Announcement
Santa comes early as Mars marches on to Penguins Cup over McCort
2008 Penguins Cup Semi-Finals A
Mars 3 Bishop McCort 1
Bishop McCort (15-7-0) has a long history of State Championships including 5 in a period of seven years in Class A and also a repeated history in the Penguins Cup Semi-Finals. The Crimson Crushers last advanced to the State Finals in 2005 losing to Penncrest and it has been nine years since paydirt for the Crushers in 1999. Head Coach John Bradley would have to do it this year without Dane Domonkos, who was dressed but unable to play and would have a tough task against a Mars (20-1-1) team who earned the number one seed and defeated the Crimson Crushers back in mid-December 4-1. The Planets have held down the top spot in Class A for most of the season and have knocked on the Penguins Cup door only twice in their history losing to Westmont Hilltop in 2003 and again a year ago to Penguins Cup champions Freeport. Mars Head Coach Tim Coleman in his first year set up prior to the season to accomplish a Penguins Cup and the Crimson Crushers are a stepping stone to achieving what no other Mars team has done before.
Mars came out in the opening minutes to take control of McCort as Mike Heltman was pulled down at 14:14, setting up a Planets power play and outshot McCort 5-0 early on. The Crimson Crushers settled in and did not let up a shot the rest of the period, while countering with 3 of their own. BM’s Chad James was stopped by Greg Lewis on a breakaway with 7:31 to go. The game was scoreless after one period.
On to the second period and McCort went on the power play with 14:51 to go in the period, but didn’t score. Mars struck first as Mike Heltman got a loose rebaound and beat Danny Mock high to the stick side to make it 1-0. The Crimson Crushers went on the power play again and this time the Planets Ian Finney had a great chance that was turned aside by Mock at 8:42. The McCort goaltender Mock made a series of nice stops on Finney and Mike Heltman at 6:24 and then a great leg save on Andrew Santa at 5:16. With the score 1-0, Mars put the Crushers on the power play and then took an undisciplined unsportsmanlike conduct penalty putting McCort on a 5 on 3 with 1:59 left in the period. Bishop McCort would take advantage as Todd Thomas shot the puck from the center point and Anthony Pioli tipped it past Greg Lewis to tie the game with 47 seconds left in the second period 1-1and make it a brand new hockey game. The Crushers outshot Mars 14-11 in the period.
The third period started with a Mars power play at 11:54 and another one at 10:23 but could not score as McCort’s Todd Thomas made a great defensive play to deny Ian Finney an open net at 10:06. Mars finally answered when Mike Mazzota streaked down the right side and fired a snap shot to the far side of Danny Mock for a power play goal and a 2-1 lead with 10:06 to play in regulation. McCort went on the power play with 8:22, but the Planets calmly killed it off. Danny Mock kept Bishop McCort in this hockey game stopping Mike Heltman at 3:13, Jake Robasch from on the doorstep at 2:17 and then robbed Mike Heltman on the back door with 1:24 to go and Robasch again, who was in alone with 54 seconds to go. You just had to think McCort would get a chance, which they did in the final minute but Greg Lewis was equal to the task. When Andrew Santa raced to a loose puck with 17 seconds to go and deposited into an empty net, it was Christmas in March as the Planets marched on to thir first ever Penguins Cup final with a 3-1 victory over a stubborn Bishop McCort club. Final shots were 28-24 in favor of Mars. The Planets advance to their first Penguins Cup in club history.
