Connellsville continued its flawless start to the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Hockey League (PIHL) season with a commanding 9-0 win over Neshannock on Thursday night at CFS Bank Arena in Rostraver Township. The Falcons’ early‑game firepower set the tone, as the Boone‑Riley‑Denny‑Hughes line tallied three goals in just over four minutes.
Early scoring barrage
Ryan Boone opened the scoring 68 seconds in with an even‑strength goal assisted by Hunter Hughes. Just 33 seconds later, Denny followed with a quick strike past Neshannock net‑minder Vinny Multari, again with Hughes providing the pass. The Falcons stretched the lead to 3-0 before the first period ended, when Boone set up Denny on the power play with 12:55 remaining.
Natural hat trick and power‑play dominance
Denny completed a natural hat trick at the 9:55 mark of the second period, giving Connellsville a 4-0 advantage. Hughes added a power‑play goal with 7:46 left in the second, and Denny assisted on that tally. The third period saw Alex Boone score on 5‑on‑5 play at 3:11, with Connor Basinger and Sam Denny providing the primary and secondary assists.
Finishing the rout
Senior forward TJ Snyder contributed an unassisted power‑play goal with 9:13 remaining, pushing the lead to 7-0. The Falcons were perfect on the man advantage, converting all three power‑play opportunities. Sam Denny set up Basinger for his second goal with 5:08 left, and later closed the scoring with an even‑strength tally at 4:14, assisted by Presley Overly.
Defensive strength
Goalie Andrew Weir recorded his second shutout of the season, stopping all 18 shots he faced. His goals‑against average (GAA) dropped to .925, and his save percentage sits at .925 for the year.
Team statistics and upcoming game
With the win, the Falcons improve to 8‑0, leading the D2 Gold Division with 24 points. They have outscored opponents 56‑14 in eight games, averaging seven goals per contest while allowing just 1.75 per game. Burrell and Deer Lakes sit tied for second with 14 points, but both trail Connellsville with games in hand.
The Falcons return to the ice on November 12 when they face Carrick (0‑5‑2‑0, 4 points) at Ice Castle Ice Arena in Castle Shannon. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m.
Original reporting: Herald-Standard – latest news for Uniontown, Pennsylvania — read the source article.
