St Joseph's Prep Hawks

Pittsburgh 2 Missouri 1 2007 Chicago Showcase – Quarter-Finals BENSENVILLE, ILLINOIS – Team Pittsburgh returns to the quarter-finals of the Chicago Showcase, where a year ago they did not play their best game against Team Tri-State [now Midwest], but was able to come away with a victory to advance to the Semi-Finals, only to lose to North Dakota. Head Coach Jim McVay has been a little superstitious throughout the tournament sticking to the routine laid out with team functions and this has really helped to mould this unit. Pittsburgh has just gotten better as the games have progressed with wins over North Dakota and Illinois. Missouri was able to win the B Bracket with wins over Colorado (2-0) and Indiana (4-1) and a tie with Team Midwest (4-4) in the final game of the preliminary round. The Mid-States Hockey Association of Missouri has produced some pretty good hockey clubs over the past few years in CBC and DesMet, who have dominated the landscape of hockey in that State and travel to outlying areas to play pretty good competition. Missouri got the first opportunity on the power play at 13:43 , which was nullified at 12:46 by a penalty. Pittsburgh had an abbreviated power play and Bethel Park’s Bryan Brown had a point blank chance with the penalty running out was stopped by goaltender Corey Rickermann. Pittsburgh had several shots but could not dent the Missouri goaltender and Missouri went on the power play with 5:32 to go in the opening period and as the penalty ended Pete Bensing’s shot from the center point through traffic bounced past North Allegheny’s Max Richards with 3:30 to go to give Missouri a 1-0 lead. Pittsburgh’s very next shift was terrific as they continue to test Missouri goaltender Corey Rickermann to no avail. With 55 seconds to go in the period, Pittsburgh went on the power play and could not score. Shots in the first period were 19 – 3 in favor of Pittsburgh, but the scoreboard read 1-0 in favor of Missouri. Pittsburgh went on a 5 on 3 at 16:39, but Rickermann kept them out. Pittsburgh kept working hard and forced another man advantage with 11:23 to go and again after lots of shots could not score. Pine Richland’s Phil Trombetta was robbed by a glove save at 8:59. With 5:26 to go Missouri got a gift penalty putting them on the power play and Bethel Park’s Kenny Lehmann was in on a shorthanded breakaway and stopped by the Missouri goaltender with 5:01 to play. Pittsburgh was whistled with 4:10 to go for too many men on the ice creating a 5 on 3 for 44 seconds and a crucial part of this hockey game in my opinion. Pittsburgh showed some inspired penalty killing and Missouri showed an extreme lack of skill and inability to move the puck. With 1:04 to go another chance for Pittsburgh and with 18 ticks to go another Missouri penalty created a 5 on 3, which would carry over to the 3rd period. Pittsburgh continued to dominate play outshooting Missouri 15 – 9 in the 2nd period. On to the third and Pittsburgh starts with a 5 on 3 power play and the game on the line. Pittsburgh continued to pressure but could not score and Missouri survived and clung to a 1-0 advantage. With 11:31 to go another power play chance for Pittsburgh, which increased to a 5 on 3 with 10:58 to play. Pittsburgh piled up the shots and was given a weak penalty at 9:33 and Pittsburgh got the break they need as Pine Richland’s Phil Trombetta sprung Bethel Park’s Kenny Lehmann, who buried a wrist shot to tie the game. Moments later at 8:40 Meadville’s Morgan Nickkerson broke down the left side and buried a wrist shot on the ice to give Pittsburgh a 2-1 lead. With 5:56 to go. Missouri went on the power play with a chance to tie the game, but Pittsburgh’s penalty killing was too strong and they held off Missouri for a hard fought 2-1 victory and advanced to the semi-finals against New York tomorrow morning. Pittsburgh outshot Missouri 24-6 in the 3rd period and 58-18 for the game.