Quaker Valley hockey starts title defense on right foot

Defending state champion Quaker Valley hit the gas pedal immediately to start the 2026-27 PIHL season.

Matthias Lezama provided the dramatics in the Quakers’ season-opening win against Avonworth following his team’s sensational performance in 2025-26.

The talented junior forward scored with 30 seconds remaining to lift QV to a thrilling 2-1 victory Sept. 28 in the PIHL Class A division game at Baierl Ice Complex.

“We had a nice win over Avonworth in our opener,” QV’s veteran coach Kevin Quinn said. “We expect to compete at a high level. It is our 30th year of Quaker Valley hockey, 29th varsity, and the team goals remain the same.”

QV finished as the Class A Blue Division runner-up to Canon-McMillan last year, then captured the Penguins Cup and state title, resulting in a 23-1-1 overall record.

After going 9-1 in its first 10 games, QV ended the regular season with a nine-game winning streak and reached the state finals March 17 by defeating defending champion Avonworth, 6–2, in the Penguins Cup title game at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex.

The Quakers scored three straight power-play goals in the championship game, and the squad was recognized as five players were lauded as PIHL Class A all-stars.

QV won the state title by defeating Hershey, 6-2, on March 21 at Ice Line Quad Rinks in West Chester. It was the Quakers’ third state crown in program history with the first two coming in 2006 and 2012.

And it was the first time since 2012 that a PIHL Class A team won the state championship, and it marked a major community celebration with a police and fire truck escort home after the game.

“We lost a lot of players from last year’s championship team,” Quinn said, “but doors have opened for our younger players and the returning players.”

QV’s bench boss has high expectations for Lezama, Jack Watson, Charlie Pyle and Kieran Cain as team leaders “on and off the ice” this season.

“And I expect Stefan Mauer, Luca Kurumfashe, Royce Wiegand and Charlie Johnson to be big for us this year,” Quinn said. “(Sophomore) Kian McKenna and (junior) Neil Dwyer are ready to take over at goaltending for us. I am excited about our depth in net.”

Watson, a 5-foot-10, 156-pound senior defenseman, will serve as QV’s captain. He contributed at both ends of the rink in 2025-26 and finished with nine goals and 16 assists.

Watson is a two-sport athlete who also competes for the boys lacrosse team at QV.

“We expect to compete for another title this season. We have a hungry group and plenty of returning talent,” Watson said. “Winning the state championship was the highlight of my career so far. It showed what we can do when we trust each other and put the team first. We’re proud of what we accomplished, and I’m working to help us replicate it this year.

“As captain, I lead by example, keep the locker room together, and help the younger guys feel welcome. Thanks to our coaches, teammates and fans for their support. We can’t wait to get started.”

Pyle and Cain, both senior forwards, and Lezama are assistant captains. Lezama led the team in scoring last year with 34 goals and 35 assists. Pyle had seven goals and 15 assists while Cain chipped in with eight goals and 11 assists.

Quinn said the Quakers haven’t established lines and defense pairs at this early stage of the season.

However, Watson is joined on defense by Wiegand, a sophomore. Pyle, Cain and Lezama are complemented on the front line by Kurumfashe, who is a senior, and a pair of underclassmen in Johnson, a junior, and Mauer, a sophomore.

“Sadie Pyle, Royce Wiegand and Edison Mauk will be on the blue line with me,” Watson said.

Rounding out QV’s roster are sophomores Oscar Lok (F) and Noah Blair (F), junior Brooks Kenneweg (F) and senior Isabel King (F), along with a strong group of freshman skaters in forwards Jace Simon, Carson Skaggs, Greyson Johnston-Cenkner, Mauk, Reilly Norton and, on defense, Pyle.

“We are adding a lot of first-time varsity players this year,” Quinn said. “They are working hard in practice to be ready to compete.”

Against Avonworth, Lezama scored the game-winner thanks to assists by the Charlies — Pyle and Johnson.

Mauer, a sophomore forward, assisted by Lezama, connected for QV’s first goal of the year in the first period off Lezama assist. McKenna turned back 24 of 25 shots in the win.

QV exploded past Baldwin, 9-4, at Baierl in its second game as Lezama accounted for six goals and two assists. After two contests, Lezama had produced seven goals and three assists.

Watson tacked on one goal and two assists against the Highlanders while Mauer had one goal and one assist. Pyle also scored once and Cain (2), Karumfashe and Wiegand were credited with assists. Dwyer made 27 saves.