Fox Chapel Hockey Surges Past Canon-McMillan, Advances to PIHL Class 2A Penguins Cup Semifinals

Foxes extend dominant 2025 run with 10th win in 11 games, powered by standout performances from Dominic Casile and Tucker Cullen

Fox Chapel Grant Watson snares a puck out of the air in front of Canon-McMillan's Brenden Lomago Monday night at the Alpha Ice Complex. Watson made 21 saves to help the Foxes advance to the Penguins Cup semifinals with a 6-3 win over the Big Macs / Josh Rizzo

HARMAR TWP, Pa. — A grueling season that stretches from October to March inevitably delivers moments of both triumph and heartbreak. For the Fox Chapel hockey team, a tough two-goal loss to Latrobe in late December provided a wake-up call. Since then, senior forward Dominic Casile and his teammates have found their groove, rolling into the playoffs as one of the hottest teams in Pennsylvania Interscholastic Hockey League (PIHL) Class 2A.

The Foxes continued their dominant run Monday night, securing their 10th victory in 11 games with a 6-3 quarterfinal win over Canon-McMillan at Alpha Ice Complex.

“I think once we hit the new year and went on a nice win streak, that was motivation for us to keep rolling,” Casile said. “Getting the first seed was big, but it doesn’t really mean anything now because it’s anyone’s game in the playoffs.”

Fox Chapel's Tucker Cullen attempts to control the puck while avoiding the reach of Canon-McMillan defender Carson O'Donoghue Monday night at Alpha Ice Complex. The Foxes beat the Big Macs 6-3 in the Class 2A Penguins Cup quarterfinals. / Josh Rizzo

Fox Chapel (17-3-0-1) last reached the Class A Penguins Cup two years ago, its first appearance since 1997. However, that playoff run ended abruptly with a 4-1 loss to Kiski. Casile, who led Class 2A with 32 goals in the regular season, hasn’t forgotten the sting of that defeat.

“It was a tough loss,” Casile said. “Some of the guys in the locker room were there for that loss. I think it’s motivation for this year. Everyone wants to win it in this locker room.”

Foxes Dominate Second Period to Secure Victory

Eighth-seeded Canon-McMillan managed to keep pace early, with forward Luka Grkman tying the game at 2-2 just 51 seconds into the second period. But the Foxes quickly flipped the momentum.

In a span of just four minutes, Casile, Hayden Ferra, and Cosby Wukotich found the back of the net, giving Fox Chapel a commanding 5-2 lead. Ferra finished with two goals, while Tucker Cullen added an empty-netter to seal the win.

“That’s kind of what we want to do—play tough and possess the puck,” Fox Chapel coach Ryan Loebig said. “That’s the way we wanted to play the game. We were really solid with the pressures.”

Casile, Cullen Lead the Charge

Fox Chapel’s offense has been powered all season by the dynamic duo of Casile and Cullen. Cullen led Class 2A with 59 points, including 28 goals, while Casile ranked second with 57 points and 32 goals.

“Tuck and I have been playing together since the eighth grade,” Casile said. “We’ve built up chemistry, and whoever we’re with, we just bring them up. That chemistry spreads to our other linemates, and then we start rolling.”

Fox Chapel's Dom Casile, right, led the the PIHL's Class 2A division with 32 goals in the regular season. / Josh Rizzo

Next Up: A Battle Against Penn-Trafford

Fox Chapel now shifts its focus to the PIHL Class 2A Penguins Cup semifinals, where it will face fourth-seeded Penn-Trafford, which defeated Bishop McCort 8-4 in its quarterfinal matchup.

The Foxes are just two wins away from hoisting the coveted Penguins Cup, but Casile and his teammates know they can’t take anything for granted.

“We just have to keep playing our game,” Casile said. “We’ve come too far to let up now.”

PIHL Playoff Results

Class 3A

No. 1 Seneca Valley 3, No. 8 Pine-Richland 1

No. 3 North Allegheny vs. Central Catholic (March 4)

No. 5 Upper St. Clair 5, No. 4 Thomas Jefferson 4

No. 7 South Fayette 6, No. 2 Mt. Lebanon 1

Class 2A

No. 2 Cathedral Prep 4, No. 7 Armstrong 0

No. 3 Greater Latrobe 7, No. 6 Hempfield 3

No. 4 Penn-Trafford 8, Bishop McCort 4

Class A

No. 1 Chartiers Valley 5, No. 4 North Catholic 0

No. 2 Mars 5, No. 3 Shaler 4

No. 1 Moon 3, No. 5 North Hills 2

No. 3 Avonworth 6, No. 2 Quaker Valley 5

Division 2

No. 1 Morgantown vs. Gateway (March 4)

No. 2 Burrell 7, No. 7 Elizabeth Forward 3

No. 3 Deer Lakes 7, No. 6 Carrick 2

No. 4 Neshannock 4, No. 5 Connellsville 3

--Josh Rizzo | rizzo42789@gmail.com | @J_oshrizzo