An aggressive, offensive-minded approach turned Burrell into a perennial contender in the PIHL Division 2.
Yet that approach hasn’t always sat well with Bucs coach Drew Burkett, a 2019 Burrell graduate and former goalie on some standout teams. This season’s mindset is one Burkett fully supports, and Burrell still finds itself in championship contention.
The Bucs got defensive and stifled opponents throughout the regular season, allowing a Division 2-leading 40 goals. Maintaining that discipline has continued through two postseason games. Adding another to the stretch Monday night against Ringgold would give Burrell its first championship.
Puck drop is scheduled for 8:45 p.m. at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry.
“How we’re playing is the total opposite of how it’s been the past two years,” Burkett said. “It’s been different coaching it, but I appreciate it. … Winning would be huge for the community that’s been following us for years, and it would mean a lot to us, a lot to the boys.”
No. 5 Burrell (14-4-0-4), making its third consecutive championship appearance, enters Monday’s game on a high, having defeated top-seeded Morgantown, W.Va., in dramatic fashion in the semifinals. The Bucs’ Jared Wall scored a tying goal with 25 seconds remaining in the third period before Jacob Rose buried a rebound for the overtime winner and a 3-2 victory.
“I told the guys we have a clean slate going into Monday’s game,” Burkett said. “We have a lot of momentum, but we can’t get too high. Monday is a fresh start.”
Burkett just needs to turn to the regular season to help keep things grounded. Ringgold won both meetings in overtime by identical 4-3 scores.
Burrell did not allow more than four goals in any game this season, and the third-year coach is quick to praise the defensive pairing of Asher Ross and Cooper Suman.
Aaron Holm, Harry Hensel, Adam Scheftic, Brayden Snyder and Dimitri Taliani also have contributed to Burrell’s defensive success, and Seth Munda — one of three goalies to play for Burrell this season — has emerged as the top choice during the playoffs.
“We have three goalies, and all three played really well during the regular season,” Burkett said. “In the playoffs, we went with (Munda) in the first game and he got a shutout, so we stayed with him against Morgantown.”
Burkett plans to stay with the hot goalie for the championship, but keeping Ringgold’s offense at bay won’t be easy.
The Rams (15-4-2-0) are paced by Landon Vaccaro, who scored the winner in the second meeting against Burrell. He led Ringgold with 31 goals and 53 points during the regular season. Brady Lippert (22 goals, 39 points) and Bruce Santina (14 goals, 36 points) add to the Rams’ scoring depth.
In the last meeting between the two, Vaccaro and Lippert played on different lines.
“We have to limit what they do on offense. We’ll stick with the same plan, which works for us,” Burkett said. “We have a super simple system (on defense). I don’t think a lot of teams use one. Even if they do, they don’t usually stick with it for an entire game. We do.”
No. 3 Ringgold is seeking its fourth Division 2 championship, winning most recently in 2023.