St Joseph's Prep Hawks

Franklin Regional turns the table on Canevin with 4-2 win.

2008 Penguins Cup Semi-Finals AA

Franklin Regional 4 Canevin 2

       Canevin (19-2-2) and Franklin Regional (19-3-1) met the last week of the regular season in a game which I reported was poorly officiated and I stand by everything I wrote. While Canevin won the hockey game 4-0 and earned the second seed, this would be a rematch which hopefully would give an opportunity to see two teams that have had terrific seasons in Class AA have a chance to settle the opportunity to play Latrobe on the ice. Canevin is a hockey program with great tradition and State Championships in 1983, 1984 and 1989 to their credit and their last trip to the Penguins Cup was in 2000 and ended in the final minute on a goal that sent Thomas Jefferson to their 3^rd consecutive Pennsylvania State Championship. The Crusaders Head Coach Kevin Zielmanski went to the State Finals with Central Catholic in 1998 in hid first year at the helm before losing to LaSalle 3-2 at Rostraver and had an opportunity to repeat that feat with Canevin in his first year there. Franklin Regional has been to the Penguins Cup Finals in 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995 and 2003 [AAA] five times and has come away empty in its history and is looking to move on to the finals again.

        Franklin Regional came out and accomplished what they didn’t do in 45 minutes of the first meeting and that is score a goal as Johnny Cecere found Eugene Mack behind goaltender Zach Bogden at 14:27 for a tap in and a 1-0 lead. Franklin went on the power play at 10:25 and this time captalized as Eugene Mack skated into the zone down the middle and buried a wrist shot high over the glove hand of Bogden to make it 2-0 at 10:09. Canevin showed resilience as Josh Daley backed off the FR defense and fired a perfect pass to Vincent Nicolella who made no mistake and cut the lead to 2-1 with 9:31 to play. Franklin’s Adam Baumgardner missed a wide open chance at 7:20 and then the Crusaders got their first chance on the power play. Josh Daley is a very good hockey player and a smart one as well and he scored a Mario Lemieux type gol from behind the net as he banked a shot off Anthony Livecchi to tie the game at two apiece. Canevin had a chance with :24 to go in the opening period but Vince Nicolella could not convert a wide open chance.

         Franklin Regional regained the lead at 12:42 of the second period as Eugene Mack threaded a perfect pass to Johnny Cecere to make it 3-2. Zach Bogden kept Canevin in the game with a nice stop on Steve Shirk at 12:33. The Crusaders and Panthers played pretty evenly and a questionable call at 5:34 put the Panthers on the power play. Bogden stopped Jared Yesko from point blank range at 5:07. Canevin had a shorthanded opportunity at 4:11 but Anthony Livecchi stoned Cam Zappi. Canevin went on the power play at 3:35 and Franklin would take a 3-2 lead to the locker room despite being outshot 15-13 thru two periods.

          This was anyone’s hockey game heading to the final period and Zach Bogden continued to play well in goal for Canevin as he stopped Jared Yesko at 14:06 on the power play. The Panthers blew their opprtuntiy on the power play with a very bad penalty at 13:55. Bogden topped Johnny Cecere from in close. Franklin was now looking to the clock as their ally after Frank Vance could not convert after a great move and a nice save by Anthony Livecchi at 8:54. The Crusaders were whistled again and put the Panthers on the power play, but Canevin almost tied the game as Josh Daley’s shot hit the post at 8:12. The killer goal of the game came moments later at 7:54 as Eugene Mack found a wide open Steve Shirk on a the back door and threaded a beautiful pass for the 4^th goal for Franklin and a 4-2 lead. Canevin got another penalty at 7:12 putting the Panthers on the powr play and taking the starch out of Canevin. Josh Daley had a chance with 5:18 to go in the regulation but the bounces were bot going the way of the Crusaders in this one.

A very dangerous play occurred late in this contest similar to the previous game against Franklin as Josh Daley was hit from behind and boarded with nothing called. This was a similar play to the Steve Shirk hit at the end of the regular season finale and should have been called, but was not. Canevin had a power play with 1:48 to play and would need a miracle finish, but Franklin Regional closed the door and walked away with a 4-2 victory and earned a trip to the Penguins Cup final to meet rival Latrobe.