Hempfield Tops Greater Latrobe 5–3 in Exciting PIHL Clash

Hempfield rallied from an early deficit to secure a 5–3 victory over Greater Latrobe in Pennsylvania Interscholastic Hockey League varsity action Thursday night at Kirk Nevin Arena. The win improves Hempfield’s positioning in league play and showcased strong second‑period play that shifted the momentum in their favor.

The Wildcats jumped out to an early lead when Greater Latrobe’s Garek McMahen opened the scoring just past the midway point of the first period. Latrobe extended its advantage early in the second with a goal from Preston Miller, but Hempfield responded emphatically.

Hempfield’s comeback began with Mats Martz cutting the deficit 2–1 at 6:02 of the second, followed by a short‑handed goal from Jonathan Holtzman just over a minute later to even the score. Kevin Sabie then pushed Hempfield ahead before the period ended, giving the Spartans a 3–2 lead after two games.

The third period saw Hempfield build on that lead as Martz struck again early, extending the advantage to 4–2. Greater Latrobe’s Miller answered with his second of the night to bring the Wildcats within one, but Holtzman added an insurance goal late in the stanza to seal the 5–3 final.

Hempfield outshot Latrobe 47–23 overall in the contest and capitalized on their offensive rhythm in the middle period to turn the tide. Penalty minutes favored Latrobe early, but Hempfield’s disciplined play helped them control the pace down the stretch.

Scoring Summary:

• 1st Period: GL – McMahen (0–1)
• 2nd Period: GL – Miller (0–2); HF – Martz (1–2); HF – Holtzman (2–2); HF – Sabie (3–2)
• 3rd Period: HF – Martz (4–2); GL – Miller (4–3); HF – Holtzman (5–3)

Shots on Goal: Hempfield 47 • Latrobe 23 PIHL
Penalty Minutes: Hempfield 21 • Latrobe 4 PIHL