there was the first half of the season. There are only a few opportunities left, and we have to make the most of those as a team. (Class) 3A hockey is very competitive, and you never know what can happen.”
Although the Rams are in last place, they sit only six points out of the eighth and final playoff spot with seven games left to play, and with regulation wins counting for three points, if they string some victories together, they can make up ground quickly.
The good news is Pine-Richland is finally clear of some adversity from the first half of the season. The team dealt with injuries and scheduling conflicts with players who also played amateur level hockey.
“We’ve just had guys only play their first or second games of the season recently, so in terms of injuries and conflicts with amateurs, it’s been more challenging,” Yoklic said. “We all know it’s not a valid excuse. There’s 30 guys on our roster, and there’s opportunities for guys to step up.”
Notable players who have lost games to injury have been sophomore forward Noah Taggart, who was dealing with a shoulder issue and played his second game Jan. 9 against Thomas Jefferson, and junior defenseman and captain Douglas Van Meter, who also was out the majority of the season with a concussion.
“Those were guys that were playmakers, captains and leaders in their own respective ways and who we relied on last year,” Yoklic said.
The return of those players will hopefully provide a boost to a team that has shown improvement as the season has gone on.
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Although they are mired in a current five-game losing streak, every one of those losses has been by a goal. When looking at how the season started, the Rams’ first three losses of the year were by two goals or more.
“We’ve been saying it all year, if you’re a state championship team, going into the next year, you’re going to get everybody’s best game,” Yoklic said. “It’s come down to a mistake here or a play there, and those are equating to the results we’ve seen recently, but we’ve still been fighting and battling.”
The Rams have been led all year by their four all-star players: senior forwards AJ Verszyla and Josh Lanyard, junior defenseman Adam Proctor and sophomore forward Carson Verszyla, AJ’s brother.
“Those guys were all deserving of their all-star selections,” said Yoklic. “They’re a critical piece to our team, true leaders and guys we’re going to count on the rest of the way.”
Carson Verszyla leads the team in points (14) with eight goals and six assists. He has already eclipsed his point total (12) from a year ago.
“For a young guy, the development shows on the score sheet,” Yoklic said. “I’ve known he’s been a talented hockey player going back years now. He made big time plays last year, and for a guy his size, his age, to be a top scorer on our team and in Class 3A is impressive.”
AJ Verszyla has been a very good complement to his brother and has four goals and six assists.
“It’s cool to see brothers being on the same team,” said Yoklic. “I was talking to them, and I don’t think they’ve had a lot of opportunities to play together, which I found surprising.”
Lanyard is the captain of the team and leads the team in goals (9). According to Yoklic, he has the clutch gene.
“Whenever we’re looking for a big play or big goal, we can always count on him,” Yoklic said.
Other notable offensive producers include seniors Jeremy Casper (2G-10A) and Carson Parkhill (3-5) and sophomore Colten Andrighetti (2-4).
Proctor has been the leader of the defensive group, and Yoklic labels him “a very coachable, grounded kid who works hard and has size and the work ethic.”
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With the return of Van Meter and the size of Proctor and senior defenseman Roger Williams, Yoklic is looking for the defensive group to find its footing in the latter part of the year, especially when it comes to giving a hand to senior goalie Brett Sudac.
Without a solid defense in front of him, Sudac’s numbers have dipped compared with last season, where he finished with 2.31 goals against average and a .895 save percentage. This year, he has a 3.66 GAA and a .871 save percentage.
“Brett is a competitor and his resume speaks for itself in terms of what he did for us last year and the big saves he’s made,” Yoklic said. “We haven’t helped out much in front of him, and it’s something we’ve continued to work on.”
If the Rams defense tightens up and the forwards continue to play their game, stay motivated and hungry, the results they’re looking for will come.
“Right now, whether we’re in first or last place, nothing should change,” Yoklic said. “It’s the same approach, but we also can’t be naive on where we’re at positionally and what’s ahead of us. These games are all very important, and we don’t have the luxury to sit back because we’re going to get everyone’s best game.”