By: Bill Beckner Jr.


Saturday, June 14, 2025 | 11:46 PM

Mario Cavallaro was a sophomore in 2022 when he played a key role in Norwin’s PIHL Penguin Cup championship run.

He scored the game-winning goal in the finals on an assist from his brother, Anthony.

But Super Mario was far from finished.

Cavallaro went on to play for the South Hills Amateur Hockey Association 16U team, playing with a broken arm, mind you, that was protected by a hard cast.

He then joined the Ohio Blue Jackets 18U program before zeroing in on a college career.

Now a starter on the hockey team at South Florida, Cavallaro found a spot on the AAU D2 team as the youngest player on the roster (18).

As if that accomplishment wasn’t impressive enough, the freshman was the second-leading scorer on the team and finished top 10 in the league in assists and points.

Cavallaro had 15 goals and 24 assists in 27 games.

“I know it sounds conceited but yes, I did expect to have the season I did,” he said. “I’ve always went into hockey with a confident mindset as it allows me to do things that I would otherwise not think I could. My confidence allowed me to step up in big moments and be a contributing factor to the team.”

Playing through his injury in 16Us is now like a blur to Cavallaro, but it kept him on the ice.

“It wasn’t easy to play with a broken arm. I played just three weeks after breaking it,” he said.

“It was all mental for me; I just wanted to play so bad that I powered through it. At times, I couldn’t even pass the puck at full strength. In the end, maybe not the smartest decision, but I wouldn’t take it back if I could.”

South Florida went from five wins last year to 20 this season and came in second in its division before making a run to the league finals and national playoffs.

The jump to college hockey was all about perspective to Cavallaro.

“Again, just a mindset thing,” he said. “When you trust yourself, acclimating to new environments is easy. I just wanted to contribute, so that’s what I focused on.

“It was amazing to be a part of it all,” he said. “In the beginning of the season, we weren’t even predicted to make the playoffs. In the end, we went to nationals because of how close our group of guys were.”

Cavallaro made the South all-star team among Division I, II and III players, and had a goal in the showcase game.

While he shined in his first college season, Cavallaro could be done playing as he turns greater attention to law school.

He is contemplating hanging up his skates.

“I’m not sure yet,” he said. “I love hockey, but I’ve accomplished everything I set out to do except the two trophies. With my arm never healing fully, it’s a tough decision. So, for now, it’s just a maybe.”

Stay tuned.

Bill Beckner Jr. is a TribLive reporter covering local sports in Westmoreland County. He can be reached at bbeckner@triblive.com.

Tags: Norwin

Dunne pulled up in a creative custom jersey with LSU on the front and a Pittsburgh Pirates Paul Skenes’ No. 30 jersey on the back.

Olivia Dunne
IG Stories pic.twitter.com/HoHNzx2ADJ

— JumpTrailers (@JumpTrailers) June 15, 2025

Dunne also posted a photo on her Instagram story that showed she bought some Jell-O shots to help LSU fans keep the lead in the Jell-O shots challenge at Rocco’s. As of the last social media update, LSU fans have bought 8,808 Jell-O shots, almost twice as much as the second-place fanbase of Murray State at 4,208 shots.

OMAHA, Neb. – Gabe Gaeckle struck out a career-high 10 batters over a career-long six innings of relief work, but Arkansas (48-14) could not overcome an early deficit and was handed a 4-1 loss against LSU (49-15) Saturday night at Charles Schwab Field Omaha in its College World Series opener.

The Tigers jumped out to a 3-0 lead before Gaeckle entered in relief of starter Zach Root with the bases loaded in the second inning. The right-hander induced an inning-ending groundout and would go on to tally 10 strikeouts while allowing only one run on three hits in his superb relief effort.

Reese Robinett swatted a solo shot, his third home run of the season, to lead off the bottom of the sixth, cutting Arkansas’ deficit to 3-1. It was the Razorbacks’ only run of the night, however, as Tiger ace Kade Anderson fired seven innings of one-run ball with seven strikeouts.

Arkansas was limited to just four hits, including singles by Wehiwa Aloy, Cam Kozeal and Charles Davalan, and a pair of walks. Kozeal, a native of Omaha, Neb., led off the eighth with his single and advanced to second on a wild pitch, but the offense was unable to capitalize. 

Up next, Arkansas will play Murray State (44-16) in an elimination game at 1 p.m. Monday, June 16, on ESPN.

For complete coverage of Arkansas baseball, follow the Hogs on Twitter (@RazorbackBSB), Instagram (@RazorbackBSB) and Facebook (Arkansas Razorback Baseball).

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Despite the rain, the State College community gathered downtown Saturday for a block party celebrating Juneteenth with music, dance, cultural traditions and powerful reflections.

Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, when the last enslaved African Americans in Galveston, Texas, learned they were free — more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. 

The theme was “Juneteenth: Our Freedom, Our Fight, Our Future,” which shaped the spirit of the day through performances, speakers and community engagement.

“Liberty without equality is unfinished,” Chiluvya Zulu, the diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging director for the Borough of State College, said. “Our future is being written right now by the leaders, the artists, the activists, the educators and the children in this very crowd.”

The celebration began at noon with a performance by the Marching Cobras, a high-energy band from New York that set the tone for the day. 

Attendees were then welcomed by Charles Dumas, award-winning actor, director and Penn State professor emeritus, who encouraged the crowd to reflect on the importance of freedom and unity.

Following him, Jacinta Garcia, Native and Indigenous community coordinator at Penn State, delivered a moving Ganonyok Thanksgiving Address, acknowledging the land, creator, labor and all elements of creation. 

A central feature of the celebration was the Juneteenth art exhibition curated by Dr. Grace Hampton, professor emerita of art at Penn State. 

The gallery featured works that reflected themes of freedom, ancestry and collective memory. 

“Art tells the stories that history books often forget,” Hampton said. “For me, curating this exhibit was about honoring the struggles and triumphs of our people and giving visual life to the spirit of Juneteenth.”

Hampton, who traveled to Ghana with a group that set up outdoor health clinics for over 18 years, sees art and service as intertwined forms of community healing.

“Juneteenth is about remembrance, but also about vision — about remembering how we have changed, evolved and how we are growing and learning every day,” she said. “It’s an honor to be here and to help in remembering how we resist and rebuild across generations.”

Also present was a sense of global connection, as Dr. Hampton highlighted her community’s annual mission to Ghana. 

“Each year we choose a different region, set up a clinic, and try to serve as many people as possible,” she said. “It’s our way of continuing the legacy of service beyond borders, we like to come here and openly narrate those stories too.”

The celebration included performances by local poets and a music set by Gabby Samone, an emerging pop-R&B artist from Baltimore. 

At 3:45 p.m., the crowd swayed to the soulful rhythms of Brencore MOTOWN, a band from Washington, D.C.

One vendor, Yasoda Mensah, traveled from Port Royal to participate in the event. Her business, Trifolia, sells natural products made with herbs and offers “a connection to the values of restoration and education.” 

“We’re here to support the whole idea of Juneteenth,” Mensah said. “This celebration is proof that the spirit is still strong. The ancestors are still with us, and events like this show that their fight, their presence and their power haven’t disappeared — they live on in us.” 

Attendees danced to performances by Urban Fusion, Izuba, Natalia Velazquez and Home Planet before concluding the celebration. 

“I’ve never felt a community moment quite like this,” Eric Ian Farmer, one of the performers, said. “Rain or shine, we showed up for each other — and that’s what Juneteenth is about.” 

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