The game was up for grabs. North Penn stepped up and took it.
James Boyle and Daniel Carbrales scored third-period goals 19 apart Saturday afternoon to snap a 1-1 tie and propel the Knights to 4-1 win over Erie Cathedral Prep in the Pennsylvania Class AA hockey championship game at the Robert Morris University Island Sports Center.
It was the first state hockey championship for North Penn (22-3) in the school’s history and the third state championship for the Suburban High School Hockey League in four years: Pennridge won Class AA titles in 2022 and ’24.
There was little to choose between the two teams for the first two periods. The Raiders’ Tucker Kinnear delivered the only goal in that span, 5:19 into the second frame.
With 4:52 left in the period the Knights briefly appeared to have scored the tying goal. Cathedral Prep goaltender Ian Brown denied Norton on a wraparound before Derek Lugera put in the rebound. The apparent goal was disallowed however when it ruled was the net had come off its moorings prior to the puck crossing the goal line.
During the post-second period ice cut, North Penn coach Kevin Vaitis reassured his players.
“I told them we’ve just got to keep moving the puck,” he said, “keep playing our game and our chances are going to come.”
At the start of the third period, Samuel Norton stepped up. With the Ramblers’ Charlie McBrier in the box serving an interference penalty, Norton, a sophomore made a dash down the right wing and beat Brown to tie the game 2:49 into the period.
As the clock wound down, momentum seemed to be shifting in North Penn’s direction. Boyle drove that point home with emphasis with 3:36 left in the game when he found the back of the net with a one-timer from the left point. It was a power-play goal; the Raiders were playing a man down after being caught with too many men on the ice.
Just 19 seconds later Cabrales scored a goal of his own to tighten the Knights’ hold on the game,
Nolan Shingle the evening with a goal into an empty net with 43 seconds remaining.
Vaitis said sened early on this could be a special season.
“At the beginning of the season when we met with them for the first time, we knew with the team we were going to have and the talent we were going to have what we were capable of doing,” he said. “We believed in them and it was a matter of them understanding of they were able to put the work in, just how special the season could be for them.”
North Penn 0 0 4—4
Cathedral Prep 0 1 0—1
Second-period goal: Tucker Kinnear from Ethan Cunningham and Chris Bruschi, 5:19
Third-period goals: Samuel Norton (NP) unassisted, 2:49 (pp); James Boyle (NP) from Norton and Cole Pluck, 13:24 (pp); Daniel Cabrales (NP), 13:43 unassisted; Nolan Single (NP) 16:17 (en) unassisted
Shots: North Penn 35, Erie Cathedral Prep 27; Saves: Andy Norton (NP) 26, Ian Brown (CP) 31
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