St Joseph's Prep Hawks

Greensburg CC Invitational Championship

Franklin Regional 2 State College 1

GREENSBURG –

          State College is coached by Tim Holdcroft, who played his hid High School Hockey at North Allegheny and will lead his school into Class AAA after a successful stint in the PIHL Open Division, winning the championship a year ago. The Little Lions will put a lot of miles on their car or buses this season, but most importantly will be eligible for the Pennsylvania State High School Hockey Championships in March. Moving to Class AAA will legitimize that this team will be playing for something this season. So after all of the arguing and debate about one of the worst ever ideas in High School Hockey [Open Division] is over, for State College at least, they can move on with life. After defeating an improved Penn Trafford squad 3-0 in the semi-finals on Monday night, the Little Lions can honestly say they intend to make a run for a Division title and unseat Plum and Penn Trafford in a division which I consider the weakest in Class AAA, but nonetheless State College has done themselves a huge favor in moving up to play with the big boys and even received a few votes in the Pa Hockey Pre-Season Coaches Poll and deservedly so. 

          Franklin Regional is ranked # 2 in the Pa Hockey Pre-Season Coaches Poll for Class AA and after a very nice showing in the St Margaret Fall Face-Off which included a close loss to defending State AAA Champions North Allegheny 4-3 in the final seconds and wins over Plum and North Hills. The Panthers are back in Greensburg where they are 4-0 after the Semi-Final win over Hempfield 4-1 to face State College in the Greensburg CC Invitational Championship. The Panthers have been to the finals of this tournament several times in recent years and won the GCC Invitational crown in 2001. While many consider Franklin a premier team in Class AA, this team will have to prove they can score in big games and pay more attention in the defensive end when the playoff bell rings in March to ultimately challenge for the Penguins Cup. 

          State College came out with a flurry of shots in the opening minutes of this championship contest. The best opportunity came at 6:37 of the opening period, when the Little Lions Nick Petrick took the puck from his own end and raced around the Franklin defense only to be stopped on a backhand attempt by James ‘Bobby’ Orr. Moments later, after some State College pressure, the Little Lions were awarded the games first power play at 6:21, but could not capitalize. State College dominated territorial play in the opening period and despite outshooting FR 16-2, the game remained scoreless after one. 

        With 11:30 remaining in the 2^nd period, State College’s Brian James got behind the the Panther defense and appeared to score, but his backhand scooted just wide of the net behind Orr. Franklin Regional went on the power play with 10:01 remaining in the second period, but State College killed it. State College had another chance and it was James again as on a 2 on 1, his shot could not get by Orr. The Little Lions were whistled at 8:59 putting the Panthers on a 5 on 3 for nearly a minute and a big chance to take the lead. The Panthers did not register a quality scoring chance on the 5 on 3 nor the remainder of the man advantage and the game remained scoreless. With 5:37 to go in the middle frame, State College went back on the power play. Franklin had a chance as Steve Shirk weaved his way through the State College defense shorthanded, but Lion keeper Calvin Michael was equal to the task at 5:11. Franklin had several chances on a scramble around the net, but Michael was able to control the puck and make the save. State College turned up the heat late in the period and FR could not clear the zone, but the game remained scoreless. The Panthers held the shot advantage in the 2^nd period 9-7.

        With 9:13 remaining in the third period, Patrick Coyne found a loose puck and beat Calvin Michael on a low wrist shot to the stick side for a 1-0 Panther lead. With 6:15 to go in regulation James Orr made a real nice stick save on Christian Conlin to keep FR in the lead 1-0. With 4:32 to play, Patrick Coyne unleashed a big wrist shot that Calvin Michael snagged. Moments later Christian Conlin got behind the Panther defense and did not score but drew a penalty putting the Little Lions back on the power play and another chance to tie the game, but Orr and the Panthers killed it. With 2:03 remaining, Conlin was stopped again from point blank range. With 1:20 to go Orr made another stick save on Jacques Guilleroy and another shot glanced off the crossbar just seconds later. State College pulled the goalie and after a scramble in front finally beat Orr as Brian James found the loose puck and scored with :29 to go and the game was tied 1-1. Shots in the third period were 12-3 in favor of State College and the game headed to overtime.

     With 3:56 to go in OT FR’s Eugene Mack had a great chance, but Calvin Michael stopped him from in tight. With 2:11 to State’s Cam Beuray had a great chance but could not beat Orr. The game headed to a shootout with the final shots 37-19 in favor of State College.