Braden Morins Hat Trick Powers Seneca Valley Hockey to the 1st State Title in Rout van Holy Ghost Prep – Butler Eagle

Andrew Malichky (28) from Seneca Valley lifts the trophy after beating Saint Ghost Prep in the Pennsylvania Class 3A State Championship Game Saturday 22 March 2025, in the Island Sports Center of Robert Morris University. Jared Todhunter/Special for the Eagle

Vinvi Villellella from Seneca Valley (92) watches while Christopher Nichols (40) deals with the Puck against Holy Ghost Prep in the Pennsylvania class 3A State Championship Game Saturday 22 March 2025, in the Island Sports Center of Robert Morris University. Jared Todhunter/Special for the Eagle

Andrew Malichky (28) from Seneca Valley checks De Puck in the attacking zone against Holy Ghost Prep in the Pennsylvania class 3A State Championship Game Saturday 22 March 2025 in the Island Sports Center of Robert Morris University. Jared Todhunter/Special for the Eagle

Broaden Morin (13) from Seneca Valley celebrates after scoring a goal against Holy Ghost Prep in the Pennsylvania class 3A State Championship Game Saturday 22 March 2025, in the Island Sports Center of Robert Morris University. Jared Todhunter/Special for the Eagle

Marshall Hewitt (33) from Seneca Valley makes a shot against Holy Ghost Prep in the Pennsylvania class 3A State Championship Game Saturday 22 March 2025, in the Island Sports Center of Robert Morris University. Jared Todhunter/Special for the Eagle

Jimmy Murtha (21) from Seneca Valley tries a backhand -shot against Holy Ghost Prep in the Pennsylvania Class 3A State Championship Game Saturday 22 March 2025 in the Island Sports Center of Robert Morris University. Jared Todhunter/Special for the Eagle

Ethan Riffe from Seneca Valley (42) Forchecks against Holy Ghost Prep in the Pennsylvania class 3A State Championship Game Saturday 22 March 2025, in the Island Sports Center of Robert Morris University. Jared Todhunter/Special for the Eagle

Marshall Hewitt (33) from Seneca Valley makes a shot against Holy Ghost Prep in the Pennsylvania class 3A State Championship Game Saturday 22 March 2025, in the Island Sports Center of Robert Morris University. Jared Todhunter/Special for the Eagle

Jimmy Murtha (21) from Seneca Valley celebrates after scoring a goal in the second period against Holy Ghost Prep in the Pennsylvania class 3A State Championship Game Saturday 22 March 2025 in the Island Sports Center of Robert Morris University. Jared Todhunter/Special for the Eagle

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  Andrew Malichky (28) from Seneca Valley lifts the trophy after beating Saint Ghost Prep in the Pennsylvania Class 3A State Championship Game Saturday 22 March 2025, in the Island Sports Center of Robert Morris University. Jared Todhunter/Special for the Eagle

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  Vinvi Villellella from Seneca Valley (92) watches while Christopher Nichols (40) deals with the Puck against Holy Ghost Prep in the Pennsylvania class 3A State Championship Game Saturday 22 March 2025, in the Island Sports Center of Robert Morris University. Jared Todhunter/Special for the Eagle

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  Andrew Malichky (28) from Seneca Valley checks De Puck in the attacking zone against Holy Ghost Prep in the Pennsylvania class 3A State Championship Game Saturday 22 March 2025 in the Island Sports Center of Robert Morris University. Jared Todhunter/Special for the Eagle

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  Broaden Morin (13) from Seneca Valley celebrates after scoring a goal against Holy Ghost Prep in the Pennsylvania class 3A State Championship Game Saturday 22 March 2025, in the Island Sports Center of Robert Morris University. Jared Todhunter/Special for the Eagle

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  Marshall Hewitt (33) from Seneca Valley makes a shot against Holy Ghost Prep in the Pennsylvania class 3A State Championship Game Saturday 22 March 2025, in the Island Sports Center of Robert Morris University. Jared Todhunter/Special for the Eagle

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  Jimmy Murtha (21) from Seneca Valley tries a backhand -shot against Holy Ghost Prep in the Pennsylvania Class 3A State Championship Game Saturday 22 March 2025 in the Island Sports Center of Robert Morris University. Jared Todhunter/Special for the Eagle

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  Ethan Riffe from Seneca Valley (42) Forchecks against Holy Ghost Prep in the Pennsylvania class 3A State Championship Game Saturday 22 March 2025, in the Island Sports Center of Robert Morris University. Jared Todhunter/Special for the Eagle

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  Marshall Hewitt (33) from Seneca Valley makes a shot against Holy Ghost Prep in the Pennsylvania class 3A State Championship Game Saturday 22 March 2025, in the Island Sports Center of Robert Morris University. Jared Todhunter/Special for the Eagle

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  Jimmy Murtha (21) from Seneca Valley celebrates after scoring a goal in the second period against Holy Ghost Prep in the Pennsylvania class 3A State Championship Game Saturday 22 March 2025 in the Island Sports Center of Robert Morris University. Jared Todhunter/Special for the Eagle

Coraopolis Holy Ghost Preps Momentum was stopped and the Seneca Valleys party started.

Braden Morin scored three goals, including a short count in an empty Net and Jimmy Murtha yielded two critical tallies when Seneca Valley won his very first hockey state championship 7-2 on Saturday evening in the Robert Morris Island Sports Center.

Marshall Hewitt and Ethan Riffe also scored for the Raiders (19-5) and helped 2010 SV graduated and former Raider Hickey player Tyler Mesisca to realize a state title in his first year as head coach.

Related article: Marshall Hewitts Rocket in 3OT Hands Seneca Valley Hockey Exhausting, Exciting Penguins Cup title

When I played, we came to the Penguins Cup final twice and we lost overtime in both games, Mesisca said. For me this is a dream come true.

It is a unique thing for these players. I have been an assistant coach here in recent years, so I knew the talent was here. These guys were working hard at the moment. They deserve to enjoy this.

Two of the Raiders Penguins Cup matches went overtime, including Triple OT in the title competition, and it seemed that the state final could go in the same direction.

Riffe, Morin and Hewitt thought it was just to give SV a 3-0 lead with 13:28 in the second period. But the Firebirds (21-5-1) came on the board halfway through the second period, when a Raider defender could find the puck between his skates and John Gavaghan put the loose puck in the net. Ryan Lippy added a Power-Play goal with 2:56 in the period to draw Saint Ghost Prep within 3-2.

Murtha scored his first goal with 1:22 in the period, all alone for the net and drill home a cross-cice pass by Owen Martin.

Owen worked hard to get the puck in front of me. All I had to do was finish the job, Murtha said.

Huge goal … 100% huge, Mesisca said. That goal took away their momentum and gave it back to us.

SV-NetMinder Christopher Nichols helped finish the Firebirds when he stopped Brady Logues Backhand-Schot for four seconds before the second period of Hoorn sounded.

Related article: Carter Hoehn fires a game -winning goal in OT to send Seneca Valley Hockey to Penguins Cup final

Andrew Malichky (28) from Seneca Valley lifts the trophy after beating Saint Ghost Prep in the Pennsylvania Class 3A State Championship Game Saturday 22 March 2025, in the Island Sports Center of Robert Morris University. Jared Todhunter/Special for the Eagle

Nichols made 24 Saves in the night, some of them from a point-white range.

Chris did that all year for us, Hewitt said. We believe that he is the best keeper in the Pihl.

Nichols stopped with another logue shot from the top of the fold less than a minute in the third period. Logue had 19 goals during the season and scored eight times in his teams Three Flyers Cup matches, but could not beat Nichols this night.

Murtha poked a rebound with 15:56 in the game. The pioneers at that time started starting goalkeeper Jack Unger. Unger had 1.80 goals against the average this season and only three goals in the play -offs of the Flyers Cup.

Jimmys leaves goal in the second was great, Morin said. Then we wanted to come out and dominate the third period. We knew they would come out hard. We had to come out harder.

Morin scored the last two goals of the Raiders, the last one found an empty net while SV killed a penalty. Holy Ghost Prep decided to go for a 6-on-4 advantage while she walked with four goals.

Related Article: Seneca Valley Hockey Beats Defending State Champ Pine-Richland in Pihl Tournament Quarterfinales

At that time they had nothing to lose, but yes, I was surprised that they did, Mesisca said.

That was a nice way to end it, Morin said. We absolutely did not want any other overtime game. The latter lodged us.

The Raiders had won only one other Penguins Cup title before this season, which came in 2019. Holy Ghost Prep tried to win his first state title since 2015.

Hats off for them, said Firebirds coach John Ritchie. They are a defensive team and made it difficult for us to get a lot offensive.

Were used to getting early leads early and to adapt from there. They turned that over tonight. Seneca Valley played a great game. They took it to us. They deserve it.

SV had an edge of 30-26 in Schoten on goal. Both teams were 1 to 3 on the Power Play.