JACKSON TWP — Seneca Valley’s hockey season ended unexpectedly early last season.

So the Raiders are starting a bit ahead of schedule this season.

Though its PIHL regular season doesn’t begin until Oct. 29, Seneca Valley recently won the varsity and junior varsity portions of the 32-team St. Margaret’s Foundation Fall Face-Off Tournament at Harmarville and Warrendale Bladerunners.

The tourney has existed since 1994 and this marks the first time the same program has won the varsity and JV competitions.

“We got a first-round bye in the playoffs last year, then lost to State College in the second round,” SV varsity coach Anthony Raco said. “We felt we fell short of where we should have gone and that’s motivated a lot of guys.”

SV’s varsity went 2-0-1 in the round-robin portion of the tournament before defeating Hampton, 4-1, in the semifinals. The Raiders topped Butler, 5-4, in a shootout to win the championship game.

Alexander Crilley scored the tying goal with 35 seconds left in regulation. Crilley and Peter Kipin scored in the first two rounds of the shootout and senior goalie Tanner Pfeffer stopped the first two Butler shooters to clinch the win.

Senior captain Chris Marziotto paced the Raiders with eight goals and five assists in the tournament. He had 13 goals and 24 points last season.

“Chris is our leader on and off the ice,” Raco said. “I talk to him regularly about what I expect out of the team and out of him in terms of being a leader.

“I coached him when he was a freshman, so we know each other well.”

The Raiders won the varsity portion of the tournament despite missing the services of one of their top players, Andy Gagnon.

“He’s healing up from a concussion and wasn’t available,” Raco said.

The junior varsity cruised through the tournament, outscoring the opposition 29-3. After going 3-0 in round-robin play, the Raiders shut out Bethel Park, 2-0, in the semifinals and Pine-Richland, 1-0, in the title contest.

Goalie Dylan Sloat posted four shutouts. Evan Kozlowski led the team with five goals while Sam Johnson, Connor Williams and Chris Lipnicki had five points each.

“Evans is one of those guys who just gets the job done,” SV junior varsity coach Trevor Kuhlman said. “He’ll stand in front of the net and get hit, he’ll take a hit to make a play.

“It was great seeing effort like that get rewarded.”

Kuhlman is a 2003 Seneca Valley graduate who played hockey there. He went on to play for the Junior Penguins and for Indiana (Pa.) University.

“When I was a senior at Seneca, we didn’t have a varsity team because of our lack of numbers,” Kuhlman said. “That really bummed me out.

“When I was through playing, I knew I wanted to coach, but I didn’t know if I had the patience to start climbing the ladder that way. Mike Carson was coaching in the Seneca Valley system a few years ago and talked me into getting started.”

Kuhlman is in his second year as JV head coach and his sixth year with the program.

Seneca Valley has two junior varsity teams this season, along with the varsity and freshman developmental squads. There are 74 players comprising those four units.

“The varsity program struggled for a couple of years,” Raco said. “Last year, we had some success and it created a buzz about hockey around the community.

“One of those JV players have already come up to help the varsity. We’ve got a good system going on right now.”

Kuhlman agreed.

“Our JV team was 22-1 last season and hasn’t lost a game in over a year,” he said. “Everyone’s buying into the system and playing together.

“When I began coaching, I wanted to help build Seneca Valley’s program to the point where it can be a Penguins Cup contender every year and that’s what’s happening.”