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The Vikings Hockey Class of 2024 (Photo by: Simply Sisters Photography)

Senior Night 2024 - A Night to Remember

Eleven seniors make up the 51st Central Catholic Vikings Hockey graduating class.  The February 8, 2024 senior night recognized these exceptional young men and talented hockey players.  They add maturity, strength, and leadership to Vikings Hockey, made up of nearly 70 other players and underclassmen over four teams.  

"I am humbled and blessed to have had the opportunity to be a part of your high school journeys," said Vikings Head Coach James Eller, "I am excited to see that the future brings for each of you.  Stay focused, stay passionate, and remember the attention to details."

The senior night events were held at Alpha Ice Complex (USA Rink) in Harmarville, PA.  The 6 pm senior recognition ceremony was followed at 7:00pm by Pennsylvania Interscholastic Hockey League (PIHL) varsity AAA matchup against the Canon McMIllan Big Macs. The Vikes came out on top with a final score of 6 - 3.

The 11 graduating seniors are:  Nathan Cox (C), Josh Moline(A), Anthony D'Orazio, Christian Zavacky, Evan Benscoter (A), Douglas Berthold, Jake Ochwat, Aaron Williams, A.J. Morgano, Nic Jesso, Adam Sarkis (A).

Good Luck to the 51st Central Catholic Vikings Hockey class ... the CCHS Class of 2024! 

Thank you to Gateway Engineers for sponsoring the evening.  

 

Viking Productions Broadcast of Senior Night 2024 and Vikings vs. Big Macs matchup

WATCH Viking Productions student led LIVE broadcast featuring the Central Catholic Vikings Hockey Team on YouTube for Senior Night 2024!

SENIOR NIGHT 2024 OFFICIAL PHOTOGRAPHS NOW AVAILABLE

 

The official senior night photos were taken by Simply Sisters Photography.  To see all of the photos from that evening and to order, go to click here.

To order digital files, please click here.

 


The official Central Catholic Vikings Hockey banner hangs in the lobby of the Alpha Ice Complex in Harmarville, Pennsylvania - home of Vikings Hockey

The official Central Catholic Vikings Hockey banner hangs in the lobby of the Alpha Ice Complex in Harmarville, Pennsylvania - home of Vikings Hockey


Central Catholic Hockey To Play in 2024 High School Hockey Showcase

(story shared with permission from North Catholic Athletics.  Alex Brown / NC Athletics)

Cranberry Twp, PA - There are rivals, and then there is Central Catholic.  Since 1939 North Catholic has had no greater adversary than the Central Catholic Vikings. From the gridiron to the mound, and yes, the rink, no matchup would rise to the top of the calendar more than the Central Catholic game. Over the last two decades, the frequency of these matchups has greatly decreased, but the animosity has never dissipated. And on the 28th of January, the antipathy will be renewed once again, as for the first time since 2022, the Central Catholic Vikings will face off against the North Catholic Trojans, and they will do so under the roof of the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex.

When these two clubs last met on the 2nd of February 2022, it was one of the most electrifying North Catholic sporting events of recent memory. It took place at the newly furnished Hunt Armory, where both teams got into a firefight that went back and forth until it was settled in overtime by Senior defenseman Mario Smith, who joined fellow Senior Tay Melis on a 2-on-1, where he put it home on the blocker side to win it for the Trojans in an OT thriller.

Now, the next riveting chapter between these two squads is about to be written; here's a look at how each team is doing so far this season:

The Triple-A Vikings are 7-7 on the season but are coming into this matchup playing some of their best hockey of the year thus far. They are riding a 3-game winning streak, most recently winning overtime against the defending Triple-A champs, Peters Township. They are led by a strong selection of 14 upperclassman forwards, all looking for redemption from their loss two seasons ago.

For North Catholic, the Trojans are continuing their meteoric rise in the Single A standings, winning 7 in a row and 9 of their last 10, which brings them to an 11-3-0-1 record on the season. That's good enough for 2nd place in the Varsity A Gold Division. They are led by their dynamic first line of Beckett DunnRyan Berry, and Anthony Neely, who have combined for 35 of their 73 goals this season. This North Catholic team is as deep as any Trojans team in years. They can roll three lines of forwards that can play against any team's top line in the league, and their defenders have been rock solid, minimizing quality scoring chances while playing aggressively on the offensive end. Not to mention that the Trojans' goaltending has been some of the best in Single A, as they have given up the 3rd least goals in their division and hold 2nd best save percentage.

There's the tale of the tape between these two historic schools, as they finally meet again on January 28th as the nightcap of a 3-part gameday event. The festivities will kick off with the North Catholic Middle School Team taking on Central Catholic's middle school squad at 3:30, followed by the North and Central Catholic JV Teams facing off at 5:00. It all leads up to the main event at 6:30, where both Varsity teams will suit up to reignite this showcase series.

Tickets for the showcase are available online.  Adult tickets are $5 and students are free.  To purchase your tickets, click here

All games of the showcase will be carried LIVE on the North Catholic Sports Network.  You can watch online or on your smart TV by downloading the Boxcast app and searching North Catholic High School.  

We look forward to seeing you there to watch it with us!

Central Catholic versus North Catholic. It's more than a rivalry. It's tradition.


Paul J. Sciullo Memorial Alumni Game Draws Players from Near and Far

It was all for Paul.

Vikings Hockey alumni, old friends, fellow police officers, and family members gathered at the Hunt Armory Thursday night, December 22, 2023 for Annual Paul J. Sciullo Memorial Alumni Game.

Thank you to the Pittsburgh Icemen (a hockey team made up of Pittsburgh Police officers and public safety personnel from Pittsburgh and the surrounding area) for giving our old-time alumni players a great battle on the ice. A big thank you also goes out to all of the young alumni for one of the biggest turnouts ever!

We were honored to welcome Paul’s dad and friends to the evening’s festivities and proud to donate all proceeds to the Sciullo Scholarship Fund for children of first responders at Central Catholic High School.

Paul, the captain of the ‘91 Central Catholic Vikings varsity team, was tragically killed in the line of duty as a Pittsburgh Police officer in April 2009. We will always remember him.

Thank you to the Pittsburgh Penguins for their generous sponsorship of the evening’s festivities and supporting the Sciullo Fund and Pittsburgh first responders.



2023 Paul J. Sciullo Memorial Alumni Game Announced!

We are excited to announce that the 2023 Paul J. Sciullo Memorial Alumni Game returns on Thursday, December 21st, 2023 at The Hunt Armory!

Join us for a special night of hockey, friendship, and some good old-fashioned Vikings spirit in honor and remembrance of Paul, former Vikings Hockey captain and Pittsburgh Police officer lost in the line if duty.

The night kicks off with the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police team, the Pittsburgh Icemen, taking on the Central Catholic Vikings Hockey Club Alumni Team.   After that, two Vikings Alumni teams battle it out on the ice.

Register to play HERE.

All proceeds benefit the Paul J. Sciullo Scholarship for first responders at Central Catholic High School. For more information on how to donate, please visit:

www.centralcatholichs.com/pages/give

Under "donation designation", select "endowment", and choose Paul J. Sciullo II Memorial Fund.

We can’t wait to all of our former players back on the ice!


Viking News Network Features Central Catholic Hockey


Head Coach James Eller, captains Nathan Cox and Josh Moline on set at VNN

Central Catholic's official news network, Viking News Network, featured Head Coach James Eller, varsity captain Nathan Cox, and co-captain Josh Moline on Thursday, November 2, 2023.   This broadcast comes just ahead of a big rivalry game against North Allegheny.  The Tigers are tied with the Vikings at the top of the rankings  in the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Hockey League (PIHL).

See the VNN broadcast here! 

Rewatch the LIVE BROADCAST of Central Catholic vs. North Allegheny here.  Just type Central Catholic in the search bar.



#28 Christian Zvacky scores the Vikings first goal of the varsity season on Thursday, October 5, 2023 against Bethel Park. The Vikes would go on to win in a shutout 3-0.

Central Shuts Out Bethel Park in AAA Season Opener

The Central Catholic Vikings varsity team opened the 2023-2024 regular season in strong fashion at home against the Bethel Park Hawks at Alpha Ice Complex in Harmarville, PA Thursday night.

Goaltender Tom Puhalla made 27 saves to secure the shut out victory.  Christian Zvacky opened the scoring drive for the Vikes midway through the first period.  Early in third, Josh Moline netted another one with team captain Nate Cox capping the scoring at the end of the third.  The final score Vikings 3 Hawks 0.

See all of the game action captured by Simply Sisters Photography here.

 Also, find more on ice action from PGH Photographer Bill George here.

Be sure to check out the full 2023-2024 regular season schedules for Central Vikings Varsity, Junior Varsity 1, Junior Varsity 2, and Middle School by clicking on the calendar tab at the top of the page.  

Like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram to stay up to date on all Vikings Hockey action!

Roll Vikes!


Vikings Varsity Games to be Featured LIVE on TBTV Sports

The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Hockey League (PIHL) has released the LIVE broadcast schedule for the 2023-2024 regular season.  The Central Catholic Vikings Hockey varsity squad will be featured seven times.  The first live broadcast will be on Thursday, October 26th when the Vikes take on Baldwin at 9:00PM at Ice Castle Ice Arena.

Other LIVE broadcast games include big rivalry games with North Allegheny, Peters, Pine Richland, and Upper St. Clair:

Thursday, October 26th, 9:00PM vs. Peters

Thursday, November 2nd, 9:00PM vs. North Allegheny

Tuesday, November 7th, 9:00PM vs Peters

Thursday, November 30th, 9:00PM vs Pine Richland

Monday, January 15th, 8:00PM vs. Peters

Thursday, February 22nd, 7:00PM vs. Upper St. Clair

Thursday, February 29th, 7:00PM vs. Upper St. Clair

PIHL partners with TenBand.TV, TribHSSN, JRM Video Productions, and  Pittsburgh Hockey Digest to stream over 80 regular season games throughout the season.

Go to www.tenband.tv/howto for details on how to watch the Vikings varsity games this season!

Roll Vikes!


Vikings Hockey Sees Success in St. Margaret's Fall Face Off Preseason Tournament


Preseason play at the St. Margaret's Fall Faceoff at Alpha Ice Complex

The Central Catholic Vikings varsity hockey team started the preseason with a strong performance in a long-standing tournament that draws the top schools from the area.

Dubbed the “St. Margaret Fall Face-off,” this tournament has served as an unofficial start to the high school hockey season in Western PA. Each year, over the course of one week in early September, 16 teams – four varsity teams in four divisions of “pool” play – face-off for bragging rights … but the real winner is the St. Margaret Foundation and all who it serves.

Since 1993, the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Hockey League (PIHL) has sponsored this pre-season charity tournament at Alpha Ice Complex in Harmarville, PA to raise money and awareness for the St. Margaret Foundation. 

This year, preliminary games began on Tuesday, Sept. 5 and ran through Thursday, Sept. 7. After 30 preliminary games – all of which were held at Alpha Ice Complex – the winner of each “pool” advanced to the semi-finals and championship game, which was held on Monday, Sept. 11 at 5 pm and 9 pm, respectively.  To accommodate 30 games over three days, most of the practice ice time for amateur and school teams who call Alpha Ice Complex home is “blacked out” to accommodate the needs of this long-running PIHL charity tournament.

This year, the Central Catholic Vikings Hockey Club faced Shaler, Baldwin and Mt. Lebanon in preliminary round play.  The team won its first game against Shaler, suffered an overtime loss to Baldwin in game 2, and etched a win in game 3 against Mt. Lebanon.  The Vikings made it to the semi-final and lost in a hard-fought game to Pine Richland, the eventual tournament champion.

Through this tournament, PIHL raises several thousand dollars annually for the St. Margaret Foundation, giving it the means to “help St. Margaret patients with the essential needs not covered by insurance yet are necessary to heal, remain independent and have hope.” For more information about the foundation’s programs, please see: https://www.stmargaretfoundation.org/


Central Catholic Varsity Head Coach James Eller talks to his team as they take on Shaler in Game 1 of the St. Margaret's Fall Face-off


A Vikings varsity player goes for the puck in Game 3 of the St. Margaret's Fall Face Off against Mt. Lebanon


The Vikings varsity squad prepares to take on Shaler in Game 1 of the St. Margaret's Fall Face-Off

Vikings Hockey Club Names Interim Head Coach

Mr. James Eller has been named interim head coach of the Central Catholic Ice Hockey team for the 2023-24 season.  Eller served as an assistant coach and has been instrumental in the team's success through the 50th Anniversary celebration in the 2022-2023 season.

He succeeds Bill Connelly, '04, who has transitioned to become the interim men's hockey coach at Chatham University.  We thank Coach Connelly for his years of coaching at Central and welcome Eller to lead our program.


50th Anniversary Banquet: A Perfect Way To End A Historic Season

The Central Catholic Vikings Hockey end-of-season banquet was held at the Edgewood Country Club on April 16, 2023. 

Attended by more than 200 players, families and friends, the club was also honored to welcome Central Catholic High School Principal Michael Andrejko, alumni Bob Arturo, Fred Jacob and Steve DiGiacomo.

The club was especially honored to welcome Max and Susie Sciullo, the parents of Paul J. Sciullo II. At the banquet, the club honored the memory of Sciullo and presented his parents with a pledge of nearly $13,000 -- resulting from fundraising through the course of the season -- for the Paul J. Sciullo Scholarship Fund for the children of first responders. 

During the course of the evening, the coaches honored a number of players for their academic and athletic accomplishments during the course of the season.  

Finally, last but not least, the club recognized its 18 graduating seniors, the largest graduating class in club history. 

 

 


VIKINGS WIN PIHL TIER 1 CHAMPIONSHIP

JV1 TEAM TACKLES NA TIGERS, 3-2

In a tense, hard-hitting and exciting battle between the two top seeded teams after the PIHL regular season, first-seed Central Catholic JV-1 hockey team defeated second-seed North Allegheny, 3-2, in the Tier 1 junior varsity championships on Tuesday, March 28 at Ice Castle (Castle Shannon, PA).

After a scoreless first period, Aaron Williams put Central Catholic on the board first at 1:41 of the second period. He was assisted by DJ Burek and Christian Zavacky. North Allegheny tied it up less than a minute later. At 11:49 in the second, Ricky Castracani, with an assist from Aaron Daley, got the go-ahead on a shot from the point. 

Early in the third, the Tigers notched their second goal to tie the match.  The Vikings never let up and, at 2:53 in the third, Adam Sarkis tallied the eventual game-winner. He was helped by Daley and Burek, each of whom ended up with two points on the night. Goaltender Tom Puhalla faced 21 shots.

To get to this championship round, your Vikings hockey team defeated Bethel Park in the quarterfinals (4-1) at Ice Castle on March 14.  Goals were scored by Jay Donahue, Clayton Kepperling, Cain Phillip (short-handed) and Zavacky. Assists were notched by Captain Joe Silvaggio, Sarkis, Jake Ochwat (2), Brayden Lewinter, and Kepperling. The Vikings defense soldiered any attempts that Bethel had offensively, only allowing 11 shots to get through to goaltender Ben Balla.

The battle to excise the demons of the 2022 PIHL Championship loss was facing the Mt. Lebanon Blue Devils in the semi-finals on home ice -- and in front of a large crowd -- at Alpha Ice Complex. After a slow start that saw Lebo's Jackson Bell taking the Devils up 1-0 early in the first, it was all Vikings thereafter.

Goals were scored by Jack Marcello, J. Donahue (2), Daley. It was an all-team effort and assists went to Luke Jesso, Dan Donahue, Antonio Moret, and Castracani. Puhalla stopped 27 shots on goal. 

Second-seed North Allegheny's path to the final took it through Peters Township (2-0) and Pine Richland (5-0). While Central Catholic finished the regular season in the number one spot with 11 wins, North Allegheny was knocking on the door with 10 wins -- including one against the Vikings.  Central Catholic faced North Allegheny twice early in the regular season  -- tying them once (3-3) and losing once (4-3).  

Ultimately, Central Catholic got their first win over NA when it mattered the most!

 



Adam Sarkis sneaks the game-winner, 3-2, underneath the NA goalies's pads in PIHL championship game. Phot by Simply Sisters Photography.


Adam Brophy reaches back to take control of the puck in 4-1 win over Mt. Lebanon. Photo by Stephanie Green, Simply Sisters Photography.


A sweet victory over Mt. Lebo. Photo by Stephanie Green, Simply Sisters Photography.


Adam Sarkis celebrates after getting the game-winner. Photo by Simply Sisters Photography.


Netminder Tom Puhalla stops a Blue Devil challenge cold. Photo by Stephanie Green, Simply Sisters Photography.


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Central Catholic Vikings Hockey Club is proud to have celebrated our 50th Anniversary during the 2022 - 2023 season!  Check out our 2022-23 news page for info about how we celebrated this exciting milestone. https://www.centralcatholicvikingshockey.com/news2022-23 

(Keep our website and social media (Facebook and Instagram) on your "speed dial." Should be a lot of fun!! Roll Vikes!!

To learn more about Vikings Hockey Club's past seasons, please see our comprehensive 2021-2022 Vikings News page. 

Curious about other seasons? Please see the 2020-2021 Vikings News page under the "History" tab in "About Us" on the main menu.

Each year goes by so fast ... we will try to archive our activities as best we can! 

Go To: Vikings Hockey 2021-2022 News!

Interested in following everything that Vikings Hockey has been doing this season? Go to the Vikings Hockey 2021-2022 News Page and check the program out!

Thank you to our 2022-2023 CCVHC Sponsors!

50th Anniversary Title Sponsor

Sponsored by Gateway Engineers

Gateway Engineers

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As a full-service civil engineering firm, Gateway Engineers provides solutions for all of your project needs. 

HEADQUARTERS
The Gateway Engineers, Inc.
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Sponsored by Pittsburgh Penguins

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We provide expert driven, client focused valuation and business advisory solutions to clients big and small.

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Building 1B, Suite 200-328
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50th Anniversary Game Sponsor

The CCVHC 1987 Varsity Team

The players collectively sponsored the December 17, 2022 Paul J. Sciullo II Memorial Game & Alumni Game.

The McQuillan Family

Coach Pat McQuillan sponsored the January 30, 2023 varsity game versus Mt. Lebanon.

50th Anniversary Alumnus Sponsor

James Balla, '77

Scott Brown, '11

The Hammer Family

Paul Fischione, '73

Mike McSorley, '91 & The Conn-Greb Boxing Club

50th Anniversary Linemate Sponsor

The Albanese Family

Tier 1 - Blue

Sponsored by Franklin West, Inc.

Franklin West, Inc.

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The Franklin West name means superior apartment living.
Shadyside ♦ Oakmont ♦ Gibsonia ♦ Butler
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Sponsored by Willman & Silvaggio, LLP

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Sponsored by Marthinsen & Salvitti Insurance Group

Marthinsen & Salvitti Insurance Group

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140 Park Ave.
Washington, PA 15301
www.msipa.com

The Alger Family

The Burek Family

The Dold Family

The Gaffney Family

Moret Construction Company, Inc.

700 Greensburg Road
Lower Burrell, PA 15068
(724)339-0500

 

The Lettieri Family

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Sponsored by Excel Signworks

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Massaro Industries

The Berthold Family

The R. Cox Family

The Donihi Family

The Noah Hritz Family

The Morgano Family

The Pievach Family

The Radkowski Family

The Talerico Family



Current CCVHC Fundraising Opportunities!