OT : Hockey question
OT : Hockey question
Why is a kid from Northern Cambria playing hockey for Bishop Mccort. Does anyone know what schools have hockey teams locally. I believe that Central Cambria has a team and that there are Northern Cambria students on it. How does the PIAA allow players to pick where they play if their school does not have a sport?
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Crimson's Ghost
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Re: OT : Hockey question
The PIAA doesn't sponsor hockey.
Re: OT : Hockey question
I believe the few teams that have hockey, draft the schools in the area that have kids that want to play and don't offer it. Also above comment is correct PIAA doesn't oversee hockey.
Re: OT : Hockey question
The PIAA does not oversee hockey, unlike other state-run athletic organizations such as OHSAA (Ohio), MHSAA (Michigan), MSHSL (Minnesota), etc. I believe years ago I read that the PIAA did not want to undertake the insurance costs for overseeing it at the state level. Therefore, hockey is a club sport which is funded at the school level by sponsorships, fundraisers, and donations. Since it's a club sport you can have students from other schools play under the banner of one school's team.
In the West there's the PIHL which oversees primarily clubs from the WPIAL area, but also from the Johnstown area and all the way up to Erie. The only team that competes in the PIHL now is Westmont. The PIHL has rules that prohibit co-op teams for competing for state championships. Only "pure" teams made-up of students that are enrolled at the school can participate. There is a D2 division in the PIHL, but they are not permitted to play for state titles. Likewise, schools from West Virginia cannot compete for Pennsylvania state championships.
The Laurel Mountain Hockey League was started as a breakaway organization for local schools to play hockey and not have to travel to the Pittsburgh area for games. Students can compete for different schools since there is no state oversight and they are not subject to the PIHL's rules on co-ops. The league is comprised of teams that play under the banners of Altoona, McCort, Central Cambria, Conemaugh Valley, Forest Hills, Johnstown, Hollidaysburg, Richland, Somerset, State College, and Westmont (non-PIHL team). All of these schools were, at one point or another, members of the PIHL. They compete (or did compete) for the Ann Harris Smith Cup, named after Laurel Auto Group founder Mike Smith's late wife.
In the West there's the PIHL which oversees primarily clubs from the WPIAL area, but also from the Johnstown area and all the way up to Erie. The only team that competes in the PIHL now is Westmont. The PIHL has rules that prohibit co-op teams for competing for state championships. Only "pure" teams made-up of students that are enrolled at the school can participate. There is a D2 division in the PIHL, but they are not permitted to play for state titles. Likewise, schools from West Virginia cannot compete for Pennsylvania state championships.
The Laurel Mountain Hockey League was started as a breakaway organization for local schools to play hockey and not have to travel to the Pittsburgh area for games. Students can compete for different schools since there is no state oversight and they are not subject to the PIHL's rules on co-ops. The league is comprised of teams that play under the banners of Altoona, McCort, Central Cambria, Conemaugh Valley, Forest Hills, Johnstown, Hollidaysburg, Richland, Somerset, State College, and Westmont (non-PIHL team). All of these schools were, at one point or another, members of the PIHL. They compete (or did compete) for the Ann Harris Smith Cup, named after Laurel Auto Group founder Mike Smith's late wife.