Roman Catholic Gladiators

   Plum's Kenny Reiter played outstanding between the pipes to lead Minnesota Duluth to their first ever NCAA Division 1 Hockey Title. Reiter joins Dee Rizzo [Allderdice] Michigan State and Mike Handza [Shaler] Denver University as players from Western Pennsylvania to win an NCAA Division 1 Ice Championship Hockey. Congrats to Kenny Reiter and the Bulldogs of Minnesota Duluth ! 

 Read Article below

http://www.sctimes.com/article/20110410/SPORTS0401/104100047/0/ENT01/Men-s-college-hockey-NCAA-championship-took-OT-Bulldogs-champs?odyssey=nav|head

2011 Flyers Cup Class A Champions - Springfield Cougars

2011 Pennsylvania Cup Class A Champions - Mars Planets

Penguins Cup Class A Champions - Mars Planets

Visit Mars on the Pa Hockey Wall of Champions  

 www.eteamz.com/ushockey/files/NATLCHAMPS11.xls

        The Springfield Cougars (17-5-3) participated in the Inaugural Pennsylvania High School Hockey Championships in Erie, Pennsylvania in 1975 and lost both contests to Erie McDowell and eventual champions Baldwin 2-1 in overtime. The Cougars waited a long time to return the Pennsylvania Class A title game in 2001 at Haverford Skatium and Springfield held a 3-0 lead over Serra Catholic, only to watch that lead evaporate in a disappointing 4-3 loss. The Cougars return to the Pennsylvania State Finals for the 3^rd time and defeated Unionville 3-2 in overtime to capture their 2^nd Flyers Cup Class A crown.

        The Mars Planets (23-1-0) climb to Class A supremacy began in 2008 with their first Penguins Cup final appearance, losing to Quaker Valley at Mellon Arena. Taking one step at a time, Mars won their first Penguins Cup in 2009 and lost to Bayard Rustin at Ice Line 5-0 in the State Final. A year ago, the Planets would redeem that defeat in a big way at Mellon Arena defeating Bayard Rustin 4-1. Mars earned the State Final defeating upstart Hampton in the Penguins Cup 5-0. The Planets have only yielded one goal thus far in the entire playoffs as they try to become the 4^th Pennsylvania School to accomplish multiple Class A titles joining Bishop McCort, Serra Catholic and Radnor.

      Springfield tried to establish their game in the Mars zone early in the first period. At   9:13 of the opening stanza Nick Blaney found a wide open net on a rebound on a nice play by Austin Heakins to use his speed to the outside and give the Planets a 1-0 lead. Springfield goaltender Mike Rice made a terrific leg save on Robbie Sigurdsson at 8:25.

Both teams failed on the power play and the Planets held a 1-0 lead after one period as Springfield outshot Mars 13 – 10.  

      The Cougars got a break in the 2^nd period at 9:03 as Tyler Stepke overhandled puck and Springfield’s Dave Allen scored on bang bang play and great pass from Ryan Brawley from behind the net. With Mars on the power play, at  6:31 Springfield’s Michael Carr was denied on a shorthanded breakaway by great leg save by Stepke. Mars regained the lead at 5:25 on a great individual effort by Elliott Tisdale scoring on backhand that found lower corner for a power play goal and 2-1 Mars lead. Springfield went back on the power play at 4:56 and could not establish a sustained attack and shortly after the penalty was over at 2:45 Nick Blaney ragged the puck behind the Springfield net and then swooped from behind the net and beat Rice on the backhand to give the Planets a cushion with a 3-1 advantage.    

       The gavel on Springfield’s season came at 10:53 of the 3^rd period as Nick Blaney snuck a wrist shot past Rice with some nice work by Joe Bender and Austin Heakins to create open space. Springfield lost their discipline and took a penalty and Mars made them pay as Elliott Tisdale found a loose puck on the goal mouth of a Nick Blaney backhand at 7:28 to make it 5-1. Mars took a couple of stupid penalties and Springfield’s Connor Phillips scored on a slapshot from the point with 25 seconds to go to make it a 5-2 final and Mars captured its second straight Pennsylvania Class A title.   

 2011 Pennsylvania Cup Class AA Champions - Canevin Crusaders

2011 Penguins Cup Class AA Champions - Canevin Crusaders

2011 Pennsylvania Cup Class AAA Champions - Upper St Clair Panthers

2011 Penguins Cup Class AAA Champions - Upper St Clair Panthers

Visit USC on the Pa Hockey Wall of Champions  

 www.eteamz.com/ushockey/files/NATLCHAMPS11.xls

        Upper St Clair (16-6-1) began playing hockey in 1970 at the Alpine Ice Chalet in the Western Pennsylvania and has run a pretty good hockey program over 40 years. The Panthers have a pretty accomplished record in Pennsylvania State Finals, wining their first in 1980 over Erie McDowell and then again in 1987, with an undefeated season and State Championship victory over Malvern Prep. Their setbacks in the State Finals include a loss to undefeated Conestoga and former coach Taylor Railton in 1986 and a loss to Malvern Prep in 1990 by the score of 6-3. The Panthers are on a roll in the 2011 Playoffs with wins over 2010 Penguins Cup champions Canon McMillan and the last Western Pennsylvania AAA North Allegheny [2007] and a victory over # 1 seed Fox Chapel.

         LaSalle (23-5-2) under Wally Muehlbronner has been an outstanding hockey program winning the Pennsylvania crown for the first time in 1998, after losing to Meadville in 1996. The Explorers are on a roll in the Pennsylvania AAA Finals winning in 2008 over Pine Richland and in 2009 over Shaler and are looking to make it 3 titles in four years. LaSalle has dominate the Flyers Cup landscape over the past half dozen years and has done so playing an extended schedule against State Champions from Ohio, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Connecticut and the top teams in New Jersey.

         LaSalle power play 14:24 and could not score and then at 10:31 of the opening period Nick Popoff got his own rebound and deposited a shot past Michael Ambrose to give the Explorers a 1-0 lead. During the first USC power play freshman goaltender Nick DeSimone made several fine saves. Upper St Clair’s best chance came at 1:52 as DeSimone stoned C.J. Murray with a spectacular glove save.  The Panthers went on the power play with under a minute to go in the first period and with 39 seconds to go C.J. Murray took a Parker Phillips cross ice pass and went upstairs on the short side over the glove for a power play goal and tied the game at one apiece. Shots were USC 11 LaSalle 10.  

         The Panthers went back on the power play at 14:23 of the 2^nd.and could not score and when given another opportunity C.J. Murray made it count ripping a wrist shot high over the glove side at 6:23 of the middle frame for a 2-1 Panther lead. LaSalle would have an opportunity on the power play at 4:49 of the 2^nd  and USC was equal to the task killing the disadvantage. With 1:43 to play in the period, the Explorers would have another opportunity to tie the game on the power play and it would nullified as LaSalle’s Ron Greco  got caught for interference 17 seconds later. Shots in the 2^nd period were USC 16 and LaSalle 12.

         The third period LaSalle kept on coming and finally with 6:10 to go the loose puck found its way onto the stick of Sean Orlando who found a rebound and deposited past Michael Ambrose to tie the score 2-2. Just 28 seconds later, Luke Stork sidestepped the LaSalle defenseman and fed Stephen Gierlarowski who poked home the go ahead goal with 5:42 to play and give St Clair a 3-2 lead. With 4:22 to play, the Panthers were whistled and LaSalle would go on the power play with a chance to knot the score. Michael Ambrose stopped Sean Orlando’s backhand at 3:33. Then Orlando found Ron Greco on the backside with 2:54 to play and the game was tied again 3-3. The game would head to overtime.

      Upper St Clair would find the loose puck and this time Parker Phillip’s shot from the the right point bobbled and C.J. Murray swooped in and found the loose puck and buried it at 4:31 to give Upper St Clair an improbable finish to a great run with a 4-3 victory over a powerhouse LaSalle team. USC won its third Pennsylvania Class AAA title and first since 1987.