News and Announcements
2010 Penguins Cup Semi Finals – Class A
Hudson steals the show as Eagles march to the Penguins Cup finals Serra Catholic 5 Kittanning 3PITTSBURGH –
Serra Catholic has been the hottest team in Class A the second half of the season defeating all three Semi-Finalists Mars, Bishop McCort and tonight’s opponent Kittanning in the season’s second half. Kittanning’s explosive offense would need to outscore Serra as the Eagles held a slight advantage on the defensive and goaltending side in the regular season.
That slight advantage that Serra had became a game breaker in the opening period as Kittanning poured 19 shots on Garrett Hudson and he almost stopped them all to keep his team in the game. Serra took a 1-0 lead as Jarrett Rutchka snuck a shot inside the post on the power play at 11:46. Kittanning stuck back quickly as Jergen Koster blazed behind the Eagle defense just 31 seconds later and beat Hudson through the 5-hole. Serra regained the lead as Garner Kramer unloaded a bomb past Norton at 5:50 to give the Eagles a 2-1 lead.
The second period would be the tale of this hockey game as the Wildcats tied the score on a real nice play by Jake Enders who walked out of the corner and buried a wrist shot high over the glove side of Hudson to tie the scored at two apiece at 14:41. Kittanning took its only lead as Enders found Jergen Koster on a long lead pass behind the Eagle defense and buried it to make it 3-2 at 12:46. The game turned on a very smart play by Erik Manetta, who caught the Kittanning defense napping and he scored just 32 seconds after the Wildcats got the lead on a breakaway. Kittanning got into penalty trouble and it cost them the hockey game as Robert Kendi scored on a 5 on 3 power play at 8:02 and then Kendi found the opportunistic Mannetta on the back post for another power play goal at 6:25 and Serra turned the game completely round with a 5-3 advantage. Kittanning mounted a charge late in the 2nd but Serra survived and then just effectively killed the clock in the 3rd period for another trip to the Penguins Cup final, despite being outshot 33-18.
Hudson was outstanding stopping the Kittanning attack for the second half of the hockey game and shut down an offense averaging over seven goals a game.
2010 Penguins Cup Semi Finals – Class AA
Latrobe still on course for a repeat on championship run as they oust Peters with some Fresh troups Latrobe 7 Peters Twp 2PITTSBURGH –
Peters Township won two consecutive State Titles in convincing fashion 2002 and 2003 and in 2004, it was the decision of then coach Mark Cooper to sit current University of Vermont goaltender Rob Madore in the State Finals and they lost to Archbishop Carroll led by current Penguin prospect Eric Tangradi at Neville Island. The next year Cooper did not make the same mistake as he brought a supposedly ineligible Madore out from under the stands of the Penguins Cup Semi-Finals to beat Canon McMillan and went on to win the State Title over Haverford. Well, déjà vu strikes in funny ways as Rob Madores brother Matt Madore was declared in eligible and this years hot freshman goaltender is property of Latrobe named Shane Brudnock and he is looking to lead Latrobe to their 3rd Straight Pennsylvania Class AA title following in the footsteps of Nick Loyacona, who had a huge hand in the first two for the Wildcats.
Some of the Latrobe players who have been a part of the Wildcat success started the process of dismantling Peters as Cody Ray struck first at 13:30 of the opening period. Peters tied the score as Matt Lison scored a power play goal at 12:10 to make it 1-1. Latrobe would not be denied as Dillon Hunter scored on a wrister at 6:56, freshman Noah Batis on a wrist shot from against the grain at 6:41 and another freshman Josh Singley converted a great cross ice feed from Jayson Angus at 5:08 to give the Cats a 4-1 lead.
Peters Cole Snyder cut the lead to 4-2 in the opening minute of the second, but it would be Josh Singley coverting another Angus pass at 6:47 and Jayson Angus at 3:51 on a nice play by Zach Laduke to keep the puck alive at 3:51 of the 2nd. Josh Singley returned the favor to Angus, who picked up his 2nd goal and fired a rocket upstairs to give Latrobe a relatively easy looking 7-2 pasting of the Indians.
2010 Penguins Cup Semi Finals – Class AAA
Seneca Valley makes it look a lot easier this time over USC thanks to Platt and Schutte
Seneca Valley 5 Upper St Clair 0PITTSBURGH –
Seneca Valley and Upper St Clair met in a rematch of last year’s semi-finals and a game that the Raiders prevailed to earn a trip to the Penguins Cup. The Panthers defeated Seneca in the regular season and would have their work cut out for them to earn a spot in the Penguins Cup. Also working for USC would be the last time that Seneca was in Mellon Arena, that they came within inches of going to the State Final. But maybe that would work in the Raiders favor as they may be motivated for another shot at Penguins Cup champs Shaler, who beat them in last year’s final and earlier this year in the regular season.
This game was all Seneca Valley from the start as Brandon Platt had the game of his life with five goals including a slapshot at 5:03 of the first period, a wicked backhander from in between the circles with just 40 seconds left in the first. A beautiful individual effort beating three USC defenders and Matt Wreggett at 3:48 of the middle period, a wicked snapshot just inside the post on the ice at 13:57 of the 3rd and to cap it of conversion of a picture perfect 2 on 1 with Tyler Messisca to put an exclamation point on the 5-0 shutout.
Then there was Ryan Schutte, the forgotten goaltender, who patiently split time in the regular season and then has taken the Raiders leadership role between the pipes and won 6 of his last 7 starts and then helped the Raiders edge Bethel 2-1 in the opening round. Schutte stopped all 22 shots tonight and was just solid between the pipes, controlling rebounds and earning he shutout and another trip to the Penguins Cup finals.
Kudos to Denny Kierstein, who got the right matchups against the USC line of Kline-Murray and Selep and effectively shut them down.
2010 Penguins Cup Semi-Finals and Finals
Class A
| PENGUIN CUP SEMI-FINALS | ||||||||||
| A | 1 | Mars | 7 | 4 | Bishop McCort | 3 | Mellon Arena | Tuesday | 23-Mar | 5:00 PM |
| A | 2 | Kittanning | 3 | 3 | Serra Catholic | 5 | Mellon Arena | Monday | 22-Mar | 5:00 PM |
| PENGUIN CUP FINALS | ||||||||||
| A | 1 | Mars | 4 | 3 | Serra Catholic | 1 | Mellon Arena | Saturday | 27-Mar |
Class AA
| PENGUIN CUP SEMI-FINALS | ||||||||||
| AA | 1 | Latrobe | 7 | 4 | Peters Twp | 2 | Mellon Arena | Tuesday | 23-Mar | 7:00 PM |
| AA | 2 | Canevin | 1 | 3 | West Allegheny | 2 | Mellon Arena | Monday | 22-Mar | 7:00 PM |
| PENGUIN CUP FINALS | ||||||||||
| AA | 1 | Latrobe | 7 | 3 | West Allegheny | 5 | Mellon Arena | Saturday | 27-Mar |
Class AAA
| PENGUIN CUP SEMI-FINALS | ||||||||||
| AAA | 1 | Shaler | 5 | 4 | Canon McMillan | 6 | Mellon Arena | Tuesday | 23-Mar | 9:00 PM |
| AAA | 2 | Upper St Clair | 0 | 3 | Seneca Valley | 5 | Mellon Arena | Monday | 22-Mar | 9:00 PM |
| PENGUIN CUP FINALS | ||||||||||
| AAA | 4 | Seneca Valley | 2 | 8 | Canon McMillan | 3 | Mellon Arena | Saturday | 27-Mar |
PLEASE READ GAME SUMMARIES FOR SEMI-FINAL GAMES
Pa Hockey will bring wire to wire coverage of the 2010 Penguins Cup Playoffs all the way to the Pennsylvania High School Hockey Championships on April 1 at Mellon Arena
2010 Pennsylvania High School Hockey Championship Previews
www.eteamz.com/pahockey/files/PACUP10PREVIEW.xls
Penguins Cup Previews
www.eteamz.com/pahockey/files/PENCUP10.XLS
Cardinal O'Hara wins Flyers Cup
"That's what we call the team, but that's what we call the line, too," said DeRosa, who was named MVP of the 31st annual eastern Pennsylvania title tournament after assisting on goals by Falcone and defenseman Eric Iamuri.
First-year goaltender Jeffrey Holland, a senior, made 19 saves and recorded the shutout as O'Hara won its first Flyers Cup title since 2005-06.
"I'm proud of [Holland], because I knew he had a lot of pressure on him just being on this team and not letting them down," O'Hara coach Bill Swahl said.
O'Hara advances to face the winner of the Penguins Cup at Mellon Arena in Pittsburgh on April 1 for the state championship. The Penguins Cup tournament, which determines the Western champion, is still in its semifinals.
Falcone scored O'Hara's first goal, the game-winner, 44 seconds into the third period off assists from his "Brothers." DeRosa ripped a shot on Malvern Prep goaltender Corey Hughes (28 saves), who had stopped a Marconi penalty shot in the second period and also robbed Marconi with a sprawling glove save.
When DeRosa's shot rebounded off Hughes to the right side of the net, Marconi slapped a centering pass to Falcone.
"Right place, right time, basically," said Falcone, who buried the puck into an open net. "If I would have missed that, I probably would have quit hockey."
Swahl said Falcone played on a line with senior Michael Ranalli and freshman Jeffrey Beck until the Flyers Cup. But seven minutes into a first-round game against Father Judge, the No. 3-seed Lions were scoreless, so Swahl moved Falcone to the first shift.
In the three-game tournament, DeRosa had three goals and seven assists, Marconi had five goals and two assists, and Falcone notched two goals and eight assists.
Malvern Prep junior defender Zachary Olah played physical and controlled the puck early, and senior forward James Law had a few good looks at Holland late. But the Friars were unable to sneak one by the senior goaltender to tie the game.
O'Hara's Iamuri, a sophomore on a team with 15 seniors, shut the door on Malvern's hopes for a comeback. Beck and DeRosa worked the puck up the right boards to the point, where Iamuri slid forward, loaded, and blasted a slapper over Hughes' blocker for the insurance goal.
"They had the better scoring opportunities," said Malvern Prep coach Steve Mackell, whose Friars were outshot, 30-19.
Malvern Prep could have had a 1-0 lead: Freshman forward Michael Horrocks jammed home a loose puck with 2 minutes, 32 seconds remaining in the second period. But referees had blown the whistle as a bouncing puck disappeared behind Holland off a Patrick Schramm wraparound.
"We thought that first goal was a goal, and it was called off," Mackell said.
O'Hara also dodged a bullet when the Wachovia Center's public address announcer requested that fans refrain from using profanity during the first intermission.
Lions fans were using R-rated language in chants directed at the Malvern Prep faithful, and the Flyers warned that further profanity could risk a forfeit.
Swahl said O'Hara's fans have been supportive but were a "little too vocal" yesterday.
"I just turned and said, 'Calm down the language,' " Swahl said.
Malvern Prep 0 0 0 - 0
Cardinal O'Hara 0 0 2 - 2
Goals: CO–Stephen Falcone, Eric Iamuri.
Saves: MP–Corey Hughes 28; CO–Jeffrey Holland 19.
Downingtown East stops CR South to capture Flyers Cup, 4-2
Downingtown East built a three-goal lead then withstood a comeback bid by defending champion Council Rock South to capture the AA Flyers Cup championship Thursday night with a 4-2 win at the Ice Arena in Hatfield.
The victory for the unbeaten Cougars (24-0-1) puts them in the Pennsyslvania Cup championship on Thursday at noon at the Mellon Center in Pittsburgh. They will face the AA Penguins Cup champion, yet to be determined.
It was a little revenge for the Cougars who were ousted by the Golden Hawks in the quarterfinals last season. South lost to Latrobe in the state cup finals.
"Coach told us it was Council Rock South's year last year but it was our year this year," said sophomore Dave Defazio who scored one of the goals that enabled the Cougars take a 3-0 lead. "We were determined to make it our year"
Ryan Urban scored a pair of goals for the Cougars to build that 3-0 lead but the key to the game was a defense that essentially kept the Golden Hawks' big three, Patrick Grilli, Tyler Deitrick and Peter Malmud off the scoreboard. The trio had accounted for 91 goals before last night but only Grilli managed a goal in the title game.
"They're a very good team," said Council Rock South coach Joe Houk whose team lost its first game to finish 22-1-3. "We saw them play against [Council Rock] North Monday night but that doesn't leave much time to prepare for them."
Downingtown East won the semifinal game against Council Rock North, 2-1.
Urban put the Cougars up 1-0 with his first goal a little more than seven minutes into the first period. DeFazio made it 2-0 four minutes laters.
"I saw Ian (Hall) streaking down the ice and he hit me with a perfect past," DeFazio said.
Urban's second goal made it 3-0 early in the second period. Grilli cut that to 3-1 with his goal with 59 seconds left in the period. When South's Jonathon Houk scored early in the third period, it looked like the Golden Hawks were rallying. But a goal by Hall and some standout goaltending by the Cougars' Ryan Lord cut it short.
Downingtown East 2 1 1 - 4
Council Rock South 0 1 1 - 2
Goals: DE-Ryan Urban 2, David DeFazio, Ian Hall. CRS: Patrick Grilli, Jonathon Houk.
Saves: DE-Ryan Lord 22. CRS: David Chiokadze 24.
