East Xtra: Penn-Trafford senior pursuing two titles
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Conlan Sodrosky, first and foremost, wanted to go out a winner for his senior season as part of the Penn-Trafford High School hockey team.
Considering the Warriors long ago clinched a playoff berth and are in the race for the No. 1 seed in the PIHL Class AAA playoffs as the regular season heads into its final month, that appears to have been achieved. Penn-Trafford missed the postseason last year, placing 14th in the 17-team classification.
Another goal was less pressing ... and more of a longshot. In fact, Sodrosky wasn't even going to go so far as to set out to win the Class AAA scoring title.
But here we are with five games to go in the regular season, and no one has outscored Sodrosky.
"I really wasn't expecting to have this big of a year," said Sodrosky, who has 19 goals and 30 assists for 49 points in 16 games. "But I wanted to be at least in the top 10 in scoring my senior year. That was my goal in the summer ... So far, it's worked out beyond that. I just want to keep that going through the end of the season -- maybe now try to be in the top five if I can't hold onto the No. 1 position.
"It's been a while since P-T has had a leading scorer in the PIHL. I kind of want to bring that back."
Odds are, Sodrosky will, at the very least, aid in that cause. He is one of three Warriors who were in the top four of Class AAA in points heading into the week, joined by seniors Dan Maier (29 goals, 18 assists, 47 points) and Joe Boyer (12 goals, 25 assists, 37 points).
Maier was in the top 10 of the Class AAA scoring race last season as a junior. Sodrosky was second on the team, but he surpassed the 29 points he put up last season by Christmas this season.
He's picked up the pace even more since then, with 18 points in the five games he's played since the New Year. A three-goal, three-assist outburst in a 14-2 win against Hempfield Feb. 2 allowed him to pass teammate Maier in the scoring race.
"It's like [Maier] said [last week]: 'It's a friendly rivalry,'" Sodrosky said. "We do what's best for the team. But we do compete with each other to see who can get more points. It's fun."
There's been plenty of fun to be had this season for Penn-Trafford, which is 15-2 heading into a game against Fox Chapel Friday. A win against the Foxes (5-12) would clinch the Section 4 title; victories in three of their final five games would clinch no worse than the No. 2 seed for the Penguins Cup playoffs for the Warriors.
Only Canon-McMillan (16-1) is ahead of Penn-Trafford. The Big Macs and Warriors play Feb. 27 at the Ice-O-Plex at Southpointe in a game that very well could decide the Class AAA regular-season title.
"P-T hasn't won a section [title] since 2006, so we want to bring that back," Sodrosky said. "And we want to get that No. 1 seed -- and obviously, we want to make it to the Consol Energy Center this year and make it to the finals."
The Warriors can have such lofty goals and be realistic, in part, due to Sodrosky. An alternate captain and vocal leader, Sodrosky has at least a point in every game he's played this season. He's had at least a goal in 10 of the past 11.
"On and off the ice, Conlan is a great kid with a great personality," Penn-Trafford coach Brian Lehneke said. "And he's a really good hockey player. He works hard at it."
Lehneke said Sodrosky "plays the speed game, for sure." At 5 feet 9, 160 pounds, Sodrosky's skating ability is one of his greatest weapons.
"He's a really fast player, and his hands -- he's got really great hands," Lehneke said. "He gets the puck on the net. He's got 19 goals, but a lot of his shots go on the net, and his linemates are there to put in the rebounds. Plus, he will look to pass."
Sodrosky is evaluating his post-high school options at this point. Also a member of the Pittsburgh Predators U-18 AAA travel team, he's looking at going to college and playing for a club team or perhaps looking into hooking on with a junior team.
"He's absolutely got the speed to fit in wherever he goes," Lehneke said. "Hockey nowadays, the college levels and juniors and even the pros, it's not so much about size anymore as it is about how fast they are. And Conlan has the speed to play at a higher level."
First Published February 9, 2012 12:00 am
