Peter Diana, Post-Gazette Pine-Richland's Phil Trombetta, right, is one of the top scorers in Western Pennsylvania high school hockey.

By Mike White
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette At first glance, there doesn't seem to be much of a comparison.

Phil Trombetta is a 6-foot, 185-pound senior at Pine-Richland High School and his brother, Dylan, a 5-9, 145-pound sophomore.

Phil has a girlfriend, and Dylan doesn't. Phil has a bigger appetite. Dylan isn't as outgoing as his brother.

But put the Trombettas on the ice, and it's as if they are identical twins, brothers in arms who do two things with alarming regularity: Setting up goals and shooting pucks into the back of the net.

Rebecca Droke, Post-Gazette PHIL TROMBETTA Age: 18 Height: 6'0 Weight: 185 Class: Senior Position: Center Statistic: Phil is tied for second in PIHL scoring with 57 points (30 goals, 27 assists). Click photo for larger image.
Rebecca Droke, Post-Gazette DYLAN TROMBETTA Age: 16 Height: 5-9 Weight: 145 Class: Sophomore Position: Left winger Statistic: Dylan is the top scorer in the PIHL with 64 points (34 goals, 30 assists). Click photo for larger image.

Dylan and Phil are bruise brothers to opposing goaltenders. They are two of the top three scorers in Western Pennsylvania high school hockey. In the most recent PIHL statistics, left winger Dylan is first with 64 points (34 goals, 30 assists). Phil, a center, is tied for second with 57 points (30 goals, 27 assists).

A brother act like this is practically unheard of in Western Pennsylvania high school sports. Imagine how unusual it would be if two brothers were the leading scorers in WPIAL basketball. Or imagine the publicity two brothers would get if they were the leading rusher and passer in WPIAL football.

"I haven't really sat back and thought about it," Phil Trombetta said. "But I guess if you do, you realize what we're doing is pretty unusual."

The Trombettas are the primary reasons the Rams are 16-0-1 and the Post-Gazette's No. 1-ranked PIHL Class AA team.

"Two guys from the same team leading [the district] in scoring is unusual, let alone brothers," Pine-Richland coach Bob Kennedy said.

This band of scoring brothers started years ago when Phil and Dylan got hooked on the sport after watching their cousin, Ken Trombetta, play roller hockey. He went on to play ice hockey at Yale. Next thing, Phil and Dylan were in the basement of the family home, playing with miniature sticks and goals. Then came the games in the driveway. They both started playing ice hockey at a young age.

The Trombettas played on the same team a few times years ago. They had a family reunion last season when Dylan got to ninth grade. They helped lead Pine-Richland to a state championship in 2006.

"This year has been kind of a surprise for me because I didn't expect to be the No. 1 scorer around," Dylan said. "I think I knew Phil would be up there. But there are a lot of good players in this league. To be the No. 1 scorer as a sophomore just surprises me."

Older brother has played a huge role in Dylan's scoring prowess, along with linemate George Saad.

"I like to pass the puck a little more," Phil said. "Dylan likes to get goals. Plus, I like to play a little more defensively."

Kennedy said, "They're a little different in the way they play. Dylan's game is probably a little smoother, but they both shoot it really well. They're playmakers and passers. So they're different in some ways, but also have a lot of similarities."

One similarity is their competitiveness ... on and off the ice. They like to participate in activities together, from golf to pingpong. They live in Richland Township next to the Pittsburgh North Golf Club.

Rebecca Droke, Post-Gazette Phil Trombetta, 18, left and his brother Dylan Trombetta, 16, have led Pine-Richland, the Post-Gazette's No. 1-ranked Class AA team, to a 16-0-1 record this season. Click photo for larger image.

But sometimes the brotherly love gets lost in the games or activities.

"We do a lot together. We were just playing NHL '07 the other day," Dylan said of the video game. "I beat him, and then he said I cheated. We ended up wrestling over it."

But who is the best hockey player?

"Right now, he's better than me," Dylan said. "But he's older. So you really can't say."

Besides playing for Pine-Richland, both Trombettas play for the Pittsburgh Predators Midget AAA team. Phil hopes to play Junior A hockey next season, and possibly Division I college hockey after that.

"Maybe we can play on the same team again someday," Phil said of his brother.

And there is another brother showing plenty of promise. Nolan Trombetta is a talented seventh-grader.

Phil said, "In time, he could be just as good as us."

Oh, brother.