St Joseph's Prep Hawks

Westmont Hilltop 8 Center 3 BEAVER – The Center Hockey program returned to Class A from a 4 year absence from Varsity competition, when the program exited after the 2002-2003 season. The Trojans have not faired too well with a 0-10-0 mark scoring 24 goals and surrendering 107. With only 13 schools in Class A and the majority of the teams being above average, Center will likely go this season with no wins and if they do claim victory, it will likely be against a doormat team out of the playoff picture. The unfortunate part about it is that Center is a prime candidate to play developmental hockey or Junior Varsity, which is what the Open Division was supposed to be and not a feasting ground for the sandbagging AAA sized schools & West Virginia schools to pile up statistics so they can see them in the Post Gazette. Quigley, who Center leading scorer Sean Wormald played for two seasons, opted to go to the Open Division and use players from outside the Quigley School District, which should be considered an amateur team and like the other 8 impure teams in the Open Division have no business competing in High School Hockey. Westmont Hilltop began play in the 1980-81 season at the War Memorial shortly after the Johnstown area lost the Jets professional and the name McQuillan shortly made an impact in the player ranks with the program …………………although Art McQuillan did not play for the Hilltoppers, brothers Pat, Mickey and Kevin did and some played for their brother, which is very interesting and I am not sure happens a lot. The Mighty Hilltoppers have been traditionally winners and they do it their way a/k/a Art McQuillan’s way. The Westmont family has tradition, have loads of fun, a long line of brothers who have come through, a Penguins Cup in 2003, a great rivalry with Bishop McCort [which is maybe one of the best of all of Interscholastic Hockey] and they have Art McQuillan, who is in rare company of coaches, who have last 15 + years including Meadville’s Jamie Plunkett, Shaler’s Ron Steedle, Chartier’s Valley’s Eddie Schultz and maybe a handful of others who don’t come to mind. The opportunity to win 400 games is an important milestone, not only for the coach, but for the program, the has two more McQuillans on the way in Art’s sons Lane 6 and Cullen 9 to carry the tradition of their father. So sludgin trudging the Mighty Hilltoppers hit the ice and there was something special in the air at Beaver Ice Complex at Brady’s Run Park with the Tribune Democrat’s Mike Mastovich and the Super Techno Doug Heck making the trip to Beaver County, all the way from Johnstown, and the Super Techno also sampled the freshly baked Chocolate Chip cookies from the Beaver County Ice Complex’s refreshment stand. In the opening period, Westmont and Center traded goals as Center’s Sean Wormald scored just 30 seconds in to give the Trojans a 1-0 lead. Alex Rohal tied it for Westmont on the power play at 8:53 to tie the score 1-1. Center regained the lead as Zach Morrison scored less than a minute later at 7:56. Kyle Harnish tied the score at 6:16 for the Hilltoppers at 2-2. Shots were surprisingly 8-7 in favor of the Trojans. Westmont coach King Arthur McArthur McQuillan made a switch between the pipes inserting Ian O’Brien for backup Brock Rozich. The Mighty Hilltoppers opened the period on the power play and Chad O’Brien beat the Center goaltender Justin Gantz on the short side to give WH the lead 3-2. At 7:45 Kyle Hardish scored a nice goal on a drop pass from Chris Reid, which is typical Art McQuillan hockey to make it 4-2. Brendan Boyle circled around in the Center end and the lofted a wrist shot past Trojan goaltender Justin Gantz with 6:23 to make it 5-2. WH held a 22-4 shot advantage in the middle period. On top the third period and Steve Kohlers wrist shot clanged off the left post and trickled past Gantz to make it 6-2. At 11:46 Center scored as Sean Wormald picked up his second goal. At 11:31, Will Page converted a nice pass from Brendan Boyle on the power play to make it 7-3. Boyle closed out the scoring with 1:13 to play beating Justin Gantz on a wrist shot from in between the circles to make it an 8-3 final. All of the Hilltoppers contributed and gave their coach his 400th victory of all-time. READ THE TRIBINE DEMOCRAT'S MIKE MASTOVICH's Story by clicking on Icons