John Heller, Post-Gazette Josh Fodor

SCHOOL: Pine-Richland.

WHO IS HE? A 5-foot-11, 180-pound senior and one of the top hockey players in Western Pennsylvania.

THIS WEEK: Fodor had one goal and four assists in a 12-0 victory Monday against Hampton.

SEASON: Fodor is the fifth-leading scorer in the PIHL's most recent statistics (53 points). Fodor has helped Pine-Richland to a 16-1-2 record and the Post-Gazette's No. 1 ranking in Class AA.

PASS IT ON: Fodor is among the leading scorers mainly because of his assists. He has 18 goals and 35 assists.

"I take pride in that," he said. "An assist is just as important as a goal. Without assists, goals wouldn't happen."

IN THE SWING OF THINGS: Fodor played on Pine-Richland's junior varsity golf team for three years. Golf is one of his hobbies. His best score was a 73 at Rittswood Golf Course near Butler.

Playing hockey might help in golf because Fodor's wrists are strong.

"A lot of kids say I have such a hockey swing in golf," Fodor said.

ICE BOWL: Some families get together for a "turkey bowl" football game on Thanksgiving. Fodor and his family used to have, you could say, the "ice bowl."

Fodor's older brother, Adam, played hockey at Pine-Richland, and some other family members also have dabbled in the sport.

"Our family used to rent ice time on Thanksgiving, and we would just play," Fodor said. "I also have a cousin who played hockey, and my whole family is hockey-oriented. I've been around the game my whole life."

Fodor started skating when he was 3.

THE FUTURE: Besides playing for Pine-Richland, Fodor also plays for the Pittsburgh Aviators Midget 'AAA' team. Fodor hopes to play Junior 'A' hockey next season. From there, he's hoping to play in college.

"Basically, you have to play Juniors before you play in college," said Fodor, who has a 3.7 grade point average.

But first, there is the matter of the PIHL playoffs. Pine-Richland lost in the PIHL final last year.

"We're talented both up front and in the back," Fodor said. "But, in order to go far in hockey, you definitely need to play both ends of the ice. That's what we have to do."

-- By Mike White

SCHOOL: Plum.

WHO IS SHE?: The first girl to roll a 300 game in the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Bowling League.

THE PAST WEEK: A right-hander, Bell rang up her perfect game Feb. 8 at Holiday Lanes in Plum, during a 7-0 victory against St. Joseph.

CAREER: This is Bell's second season with her school team, which has been in the WPIBL for only three years. (So has the Plum boys' team.)

A junior, Bell is averaging 174, up 15 pins from last year. She also competes in leagues at New Great Valley Lanes, North Versailles, and Nesbit Bowling Lanes in Plum. Her previous high score was 268, achieved last year at Nesbit. She opened that game with seven strikes before leaving a 10 pin on a good 1-3 pocket hit.

TOP HITS ALL THE TIME: Many 300 games feature a lucky strike or two -- on a high hit or a crossover "Brooklyn" delivery. Bell, however, said all 12 of the balls she threw ended up solidly in the pocket.

Not that every strike was routine. "In the eighth frame," she said, "I had the 7 pin [after a split-second delay] come over and take out the 10."

BOARD GAME: Bell opened her three-game series against St. Joseph with a 175 -- a strong score, but not a harbinger of excellence. Then, before the milestone game two, she moved several boards to the left on the approach.

"I had to adjust," Bell said. "I was too far right in the first game, and the ball was not coming up [solidly to the pocket]."

Jim Tomlinson, Plum's first-year coach, said he was so busy dealing with his 24 bowlers, he wasn't aware Bell had made this adjustment. But he wasn't surprised she did it on her own and that it worked. "She has been bowling long enough to know what she is doing," he said.

ENCHANTED GAME: To ease the mounting pressure between frames of her 300 game, Bell said she sat away from everyone and sang a chorus song to herself. It was, appropriately, "Some Enchanted Evening."

FUTURE: Bell said she wants to bowl for a college team someday, and hopes to earn scholarship money in selected tournaments. She also is in chorus and on the stage crew at school and has a 3.2 grade point average.

-- By Rick Shrum