By:
Saturday, November 12, 2022, TRIB-LIVE
Mason Heininger
Class: Senior
School: Fox Chapel
Sport: Hockey
Report card: Heininger scored two goals and added two assists to help Fox Chapel (6-1) to a 10-0 victory over Wheeling Central Catholic on Monday night. The senior forward centers the third line and plays winger on the first line. He has eight goals and 13 assists this season, which leads PIHL Class A.
How did the team play against Wheeling Central Catholic on Monday?
We played good. Wheeling kind of kept up with us for the first 10 minutes. We couldn’t crack them. (Danny Downey) scored and then everybody really opened up and started playing good and started to score more and everybody was producing. Sophomores, freshmen, everybody producing, which is so good.
What are some things the team is doing well at this point in the season?
Some of the kids that joined this year like Dom Casile and Trip (Goehring) and the freshmen Killian (Kissane), they’re starting to buy into the systems. At the beginning of the year everybody wanted to play by themselves and get points. When everybody buys in, the points will come. That’s what the coaches said.
What do you attribute all the scoring to?
We run a good forecheck. We get the puck down low. We run a good cycle. We use our ‘D’ and just go to the net. We try to get rushes. Just mainly the cycle. That’s mainly what we worked on in practice. If we get the puck down low, that opens up shots from the point, and we can get rebound goals.
What is your role on this team?
A leader. I wear that ‘C’ and my coaches are really hard on me. Even against Wheeling, my coach told me to cam down, I’m a leader and I can’t get frustrated.
What is the goal for the rest of the season?
Pens Cup. Losing in the semifinals last year is still there. We want to get back. Me and Danny (Downey), the one goal we wanted for our high school career is to win a Pens Cup. This is our last year. So we’re going 110 (percent) this year.
How did you get started in hockey?
I was 4 years old. I started roller blading around my house and driveway. I started ice skating and fell the first time I skated and didn’t like it. I started to roller skate a lot. When I was 5, I started playing ice. I played for the Renegades my whole life. This year, I’m playing for Pittsburgh Vengeance 18U.
Have you made any plans for next fall?
I plan to go to juniors; there’s a few teams that are contacting me.
What’s something people might not know about you?
I used to throw up before every game last year. I used to have a streak and finally the streak is over. I just started eating something different and earlier before the game, no dairy.
Bill Hartlep is the sports editor of the Tribune-Review. You can contact Bill at [email protected] or via Twitter @BHartlep_Trib.