Announcement
2010 Penguins Cup Semi Finals – Class A
Mars keeps rolling toward redemption for a State Title lost a year ago !
Mars 7 Bishop McCort 3PITTSBURGH –
Mars has waited almost a year for another crack at the Penguins Cup and with Kittanning out of the picture, things may have gotten a little easier to face Serra Catholic, but don’t tell the Eagles, who have already secured their spot and await the winner of the Planets and Crimson Crushers of Bishop McCort. McCort has a long history of winning Penguins Cups as they have 6 to their credit and 5 Pennsylvania Class A titles, but the road for this storied program is nearing the possible word of extinction with no development in sight and a ton of seniors in this years lineup.
Mars came out of the gate taking control of this contest in the opening period as Michael Mazzotta scored in the opening minute and then after McCort’s Dane Domonkos tied the game on a Zach Barto rebound at 9:50, Elliott Tisdale and Rusty Miller gave the Planets the lead for good 3-1 as Mars outshot Bishop McCort 12-4 in the opening period.
After Domonkos pulled the Crushers within a goal in the opening minute of the 2nd period, C.J. Thibault, Tyler Whiteford and Elliott Tisdale helped the Planets open up a 5-2 lead prior to Domonkos competing the hat trick for McCort. Tisdale scored his third goal of the game and the 3rd period was scoreless as Mars moved on to the Penguins Cup final with a 7-3 victory over Bishop McCort.
2010 Penguins Cup Semi Finals – Class AA
West Allegheny tops Canevin in over time to move on to first ever Penguins Cup final. West Allegheny 2 Canevin 1 [OT]PITTSBURGH –
West Allegheny has suffered some tough loses in the Penguins Cup playoffs over the years including to Latrobe in the Semi-Finals two years ago, but not much matches the two losses Canevin suffered to Franklin Regional in 2008 and then to Montour in 2009 in the Semi Finals. The Crusaders are looking to get over the hump and are the Indians, so Canevin got some good news as goaltender Julian DeFillippo was cleared to play hockey on Tuesday and that the accommodating PIHL was willing to change the proposed game on Monday to Tuesday and blame it on a bus scheduling error by Latrobe, who had nothing to do with the change. Another back room deal for the PIHL and another asterisk for those keeping score outside the games. .
After a scoreless first period, West Allegheny’s Patrick Coburn turned a Canevin turnover in their own end as he scored on a wraparound inside the post at 7:27 of tne 2nd period. Jason Kumpfmiller stood tall in net for West A as he stopped Vince Niccolella from point blank range at 2:07 to keep his team in front. West Allegheny looked like one goal would be enough until at 11:03 of the 3rd period, Frankie Vance made a nice cross ice pass to Jacob Betzner, who launched a shot toward to WA net which Vince Niccollella found and deposited past Kumpfmiller to tie the score at 1-1. West Allegheny went on the power play in the 3rd period and it was Frankie Vance who nearly scored to give his team the lead but Jason Kumpfmiller came up big to preserve the tie and the game headed to overtime tied at 1-1.
The overtime period didn’t last long as Patrick Coburn gathered a loose puck in the corner and fed Jon Levitt who scored just 13 seconds into over time to send West Allegheny to their first ever Penguins Cup final with a thrilling 2-1 win over Canevin.
2010 Penguins Cup Semi Finals – Class AAA
Canon Mac survives onslaught and wins in OT dethroning Shaler 6-5 Canon McMillan 6 Shaler 5 [OT]PITTSBURGH –
Shaler has rolled the entire season and looked to be headed to its second straight Penguins Cup and looking for its first ever Pennsylvania State Title. Canon McMillan is courting Cinderella at this point while knocking out North Allegheny and then travelling to State College to unseed # 3 Seed Little Lions, the Big Macs are looking to become the first 8th seed since 1985 Mt Lebanon to go all the way to the Pennsylvania State Finals.
In addition, with Holy Ghost Prep and LaSalle out of the Flyers Cup picture and Cardinal O’Hara awaiting the Penguins Cup champions the path is now clear for Western Pa and Shaler. The Big Macs would be a sturn test for the Titans.
Canon McMillan and Shaler traded the lead three times in the opening period as Zack McKown gave the Big Macs the lead at 9:19 of the opening period. Shaler then took the lead as Sean McCue scored on a great pass from Jake Hetz at 5:54 and then Josh Carnprobst converted a Conner Burke feed to give the Titans the lead at 4:39. The Big Macs tied the game as Joey Mottiqua took advantage of a Shaler turnover just 29 seconds later. Sean McCure gave Shaler the lead again tipping a Shane Shiring shot past Smolarek with 3:46 to go in the first period.
Canon Mac took the lead with two goals in the 2nd period as Brett Oldaker tipped in an Alexander Baskarov shot at 2:28 to tie the score and the Baskarov blistered a shot tipped by Mario D’Allesandreo past Oscar Prom to make it 4-3 Big Macs, who held the lead despite being outshot 27-14.
Shaler came back in the 3rd period as Billy Dobson scored on a great individual effort at 11:16 to tie the score at four apiece and then Sean McCue completed the hat trick at 10:51 on a great touch pass by Patrick Schafer to regain the lead 5-4. Shaler dominated the 3rd period with a 12-4 shot advantage, but could not put the Big Macs away. Mario D’Allesandro became opportunist as he unleashed a wicked wrist shot that handcuffed Prom and tied the score with 6:53 to play.
Canon Mac would have two golden opportunities at the end of regulation and in overtime on the power play, but could not muster any offense. Three minutes into overtime, while killing the penalty, Shaler had at least six opportunities shorthanded to end this game and two where Zac Lynch and Shane Shiring had two golden cracks at near empty nets, which did not find paydirt. Canon Mac survived this flurry and then put the dagger in Shaler’s title hopes as with 2:52 remaining, Joey Mottiqua beat the Shaler defenseman and then Oscar Prom on a short side wrist shot giving Canon Mac a near improbable overtime upset of number one seed Shaler 6-5 and move on to their first ever Penguins Cup. .
