St Joseph's Prep Hawks

2008 Penguins Cup Semi-Finals AAA

Bethel Park 3 Mt Lebanon 2 [3 OT]

PITTSBURGH –

   Mt Lebanon (19-1-2) and Bethel Park (13-5-2) played a historic game two weeks ago outdoors in which the Blue Devils came away with a 2-0 victory. Any time Bethel Park and Mt Lebanon square off in anything it’s brings significance, but with a trip to the  Penguins Cup on the line, it just adds to the significance. Bethel Park had a rebuilding year by their standards and played out of the 6^th seed and defeated Seneca Valley 2-1 to earn a trip to this point. The Hawks coach Jim McVay knows when you get to Mellon Arena anything can happen and his team still has an opportunity to gain the ultimate prize if they can defeat Mt Lebanon. The Blue Devils have only lost one time this season and that was to awaiting Penguins Cup finalist Pine Richland.

         Mt Lebanon got the first chance on the power play and converted as Brooks Behling scored on the short side with a wrist shot from the right circle to give the Blue Devils a 1-0 lead at 7:38..The Hawks tied the game with 6:14 to go in the opening period as Cinner Wells shot the puck from the right point and it was deflected by Matt Quigley to make it 1-1. In a typical Mt Lebanon – Bethel game the period was limited chances and tied in shots 6-6.

         In a scoreless second period, the shots were 6-2 in favor of Bethel Park with a couple of power plays and headed to the third period tied at one apiece. Bethel Park got a powr play to start the third period and converted as Tommy Whetsel got just enough of a backhand to beat Robbie Behling at 11:12 and give the Hawks a 2-1 lead. The game heated up with several chances for both teams, but the clock was running out on Mt Lebanon’s season as Bethel held a 2-1 lead. Brandon Bianco answered the prayers of Mt Lebanon as he converted a Jon Wilen pass out of the corner with 1:23 to play and tie the game 2-2 and the teams headed to overtime.

          The teams played two overtime period with Mt Lebanon’s best chance coming off the stick of Bianco but Ben Garcia made a real nice leg at 5:13 of the 1^st oevertime and then an excellent glove save on Chris Ford on a power play at 7:01 of overtime # 2. Bethel’s Tommy Whetsel hit the post with 2:22 to go in the 2^nd OT and the game headed into overtime # 3. Bethel Park played a memorable overtime here a year ago losing to North Allegheny  in double overtime. This time it would be the Hawks prevailing as Tommy Whetsel made the most of another opportunity and would not be denied scoring on his own rebound past a fallen Robbie Behling to give Bethel a 3-2 triple overtime victory and send them on to play top seed and undefeated Pine Richland for the 2008 Penguins Cup Class AAA Championship.