The stretch run officially has arrived for the PIHL regular season. Here's a glance at which teams are riding momentum, as well as a closer look at a team poised to make a deep run in Class AA. 

MELTING THE ICE 

A look at teams with the longest winning streaks in each class:

Class AAA: Butler (three games). The Golden Tornado have been among the most inconsistent teams in the classification. Before Butler's current streak, the team suffered five straight setbacks. The turnaround began Jan. 15 with an impressive win against North Allegheny, and the Golden Tornado followed with decisive triumphs against Bethel Park and Central Catholic. The Golden Tornado are in sixth place with 17 points despite leading the classification with 69 goals. Butler has two games left, with the next one Feb. 12 at home against first-place Peters Township. 

Class AA: Pine-Richland (four games). After dropping down in classification, the Rams were expected to improve significantly this season. Although it took time, Pine-Richland has established itself among the elite squads in Class AA. In the past month, the Rams bested Quaker Valley, Montour, Hampton, and most recently, North Hills. In those contests, Pine-Richland has scored 29 goals. Consequently, the Rams sit second in the North/West Division with 21 points and boast a plus-24 goal margin. Next up is a showdown against first-place Armstrong on Thursday at the Belmont Ice Complex.

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