The Blackhawk hockey team set the playoffs as one of their goals for this season, and they achieved that goal on Jan. 20. when Elizabeth Forward fell to Connellsville with a score of 18-7. Looking towards the playoffs earlier this month, it was determined that Blackhawk had to either win two out of their three remaining games or Elizabeth Forward would have to lose their last two games, and that they did. Since Elizabeth Forward lost their two games, Blackhawk was given the last seed. The Blackhawk team is a Varsity Division two team in an open division. This means that the playoffs are composed of both “B” and “C” teams. Blackhawk is a “B” team and they are currently holding the sixth and final spot out of eight. The top six spots are held by “B” teams and the last two spots are for the best “C” teams.
“We’ve made the playoffs for the ten straight years and we are hoping to keep that streak alive but more importantly we just keep looking for the kids to improve,” Coach Doug Schaffer said at the beginning of the month.
As the team heads to playoffs, they aren’t going to only continue their streak of what is now 11 years making it to the playoffs, but this young team will be getting an experience that many haven’t had yet, a playoff game experience.
Schaffer explained that the most valuable takeaway is that a playoff experience for such a young team can be a builder for the years to come.
Making playoffs wasn’t the only achievement for two players on the team this season. Junior Jimmy Kelly and Blackhawk’s junior Sean Steinle competed in the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Hockey League (PIHL) All-Star Game. In an open division, every coach from every team nominates up to five players on their team to become a PIHL All-Star. Once all the players are selected, the coaches from other teams would pick from that selection and then they would play in the game. Around 40 players are picked and 20 players go on one side and 20 players on the other team. Each school mixes up their players so that the two PIHL All-Star teams have players from all open division teams. Kelly and Steinle were the two selected from Blackhawk. They play on Jan. 28. Kelly had one assist and his team walked away this a win of 6-5.
This hockey season has been filled with both highs and lows, but the future of the team looks to be very bright. Blackhawk hockey will be heading to playoffs which start the beginning of March.