MATT VAUGHAN

SCHOOL: Mt. Lebanon.

WHO IS HE? A hockey goaltender.

THE PAST WEEK: Vaughan fended off all 25 shots Sunday as the Blue Devils defeated Meadville, 3-0, in the PIHL Class AAA Penguin Cup championship. That was their first Western Pennsylvania title since 1985. He also was in goal March 24 in a 2-1 semifinal win against Upper St. Clair.

Mt. Lebanon (26-1-1) will play Malvern Prep for the AAA Pennsylvania Cup (state title). They will meet at 5 p.m. April 10 at Island Ice Center, Neville Island.

CAREER: A sophomore, Vaughan has 11 shutouts this season, three in the playoffs. He started "about 60 percent" of the time as a freshman, "usually the bigger games," said his coach, Paul Taibi.

NEARLY PERFECT: Vaughan has allowed only one goal in four games this postseason. His proficiency against Meadville enabled the Blue Devils to maintain a 0-0 tie until they could break loose in the final seven minutes.

"I went into the playoffs thinking I had to play well for our team to win a championship," Vaughan said. "But I'm in a zone right now. I haven't played this well -- ever."

"Matt has played extremely well all season," Taibi said. "But he has been in a zone during the playoffs, especially the Meadville game. He made a handful of saves that could have been goals, which would have changed everything."

STANDING TALL: At 5 feet 7, Vaughan isn't big physically. But his skills make him an imposing figure in front of the Mt. Lebanon goal. "He's very talented, very athletic," Taibi said. "He holds his angles very well. A lot of goaltending is about positioning."

CONFIDENCE MAN: Knowing he would be a full-time starter this season was a boost to Vaughan. "The coaches showed confidence in me, which in turn gave me confidence. I've had a lot of pressure on me, but I thrive on it, turn it into positive energy in games."

Taibi, in his third season as the Blue Devils' coach, said: "The only thing Matt has this year that was missing last year is confidence. He's matured."

FUTURE: Vaughan played amateur hockey a few years ago and would like to compete at some level after high school. But he isn't sure he'll enjoy it as much as he does now.

"High school hockey is a lot more fun than any other level of hockey. It's more than a forced friendship. I live with these guys."

-- By Rick Shrum

KERRI HILES

SCHOOL: Connellsville.

WHO IS SHE? A senior and standout pitcher on the Falcons' softball team.

THE PAST WEEK: Hiles pitched a no-hitter and struck out five in a season-opening, 10-0 victory Friday against Mount Pleasant. On Monday, Connellsville defeated Kiski Area, 2-0, in 15 innings, and Hiles pitched the first 12 innings. She struck out 29 and gave up only two hits.

CAREER: Hiles has been Connellsville's No. 1 pitcher since her sophomore year and has a 25-8 career record. She was 12-2 last year with 162 strikeouts.

WHAT A SCREWBALL: Connellsville coach Max Bukovac believes Hiles is better than last year because she's added a few new pitches. One of them is a screwball.

"Not many pitchers throw a screwball," Hiles said. "I just started throwing it in November and I seemed to catch on to it pretty quickly. A screwball breaks the opposite way of a curveball. It's been working so far. A lot of people are swinging and missing."

Bukovac said: "She was always a power pitcher, but this year she's using more pitches and that's what makes her tougher. But when she wants to throw the ball by someone, she can still do it."

WILD THING: Hiles has been pitching since she was 9. In her preteen years, she didn't have much control.

"When I was young, I had a lot of speed, but I wasn't accurate," Hiles said. "A lot of people were afraid of me. I was known as a wild pitcher and I hit a lot of people. That's why everyone was afraid of me."

THE OTHER SPORT: Hiles also played volleyball for Connellsville. She is an "A-B" student who loves horses and horseback riding.

DON'T FORGET THE FAMILY: At the end of the interview for this story, Hiles asked for a favor. "Is there any way you could mention my dad and brother?" she said. "My brother [Kevin] played college baseball at Allegheny, and he has always helped me with my hitting. My dad [Kenny] always practiced pitching with me. They've really helped me."

THE FUTURE: Hiles will play softball next season at IUP.

-- By Mike White