LOCAL SPORTS: Arrows PeeWee Hockey Wins Championship

by Jonathan Weaver

The Armstrong Senior High River Hawks might not have been able to win a hockey championship this season, but an Armstrong Arrows team did.

The Arrows’ Pee Wee Mixed team, made up of 17 middle-school athletes, won the Pittsburgh Amateur Hockey League PeeWee B championship this past weekend at the Belmont Complex in East Franklin Township.

The team already had won the regular-season title after finishing the season 17-1-2, but capped off the season with a 3-0 victory over the Arctic Foxes from Coraopolis (Allegheny County).

First-Year Head Coach Justin Wagner, of Butler – a former amateur hockey player himself in Baltimore – said the team chemistry began last summer when most of the team practiced at other rinks.

“Proud of every one of them,” Coach Wagner said. “They came together as a team – played as a team, as a unit. They wanted to be the best.

“All 17 kids participated and played hard.”

Coach Wagner’s son, Aiden, was one of two Butler athletes that played for the Arrows Pee Wee B team the past seven months. He will try out for Bantam level competition in the next few weeks.

Coach Wagner was assisted by John Lichanec and Jake Enders – both of Kittanning. Wagner hopes to coach again at the Bantam level.

Coach Lichanec said the Arrows and Arctic Foxes battled for first place all season. Armstrong tied with Coraopolis in October and beat them 2-0 at the end of January to secure the section title.

He said skating improved for all of the athletes since last Summer.

Coach Lichanec’s sons Travis and Justin – both seventh graders at Armstrong Junior High – will also try out for the Bantam level soon and also played on the middle school hockey team this past season.

Of the 17 players, two athletes were also from Freeport.

The Pee Wee team will play up to three more days this weekend at the Laurel Tournament at Kirk S. Nevin Arena in Greensburg (Westmoreland County) – hosted by the Westmoreland Hockey Association.

Armstrong Arrows Board President Ray Brison said the overall organization is proud of the team’s accomplishments and expressed congratulations.