The Knoch Knights have this whole hockey thing figured out.

"We feel pretty confident that if we don't let them score, we're not going to lose the game, right?" coach Joe Honzo said, with a laugh.

Although the Knights haven't been shutting out everyone, it's been coming as close as almost anyone in the PIHL.

Knoch had allowed only 41 goals in 18 games, good for a 2.28-per-game average that was third best in PIHL Class A heading into the week.

"One of main things us as coaches stress is to make sure the teams plays defense all over the ice," Honzo said. "Defense wins. They say defense wins championships."

Although Knoch will adjust its style of play based on matchups and the quality of the opponents and its opponents' strengths, the Knights have shown that when they are out to play a tight defensive system, they can do quite the job of it.

"We have a core of five or six defensemen who know what they're doing, know how to move the puck, and we get a lot of support from our forwards," Donnelly said. "All our players play well in the defensive zone, and we're getting good goaltending, too."

During 11 of its 18 games this season, Knoch has limited opponents to two goals or fewer.

Knoch boasts a deep, talented and experienced defenseman corps, including senior Nick Transue and two juniors who play high-level hockey outside of high school in the Junior Penguins organization.

Shayne Hennessy plays for the Junior Penguins under-16 'AAA' team, and Ty Honzo (Joe's son) plays for the Junior Select Penguins. Ty Honzo was selected to play in the Continental League All-Star Game last month.

Physical Alex Fuerst and fellow sophomores Zach Naples and Neil Shearer also have been solid as defensemen, enough so to allow talented junior Matt Eshelman to move up to forward.

"Our defensemen are real strong," team captain Neal Donnelly said.

Ryan Naples, a senior, was selected to participate in the PIHL Class A All-Star Game last month. He had a 10-6 record with a 2.08 goals-against average and .918 save percentage through the middle of last week.

"Right now, he's on his 'A' game," Donnelly said. "He's the backbone of our team right now. And we're doing everything we can to help him."

Knoch has been playing some of its best hockey lately, and it's no surprise why, considering the Knights have their full complement of a roster available for the first time in a while.

Six Knoch players -- among them, many of the best on the team -- were suspended after a postgame incident Dec. 10 against Center Dec. 10.

According to Honzo, players from both teams became entangled in an altercation, and officials felt they lost control of the situation. The PIHL suspended the players involved for seven games, but Knoch appealed that penalty to the district's USA Hockey governing body, and the suspensions were ultimately reduced to four games.

The Knights lost three of four immediately after that game (during which they dressed as few as nine players for games), but they might have emerged a better team.

"It definitely helped us pull together more and become more of a team," Donnelly said. "Our mentality coming out of the suspensions was that we'd go and wreak havoc on the league."

"In the end, it was kind of a blessing in disguise," Honzo said. "It made a second line out of our third line and a first line out of our second line.

"Players who normally wouldn't get that much ice time were playing every other shift ... some were forced to raise the bar for their own expectations. Some players stepped up, and since then that has definitely helped us."

Knoch is hoping it helped to the point that the season will culminate on a high note.

The Knights began the season setting out to earn a banner at New Kensington's Valley Sports Center -- its home ice -- by winning the Section 1 title.

With that goal well within reach -- Knoch holds a one-point lead over Hampton heading into a showdown Monday at the Ice Connection of Pittsburgh -- the Knights are setting their sights a little higher.

"Our goals are to win and make it all the way to Mellon Arena," Donnelly said. "And there's nothing that's going to stop us."

Mike White's "High School Sports Edition" videos are featured exclusively on PG+, a members-only web site from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Our introduction to PG+ gives you all the details.