First Posted: 1/7/2015
WILKES-BARRE — The rivalry is one of the best in the Wyoming Valley. Now, that rivalry will extend to the American Hockey League level.
The 2015 NEPA Toyota Dealers High School Hockey Showcase will feature Pittston Area and Wyoming Area following the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins game against the Norfolk Admirals Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza.
Game time is set for approximately 9:45 p.m.
This will be the second of three high school games hosted by the Penguins as part of the 2015 High School Showcase. On Friday, Jan. 2, the Penguins hosted a game between the Wyoming Valley West Spartans and the Back Mountain Blackhawks. On Friday, Feb. 13, the Crestwood Comets will battle the Holy Redeemer Royals.
The Pittston Area-Wyoming Area game, along with the final game of the series, will be televised locally on MyNetwork TV.
The two teams met at the Casey Classic just two weeks ago. In that game, Pittston Area was an 8-4 winner. The Patriots would go on to reach the finals of the tournament. They eventually fell to Crestwood, 8-0. The Comets used a seven-goal second period to nip the Patriots.
Pittston Area is coached by Mike Langdon. The Patriots are young and have to rely on several junior varsity players at times.
“We’re a young team,” Langdon said. “We’re not a stellar team right now but we play through adversity. We don’t rely on just one person. The whole team steps up and plays as a team.”
Mostly everyone has scored for the Patriots this season. Joe Langdon leads the Patriots with five goals on the season. Most of the time he is set up by Tommy Schwab, who leads the team in total points.
Also, Tyler Uravage and Jerry Scatena, who play for the Junior B Wilkes-Barre Knights, contribute heavily.
“We have a descent amount of kids that play on a regular basis,” Langdon said. “Having Jerry and Tyler on the team makes it a plus because they bring a little extra.”
It’s a once in a lifetime experience for some of Langdon’s younger players to be playing at the arena.
“For some of them it’s hard to describe,” he said. “They are going to go to play where some of their idols play and to step into a large arena it’s an amazing feeling.”
The Warriors, coached by Bill Weiss, sit at 2-2-1 on the young season. Wyoming Area is losing games by a close margin, according to Weiss.
The team is better than it has been in previous years. Alex Chronowski and Brendan Lee do most of the scoring for the Warriors. A defensive unit of four juniors help stop the opposition.
“This year we have a really good team,” Weiss said. “We’re not losing 12-0 anymore. It’s a very competitive team this year. We have a very strong defense.”
Weiss likes to play everyone during the game, including some eighth graders. The Warriors have about 30 kids out between varsity and junior varsity.
“Everyone plays,” Weiss said. “It’s hard playing everyone, but we do. They are the future.”
The players from Wyoming Area are excited to take on the Patriots at the arena, Weiss said.
“Everyone from both teams want to play this game,” he said. “This is what the big leagues is really like. This could be their potential some day. For me, it will be awesome for the kids to be showcased like this.”
The puck will drop in the Pens-Admirals game at 7:05 p.m. After the ice is cleaned, the Warriors and Patriots will battle. Admission to the high school game is included in the cost of a ticket to the Penguins game. A ticket to see the Pens must be purchased to see the high school game. Tickets for the games start at $14.
To purchase tickets, stop by the Mohegan Sun Arena box office, the Penguins ticket offices located inside the Toyota Sportsplex on Coal Street, by calling 570-208-7367, or at wbspenguins.com.
