Winning a state championship is special, and the way the Pine-Richland hockey team achieved it will be remembered repeatedly.
Josh Lanyard scored to tie the game in the final two minutes when the team was down a goal, sending the game to overtime against favored LaSalle.
AJ Verszyla scored in overtime, concluding a dramatic ending to a 5-4 victory in the Class 3A state championship game on March 23 in West Chester.
The rally occurred after the Rams lost a 3-0 lead. Overcoming the adversity and winning the program’s fourth state title highlighted a special season.
“To achieve it in that manner in a state final in Philadelphia against an excellent LaSalle team…there’s no better feeling than that,” Rams coach Jordan Yoklic said. “All the hard work and dedication the boys put in and all the families and friends and all the support that goes into it paid off at the end of the day. I couldn’t be happier for them and the Pine-Richland community.”
Lanyard’s game-tying goal completed a hat trick in the state final and an impressive run in Pine-Richland’s most crucial games.
He scored the go-ahead goal in the Penguins Cup semifinal against Peters Township, making it four goals in the last three games.
“He’s incredibly clutch,” Yoklic said. “He’s a performer and a competitor. He deserves all the success he’s achieved. In my book he’s a (PIHL) All-Star and Player of the Month caliber player. He’s a guy that’s flown under the radar, but he’s an absolute leader on our team. One of the most coachable players I’ve come across.”
Verszyla’s game-winning goal came after he faced some penalty trouble. Colten Andrighetti had a similar experience in the Penguins Cup final, before scoring the game-winning goal.
Yoklic was impressed with the composure Verszyla, a junior, showed throughout.
“You’re doing everything you can to help the team and end up with a bit of adversity, but the response from AJ was great,” Yoklic said. “It was over and done with and back to work for the next opportunity. Then, there it was. The puck was laying there. He was in the right spot, hungry to be around the net and found a way to put it in to seal the deal.”
Andrighetti scored a goal and Cullen Campbell provided three assists in the state championship.
After the game the team celebrated with some pizza at the hotel before making the trip back to Gibsonia.
It was the Rams' first state championship win since 2019, which is also the last time they won a PIHL Penguins Cup. Pine-Richland has been close since, but is now back at the top of Pennsylvania high school hockey.
“It’s a significant achievement and I’m really proud of the boys,” Yoklic said. “To beat Bethel Park, Peters Township, North Allegheny and go out and play a great LaSalle program…those are organizations with a lot of history and hardware, so by no means was that an easy task. That’s what makes it so special.”
